Fiat Mod. 1928
Italian light machine gun designed by Giuseppe Mascarucci for SAFAT.
The Fiat Mod. 1928, also called the SAFAT mod.28 or Fiat-SAFAT mod.28, was an Italian light machine gun developed in the late 1920s. It was created by SAFAT to replace the earlier Fiat Mod.26 in a competition for a new light machine gun that the Regio Esercito had been running since the early 1920s.
Unlike the Fiat Mod.24 and Mod.26, which were designed by Revelli, the Mod.28 was designed by Giuseppe Mascarucci. He also designed the Fiat Mod.1928 Avio chambered in 7.7 mm, which later became the better-known Breda Mod. SAFAT. Like its predecessors, the Fiat Mod.28 was produced in small numbers for troop trials, competing directly against the Breda 5GF. It outperformed both the earlier Fiat Mod.26 and the Breda 5 C, but still lost to the Breda 5GF. After some modifications, that weapon won the competition and was adopted as the Breda Mod.30. This loss led Fiat to exit the firearms market for ten years, shut down SAFAT, and transfer the related patents to Breda.
The Fiat Mod.1928 operated on a short recoil system. Its action was the same as the Fiat Mod.1928 Avio but reversed: the block, block pin, connecting rods, and barrel spring sat above the breech, whereas in the Breda Mod. SAFAT they were below. The gun fired from an open bolt. It was air-cooled, with a fluted barrel to improve cooling. The barrel could be swapped quickly when overheated and needed replacement after 300 rounds of continuous automatic fire.
Its feeding system matched the Fiat Mod.26: a fixed magazine on the left side, loaded with 20-round brass stripper clips. The magazine was loaded through the ejection port on the right after retracting the bolt. Like the Fiat Mod.26 and Breda Mod.30, the Mod.28 had an oil pump in the upper receiver to lubricate each cartridge before chambering. The charging handle was on the right side of the receiver and had a folding grip. At the rear were a pistol grip and wooden stock. The sight, offset to the left, was graduated from 0 to 15 hectometres (0 to 1,500 metres). On the lower receiver, near the fixed magazine, was a rate-of-fire reducer. The bipod attached to the barrel protection sleeve and was foldable, while a foldable, height-adjustable monopod was attached to the shoulder stock.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- Kingdom of Italy
- Is Ranged
- yes
- Manufacturer
- SAFAT
- Cartridge
- 6.5×52mm (6.5mm Carcano)
- Sights
- Iron
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Fiat Mod.1928 was designed by Giuseppe Mascarucci, who also designed the Fiat Mod.1928 Avio cal 7.7 (later known as the Breda - Mod. SAFAT). Unlike the earlier Fiat Mod.24 and Mod.26 designed by Revelli, this weapon used a short recoil action similar to the Fiat Mod.1928 Avio but with the block, block pin, connecting rods and barrel spring positioned above the breech, reversed from the Breda - Mod. SAFAT where they are below. The weapon fires from an open bolt.
The feeding system was the same as the Fiat Mod.26: a fixed magazine on the left side loaded via 20-round brass stripper clips, with the magazine loaded through the ejection port on the right side after retracting the bolt. Like the Fiat Mod.26 and Breda Mod.30, the Fiat Mod.28 included an oil pump in the upper receiver to lubricate each cartridge before chambering. The charging handle was on the right side with a folding grip, and the rear of the receiver held a pistol grip and wooden stock. The sight, offset to the left, was graduated from 0 to 1,500 meters. A rate-of-fire reducer was placed on the lower side of the receiver near the fixed magazine. The bipod attached to the barrel protection sleeve was foldable, and a foldable, height-adjustable monopod was attached to the shoulder stock.
Reader's Guide
The Fiat Mod.1928 was adopted only in small series for practical evaluation by troops, competing directly against the Breda 5GF. It demonstrated better performance than the earlier Fiat Mod.26 and Breda 5 C, but despite this, it lost the competition to the Breda 5GF, which after modifications was adopted as the Breda Mod.30. This defeat had significant consequences: Fiat exited the firearms market for ten years, SAFAT was closed, and the related patents were transferred to Breda. The weapon's design, particularly its reversed action compared to the Breda - Mod. SAFAT, and its use of an oil pump for cartridge lubrication, reflect the technical approaches of the period. Its legacy is primarily as a losing competitor that nonetheless influenced the broader development of Italian light machine guns through the transfer of its patents to Breda.
Did You Know?
- Its action was the same as the Fiat Mod.1928 Avio but reversed: key components were above the breech instead of below.
- The weapon had an oil pump to lubricate each cartridge before chambering, similar to the Fiat Mod.26 and Breda Mod.30.
- Fiat's loss in the competition led to the company's exit from the firearms market for ten years and the closure of SAFAT.
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