Rifle Pavesi Model 1938. Gas operated. There is very little historical data about this weapon. The designer of the rifle Giuseppe Pavesi, his name was first mentioned only in early 2012 and some personal information about him was found in the archives of the Italian Army Uificio Storico (historical department)
It has been impossible to determine where the rifle was made, but sources in Italy suggest either FNA Brescia or Meccanica Bresciana Tempini. The 1938 model is fed by a Breda Model 35 magazine chambered for the 8x59mm cartridge (a round very similar to the German 7.92x57mm, intended for Italian machine guns). The Pavesi Model 1938 and later Model 1942 were the only Italian rifles of the era, on par with the US M1 Garand semiautomatic rifles and the later German G-43.
The magazine capacity is unknown, but judging by the appearance in the only photo, it is five or six rounds. The principle of operation of the mechanism. There are two versions: according to the first, it is similar to the American M16 rifle: gas is supplied through a pipe above the barrel directly to the surface of the bolt. According to the second, it is a typical gas-operated system with a short piston stroke. The stock has a straight neck with four finger grooves, and the part of the stock up to the belt has a number of ventilation holes. No stamped numbers were found, probably only one sample or a very small number of them were made. Documents on the tests, as well as the search for the sample itself, have not yet yielded results
Fucile Pavesi Model 1938
Designer: Giuseppe Pavesi
Manufacturer: Meccanica Bresdana gialcmpini or FNA Brescia.
Caliber: 8x59 mm
Magazine: from Breda mod. 35
Mechanism drive: gas bleed
Safety: lever between the trigger guard and the magazine housing
Overall length: 1200 mm
Barrel length: 600 mm
Weight: 4.26 kg
Sighting bar: quadrant with a notch with a scale up to 1200 m.
Muzzle velocity: 790 m/s
Magazine capacity: probably 5 or 6 rounds
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