# Antitank Rifles and MGs. 1930-1945.



## CharlesBronson (Feb 15, 2007)

*Why an Antitank Rifle ?*








The late introduction of the Mauser 13mm AT rifle in the WW1 did not cause big impression on the battlefield or the trench warfare. In the years passing the big war there was however a big entusiasm for a new kind a weapon , the anti armor rifle. The reasons for the development of this guns were simple, the rifle although a heavy one was still more cheap and easy to manufacture than a dedicated a artillery piece wich involves a large quatity of high quality steel and dedicated machining.

Other factor helped in his development, the interwar period tanks were far to be the speedy, heavily armed, thick armored and effective war machines like the Tiger or the T-34.

In here we going to discuss the different models and developments


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## CharlesBronson (Feb 15, 2007)

*Maroszek WZ 35, the polish secret weapon.*







The Polish Maroszek WZ 35 was one of the first designs of the 30s.

Clearly inspired in the Mauser tankgewehr it had been conceived and developed by Lt.Col. T. Felsztyn and the engineer Jósef Maroszek in the early 1930ies. First trials in late 1935 proved unsuccessful, because the extremely stressed barrel endured only about 20 shots. After intensive research and testing an almost perfect relation between ammunition characteristics and barrel construction was reached. 

The new weapon had a life expectancy of 300 shots. It was integrated into the army in November 1935, simulated battles showed a more than satisfying performance as an anti-tank rifle.







However, the rifle was considered so important that a strict veil of secrecy was put over the whole project, and the delivery crates - containig one Maroszek WZ 35, three replacement barrels and three full ammo magazines - were sealed with the strict order that the seal was only to be broken under direct orders of the defense minister. Until July 1938 only a very restricted and select group of people (again under strict nondisclosure - orders) - mostly military commanders of different command levels - was shown the weapon. 









The result was that in many cases the soldiers that were to use it didn't even see the weapon before WW II started with the german invasion of Poland! Due to all this, this reasonably performing weapon saw only very limited use in the Polish war against the attacking germans; many Polish soldiers ended the short German invasion of Poland still ignorant of the weapon!


The Germans captured considerable numbers of these weapons still unissued in the armories and storages; it received the German designation Panzerbüchse 35(p) ("Tank Rifle", the suffix "p" for "polnisch") - abbreviated as PzB 35(p) - but was also called *Panzerbüchse 770(p)* and was issued to german troops. Some of the weapons were also given to and employed by italian troops. 

At least 630 of these polish tank rifles were incorporated into the Wehrmacht and used in the war against the French in 1940. Also a small numeber went to Italy and slovakia, the italians named it "Fucile anticarro Modello 35".

*Muzzle brake.*







The PzB 35(p) was a manual bolt action weapon with a magazine for three rounds. It can easily be recognized by the lack of a pistol grip which is rather uncommon for tank rifles. 






The barrel had 6 grooves / right spin and was very long and thin. After 300 shots it had to be changed, which could be accomplished rather quick and uncomplicated with a special key. The well-designed muzzle brake absorbed 65% of the recoil forces and the recoil of the weapon was contrary to other tank rifles only slightly stronger than that of a regular infantry rifle.

*The large cartrigde (from Tony Williams site)*







The high velocity of the bullet made for an extremely staright flight path, therefore sights at a range of 300m were used. The weapon comes complete with a bipod but can be used without it. 

There is a little of debate about what type of bullet it use, some sources say a copper plated lead, but this is completely wrong in my opinion. The heavy barrel wear indicated a hard-core bullet, probably an alloy os steel with high level of chrome and Tugsten. A thing is confirmed, there was no any incendiary or explosive content.

Characteristics.

Muzzle speed. 1,280m/s; length 176cm; barrel length 120cm; weight w/o ammo 9.5kg (10kg with bipod). practical rate of fire: 6 rounds per minute. 

Penetration in steel plate: Figure vary upon source but about 20-22 mm at 100 meters in a vertical plate ( 90 degrees ) .This plate is equivalent to the side armor of the Panzer IV ausf b C, both present in the Polish Campaing 1939.


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## CharlesBronson (Feb 16, 2007)

*Boys anti-tank rifle*







The Rifle, Anti-tank, 0.55-in, Boys, Mk 1 was originally known as the Stanchion Gun, but the name was later changed to honour the name of its principle designer after he died just before the weapon entered service. It was designed to be the standard infantry antitank weapon of the British army, but it was soon overtaken by events and had only a short active career, The first of the type entered service during the late 1930s and by 1942 the weapon was obsolete, overtaken by rapid increases
in enemy tank armour that the Boys rifle could no longer tackle.

*the 14 x 99B cartrigde.* (MUNICION.ORG)






The Boys anti-tank rifle had a calibre of 13.97mm (0.55 in) and fired a powerful cartridge that could penetrate 21mm (0.827 in) at 302m (330 yards). The cartridge produced an equally powerful recoil, and this didlittle to endear the weapon to its firer, To reduce this recoil somewhat the long slender barrel was fitted with a muzzle brake.

Ammunition was fed into the bolt-action firing mechanism from an overhead five-round box magazine. Overall the Boys was rather long and heavy, which made it an awkward
load to carry, so it was often mounted as the main weapon on board.

*A French officer is about to receive
the hefty recoil from a Boys anti-tank
rifle. The French army used a
number of these rifles in 1940*






Bren Gun or Universal Carriers. More were used as the main armament of
some light armoured cars. The first production Boys used a forward-mounted monopod combined with a handgrip under the butt plate. After Dunkirk various modifications were made to speed production, and among the measures taken was replacement of the forward monopod by a Bren Gun bipod and of the circular muzzle brake attachment ba new Solothurn muzzle brake with holes drilled along the sides; this latter
was easier to produce than the original. 

*Mk I with simplified Muzzle brake.*








In this form the Boys saw out its short service life, as by late 1940 it was regarded
as being of only limited use as an anti-armour weapon. Eventually it was replaced by the PIAT, but before
it finally departed it had a brief flurry of popularity during the Entrean and
Cyrenaica campaigns of 1940 and 1941. 

