Swiss Reibel M31 Tank & Fortress Machine Gun
Switzerland
•
9m 30s
The Reibel Modele M31 was the variation of the French Chatellerault M24/29 light machine gun made for use in vehicles and fortifications. In accordance with that role, it lacked a buttstock or sights (these were integrated into the vehicle or fortress mounts), was fitted with a very heavy barrel for sustained fire, and fed from a massive 150-round drum magazine. These were often used in dual mounts, with one left-hand and one right-hand feed gun (note that the bolt is easily swapped for feed from either side).
After World War Two, the Swiss purchased a number of these guns form France, rechambered them for the 7.5x55mm Swiss cartridge, and fitted them in AMX tanks. This particular gun is one of those, and it is mounted on a Swiss LMG-25 tripod using an adapter designed for gunsmith test firing outside the tank.
Thanks to the Kessler auction company in Switzerland for letting me take a look at this piece!
Up Next in Switzerland
-
Swiss 1897 Schmidt-Rubin Kadettengewe...
The Swiss replaced their Vetterli rifles in the late 1880s with the new Schmidt-Rubin pattern, and this eventually trickled down to the cadet corps. These youth programs had been using short single-shot 1870 Vetterli carbines, but as those became obsolete and in need of replacement, the 1897 Kade...
-
Solothurn 20mm S18-1000 Wheeled Carriage
Before they became obsolete, antitank rifles were a way to bring substantial firepower to small infantry teams - but they were never light weight. As with some of the early water cooled heavy machine guns, designers looked for ways to make the weapons more easily transported, and the solution arr...
-
Swiss Tankbuchse 41 Semiauto Antitank...
Originally developed for use in light tanks purchased from Czechoslovakia, the Tankbuchse 41 was a 24x139mm semiautomatic rifle designed by Adolph Furrer of the Waffenfabrik Bern factory. Furrer was also responsible for the LMG-25 and MP41/44 used by the Swiss, and with the TB-41 he once again us...
