Breda PG Model 1935
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 457 mm
- Weight, empty
- 5.20 kg
- Introduced
- 1935
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Breda PG Model 1935 was a rare Italian interwar gas-operated select-fire rifle designed by Sestilio Fiorini and built by Breda in Rome. Its best-known form was a 7x57mm Mauser export model sold to Costa Rica in 1935, which fired from an open bolt and offered semi-automatic, full-automatic and a novel four-round burst mode. It is widely credited as the first service rifle ever fitted with a burst-limiting mechanism, decades before that feature became mainstream. An Italian-trials version was chambered in 6.5x52mm Carcano, fired from a closed bolt and was semi-automatic only.
The Costa Rican Breda PG is cited as the first service rifle ever fitted with a burst-limiting device, cutting automatic fire after four rounds. Despite showing hints of the coming assault-rifle concept, its full-power 7x57mm cartridge and open-bolt design negated most practical advantages, and it was judged heavy, complicated and expensive, leaving it a rare curiosity.
Burst is four rounds (not three). Overall length, muzzle velocity, effective/max range and rifling for this specific rifle were not found in accessible sources and are left null. Production estimates vary: ~800 ordered for Costa Rica per Wikipedia/Forgotten Weapons, ~400 delivered per Modern Firearms.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Societa Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche (Breda Meccanica Bresciana)
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- Italy
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1935 to 1935
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 457 mm
- Weight, empty
- 5.20 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated long stroke
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 20
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Rate of fire
- 600 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Select fire- Four round burst limiter
Open bolt operation
Bayonet lug
Adjustable iron sights
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 1,612 rifles | 5.20 kg | 3.50 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 1,659 rifles | 457 mm | 584 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 1,611 rifles | 20 | 5 | Holds more rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Breda PG Model 1935
How much does the Breda PG Model 1935 weigh?
The Breda PG Model 1935 weighs 5.20 kg (11.46 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Breda PG Model 1935?
The Breda PG Model 1935 is chambered in 7x57mm Mauser.
How many rounds does the Breda PG Model 1935 hold?
The Breda PG Model 1935 holds 20 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Breda PG Model 1935?
The Breda PG Model 1935 has a 457 mm (18.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Breda PG Model 1935?
The Breda PG Model 1935 is made by Societa Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche (Breda Meccanica Bresciana) (Italy). It was designed by Sestilio Fiorini.
When was the Breda PG Model 1935 introduced?
The Breda PG Model 1935 was introduced in 1935 and discontinued in 1935.
How does the Breda PG Model 1935 operate?
The Breda PG Model 1935 uses a gas operated long stroke action.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Costa Rica
- 1935
- Kingdom of Italy
- Italy
Provenance
Confidence in this record
65%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/breda-pg' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "breda-pg", "name": "Breda PG Model 1935", "manufacturer": { "id": "breda-meccanica-bresciana", "name": "Societa Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche (Breda Meccanica Bresciana)", "countryCode": "IT", "foundedYear": 1953, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": "active", "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": true, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-04-26 23:12:00", "updatedAt": "2026-04-26 23:12:00", "version": "bcd84c8e18fcb4eca4f9603a2bf09df64bb647cb4417c2ff37ad614a53b709df" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "IT", "year_introduced": 1935, "barrel_length_mm": 457, "weight_empty_g": 5200, "action_type": "gas_operated_long_stroke"}