*Boys in use by U.S.M.C soldiers.*







It was found to be a very effective anti-personnel weapon during these campaigns as it could be fired at rocks
over or near a concealed enemy, the resultant rock splinters acting as effective anti-personnel fragments, The Boys also found its way into US Marine Corps hands during the Philippines campaign of early 1942, when some
were used very sparingly against dugin Japanese infantry positions. How
these Boys rifles got to the Far East is not recorded. Also the british commandos used the Boys to knock out Flak emplacements in the Dieppe landings.

Some captured Boys
anti-tank rifles were also used by the Germans for a short while after Dunkirk,
but only in limited numbers; the
type was known as the *13.9-mm Panzerbüchse 782(e).*


*Bren carrier with Boys, Kursk July 1943.*






In 1940 there were plans to produce a Mk 2 version of the Boys. This would
have been a shortened and lightened version for use by airborne forces but
it did not get very far before the project was terminated, no doubt because
the shortened barrel would have produced an even more violent recoil. 

Specification Boys Mk 1

Calibre: 13,97 mm (0.55 in)

Lengths: overall 1.625 m (5 ft 4 in);

Barrel 0.914 m (36 ft 0 in)

Weight: 16.33 kg (36 lb)

Muzzle velocity: 790 m/s AP, 810 m/s APC, 884 m/s APCR 

Armour penetration: (APC) 21 mm (0,827 in) @ 302 m (330 yards)


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## twoeagles (Feb 16, 2007)

Very nice contribution - I learned a few things! This is an appealing format
with concise details and good photo's. Thanks, CB!


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## CharlesBronson (Feb 16, 2007)

> Very nice contribution - I learned a few things! This is an appealing format



8) Thanks that is just my stile.

Fantastic videos of the Canadian Army in 1942: how to fire and aim the Boys .55 caliber rifle, with cartoons and all. 


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rODm7HF5lFU_



_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9lIO8AL3ds_



_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsifcQnSv94_


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## marconi (Feb 18, 2007)

Does anyone knows anything about this:
Sturmpistole - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sorry, if thats offtop.


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## CharlesBronson (Feb 18, 2007)

It was more or less a flare pistole wich shoots a small grenade with a hollow charge...like a mini panzerfaust. Probably the only antitank handgun ever.






In here you got more info:

http://www.geocities.com/Augusta/8172/panzerfaust8.htm



I will continue with the AT rifles later, time to lunch now.


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## lesofprimus (Feb 18, 2007)

Excellent thread CB... I would assume ur going to get into the PIAT next??


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## CharlesBronson (Feb 18, 2007)

> Excellent thread CB... I would assume ur going to get into the PIAT next??



Thanks Les, we could include the PIAT, but is more like a grenade launcher.


*Swiss AT rifles part 1:*

The Rheinmetall owned swiss factory of Solothurn develop a family of heavy caliber weapons for antiarmor use. This facility was employed in the late 20s and mid 30s as for the insvestigation on small arms and it was just other of the german shorcut made due the Versailles treaty. The use of the 20 mm caliber imply a large a heavier weapon wich were less portable that lighter caliber rifles. However there is some advantages in those mastodontic guns, the payload capacity of ensure a better post armor effect because the incendiary and/or explosive bullet.

The first design was the ST-5 (schweres tankbuchse modell 5), this model was scarcely manufactured and promply a improved variant was introduced.






That was S18-100 series (the numbers of the variants went up to S18-500) in a unique 20 x 105B calibre. The gun was long recoil operated although by the time this was adopted for use in German naval aircraft as the MG 204 the case design had been changed slightly to a rimless 20 x 105. 

*Estonian soldier with the S-18-100. The weapon had a 4x20 scope*







The S-18-100 had a muzzle speed of 760 M/s with armor piercing bullet and 780 shooting explosive shells.

*Bullet types.*






The bullet denominated "Pauline" was an 140 grams APHE one and it could penetrate nearly 30mm of armor at 200 meters distance. This rifle weights 42 kg and was nearly 2 meters long, it was feed from the side by 5 or 10 rounds magazines. Only a few of these were actually used by the german army under the designacion of 2cm Tankbüchse S-18, the gun simply did not fit in the "blitzkrieg" concept, in the end much smaller 8mm antiarmor weapons were used instead.

*S-18-100 in german use in Holland 1940*.






The Solo 100 was bought by Finland (S-18-154) who purchased 100 and some, the fins used it in the Winter and Continuation war. They found very efective agaist light and amphibious tanks. The gun was also used by the Hungarian army.


*And how not..the S-18-100 advertisement to spanish languaje readers. The rifle could penetrate a T-26 like those used in the SCW from 400 meters*


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## CharlesBronson (Feb 18, 2007)

Aditional images of the Solothurn S-18-100 20mm AT rifle:












Barrel jacket, the flutted part marked the recoil lenght.












Muzzle brake. (mundungbremse)








Doing some field test, covering the ears was a good idea.








20x105mm cartrigdes. (www.munavia.com)


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## CharlesBronson (Feb 21, 2007)

*Swiss AT Rifles part II. Solothurn S-18-1000/1100.*








The Solo S-18-100 was a sound and powerful design. it had a major disadvantage however, his cartrigde. The 20x105 mm ammunition never was a standar one in any European country. So in order to cure that the Swiss factory designed the models 1000-1100. 

*Swiss soldier with the S-18-1000*.







This weapon used the larger *20x138B ammo*, this bring some increase in weight (57 kg) but being this caliber in use with the italians in his Breda 20/65 and Scotti automatic cannons and in the German 2cm Flak 30/38, some good sales were espected.

The S-18-1000 work by the short recoil principle and it was feed by 5 or 10 round magazine, the 1100 was a fully automatic rifle wich used the 20 round magazine of the Flak 30. The overall lenght of both rifles was 2100mm.

*2 pictures of the Solos transport cart* 














2 examples of ammo:

*Armor piercing incendiary tracer.*140 grams, muzzle velocity about 815 m/s.






*High explosive tracer-self destruct*, weight 120 grams, muzzle velocity 870 m/s.


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## CharlesBronson (Jul 5, 2007)

Aditional images of the Solo 100, 1000 and the Solo S-18-1100, the 1100 was a fully automatic fire variant of the 20x138 1000 model and could be used also an Flak cannon.


