Fiat-Revelli Modello 1935

The FIAT-Revelli Model 1935 (Modello 35) of 1935 was a modernization of the World War 1-era FIAT-Revelli Model 1914, first tested by the Italian Army in 1908. The original Model 1914 certainly held its many detractors for inherent critical failings to her design when compared to contemporaries of the time - namely the German Maxim and the British Vickers machine guns. The Italian offering was centered around the underpowered Mannlicher-Carcano 6.5x52mm service rifle cartridge loaded into the machine gun through the same 5-round rifle stripper clips dropped into fragile sheet metal ammunition "cage". The peculiarity in design also saw the bolt forced out of the rear during the firing action in an exposed fashion which introduced all manner of dangers to the operator while attracting outright stoppages of the gun. Each cartridge was required to be lubricated prior to entering the chamber and this, in turn, required an integrated oil reservoir to be fitted while making the cartridges now susceptible to attracting dust and debris all their own - again, this potentially leading to stoppages. Like other machine guns of the period, the Model 1914 was of a water cooled design, requiring use of a connected water can and a large, cumbersome water cooling jacket fitted over the barrel. As it stood, however, the Italian Army was woefully short of viable small arms entering World War 1 and the FIAT-Revelli Model 1914 made logistical sense.