Breda 38

Mitragliatrice Breda cal. 8 mod. 38 per carri armati
Mitragliatrice Breda cal. 8 mod. 38 per carri armati
	A Breda Mod 38 at display at the Forte di San Leo
Type	Tank machine gun
Place of origin	Italy
Service history
In service	1938–1943
Used by	Italy; Portugal
Wars	World War II; Portuguese Colonial War
Production history
Manufacturer	Breda Meccanica Bresciana
Specifications
Mass	16.3 kg (36 lb)
Length	897.5 mm (35.33 in)
Barrel length	600 mm (24 in)
Cartridge	8×59mm RB Breda; 7.92×57mm Mauser
Action	Gas-operated
Rate of fire	550 rds/min theoretical, 350 rds/min practical
Muzzle velocity	770 metres per second (2,500 ft/s)
Effective firing range	300 m (330 yd)
Feed system	24-round vertical box magazine

The Mitragliatrice Breda calibro 8 modello 38 per carri armati was an Italian tank-pattern machine gun used in the Second World War on the Fiat L6/40, the Fiat M11/39 and the Fiat M13/40. It was also adapted to act as an infantry machine gun. The M38 is based upon the Breda M37. The Breda 38 received the German identification code Kampfwagen-Maschinengewehr 350(i).

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It was also adapted for use as an infantry machine gun.^[2] For this purpose the gun was mounted on a machine-gun tripod by means of an adapter, and was fitted with a temporary rear sight on the right of the body and a temporary front sight on the right of the barrel at the muzzle. The temporary open sights took the place of the optical sight used when the gun was tank-mounted.

The gun is air-cooled, gas-operated, and magazine-fed, and has a quick-change barrel. Its operational features are simple, and it is extremely easy to field-strip or disassemble completely. The barrel is sufficiently heavy (4,5 kg) to enable it to fire a large number of rounds in quick succession without overheating.