The use of anti-tank rifles. Degtyarev anti-tank rifle

In this part, we will talk about the most massive and successful manufacturer of PTR for the entire Second World War.

the USSR

The development of PTR in the USSR has been carried out since 1936. several large KBs at once. As with potential opponents, development was carried out in parallel in several directions, namely:

Development of light anti-tank rifles for powerful rifle-caliber cartridges (7.62x122 and 7.62x155).

And the development of light PTR in more powerful calibers 12.7mm and 14.5mm

In the second half of the 30s, the Soviet command greatly overestimated the armor of the tanks of a potential enemy and immediately decided to design portable large-caliber anti-tank guns of 20-25mm caliber. At the same time, they severely limited the developers in the mass of weapons - up to 35 kg. As a result, out of 15 samples considered before 1938. none were adopted. In November 1938 the requirements of the Main Artillery Directorate themselves were changed, now a cartridge was ready for the new weapon, which had been developed since 1934.

The powerful B-32 cartridge of 14.5x114 mm caliber had excellent characteristics for that time. An armor-piercing incendiary bullet with a hardened core and a pyrotechnic composition left the barrel at a speed of 1100 m / s and pierced 20 mm of armor, at an angle of 70 degrees, at a distance of 300 m.

In addition to the B-32, the BS-41 bullet appeared a little later with even more impressive results. The cermet core allowed the BS-41 bullet to penetrate 30mm armor at a distance of 350m, and from a distance of 100m the bullet pierced 40mm armor. Also, for the purposes of the experiment, a capsule with an irritating substance, chloroacetophenone, was placed in the bottom of the BS-41 bullet. But the idea didn't really take off either.

The first shotgun adopted by new cartridge was the development of N.V. Rukavishnikov. His PTR-39 made it possible to produce about 15 rounds per minute and successfully passed the tests. However, the PTR-39 did not go into mass production. Head of GAU - Marshal G.I. Kulik, based on erroneous information about new German tanks with reinforced armor, concluded that anti-tank rifles and even 45mm cannons were unsuitable for fighting new German tanks.

This decision (1940) actually left the Soviet infantryman without completely effective anti-tank weapons for June 1941. Let me remind you that on June 22, 1941. The main tank of the Wehrmacht was the PzKpfw III of various modifications - the frontal armor of the most modern of them was a maximum of 50mm, including overhead armor plates. The maximum armor of the turret and sides of the newest modification for 1941 was 30mm. That is, most tanks with a high degree of probability were hit by a 14.5mm PTR cartridge in almost any projection at distances of 300m or more.

This is not to mention the defeat of tracks, optical instruments, tanks and other vulnerabilities of the tank. At the same time, a huge number of German armored vehicles and armored personnel carriers were quite tough for the Soviet PTR, especially the "forty-five".

The PTR-39 designed by Rukavishnikov was not without flaws - it was rather complicated and expensive to manufacture and sensitive to operate. But still, given that with the start of the war, our army was left without any anti-tank rifle and considering that the Sholokhov ersatz gun (cal. 12.7mm DShK) was used - copies of the same one, only with a muzzle brake and a shock absorber, this mistake cost the Red Army a lot Army.

In 1941 at the GKO meeting, I.V. Stalin instructed to urgently develop a new anti-tank rifle for the Red Army. For reliability, the leader recommended entrusting the work to "one more, and preferably two" designers. Both brilliantly coped with the task in their own way - S.G. Simonov and V.A. Degtyarev, moreover, only 22 days passed from the moment the assignment was received to the test firing.

PTRD

July 4, 1941 Degtyarev began the development of his PTR and already on July 14 he transferred the project to production, 2 magazine versions of Degtyarev's PTR were considered on July 28 at the Red Army Small Arms Directorate. In order to speed up and simplify production, one of the options was proposed to be made single-shot. Already in August of the 41st, the cartridge I mentioned with a BS-41 bullet from the Moscow Hard Alloy Plant arrived in time. And in October 1941. in the ranks of the Red Army, a new combat specialty appeared - an armor-piercer.

PTRD - A single-shot rifle with a longitudinally sliding rotary bolt. The rifled barrel was equipped with an active box-shaped muzzle brake. The shutter had two lugs, a simple percussion mechanism, a reflector and an ejector. The butt had a spring for damping recoil, which also performed the role of a return. The shutter in the coupling with the barrel after the shot rolled back, the shutter handle turned on the copy profile fixed on the butt, and when turned, unlocked the shutter. The shutter, after stopping the barrel, moved back by inertia, and got up on the shutter delay, the sleeve was pushed out by the reflector into the lower window.

Sending a new cartridge into the chamber and locking the shutter was done manually. Sights were taken out to the left and worked in two modes up to 400m and more than 400m. The calculation of the gun consisted of two people. The total mass of the PTR and ammunition was about 26 kg (the Degtyarev gun itself weighed 17 kg). For maneuverability, a carrying handle was placed on the gun. The gun was carried either by both, or by one fighter from the calculation. Only during 1942. The Soviet defense industry gave the front nearly 185,000 ATGMs.

