In the late tenths and early twenties of the last century, the weapons company Waffenfabrik (W + F) offered the Swiss army several options for small arms for various purposes. However, the aircraft and infantry submachine guns, as well as the automatic carbine, developed at the W + F, did not suit the military. These weapons had specific characteristics, were too expensive, or used a non-standard cartridge, which blocked his way into the army. Nevertheless, the design team of the enterprise, headed by Adolf Furrer, did not abandon the development of their ideas. By the middle of the decade, a new light machine gun was created, which later became the first successful development of the W + F.
Recall that the M1919 infantry submachine gun did not suit the military because of its complexity and high cost, the twin aircraft Flieger-Doppelpistol 1919 had insufficient firepower, and the M1921 carbine used a non-standard cartridge. In the new project of a promising machine gun, it was decided to use already worked out ideas regarding weapon mechanisms, as well as to use the existing standard rifle cartridge already used by the army. This approach made it possible to hope for the successful passage of all tests and approval from the military leaders.
General view of the LMG25 machine gun on the machine. Photo Forgottenweapons.com
The goal of the new project was to create a light infantry machine gun, which affected its name: Leichtes Maschinengewehr or LMG for short. Subsequently, the year of completion of the work was added to this index. Thus, the weapon remained in history under the designation LMG25. Often, the name of the developer factory or project manager is added to the name of the machine gun: W + F LMG25 or Furrer LMG25. All of these designations are equivalent and refer to the same weapon.
Most of the claims to the previous developments of A. Furrer were related to the use of pistol cartridges, including non-standard ones. The new machine gun, unlike its predecessors, had to use the standard Swiss rifle ammunition type 7, 5x55 mm Swiss. All elements of the weapon should have been designed taking into account the parameters of such a cartridge. At the same time, it was decided to keep the already tested and proven automation.
Previous examples of small arms developed by W + F specialists were based on the modified Parabellum pistol automatics. At that time, the company was engaged in the licensed manufacture of such weapons, which ultimately led to the emergence of a new idea that underlies several projects. The weapon was supposed to work due to the recoil of the movable barrel and lock the bolt using a system of movable levers. A. Furrer's weapon differed from the basic design of Georg Luger's pistol in the number of levers and other features.
Top view of the receiver (barrel on the left, butt on the right). Photo Forgottenweapons.com
All the main parts of the LMG25 machine gun were placed inside a complex-shaped receiver connected to the bolt casing. The central part of the receiver had a rectangular cross-section, on the right it provided a large casing with a store window and a latch in the side wall. The left wall of the box was absent, and instead there was a movable cover that protected the mechanisms from dirt. In front, a cylindrical barrel casing was attached to the central section of the receiver. The casing had a lot of slots for air circulation, and was also equipped with a front sight, bipod mounts, etc.
The main internal unit of the machine gun was a barrel with a bolt and levers. The rifled barrel had a length of 585 mm and a caliber of 7.5 mm. On the outer surface of the trunk, valleys were provided. A long frame was attached to the breech of the barrel, inside which the bolt and its levers were located. The shutter was a rectangular block with several recesses, a striker and an extractor. In the back, one of three levers was attached to it. The second arm was connected to the first, and also swayed on the attachments of the third. The third, the shortest, was attached directly to the frame. On the levers there were nodules and protrusions, with the help of which they were in contact with the grooves of the receiver and thus moved in the right direction.
Disassembled LMG25 machine gun. Photo Forum.axishistory.com
When the barrel and its assemblies moved back, under the influence of recoil, the levers also came into motion and pulled the bolt back, producing the extraction of the sleeve. Further, under the action of the return spring, the barrel had to go forward, and the levers, in turn, fit inside their casing frame and send the bolt to the extreme forward position. During the operation of the automation, the hinges of the levers had to extend beyond the main bracket, which led to the appearance of some new parts. In the previous developments of A. Furrer, the levers went beyond the receiver through the corresponding windows. The new machine gun received a set of parts to protect the levers.
The hinge of the second and third levers was supposed to enter the cavity of the receiver behind the receiving window of the store. The hinge of the first and second levers, which extends to a greater distance, received more complex protection. The left side wall of the receiver was made in the form of a spring-loaded cover that rises upward with a rectangular main part and a beveled rear. In the stowed position, it was held vertically by a latch and protected the automation from contamination. Behind this cover, a small bucket-shaped cover was attached to a vertical hinge. Before firing, the cover fastener came off automatically: when the mechanisms were cocked, the levers pushed the rectangular part to the side. Rising to a horizontal position, the main cover retracted the small one sideways and back. Thus, a window appeared for the ejection of the sleeves, and some protection of the mechanisms and the arrow was also provided.
The scheme of the automation. Figure Gunsite.narod.ru
The firing mechanism consisted of two main parts and was located in different parts of the weapon. So, the trigger, sear and other parts were under the arms and frame and were responsible for firing. The fuse, combined with a fire translator, was, in turn, placed in the right compartment of the receiver, in front of the store window. The fuse-translator flag had three positions, which made it possible to block the descent, as well as fire single shots or bursts. The used automatic equipment provided a technical rate of fire at the level of 500 rounds per minute.