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## CharlesBronson (Jul 6, 2007)

*German 8 mm rifles*

The second generation of german antiarmor rifles uses the cartrigde know as "patrone 318" this was a the 13mm case for the Mauser tank rifle and the T.u.F MG bottlenecked to accept a 8mm armor piercing bullet.

The resultant was the 7,92mmx94 cartrigde.







*Panzerbüchse 38*.






Conceived by Dipl.-Ing. (certified engineer) B. Brauer and built by the Gustloff-Werke in Suhl. It was a manually loaded single shot weapon with moving barrel. When fired, the barrel recoiled about 9cm, which opened the breech and expelled the spent cartridge. 






The breech block was then arrested in the rear position, leabing an opening for the gunner to manually insert a new cartridge. The gunner then released the cocked breech with a lever at the grip. breech and barrel then glide forward again and the trigger is cocked. The weapon is ready to fire again. This rather complicated mechansim was reportedly prone to jamming if the system got dirty in field use.






The weapon uses the bipod found on the MG 34; the shoulder plate is rubber-cushioned and can be folded to the right for ease of transportation. Although manufactered with pressed steel parts that were spot-welded, still because of the complicated vertical block breech mechanism it was difficult to manufacture and only the small number of 1408 PzB 38 was built from 1939 to 1940 at the company Gustloff Co. Waffenfabrik in Suhl

*Detail of the handgrip safety.*












62 of these weapons had been used by the german troops in the invasion of Poland 1939. As soon as the successor PzB 39 was available immediately production was switched over to the new type. The weapon had an overall length of 161.5 cm (129cm with the stock folded for transportation) and a barrel (4 grooves rs) length of 108.5 cm. Total weight (incl. bipod and carrying sling) 16.2 kg, weight of barrel (incl muzzle brake) 6.14kg; Vo using the Patrone 318 was 1,210m/s which made for a penetration of 30mm at 100m.


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## Cyrano (Jul 6, 2007)




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## timshatz (Jul 6, 2007)

Great job Charles. Very good posts. 

Imagine these things produced a ton of dust when fired, the muzzle being that close to the ground.


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## CharlesBronson (Jul 6, 2007)

> Hi CharlesBronson, are you familiar with Lahti L-39? I've uploaded a couple of pictures of it:



Very nice pictures, I will wrote about the Lathi when I finish the german rifles.



> Great job Charles. Very good posts.
> 
> Imagine these things produced a ton of dust when fired, the muzzle being that close to the ground.



Thanks, and sure thy do, just imagine that muzzle brake so close to the groud in the Solos 20 mm, nasty, not to mention the effect on the shooter ears 8)


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## Maharg (Jul 7, 2007)

Excellent post Charles, thank you very much.


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## CharlesBronson (Jul 7, 2007)

Thank you for your post. 8) 


*Panzerbüchse 39.*







After the production of the Pzb 38 was dropped a more simple and cheaper desing was choosed instead.

The Pzb 39 was a single shot, manually loaded weapon that discarded the complicated semiautomatic breech. The lock mechanism was a simple falling block commanded by the pistol grip, this action also cocked the firing pin.

It had an overall length of 162.0 cm; weight was reduced to 12.6 kg. It's performance data was basically the same as that of the PzB 38.

*Pzb 39 with the grip forward (open chamber)*






To increase the practical rate of fire, two cartridge-holding cases containing 10 rounds each could be attached to both sides of the weapon near the breech - these were not magazines feeding the weapon, they simply enabled the gunner to extract the cartridges (that he still had to manually insert into the gun) from the conveniently placed magazines. 







In the Pzb 39 a new round was introduced this was *Patrone 318 S.m.K.(H)-Rs-L'spu*r, wich means Spitzer mit Kern (hart), pointed with core (hard), the "hard " thing means that the bullet had a tugsten carbide core. Rs is for Reisstoff, or irritant because it carry a small irritant gas pill. 






This was made with the overoptimistically target to make the tank crew leave his vehicle after being hit...in the practice the irritant content was so small that nobody noticed that. L'spur was for "Leuchtspur" ("bright trace" = "tracer") indicating the bullet had a small tracer in its rear.

*In Afrika*.






In the todays point of view it seems incredible that such a small caliber was chosen, but in 1939 with the majority of the tanks with armor ranging from 10-25 mm it look like a razonable choice.

At a typical Vo of slightly over 1,200m/s the projectile penetrated 30mm of steel at a range of 100m and still up to 20mm at 300m (both at 0° slope) and was accepted as the standard anti-tank rifle ammunition to be used by all weapons of that type. 

Production of the Patrone 318 ran until August 1942.

*Paratroopers in france in 1940, the Pzb 39 at the shoulder.*






Technical data:

Overall length: 162cm;
barrel length 108.5cm;
total weight (incl. bipod and carrying sling but no magazines) 
12.6kg; weight empty 11.6kg; total weight of magazine (loaded) 1.09kg; weight magazine (empty) 0.25kg; practical rate of fire: 10 shots/min. Ammunition: 

Patrone 318; Vo 1,210 m/s; armor penetration 30mm of homogeneus plate at 100m with the Tugsten core and 28 mm with the steel core bullet.

Some of these rifles were mounted in armored vehicles such as the Sd.Kfz 222 and the engineers vehicle *Sd.Kfz 251/7*







568 PzB 39 were used by the german army in the invasion of Poland; two years later, at the beginning of the war against russia, 25,298 PzB 39 were in use by german troops; total production form March 1940 to November 1941, when production ceased, was 39,232 rifles.


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## CharlesBronson (Jul 9, 2007)

Errrrr



> Paratroopers in france in 1940, the Pzb 39 at the shoulder



It should be Pzb 38 at the shoulder.

*Aditional images of the Pzb 39*.


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## CharlesBronson (Jul 24, 2007)

*Experimental 7,92x94mm rifles.*


The germans were quite unsatisfied with the performance of their tank rifles. It was obvious that other tank rifles were to be produced if this weapon type was to have any practical use. Several projects were undertaken in 1940 by several companies, all using the Patrone 318.







*Gustloff-Werke* presented two self-loading AT rifles - model 42 (later known as PzB.40 G) and model 44. Rifle model 42 had 5 different variations. It was gas-operated. Both models, capable only of semi-auto fire, had different mechanisms of locking the barrel. In one case it was wedge locking and in other case it was done by lever. Both models were magazine-feed from 8-round magazine. 

