Can anyone ID this gun?

[Poliorketes]

Could be a BAR, a Fusile-mitrailleur mle 1924/29 or a czech Kulomet vz. 26. In both latter cases the magazine would be missing.

I don't think it's the ost obvious LMG for ethiopia, the Breda, but from this angle it might be one. Then the  lower barrel isn't a barrel but a bipod.

[Poliorketes]

but there is a lovely 28mm BAR in the newish Reaper Chronoscope "20th century weapons" pack.   For some unimaginable reason they have added a carrying handle to the top of the weapon, but it is easy to snip off. 

http://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/century%20weapons/latest/50030

second from the right, folded bipod under the barrel. 
Chick

Don't think it's a BAR, the pistol grip is missing and why should they make such an obvious mistake with the carriying handle?

[Plynkes]

A BAR doesn't have a pistol grip, Poliorketes (except the Swedish versions which do). Though I'm not sure about that model Chick linked to either, the magazine looks a bit off for a BAR.

[Bako]

Picture's too dark for me to tell.

[Poliorketes]

A BAR doesn't have a pistol grip, Poliorketes (except the Swedish versions which do). Though I'm not sure about that model Chick linked to either, the magazine looks a bit off for a BAR.

You're right, I had a pick of a FN licensed version on my lap which got the grip. My fault.

[chicklewis]

Regarding the Reaper weapons pack, I've got six of the little mothas in the lead, and the second from the left is supposed to represent a BAR.  Everything matches well with the third BAR photo posted above. 

[aecurtis]

I'm late to the party, as usual.  When considering BARs, don't forget that the Belgian M-1930/Type D, produced under license, also had a pistol grip:



Some M-1930s *were* provided to Ethiopia.  Just sayin'...

Allen

[kidterminal]

Its no BAR look closely at the light gray grip just in front of the trigger. This grip is located in the exact spot a BAR magazine would be housed, just below the receiver. I believe its a French MAC M. 1924/29. This is clearly a posed picture without the magazine in place.

[dadlamassu]

I think it might be a Fusil Mitrailleur "Lewis" mle 1924 without magazine.

Don't think that it is a BAR. 

[Keith]

http://www.littlegun.be/arme%20francaise/artisans%20c%20d/a%20chatellerault%20fm%2024%2029%20a%20fr%20gb.htm

I thought it could be a Breda form certain angles, but convinced it's a Chatelerault.

[dadlamassu]

Yup, could be.  I'm now 50/50 on the Lewis and the FM 24/29.

Given the huge numbers of Lewis guns I'd go for the probability that its a Lewis ... and having said that I realise that it will be something entirely different!

Alan

[twrchtrwyth]

It's not an FM 24/29. The barrel of an FM 24/29 is the same size along it's length. The gun in the picture's barrel is thicker towards the back. You can see the sun catching were it widens, just in front of the end of the gray handgrip.

I still think it's a BAR, and the gray 'handgrip' I think is a cover over were the magazine goes to keep out sand or dust. It seems to be rippled, like a cloth.

[Calimero]

The "rippled gray handgrip" look like the background to me… 

I think we will never know for sure what kind of gun this is, but I would go with aecurtis and say it’s a Belgian M-1930…

BTW did we know if BAR were provided to Ethiopia in the 30’s?

[aecurtis]

The "rippled gray handgrip" look like the background to me… 

I'm seeing the same thing.  It appears to be in the distance.

OK, where'd you find this pic, Plynkes?

Allen

[Plynkes]

The relevant Osprey.

By the way, if one is after colour plates for uniform details and is too skinny to buy whole books, on their website Osprey has started posting links to Google Books that show off quite a few of the plates from each book. Not all of the plates from the book (yet still more than with Amazon's "Look Inside" feature), but one might get lucky with what one is after.

http://books.google.com/books?id=12dNTf2Qr1sC&pg=PA28&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=5

Jolly nice of them, what? Maybe they always did this, but I only just noticed.



Anyway, thanks to everyone for all the input. Though we don't seem much closer to knowing than when we started, I'm sure we've all had fun arguing about it.