NAME – Villar Perosa O.V.P.

NAME (NATIVE) – Moschetto Automatico Revelli

COMMON NAMES – Revelli Automatic Rifle

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – Italy

DATE OF MANUFACTURE – 1921

CALIBER – 9x19mm Glisenti M910

OVERALL LENGTH – 90.2 cm (35 1/2 in)

BARREL LENGTH – 27.9 cm (11 in)

RIFLING (TYPE & TWIST) – 6 groove, Right hand twist

BULLET DIAMETER – 9.02 mm (0.355 in)

BULLET WEIGHT – 8 g (123 gr)

MUZZLE VELOCITY – 326 m/s (1070 fps)

MUZZLE ENERGY – 424 j (313 ft/lbs)

WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 3.63 kg (8 lbs)

WEIGHT (LOADED) – 4.05 kg with 25 rounds

SIGHTS – Front sight – blade, Rear sight – Fixed “U” notch set for 100 meters

EFFECTIVE RANGE – 250 m (273 yds)

OPERATION – Delayed blowback, fires from open bolt

TYPE OF FIRE – Selective, Semi and Full automatic

RATE OF FIRE – 50 rpm (Semi), 100 rpm (Full)

CYCLIC ROF – 900 rpm

FEED DEVICE 25 round box magazine, double column, double feed

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 0.14 kg (5 oz)

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (LOADED) – 0.42 kg (14.8 oz)

BASIC AMMUNITION LOAD – 6 magazines (150 rds)

LOAD WEIGHT – 2.52 kg (5 lbs 9 oz)

MANUFACTURER – Officine di Villar Perosa, Pinerola, Italy

STATUS – Obsolete

SERVICE – Italian military post WWI to early WWII

    This is another modification of the original Villar Perosa design to convert it for shoulder firing, conducted by the original company at the request of the Italian Government. The basic mechanism of the Villar Perosa was not changed in the conversion. The cocking lever was changed to a knurled sleeve that would be pulled back to cock the weapon. The trigger mechanism was changed considerably in moving it from the back of the weapon to the more common position underneath the rear of the receiver. There are two triggers controlling the type of fire of the weapon, Pulling the front trigger fires the weapon semiautomatically, one shot for each pull of the trigger. Pulling back on the rear trigger and holding it allows the weapon to fire on full automatic. Modifications to the mechanism lowered the cyclic rate of fire to a more controllable, but still fast, rate. The new weapon could be manufactured by the original company with a minimum change of machinery.

 

This is a very simple conversion of the Villar Perosa Model 1915 into an individual weapon. The rear of the original design was modified so that a wooden stock could be added. Modifications to the trigger mechanism gave it two triggers, the rear one for full automatic fire, the forward trigger for semiautomatic fire. The safety switch is the rotating lever pm the flat part of the trigger mechanism. The cocking levers of the original design were removed and replaced with a knurled sleeve around the receiver. PHOTO CREDIT: US Army
This is a very simple conversion of the Villar Perosa Model 1915 into an individual weapon. The rear of the original design was modified so that a wooden stock could be added. Modifications to the trigger mechanism gave it two triggers, the rear one for full automatic fire, the forward trigger for semiautomatic fire. The safety switch is the rotating lever pm the flat part of the trigger mechanism. The cocking levers of the original design were removed and replaced with a knurled sleeve around the receiver. PHOTO CREDIT: US Army
A left view of the OVP conversion of the Villar Perosa. The 245-round magazine has been removed from the weapon and is lying across the top of the picture. The twin triggers are also more visible at this angle. PHOTO CREDIT: US Army
A left view of the OVP conversion of the Villar Perosa. The 245-round magazine has been removed from the weapon and is lying across the top of the picture. The twin triggers are also more visible at this angle. PHOTO CREDIT: US Army