*Gustloff PzB 40.*







Magazine receiver was made on the left side of the rifle's body. For decreasing the size of a rifle in stowed position (due to request from para forces command), rifle's butt folded to the left side, decreasing the overall length from 1660mm to 1460mm. Barrel length - 1085mm.

Practical fire rate of Gustloff-werke rifles was up to 32 shots per minute, with an initial bullet speed of 1150m/s. 

Effective fire range was no more than 300m. First model 42 weighted 18kg, second model 44 - 13.5kg. In these rifles were used components from other small arms, which production was already mastered, for example, the pivot-frame and butt from MG.34.


The Waffenfabrik Carl walther in Zella-Mehlis built the *Modell 40* / *PzB 40 W*, a semiautomatic weapon with a curved magazine for 8 rounds. The weapons resemble very much to a modern assault rifle but a lot bigger.


Another Self-loading AT rifle , the model 41 was made by firm *Mauser-Werke* from town Oberndorf-am-Nekkar. It was gas-operated. . It was magazine-feeded, sector-type magazine contained 8 rounds and was inserted into receiver from left side. 
Lock was capable of only semi-automatic fire with practical fire rate of 32 shots per minute. The rifle was partially made using punched metallic components. Overall length was 1670mm, barrel was 1085mm long; rifle weighted 12.5kg.

*Mauser M41.*







*H. Krieghoff* made not less interesting AT rifle model 43 (also known as PzB.40 K). Zul armsmasters presented seven prototypes with differences. They were gas-operated with wedge barrel locking. Most part of rifle components (excluding barrel and lock), was made out of steel sheet by punching. 8-round box-shaped magazine was fastened on the left side of the rifle. Rifle weighted 14kg, it's overall length was 1570mm (1300mm with folded butt), while the barrel itself was 1150mm long.

There were thorough many-sided tests of new AT rifles which took place in october 1940 for finding out which rifle was best.


In the end all there rifles were deprived to enter in large scale production due the increase in armor achieved by allied tanks designs, the 8mm caliber despite his ultra velocity was no more competitive. The next stage will be the 13 and 15mm guns.



Sources (until now):

Panzerbuchse Anti-Tank Rifle

Panzerbüchsen







MUNICION.ORG


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## timshatz (Jul 25, 2007)

Honkin' big rifles. Jeez, imagine getting assigned to deal with that thing.


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## CharlesBronson (Jul 25, 2007)

Why not, it must be a lot of fun shooting those, specially the big 20s 8) 

*Antitank rifles of the USSR (I)*

In the early 1930s the russian began the develpment of a heavy machinegun caliber to provide the infantry some means to combat armored vehicles. Following a similar path of the Germans with the 13mm T.u.F and the americans with the 12,7x99mm (. 50 BMG) they selected a 12,7 caliber round placed in a 108 mm long case.

This cartrigde entered in service in with the heavy MG Degtyarev-Shpagin Dshk-38. At the same time several arms designers were put in charge to develop a new antitank rifle to use this round.

One of the first was the PTR *Schcholochowa* in 1938.







The weapon was very simple, it was more or less a copy of the WW1 Mauser tankgewehr, a manually operated bolt action rifle with 1,61 m long. It incorporates a single chamber muzzle brake and 2 round fixed magazine.






The muzzle velocity of the 12,7 russian is some 820 m/s and the armor piercing round B-30 defeat 3/4 inches of rolled plate (19mm) at 200 meters.

Some other designs were summited to the Soviet army, however in 1940 the soviet military observers became very worried about the relatively quick victory of the german army in France, since they were well aware of the armor thickness of the French tanks.
Seeing the destroyed Chars 2 bis and Somuas in the german newsreel they tough the germans had heavily up-armored his panzers. 
In this way any desing based in the 12,7x108 caliber was quickly dropped, a more powerful, heavier round was needed.


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## rogthedodge (Jul 27, 2007)

I always though it was Boyes but Boys seems to be correct.

I saw you could fire one at some event in the UK but it was £5 a round!!!

Apologies if you've seen this but here's a site dedicated to AT rifles 

UK Canadian

BTW Check out the Irish soldiers with 'German' helmets - very strange!


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## CharlesBronson (Jul 27, 2007)

Thanks, I going to give a look.


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## CharlesBronson (Aug 2, 2007)

*Aditional images of the Degtyarev PTRD*

Recoil operated chamber opening.






PTRD in the move:







Size:







Shooter-loader team. 













As AAA weapon.







The bullet B-32, 1000 meters per second muzzle speed, penetration 30mm armor at 150 meters.


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## CharlesBronson (Aug 7, 2007)

The PTRS and PTRD was also tried as a makeshift heavy sniper adding PU 3x scopes.







The extremely heavy recoil wasnt healty for the sight calibration.


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## CharlesBronson (Aug 17, 2007)

*PTRS and PTRD in action:*







Some translation of russian sources:

ÏÐÎÒÈÂÎÑÒÎßÍÈÅ: Áèòâà ïîä Ìîñêâîé - Ïðîòèâîòàíêîâûå ðóæüÿ



> ....The baptism of fire anti-tank gun passed on 16 November, 1941, near the Moscow, in the region of the villages of the Petelins - Shiryaevo, eight antitank riflemen, shooting with 150 - 200 m, destroyed two average German tanks. Subsequent combat confirmed the high qualities of weapon. Thus, in combat for the station meadow in one of the hit enemy tanks proved to be 18 through holes....
> 
> As early as 1938 was provided for the application of guns not only against the tanks, but also against other purposes: armored carriers, armored cars, machine guns, antitank guns.
> In the course of World War II this list was extended. PTR repeatedly shot at the enemy aircraft, but antitank rifleman A. Denisov 14 and on 15 July, 1943, under Orel brought down two Fascist bombers.(Perhaps it was Ju-87)
> Anti-tank guns for the Soviet partisans proved to be present finding. For them they were, in fact, only weapon against the german tankettes and the armored cars.





