Breda-SAFAT machine gun
| Breda-SAFAT | |
|---|---|
| Type | Aircraft machine gun |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Italy |
| Wars | WW2 |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1935 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 12.5 kg (7.7 mm) 29 kg (12.7 mm) |
| Cartridge | 7.7x56R (10.1 g) 12.7x81SR (34.2 g) |
| Caliber | 7.7 mm (0.303 in) 12.7 mm (0.50 in) |
| Rate of fire | 800-900 rounds/min (7.7 mm) 700 rounds/min (575 rounds/min synchronized) (12.7 mm) |
| Muzzle velocity | 730 m/s (7.7 mm) 765 m/s (12.7 mm) |
Breda-SAFAT was a series of machine guns used on Italian aircraft during World War II. It was the result of a collaboration between Breda Meccanica Bresciana and Società Anonima Fabbrica Armi Torino (SAFAT). The machine gun came in 7.7 mm (0.303 in) and 12.7 mm (0.50 in) variants. The 7.7 mm variant was similar to the M1919 Browning machine gun and could use some types of .303 British ammunition. The 12.7 mm version could fire a high-explosive/incendiary/tracing (HEIT) round with 0.8 grams of PETN. In comparison most allied 12.7mm guns fired mostly solid shot.
The muzzle velocity of the Breda 12.7mm was less than other 50 caliber guns because its ammunition was 12.7x81mm and not 12.7x99mm or 12.7x108mm. The Breda's muzzle velocity was only 10,000 joules vs 16,000-17,000 of competing guns. The Breda guns were reliable, but they had the worst power-weight ratio of all machine guns mounted on World War II aircraft. In comparison the Japanese Ho-103, based on Browning M2 had a similar 12.7x81mm round but the gun was 6-7 kg lighter and had rate of fire of 800-900rpm with a 34.2 gram projectile. The Japanese guns rate of fire was at least 20% better, but was still reliable. The Isotta-Fraschini Scotti tried to improve upon the Breda's performance but it had a lower rate of fire and wasn't as reliable.
Thus Italy didn't have machine guns that had the critical qualities of light weight, high rate of fire, good muzzle velocity, good projectile weight and reliability. While the Russians, Germans, USA and Japanese had them in the Berezin, MG 131, M2, and Ho-103. Late war Italian aircraft began to adopt the German Mauser MG 151 to give their aircraft parity in firepower with Allied fighters. Aircraft such as the Macchi MC.205, Fiat G.55, and Reggiane Re.2005 had as many as three MG 151's in addition to two cowl mounted Breda machine guns. The last generation of Italian aircraft of World War II were armed with MG 151's only.
The Breda guns, although adequate in 1935 at the time of their design, were inadequate by the standards of 1940. In 1941 the Fiat C.R.42, Fiat G.50, Macchi MC.200, Macchi MC.202, and Reggiane Re.2000 still only had two Breda 12.7mm machine guns and sometimes with two extra wing mounted Breda 7.7mm guns. This was clearly a pathetic armament at the time. Nevertheless thousands of Breda's were built in the 1930's & 1940's and armed nearly every Italian fighter and bomber aircraft of that period. Many of these reliable weapons were adapted also for a.a. role, and remained in service until '70s as reserve weapons, even if all the aircraft that they equipped were phased out by time. The last heavy machine gun used on Italian aircraft was the Browning M3, as used on the Fiat G.91R.