The ammunition supply of the Furrer LMG25 machine gun was proposed to be carried out using detachable box magazines. Such a magazine held 30 cartridges 7, 5x55 mm Swiss and had to fit into the receiving window on the right side of the receiver. A curious feature of the window is the latch. It was controlled using a relatively large movable part with a notch. When she was pulled back, the store was emptied. In order to avoid contamination of weapons without a magazine, it was proposed to place a curved part of a special shape that stood on the existing mountings in the empty receiving window. Thanks to her and the lid on the opposite side of the receiver, the ingress of large contaminants inside the weapon was excluded.
In terms of the methods of feeding cartridges, the promising machine gun did not differ from the previous weapon developed by the W + F factory. The cartridges were fed on the right, sent to the chamber, and after the shot were thrown out the window on the left. Such a scheme was worked out and tested, thanks to which it could be used in a new project.
Shutter levers, view from the side of the window for ejection of liners. Photo Forgottenweapons.com
The machine gun received a wooden box on which all the main parts were attached. The stock began at the level of the barrel casing and ended with a buttstock with a metal butt pad. There was a pistol grip next to the trigger guard. A little later, by order of the military, the so-called. a cavalry version of the machine gun, the main difference of which was the butt design. To reduce the size of the weapon, it was folded, and in the most original way. After unlocking the latch, the butt was rotated 90 ° down and was placed vertically behind the pistol grip.
An open mechanical sight was located above the breech of the barrel. A front sight was installed on the muzzle of the barrel casing. The sight was designed for firing at a range of up to 2000 m.
The LMG25 light machine gun could be used with various additional devices that increase the accuracy and accuracy of fire. For firing with emphasis, all machine guns of this type were equipped with a folding two-legged bipod. The hinges were located under the front sight, in the stowed position the bipod was laid under the barrel casing and was fixed with a leather strap. From the previous projects of A. Furrer, the machine gun "inherited" an additional emphasis in the form of a handle with a retractable T-shaped support. Mounts for this device were in the front of the box and on the butt.
Frame with bolt and levers. Photo Forgottenweapons.com
The finished weapon had a total length of 1163 mm (barrel length 585 mm) and weighed 8, 65 kg. When attaching the store, attaching a stop or installing it on the machine, the dimensions and weight of the machine gun changed accordingly.
A new machine has been developed especially for the LMG25. On the base tripod, devices were attached for aiming in two planes and fixing the weapon in the desired position. The machine gun was mounted on a curved U-shaped frame. At the same time, the barrel casing in the breech area was clamped with a special clamp, the pistol grip rested against the frame, and the rear end of the latter was in contact with the mount on the butt.
It is known that some serial machine guns were equipped with optical sights. With the use of such devices and a machine gun, the machine gun turned into a fairly accurate and long-range weapon suitable for solving specific combat missions.
Barrel frame, bolt in the rear position, levers turned. Photo Forgottenweapons.com
The first prototypes of a promising light machine gun were assembled in 1924. The following year, the weapon was presented to the military. This time A. Furrer and his colleagues created exactly what the army wanted. The new machine gun was relatively light and compact, used the existing cartridge and had fairly high combat characteristics. According to the test results in 1925, the W + F LMG25 machine gun was adopted by the Swiss army. At the same time, full-scale serial production started.
Serial machine guns of the new model were equipped with a number of additional devices for various purposes. Each machine gun was supplied with a spare barrel, a couple of magazines, a telescopic stop, an additional sight with view rings, cleaning accessories, etc. All additional items were supplied in leather pouches of appropriate shapes and sizes.
The first LMG25 machine guns left the assembly line in 1924, and the last batch was handed over to the customer only in the 46th. For more than two decades, Waffenfabrik has manufactured and delivered 23 thousand machine guns to the customer. Serial weapons, as noted in some sources, were of high quality and reliability. At the same time, machine guns were quite expensive, but they still suited the military.
Swiss soldier with LMG25 machine gun. Photo Forum.axishistory.com
The LMG25 remained the main machine gun of the Swiss army until the sixties. At this time, deliveries of the Stgw.57 automatic rifles began, which had similar characteristics and used the same ammunition. Over time, new weapons supplanted the old machine guns, although their operation continued for some time. According to various sources, the last LMG25 were withdrawn from service no earlier than the mid-seventies. Some of the weapons of this type can still be stored in warehouses in Switzerland. In addition, a number of machine guns were sold to museums and private collections.
The first own projects of the factory W + F and A. Furrer were not crowned with success, however, they allowed to solve a number of important problems and, as a result, to create a very successful design. The LMG25 machine gun was adopted in the mid-twenties and remained in service until the mid-seventies. Thus, this weapon, which has served for half a century, can rightfully be considered one of the most successful samples developed in Switzerland.