> The company of antitank riflemen to death stood on one of the sections. When reinforcement arrived in the place of struggle, it found terrible picture.
> Two German tanks thickened on the positions, the corpses of tankers next were dragged along.
> The body of Soviet antitank rifleman lay between the broken caterpillars of tank. Another soldier, riddled by the bullets of machine gun, lay on the earth, strongly compressing anti-tank gun, directed to the side of the hit tanks. Around everything was black from the fire and the earth reversed by projectiles



Another use for the 14,5 mm guns. In this Ferdinad pictured in Kursk,the soviet infantrymen try to break the tracks with his rifles.


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## CharlesBronson (Sep 13, 2007)

*Kawamura Type 97 cal. 20 mm*








Most japanese small arms of ww2 are not know for his excellent characteristics, however this antitank rifle probed to be a sound and reliable weapon.

The desing of this heavy antitank rifle belong to the ing. Masawa Kawamura who start the development in 1935.

For 1937 the desing was completed and the weapon was officially adopted for the army in 1937 ( some were bought for the Navy also). The working mechanism of this rifle is semiautomatic with an rotating bolt wich is gas operated. The loading is made from the top (bren like) and in accept an 7 shot magazine.

The weight is about 55 kg , in order to carry it quickly 2 handlebars resembleming a bike could be atached in the front and the rear pad. For aditional protection in the shooting and 4 mm steel shield can be added, in this case the weight climbs to 66 kg.

The weapon is very powerful, it shoots a 20mm ( 20 mm round x125mm case) specially designed cartrigde, the muzzle velocity is about 835 m/s and is stated that it could penetrate the light M-3 stuart from 150 meters away.


In 1943 the rifle was reworked to spare raw materials lowering the weight with handles to 59 kg.






The crew of one rifle was 4 men, gunner, loader, 2 ammunition carrier. A sqad consisted of two rifle teams, 1 squad leader (NCO) and 1 runner. 

During transport the rifle was disassembled in two parts and carried by three horses with 150 shots. With cavalry units the rifle was loaded on 2 horses with 105 shots to increase mobility. 






The type 97 ap-round wit a muzzle velocity of 865 m/sec could penetrate 30 mm/90° on 350 m and 20 mm/90° on 700 m. Additionally the type 98 20 X125mm he-round could be fired against soft targets like field fortifications etc. The main charge was HMX and Nitropenta. Maximum range with the type 98 round was 4000 m.


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## CharlesBronson (Jun 15, 2008)

*The 20 mm Lahti L-39 antitank rifle:*

*



*

The design and production of a domestic anti-tank rifle for the Finnish Army was delayed in the late 1930s by doubts and differences of opinion over which caliber to adopt. Initially a 13 mm caliber was the favorite alternative but in 1939 a decision was also reached to also construct two 20 mm weapons for tests in mid 1939. 

The design work was given to _Aimo Lahti_ who had two 20 mm prototypes produced during the
summer. They were then tested. Theoretically, the difference of muzzle velocity and penetration between the 13 mm and 20 mm wasn't big, but the 20 mm round had superior fragmentation 
effect when it penetrated the armor.



 

On August 11th 1939, the L-39 performed well, fulfilling all requirements, and on the basis of these superior results the 20 mm weapon was selected and further development of the 13 mm rifle was
dropped. 
On September 6th, 1939, General Heinrichs finally proposed that the production of this good weapon should start immediately.​ 
Before the production of the weapon was started, the Winter War broke out, as the Soviet Red Army attacked on November 30th, 1939. The two L-39 prototypes were first used on the Isthmus front*, near the Lake Ladoga. The weapons were issued to the AT-platoon of JR 28, and the platoon was subordinate to Os.Metsäpirtti (detachment Metsäpirtti), which was part of the delaying / covering troops of the Rautu (R-) group. The two prototype weapons were used with great success against the light Soviet tanks, and the weapon was reported to be effective at ranges of up to 400 metres​ 
* Source "Marskin Panssarintuhoajat" by E.Käkelä. Some other sources say that they were used in Ladoga Karelia 2 men were required to carry this weapon off road. During winter, a sledge was used, and on road marches a vehicle was used if available.​ 

*After the Winter War*

Later on, the L-39 received improvements e.g. night sights, AA-sights and a targeting scope.
In the attack phase in 1941 the 20 mm round proved to be too weak against most types of tanks. As the L-39 proved to be a very accurate weapon it was often used to destroy enemy gun positions, mg-nests etc. at long range.
Beginning on 1944, the L-39 was also used against the armored ground attack planes. A new pillar mount was designed and the rifle was fitted with extra recoil spring and a fixed striker for full automatic operation. This full automatic AA-weapon was designated as L-39/44.











Antitank weapons used by the Finns in Winter War, Part 2


Aditional Pictures:







A happy US citizen with his Lahti, ( you better dont have an argument with him  )


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## CharlesBronson (Jun 17, 2008)

The Lahti 20mm firing high explosive against a steel plate 14mm thick, 9/16 " for imperial measure lovers.


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO0xRZWtRjM_

L-39/44 full auto AAA variant of the L-39.


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## CharlesBronson (Jul 23, 2008)

Two not very high quality but interesting nevertheless images of the actual deployment of the Pzb 39, in France by ciclist troops and Russia.






Source: Waffen Arsenal Nº140: _Deutsche Panzernahbekämpfungsmittel 1917-1945_


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## CharlesBronson (Sep 5, 2008)

*Czech antitank rifle zk-382 *

A real monster. calibre 7,92 mm x *145 *, Muzzle velocity ...1320 m/s,  that gave an amazing capable to break any german tank in service in 1939-41












The rifle use the "bullpup" configuration, is a manually bolt lock operated and seems to be loaded with 5 rounds clip.

Unfortunately I havent a picture of the muzzle but there must be some kind of muzzle brake there.


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## Soren (Sep 12, 2008)

Regarding the S18-100, the design was a cooperation between Rheinmetall's and Solothurn's design team.


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## B-17engineer (Sep 12, 2008)

Rheinmetall also made guns for fighters such as Bf-109 etc.


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## CharlesBronson (Sep 30, 2008)

The Solothurn was actually more or less a subsidiary of Rheinmetall so the relation was close.

I have an extensive topic about RB aircraft guns in the technical section. 

