×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Scale (2024) Special Forces

FIAT-Revelli Modello 1915 (Villar Perosa)


Light Machine Gun (LMG)


Kingdom of Italy | 1915



"From a technical standpoint, the Villar Perosa 9mm system of 1915 is the first submachine gun ever issued - though initially operated as a light machine gun for alpine troops."

Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the FIAT-Revelli Modello 1915 (Villar Perosa). Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
1,200
Rounds-Per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire
1,200 ft/sec
366 m/sec
Muzzle Velocity
Physical
The physical qualities of the FIAT-Revelli Modello 1915 (Villar Perosa). Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
533 mm
20.98 in
O/A Length
318 mm
12.52 in
Barrel Length
14.37 lb
6.52 kg
Weight
Blowback; Rotating Bolt
Action
9x19mm Glisenti
Caliber(s)
2 x 25-round detachable box magazines
Feed
Iron
Sights
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the FIAT-Revelli Modello 1915 (Villar Perosa) Light Machine Gun (LMG) family line.
Model 1915 - Base Series Designation by FIAT.
Villar-Perosa - Alternative Name
Moschetto Automatico OVP - Split Model 1915 guns to serve as traditional, standalone submachine guns.
Beretta Model 1918 - Dedicated submachine gun form by Beretta; utilizing action, feed and receiver mechanisms of original Model 1915 weapons with Beretta adding new trigger and single-piece wooden body; bayonet support.
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/31/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The submachine gun was born in a World War 1 requirement seeking a high-volume weapon capable of clearing enemy forces from their trench positions. Such a weapon would have to be portable and fire (controllably) through a full-automatic action with lethal results at short-to-medium ranges. Semi-automatic pistols proved only a partial solution and machine guns of the period were simply too cumbersome to field in this fashion. As such, the "submachine gun" was born as a weapon class - first through the Italians and, later, refined into the classic form by the Germans. From then on, the class became an accepted portion of any military inventory.

The FIAT-Revelli Model 1915 - better known as the "Villar Perosa" - became (from a technical standpoint) the first submachine gun ever adopted by a national power for it fired a pistol cartridge through an automatic action and was of a highly portable design. However, the weapon was a far cry from the accepted "classic" submachine gun form, even by World War 1 standards, and this triumph was largely handed to the Germans for their Bergmann MP18 of 1918. Additionally, the Italian Army initially fielded their Villar Perosas in the light support role as a light machine gun (LMG), primarily issued to alpine forces for mountainous fighting. It was several years of warfare that the Italians finally realized what they had and rewrote tactics to suit the new weapon class. The Villar Perosa, therefore, became more of a mobile assault-minded weapon instead of a limited automatic support weapon.

It should be noted that the Villar Perosa is can be referred to by several names which tends to add to confusion - "FIAT" is the primary place of manufacture while Bethel Abiel "Revelli" di Beaumont is credited with its design. "Villar Perosa" is from the Turin-based headquarters of Officine Villar Perosa (OVP) where the original prototype was conceived and evaluated.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.


As originally manufactured, the Villar Perosa of 1915 featured no true stock or wooden body of any kind - it was essentially a utilitarian-minded receiver with protruding twin barrels at front and spade-type grips at the rear (complete with thumb triggers). A folding metal bipod was affixed at the muzzle and used as a forward support in the usual way - hence the idea of the weapon carrying on as a light machine gun in combat). Sighting was through an iron arrangement. Another distinct feature of the Villa Perosa was its use of 2 x 25-round curved magazines, these inserted into the top of the receiver at the middle of the weapon - the feed system allowed for firing of the weapon from the two barrels. The action was of a retarded blowback method while the weapon was fed with a modified version of the German 9x19mm Parabellum pistol cartridge known to the Italian Army as the 9x19mm Glisenti - this cartridge also powered the famous Italian Glisenti semi-automatic pistol.

An unorthodox submachine gun to the core, the weapon nonetheless proved handy and lethal for its portable high volume fire. All told, the weapon sported a running length of 21 inches with 2 x 12.5 inch barrels installed. Cyclic rate-of-fire was listed at 1,200 rounds per minute thanks to the well-designed action within. Muzzle velocity was 1,200 feet per second.

In early practice during 1915, the Villar Perosa was primarily used as a static suppression system more akin to the modern light machine. The Italian firearms concern of Beretta then took the Villar Perosa design, split the barrels to return a dedicated single-barreled submachine gun design, an in-house trigger group and single-piece wooden stock was attached to the weapon. The Italians now held a truer submachine gun form as Beretta manufactured these as the "Modello 1918". In combat, these proved the submachine gun vision as an offensive weapon true and, from 1917 on, the Villar Perosa was used in more of an assault-minded role. All original Villar Perosa guns the "double gun" systems and some were even fitted onto tripods and on vehicles (including bicycles!).

By the end of the war, the Villar Perosa had seen its peak combat days. As the "true" submachine gun form was now adopted by world powers, remaining stocks of Villar Perosas were appropriately modified into Beretta Modello 1918s or the simpler Moschetto Automatico OVP (Officine Villar Perosa). In the latter, the gun was nothing more than the original Villar Perosa simply halved to produce a single-barreled dedicated submachine gun development. No wooden body was added though a traditional looped trigger group and wooden stock was. This allowed for low-cost modifications heading into the uncertain interwar years.

So while the submachine was born with the Italians, it was evolved and refined by the Germans through their MP18. Many of the features exhibited by the German design were then adopted throughout many future submachine gun designs appearing prior to World War 2. It should be noted that the unique Italian design did beat the German MP18 to the front lines by some two years of warfare. Some examples were captured by Austrian-Hungarian and German forces in the fighting.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the FIAT-Revelli Modello 1915 (Villar Perosa). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): FIAT-Revelli - Italy
National flag of Austria National flag of the Austro-Hungarian Empire National flag of the German Empire National flag of Hungary National flag of Italy National flag of the Kingdom of Italy National flag of the United Kingdom

[ Austria-Hungary; German Empire; Kingdom of Italy; United Kingdom (evaluated) ]
1 / 1
Image of the FIAT-Revelli Modello 1915 (Villar Perosa)
Image from the Public Domain.

Going Further...
The FIAT-Revelli Modello 1915 (Villar Perosa) Light Machine Gun (LMG) appears in the following collections:
HOME
SMALL ARMS INDEX
SPECIAL FORCES
ARMS BY COUNTRY
ARMS MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE ARMS
ARMS BY CONFLICT
ARMS BY TYPE
ARMS BY DECADE
WWI SMALL ARMS
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)