Twin barrel Machine Gun

[Old Tom]

I recently visited a museum at Kotschach- Mauther. That's in Austria a few miles form the Italian border north of the Plocken Pass. What,to me, was a rather strange weapon was labeled as a 'Strum Pistole'. It was in a closed case under glass with various items. Photographs were not allowed and the following is based on my notes on a scrap of paper. Not, I'm afraid, very precise, but I hope sufficient for the weapon to be recognised.

The gun was by Viller Persu? and had two 9mm barrels and there was a reference to a bipod which was not present. Each barrel had an upright straight magazine which, I guess, would have held about 25 rounds each. The information displayed claimed a rate of fire of 500 rounds/barrel/minute. I would guess that they were recoil operated. The triggers were not visible clearly, but they, or it, could have been thumb operated when the two, somewhat 'Vickers' like grips were held by the fingers of both hands. The overall length of the item was about 750 mm, the barrels appeared to be joined at the trigger end and at about half length by passing through a roughly circular disc.

Old Tom

[Jockbhoy67]

Its an italian machine gun Tom ...a Villar-Perosa.

[Stoppage Drill]

Fired a pistol calibre round

[4thGordons]

Here as some images and a quick write up

and here are much more detailed images and a manual etc.

Chris

[Beerhunter]

The Villar-Perosa is often cited, incorrectly, as the first sub-machine gun, due to its pistol calibre cartridge. However first "true" sub-machine gun title goes to the Hugo Schmeisser designed Bergmann MP18.

The Villar-Perosa was originally designed for aircraft use but was frankly useless and so it was reallocated as ground gun. I cannot see that it would have faired much better in that role.

They are fairly rare but several Museums have examples. I actually got to touch the one owned by the RSME Shrivenham a couple of years ago.

[SiegeGunner]

I recall that there was a Villar-Perosa in twin configuration on display at the HBSA gathering at Bisley a few years ago, when Dieter Storz gave a talk on the myth of the machine guns of Mons.

[Martin Bennitt]

Here is the one in the Vienna military museum I visited a few years ago. Sorry about the glass reflections.

Cheers Martin B

[SiegeGunner]

In the right foreground in this picture, between the Chauchat and the Bergmann.

[Old Tom]

Many thanks to you all. An interesting bit of history.

Old Tom