File:Amerigo M41 with Bayonet (Scootia23).png

Amerigo M41

The Amerigo Moschetto Automatico M41 was a select fire, intermediate caliber, automatic rifle developed to replace a rather large number of both carbine rifles and submachine guns in service with the Regian Army during the Second Great War. It was developed from the Amerigo M09-15e, a militarized version of a sporting automatic rifle adopted as an emergency measure during the Great War, which saw widespread use as a trench clearing weapon. The most notable difference between the M41 and its predecessor is the adoption of a lever delay system, wherein two parts of the bolt are locked together in place by a lever that catches on a notch inside the top of the receiver. When the inertia of the round firing causes the rearward half of the bolt to move back, it drops the lever out of its notch in the receiver, and allows the rest of the bolt to come back with it. The simple delayed blowback mechanism was ideally suited to the budgetary constraints faced by the army, as it used very few parts and all components were extremely simple to manufacture. The .351 Esercito cartridge was a development of the previous rifle’s .351 Amerigo Automatic cartridge, with the main difference being the adoption of a 150 grain spitzer bullet in the former, as opposed to the 180 grain round nosed bullet in the latter. Though it did have a smaller wound channel, the higher velocity and better aerodynamics gave it more accuracy at 200-300 yard ranges. It used an open loop rear sight combined with a simple post front sight, making it quick to aim and giving a wide field of view in the sights at the expense of precision shooting.

The rifle was well suited to the dense woodlands of Baltica where the army was majorly committed for most of the war, and despite arriving late to the conflict it made a remarkably favorable impression on the troops who used it- M41s were always in high demand in every infantry unit from the moment they were introduced. Variants of the rifle continue to serve to this day in modernized forms, including the M86 which introduced a lightweight plastic stock and alloy frame and bolt that lightened the weapon further. Despite the weapons age it continues to serve faithfully, in no small part due to the fact that the marginal gains from new infantry weapons could be spent better on almost anything else. The Regian Army feels strongly that in the present day, intelligence capabilities, armored fighting vehicles, artillery and close support aircraft should have the lion’s share of the budget, and with their limited funding compared to the Navy, they barely make ends meet in these important areas. The Amerigo assault rifle’s future appears to be a long one.

History and Production:

Type: Assault Rifle

Place of Origin: Regia Nautica

In service: 541KE-Present

Used by: Regian Army, Regian Navy

Wars: Second Great War

Designed: 536-541KE

Manufacturer: Fabrica d’Armi Amerigo

Produced: 541KE-Present

No. Built: ~2.8 million

Specifications:

Mass: 7 lbs (3.2 kg) (loaded)

Length: 36.5 inches (92.7 cm)

Barrel Length: 17 inches (43.2 cm)

Cartridge: .351 Esercito (8.9x34mm) (150 gr)

Action: Lever Delayed Blowback

Rate of Fire: 700 Rounds Per Minute

Muzzle Velocity: 1950 fps (595 mps)

Muzzle Energy: 1500~ ft/lbs (2030~ J)

Feed System: 25-round detachable box magazine

Sights: 100-200 yard, two-position iron sights