Revelli or Villar Perosa research

[woodsy]

The WW1 Revelli designed twin-barrelled 9mm SMG known as the Villar Perosa, was also manufactured in limited numbers by General Electric in Canada during the latter part of WW1. As part of some research I am doing for an article on these neat wee guns, does anyone have any information on the quantities produced, both in Italy by VP and also in Canada by GE. Any info received that is used in the article will be acknowledged.

I would also be interested to hear of any such guns that you know of, either in museums or private collections in order try and assess the number of surviving specimens.

[Peter Wells]

Hi Rod

I know of only two in SA - one in a state museum and another in a private museum.

Will try and get mnfr and serial numbers.

[woodsy]

Thanks Peter! It would be handy to know if they are of Italian or Canadian manufacture.

[Peter Wells]

Hi again

The pvt one's SN is 436, caliber is given as "9mm OVP" - does that help ID it? Almost certainly a WW2 capture weapon.

Cheers

[woodsy]

Thanks Peter! The OVP is an Italian-made single barrel SMG version with a wooden stock and they were a post-WW1 modification. They saw limited use in North Africa in WW2.

[Peter Wells]

Thanks for info Rod.

From memory, I think the Museum one is probably the same and also a WW2 Abyssinia or North Africa capture. Will confirm later as we are having our annual Collectors Arms Fair there from today thru Monday.

Cheers

[Peter Wells]

Sorry Rod, I wasn't able to get SN of the museum one - the Small Arms curator was not in.

Will do at the next opportunity.

[woodsy]

Thanks Peter. Does anyone else have any knowledge of VP guns in collections, museums etc? There must be a lot more than the two that Peter has mentioned.

[woodsy]

If any one has seen one of these in a museum or collection I would very much like to build a database (no names or locations required) to see how many are left in the World. I will post the results once we have a few on the board.

[Richard Fisher]

Rod,

A member of the Great War Forum has recently posted a photo of his collection, which includes one of these.

Go to:

1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=149923&view=findpost&p=1476218

He has put a link in the post of a display at Bisley.

Regards

Richard

[tonye]

Richard

That was me who posted on the GWF. The gun is not mine, but belongs to Bapty, the film and theatre armourers and hire company.

Others that I know about are of course in the Pattern Room, now the National Firearms Centre in Leeds, and a couple of privately owned ones in the US, one of which I have fired.

I am particularly interested in the Canadian connection myself, as one of the weapons in the NFC is in .455 Self Loading calibre and is a bit of a mystery gun.

Woodsy - Any details you can send me on the GE guns would be gratefully received. I am leaving later today for two weeks holiday in Cuba, but when I get back I will contact you.

Regards
TonyE

[Kev]

Hi Woodsy

This one is in the Czech Military Museum in Prague.
I think it is listed as manufactured by Fiat.



ATB Kevin

[woodsy]

Richard, Kev, TonyE, thanks for your input! The total is now up to 10 but I think there are still quite a few still out there. RSA 2 (both OVP smg conversions), NZ 2, UK 3, Czech 1, US 2. I will contact various museums around the World to see what they have. I contacted the PR dept of General Electric in Canada but have not received the courtesy of a reply.

[bmg17a1]

I have a friend in the US with a very fine collection of MGs including a Villar Perosa on an AA mount.

Bob Naess
Black River Militaria CII

[woodsy]

Thanks Bob, that has been placed on the list.