*Panzerbüchse Modell SS 41.*

This rifle was another semiautomatic Patrone 318 rifle, but in this case the design was not a reply from the Waffen Amt of the Heer (German Army) but to the SS Wafen academy in Brünn (Brno Czech republic).






Czechs working for the Waffen SS employed as a base several rifles already produced for the Czech army in the Interwar periods, those already used the advanced bullpup configuration, this means the magazine below the trigger and with part of the mechanism embeded in the shoulder stock.
The PB. SS 41 rifle works with the recoil forces and had a rotating bolt head to lock the chamber.






This entirely Czech design was manufactured by the Swiss Solothurn firm in 1941-42 (probably in order to avoid sabotage)

It used a side mounted 10 round magazine and the total lenght of the M ss Pzb 41 was 1360 mm (1100mm barrel). The muzzle was equipped with a single chamber brake in order to reduce felt recoil, the max rate of fire ( all according to SS officers) were 70 rpm and the practical about the half of that figure.

*Detail of the side mounted magazine and safety knob*.


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## CharlesBronson (Oct 7, 2008)

Aditional images of the Pzb SS 41.

Bolt fully back. In here is also possible to apreciate the tilt angle in the side mounted magazine.












Shoulder rest.






Rear sight, max regulation 500 meters.


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## CharlesBronson (Oct 8, 2008)

*The Karabiner K-98 as antitank weapon.*

The main weapon of the german infantry, The 98K, could be also used as antitank , or better said antiarmor when coupled with the firing cup "schiessbecher" ( wich literally means something like shooting baker) the SchB was originally designed as a high explosive fragmentation grenade launcher for antipersonnel purposes. Starting In 1940 a special family of shaped charge grenades were introduced for fighting armor.

The Schiessbecher was basically a short rifled barrel with a caliber of 30mm and a length of 25cm. It weighed 0.75kg and was attached to the bore of the rifle. A rather complicated aiming device was mounted to the left of the original sights and allowed for aiming ranges of up to 300m. Usually this device was trown away in the field and replaced by the rear sight or other "guesstimates" means to aim. the grenade s body reproduced a negative of the SchB rifling so that allowed a spin stabilized flight towards the target.






The first type of AT ammunition used was the Gewehrpanzergranate 30, a slim hollow charge grenade that fit into the SchB.

*Gw.Pz.gr 30 squematic*






Due the small bursting charge and lack of penetration this was replaced in late 1942 by the Gross Gewehrpanzergranate with a 5 cm warhead and 390 grams in total weight. The quoted penetration of the Gw Pz Gr Gross is 80 mm, teorically allowing to destroy or at list penetrate most of tanks in service up to 1944.

All the rifle grenades were propelled by a 7,92x57 treisspatrone, special blank.

Muzzle velocity was about 70-90 mps and range 100-200 m.

*loading the GW Pz Gr 30*






*SchB with the Gross Pz grenate fit.*


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## HoHun (Oct 9, 2008)

Hi Charles,

>the firing cup "schiessbecher" ( wich literally means something like shooting baker) 

Actually, it literally means "shooting cup" 

LEO Results for "Becher"

>7,92x57 treisspatrone

Probably "Treibpatrone" ('driving cartridge')?

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)


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## CharlesBronson (Oct 9, 2008)

Oh, thank you, seems that my german is rusty.8)


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## CharlesBronson (Oct 9, 2008)

*The Karabiner K-98 as antitank weapon. (II)*

Other hollow charge grenade used in the K-98 was the GGP series.
The _Gewehrgranate zur Panzerbekämpfung_ ("rifle grenade for fighting tanks") of the company WASAG that was usually referred to under it's abbreviation GGP or GG/P, it also carried the designation GGP 40 or GG/P 40. This larger weapon's shaft could not fit into the SchB so a special spigot was attached to the muzzle in the rifle to fire it.






Over this spigot fits the hollow tail-piece of the grenade. It is fitted to the rifle, in the same manner as a bayonet, over the bayonet standard and foresight block, and is locked in position by a spring-loaded bolt. On firing the propelling cartridge, the gasses pass out of the barrel of the rifle, through the spigot, and into the hollow tail-piece to propel the grenade.






The GGP was put in service in mid 1940, weighed 520g and had a length of 23.4 cm. The warhead had a diameter of 60mm and carried a shaped charge of 175g that enabled the GGP to penetrate 40mm of armor. As it could not achieve a spin from the Schiessbecher's rifling it had to depend on six stabilizing fins attached to the rear of it's shaft for flight stabilization. 

Later a longer cap was put onto the warhead that allowed for an earlier detonation of the shaped charge which increased the penetration performance to 45mm. This final production version of the GGP had a length of 29.5cm.

*GGP improved*


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## CharlesBronson (Oct 14, 2008)

*15 mm ZB vz/60. *

A large caliber antiarmor machinegun, originally manufactured in Czechkoslovakia in 1938.







Weight 57 kg, operation by gas, and belt feed, originally designed for infantry use later was developed by BSA as vehicle armament. It could be fired in semi-automatic mode as well as fully automatic. It was used on the Light Tank Mk VIC and on armoured cars such as the Humber Armoured Car Mark.

Muzzle velocity 900 mps. Penetration 20 mm at 350 meters.


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## CharlesBronson (Oct 16, 2008)

Despite the not so good penetration power of the Boys it was used by the germans when captured as you might apreciate in this picture, the Afrika Korps was know for never discard anything. The rifle is a monopod Mark I.


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## CharlesBronson (Dec 17, 2008)

The Fucile anticarro Modello 35, better said the Marozcek WZ 35 in Italian use, Russian Front.


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## CharlesBronson (Jun 12, 2009)

Video of the Solothurn S-18-100 cal. 20x105 used by Hungarian troops in the southern sector of the Eastern Front, august 1941.


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDDaJhL-Wtg_


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## vanir (Jun 13, 2009)

The cute little Püppchen
fired the 8.8cm rocket of the panzerbüchse, which replaced it almost immediately. Apparently German engineers got hold of a bazooka and slapped their foreheads saying, "Of course!"


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## CharlesBronson (Aug 3, 2009)

Nice picture, but the name "rocket antitank rifle" is preponderous, the weapon is obviously a crew manned rocket launchet. And the recoil of this thing was very important, look this:

http://www.wochenschau-archiv.de/ko...000000&inf=3880&outf=628960&funktion=play250k


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## fastmongrel (Aug 5, 2009)

Nice i learned a lot from reading this, a fascinating subject.

