- Yes
- No
At the time of it’s adoption, in 1930, being the BAR kind of an oddball between the LMGs (sound action, but not very apt to fire in prone position, and without quick barrel change), the only alternative that was really better was the ZB vz.26. It had been tested by the Italian Army, but not adopted, probably for nationalistic considerations. In 1935, at least two better designs were proposed, the Breda PG (similar to the BAR in having a bottom placed magazine and not having a quick barrel change, but with half the weight) and the Mitragliatrice Leggera Scotti (Scotti LMG), with a top feeding magazine similar to the ZB vz.26 / Bren. However, the army choose to not change the service LMG after only 5 years from it’s adoption. The Breda PG was not ordered, and only some tens of copies of the the Scotti were used as tank-pattern machine-gun (where the top feeding magazine has obvious space-saving advantages) until they were replaced by the heavier Breda 38.
It looks like the unwholly love child of a top loading MG and a side loading stripper clip MG. I would love to see it as a non tech tree weapon in BR2 20 rounds and a decent rate of fire. A great Italian gun that would thicken the Axis would more Roman goodness.