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LOT 1426
Breda M31 Heavy Machine Gun with Field Mount, Class III/NFA DEWAT C&R - Serial no. 1096,
13.2 mm cal., 40 inch ribbed round bbl., blue finish, metal grips. Introduced in 1931, the Breda M31 is a licensed copy of the French Hotchkiss Model 1929, which saw use with the Italian Army and Navy, the former chiefly as a secondary weapon for armored vehicles and the latter chiefly as a light anti-aircraft and point defense weapon, serving on a number of service vessels and submarines in that role, as well as on a few vessels of the Swedish Navy. Later it would be phased out of Navy service in favor of a heavier 20mm cannon, though would remain in service with the Guardia di Finanza up to 1950. Blade front and windage adjustable tangent rear sights, with a conical flash hider on the heavily ribbed barrel, a top- loaded box magazine feed mechanism, a pair of metal pistol grips a sliding safety and “butterfly”
thumb trigger. A modern mounting bracket has been fitted to the underside of the receiver,
with a swiveling pintle and a four-legged folding field mount with adjustable legs and
integral gunner’s seat. As noted, the weapon has been deactivated, with the breech of
the barrel welded shut; no permanent alterations to the bolt are visible, and it still
moves freely.
CONDITION: Very good as deactivated, with 30% of the blue finish, showing
mostly areas of brown patina, minor spotting and handling marks, and
some dents on the barrel fins and grips. The tripod is in good working
order, with mild wear and spotting. NOTE: This is a registered
DEWAT weapon with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms
and Explosives (BATFE), as a National Firearms Act
(NFA) weapon, that is fully transferable. It has been
classified as a Curio or Relic as defined in 27 CFR,
478.11. These weapons are still subject to the
provisions of 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44 and 27 CFR
part 479, National Firearms Act.
Estimate: 9,500 - 16,000
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