Only one thing surprises me though everything I have read about the Boys rifle always says how big, heavy and clumsy it was with a massive recoil. However looking at the stats for the other rifles it doesnt seem like it was particulary big or heavy in comparison. So why did it have such a fierce recoil was it a badly designed muzzle brake or an uncomfortable butt. It also seems to be everyones favourite worst weapon of WWII whereas it seems to me that anti tank rifles in general would have been a waste of time after about 1941.


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## CharlesBronson (Aug 8, 2009)

> Only one thing surprises me though everything I have read about the Boys rifle always says how big, heavy and clumsy it was with a massive recoil. However looking at the stats for the other rifles it doesnt seem like it was particulary big or heavy in comparison. So why did it have such a fierce recoil was it a badly designed muzzle brake or an uncomfortable butt.



Agreed, if you compare the Boys with a 20mm Lathi, Solothurn or even the russian 14,5 mm series, well, it actually looks small.




> It also seems to be everyones favourite worst weapon of WWII whereas it seems to me that anti tank rifles in general would have been a waste of time after about 1941.



I woulndt declare the AT rifle obsolte after 1941, remember the main british battle scenario in 1940-42 was Afrika. The German-italian PanzerarmyAfrika had a large portion of panzer I, II and armored cars wich were vulnerable to the .55 ap ammunition. Not to mention the Italian light and medium tanks wich could be penetrated in their sides without too much trouble.


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## fastmongrel (Aug 8, 2009)

Were anti tank rifles ever used as sniper rifles. The US army uses .50 calibre rifles for long range sniping and the rifles look like modernised anti tank rifles. I imagine the SAS using the .55 Boys and Russian partizans using 14.5mm rifles could have done a lot of long range damage to German supply trucks or aircraft on the ground at airbases. A 14.5mm or .55" round carefully aimed must be able to knock out or severely damage a truck or aircraft if aimed in the right place.


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## Clay_Allison (Aug 8, 2009)

fastmongrel said:


> Were anti tank rifles ever used as sniper rifles. The US army uses .50 calibre rifles for long range sniping and the rifles look like modernised anti tank rifles. I imagine the SAS using the .55 Boys and Russian partizans using 14.5mm rifles could have done a lot of long range damage to German supply trucks or aircraft on the ground at airbases. A 14.5mm or .55" round carefully aimed must be able to knock out or severely damage a truck or aircraft if aimed in the right place.


they were, to an extent but as I understand it they were not accurate enough to be very long-range capable.


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## Shortround6 (Aug 8, 2009)

fastmongrel said:


> Were anti tank rifles ever used as sniper rifles. The US army uses .50 calibre rifles for long range sniping and the rifles look like modernised anti tank rifles. I imagine the SAS using the .55 Boys and Russian partizans using 14.5mm rifles could have done a lot of long range damage to German supply trucks or aircraft on the ground at airbases. A 14.5mm or .55" round carefully aimed must be able to knock out or severely damage a truck or aircraft if aimed in the right place.



The first I have heard of this was in Korea. To take full advantage of the extra range better optics were needed than standard sniper scopes. THe few teams/groups that used .50cal weapons in Korea used privetely owned target scopes and also at times used mortar range finders (those 3ft or 1 meter long shoulder supported ranges finders) to elimanate a lot of the guess work.


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## Clay_Allison (Aug 8, 2009)

Shortround6 said:


> The first I have heard of this was in Korea. To take full advantage of the extra range better optics were needed than standard sniper scopes. THe few teams/groups that used .50cal weapons in Korea used privetely owned target scopes and also at times used mortar range finders (those 3ft or 1 meter long shoulder supported ranges finders) to elimanate a lot of the guess work.


It's a testament to the quality of the M2 Browning that it was capable of being accurized into a single-shot sniper rifle.


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## CharlesBronson (Aug 8, 2009)

> Were anti tank rifles ever used as sniper rifles



There are some stories of british soldiers using the Boys to crack rocks near entrenched italian infantry, the shattering fragments supposedly caused severe damage.

The quality of sights was very poor to use it as antipersonnel sniping aniway.


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## B-17engineer (Aug 10, 2009)

I believe from what I've read the Russian PTRS anit-tank rifle was used fro anti-personnel uses towards the end of the war.


PTRS-41

I think the gun was .58 caliber. There are some real awesome pictures towards the bottom. 

Length: 78.7 in
Weight, unloaded: 38 lb 2oz
Barrel: 48.3 in, 8 grooves, right hand twist
Magazine: None, Single Shot
Muzzle Velocity: c.3320 fps
Armour Penetration: 25mm (.985 in!)
Ammunition: Soviet A/Tk Rifles: 14.5mm, 994 gr bullet; 478 gr charge 

Those statistics are from the Encyclopedia of WWII Weapons


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## CharlesBronson (Aug 10, 2009)

Well...I did post some pictures of scoped PTRS:



CharlesBronson said:


> The PTRS and PTRD was also tried as a makeshift heavy sniper adding PU 3x scopes.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



But again maybe those were to improve the accuracy against cars, trucks, motorcycles, etc, not necesarily persons, and I f so... well I dont want to imagine the terminal effects made by a 14,5 mm slug at 1000 mps in a human body


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## B-17engineer (Aug 11, 2009)

Yes I don't want to imagine either.....


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## fastmongrel (Aug 11, 2009)

I dont know anything about how big fast bullets act but I once shot a rabbit with a .303 at about 30 yards range. I thought it would blow the rabbit to pieces, however all bullet did was drill a .303 hole through the rabbit and carry on down range. Is it possible that all that would happen is something similar a 14.5mm hole in the poor sod. He would be dead no doubt about it but would an AP round do much tissue damage wouldnt you need a soft bullet or a tumbling bullet.


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## Clay_Allison (Aug 12, 2009)

fastmongrel said:


> I dont know anything about how big fast bullets act but I once shot a rabbit with a .303 at about 30 yards range. I thought it would blow the rabbit to pieces, however all bullet did was drill a .303 hole through the rabbit and carry on down range. Is it possible that all that would happen is something similar a 14.5mm hole in the poor sod. He would be dead no doubt about it but would an AP round do much tissue damage wouldnt you need a soft bullet or a tumbling bullet.


