A somewhat unusual design for the time, the Breda Model 30 was the primary light machine gun of the Italian armed forces during World War II, and served as the firepower backbone of most infantry formations. A true "heavy metal" machine gun, the Breda design banks heavily on machined steel construction with a recoil driven closed-bolt mechanism. Though physically rugged, the Breda was heavy, suffered from issues with feeding and extraction, struggled with dirt and debris (an issue that became dire in Africa), and was handicapped by the use of a fixed box magazine for feeding. Between the various issues, the Breda's effective rate of fire was closer to the American M1 Garand than its actual counterpart, the Browning Automatic Rifle. Fixed blade front and elevation adjustable notch rear sights, with a conical flash hider and takedown handle installed on the ribbed barrel, the fixed magazine on the right side of the receiver and a hinged top cover. The top of the receiver is marked "GOBIERNO DE (removed)/MITRA. LEGG. Cal. 7M No.33/BREDA ROMA 1935 A.XIII"; the end of the top line is illegible, but similar markings have been seen on Breda MGs attributed to Costa Rica. A folding bipod assembly is installed at the front of the handguard, with a pair of ribbed panels on the pistol grip and a straight buttstock with flip-up shoulder rest.