Alternative light and anti-tank guns, 1935-45 (3 Viewers)

[tomo pauk]

French 47mm ATG was overweight, now by how much?

By at least 200 kg.
See the M.1942 Soviet 45mm ATG, with it's long barrel, was 400 kg lighter. Barrel seems to be very thick-walled (French vs. Soviet).

Perhaps the French could have used better steel in the carriage or perhaps the barrel.
Or used a muzzle brake to cut down on recoil forces allowing for a lighter carriage.

Muzzle brake - definitely. That will allow for a lighter carriage. Also the lighter barrel.
For my money, I'd try and install the gun on a tank or some other AFV, where the weight of the AT 47mm ordnance will not be a thing.

The 3.7cm Pak 36 is a big lie. It should be called the Pak 26 or Pak 28 or ????
They had licensed production to the Soviets in 1930-31. It was a pretty good gun in 1928-30. In 1936? not so much. Not mass producing a replacement in 1939 was a huge mistake.
And this is why just about everybody (Italians excepted) had a better AT gun than the Germans did in 1939-40.

Agreed all the way.

We can ask what the Germans could have done to improve the Pak 36 and/or we can ask what could they have made to replace the Pak 36. A light gun that could be moved by men (or one/two horses) and deal with most tanks of 1940-42.

The better, more powerful gun is a must. Don't muddle the waters with two different guns, but make a gun that can make a difference, especially once the Czech 47 is ... acquired.

As for the 37mm pak and what to do with it - depends on when the better, more powerful gun is available. If it is the historical situation, hot-load the gun within reasonable limits, stick the muzzle brake, adopt the pseudo-APCR and full-on APCR shots for it.
( we have axed the squeeze bore guns together with their tungsten-tipped ammo, ditto for the AT rifle an it's ammo)
If the number of 37mm guns is lower because the better gun is being made more early, don't over-produce the expensive ammo.
In the same time (1939 = best, 1940 = still good, 1941 = a must) have the 600-700m/s 75mm guns installed on the Pz-IVs, Stugs and Pz-IIs-turned-into self-propelled mounts.