As far as the splatter goes, if it is over 2400 FPS at wound entry you get an "explosive wound" effect. the human body contains a lot of liquid and soft tissue that will "splash" with rapid enough energy transfer. Basically, if the bullet is going fast enough the tissue cannot get out of the way fast enough and will be destroyed by the shock wave that ripples through it rather than absorbing it.

Ballistic gelatin reacts to bullets almost exactly like human flesh, these videos should give you an idea


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omUjwaGCSRo_


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-Zip_b-5RQ_


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYSGuiko6Gg_


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## fastmongrel (Aug 12, 2009)

Clay_Allison said:


> As far as the splatter goes, if it is over 2400 FPS at wound entry you get an "explosive wound" effect. the human body contains a lot of liquid and soft tissue that will "splash" with rapid enough energy transfer. Basically, if the bullet is going fast enough the tissue cannot get out of the way fast enough and will be destroyed by the shock wave that ripples through it rather than absorbing it.
> 
> Ballistic gelatin reacts to bullets almost exactly like human flesh, these videos should give you an idea
> 
> ...




Very Graphic videos glad I had my breakfast before I watched them. Thinking back the .303 ammo we were shooting that day was reloaded and might have been shooting below the normal velocity.


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## Clay_Allison (Aug 12, 2009)

fastmongrel said:


> Very Graphic videos glad I had my breakfast before I watched them. Thinking back the .303 ammo we were shooting that day was reloaded and might have been shooting below the normal velocity.


I shot a rabbit with a 7.62x54R from a Nagand and he was pretty well a rabbit skin after, but rabbits don't have much flesh to blow up, so you don't get as good a reaction. Try shooting a gallon jug filled with water. That's awesome.


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## Shortround6 (Aug 12, 2009)

Clay_Allison said:


> It's a testament to the quality of the M2 Browning that it was capable of being accurized into a single-shot sniper rifle.



Actually they were either Boys anti-tank rifle actions or captured Russian ( North Korean/Chinese) PTRD actions with Browning .50 cal barrels for easy ammunition supply. the resulting weapons were sometimes mount on .30cal MG tripods.

More like junior cannon than rifles.


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## Clay_Allison (Aug 12, 2009)

Henderson said:


> Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: The Winchester Model 70 .30-06 caliber rifle with the standard Unertl scope. On some occasions, however, he used a different weapon: the .50-caliber M2 Browning Machine Gun, on which he mounted the Unertl scope, using a bracket of his own design.[8] This weapon was accurate to 2500 yards when fired one round at a time.
> 
> In 1967 Hathcock set the record for the 20th century's longest combat kill with a Browning M2 .50 BMG machine gun mounting a telescopic sight. The distance was 2,286 meters (2,500 yd / 1.420 mi). Hathcock was one of several individuals to utilize the Browning M2 machine gun in the sniping role. This success led to the adoption of the .50 BMG cartridge as a viable anti-personnel and anti-equipment sniper round. Sniper rifles have since been designed around and chambered in this caliber.



I don't know who did it first, but it was done.


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## CharlesBronson (Aug 12, 2009)

Some ugly images of the Irak war showed very well what happen when a sniper hit personnel with a .50 caliber Barret , wich is pretty much equivalent to ww2 AT rifles.


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## Deanimator (Aug 18, 2009)

CharlesBronson said:


> Some ugly images of the Irak war showed very well what happen when a sniper hit personnel with a .50 caliber Barret , wich is pretty much equivalent to ww2 AT rifles.


The videos I've seen purporting to show this were in fact videos of varmint hunters shooting small animals, such as prairie dogs, with .22-250 and similar rifles.


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## CharlesBronson (Aug 18, 2009)

Well, I ve seen pictures, not videos, of insurgent after being hit with .50 caliber and believe me, they are really disturbing.


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## CharlesBronson (Aug 30, 2009)

Somebody believed the Solothurns S-18-100/1000 were too big ?

Perhaps they were but definately no the biggest...check this one, *Swiss 24mm* Tankbüchse 41antitank rifle weight 61 kg, short recoil operated semiautomatic, 5 rounds magazine, 900mps muzzle velocity , penetration 43mm rolled homogeneous armor sloped 45º at 150 meters, figures wich ( at list teorically) allowed to penetrate the sides of T-34.


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## B-17engineer (Aug 30, 2009)

Oh my gosh, that's huge.


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## CharlesBronson (Aug 30, 2009)

Definately, the poor biker soldier hardly could move it


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## fastmongrel (Aug 31, 2009)

I think that has gone past the Anti Tank Rifle thats a small artillery piece. It would have made an awesome aircraft gun though.


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## Shortround6 (Aug 31, 2009)

Going up hill is no problem......you don't.

Going down an alpine road.....


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## CharlesBronson (Aug 31, 2009)

> think that has gone past the Anti Tank Rifle thats a small artillery piece. It would have made an awesome aircraft gun though.



It does still there was some justification as teh fact it could be moved and operated by a sigle man ( rather triedly but possible)



> Going down an alpine road.....



You got a good point there, probably would work in the plains of France or Russian but in a nonflat terrain like switzerland.... quite uneasy.

Thsi is the ammo, the one marked 24x139mm


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## CharlesBronson (Sep 2, 2009)

*Oerlikon SSG:*

I find another big fat swiss rifle, the SSG, *Schweres Selbtsladen Gewehr *or heavy selfloading rifle.

Two types were made, one in 1935 wich used the short 20x72rb cartrigde at 545 mps. The other variant ( m1936), by far more usable for serous antitank purposes, employed the 20x110rb cartrigde at 790mps.

The gun used the famous non-locked system of Becker-oerlikon wich fired using the mass of the advancing bolt as opposing force to close the breech ( close for miliseconds that is).

An squematic of Becker-Oerlikon advanced primer ignition system, similar to an 22 or 380 blowback pistol but with the difference of firing at open bolt.








The rifle used 5 or 10 round side feed magazines. This is the *SSG 36 20x110mm*







Apparently it wasnt purchased by the swiss army neither by the germans.


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