PTRS

Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov took a slightly different path. Based on his own developments (for example, ABC-36), he created an anti-tank gun with gas automatics. This made it possible to achieve an excellent practical rate of fire of 16 or more rounds per minute. At the same time, this increased the total weight of the weapon to 22kg.

Simonov's design looks, of course, much more complex against the background of Degtyarev's design, however, it was simpler than Rukavishnikov's design. As a result, both samples were adopted.

So PTRS - Anti-tank self-loading rifle arr. 1941 Simonov systems A weapon designed to fight enemy light and medium tanks at a distance of up to 500m. In practice, it was also used to destroy firing points, mortar and machine-gun crews, pillboxes, bunkers, low-flying aircraft and enemy manpower behind shelters at distances up to 800m.

Semi-automatic weapons used for the operation of automation the removal of part of the powder gases from the bore. The weapon is equipped with a three-position gas regulator. Food was supplied from an integral magazine with clips of 5 rounds. USM allowed only single fire. Locking - skewed shutter in a vertical plane, recoil compensation by means of a muzzle brake, softening nozzle on the butt. In this model, a special shock absorber was not needed, since the muzzle brake paired with the semi-automatic system itself was enough to reduce recoil, although the recoil of the PTRD is less noticeable.

In 1941 due to the rather complex and laborious production process, only 77 PTRS were received by the troops, but already in 1942 production was established and 63,000 PTRS went to the front. The production of PTRD and PTRS continued until 1945. During the war years, about 400,000 anti-tank rifles were produced in the USSR.

The combat use of PTR also took place in the most different corners planet and after the end of WWII. Soviet anti-tank rifles successfully pierced armor American tanks in Korea, as well as the armor of the M113 armored personnel carrier in Vietnam.

Separate samples of Soviet anti-tank rifles were confiscated from Palestinian militants in Lebanon. The author saw with his own eyes a Soviet anti-tank rifle in a weaponry at the training base of the Givati ​​infantry brigade in the Negev desert in Israel. The Israelis called this weapon the "Russian Barret".

The cartridge 14.5x114 is still alive and is in service in many countries of the world.

During the Second World War, there were armor-piercing aces who had more than a dozen destroyed enemy tanks and even Luftwaffe aircraft on their account. Weapons played a very significant role in the victory of the USSR over Nazi Germany. Despite. that by 1943 it had become extremely difficult to knock out a tank from an anti-tank rifle, the weapon remained in service until 1945. until it was replaced by rocket-propelled anti-tank grenade launchers.

Work was also underway to create a new PTR for a more powerful cartridge, for example, 14.5x147mm with high penetration. To hit the already medium tanks of the Wehrmacht of later series. But such weapons did not fall into service, since by 1943 the infantry of the Red Army was fully equipped anti-tank artillery. The production of PTRs declined, by the end of the war, only 40,000 PTRs remained in service with the Red Army.

In terms of the combination of basic qualities - maneuverability, ease of production and operation, firepower and low cost, Soviet anti-tank missiles significantly surpassed the enemy’s rifle anti-tank weapons. It is worth noting that the early PTR series were not without problems in operation. With the onset of the spring of 1942, both the design flaws and the urgently established production, as well as the lack of proper knowledge regarding operation in the troops themselves, appeared.

But through the efforts of the designers and workers, the shortcomings were corrected as soon as possible, and the troops began to receive detailed, but quite intelligible and simple instructions for the operation of the PTR. Designers Degtyarev and Simonov personally inspected the front-line units and observed the operation, collecting feedback from armor-piercing fighters. Already by the summer of 1942, the guns were finally finalized and became very reliable weapons that work in any climatic conditions.

In conclusion of this part, I will quote the chief of staff of the 1st Baltic Front, Colonel General V.V. Kurasova:

"During the Great Patriotic War, - he wrote on October 30, 1944, - anti-tank rifles were used in all types of combat to cover tank-dangerous areas, both as whole units and in groups of 3-4 guns. In offensive combat, anti-tank missiles were used in the probable directions of enemy counterattacks, being directly in the combat formations of the advancing infantry. In defense, anti-tank missiles were used in the most tank-dangerous directions as part of a platoon-company, echeloning in depth. The firing positions were chosen taking into account the conduct of flank fire, and in addition to the main ones, there were 2-3 spare positions, taking into account the conduct of group fire with all-round fire.

The experience of using PTR during World War II shows that greatest effect they had in the period up to July 1943, when the enemy used light and medium tanks, and the battle formations of our troops were relatively weakly saturated with anti-tank artillery. Starting from the second half of 1943, when the enemy began to use heavy tanks and self-propelled guns with powerful armor protection, the effectiveness of anti-tank rifles decreased significantly. Since that time, the main role in the fight against tanks has been entirely played by artillery. Anti-tank rifles, which have good accuracy of fire, are now used mainly against enemy firing points, armored vehicles and armored personnel carriers.

At the end of the Second World PTR, they smoothly turned into large-caliber sniper rifles. Although in some local conflicts, both anti-tank rifles of the Second World War and modern home-made ones, handicraft samples are used to combat lightly armored and other equipment, as well as enemy manpower.

This article does not mention all the samples that are classified as PTR. Conventionally, anti-tank rifles can be divided into three categories - light (rifle caliber), medium (heavy machine gun caliber) and heavy (bordering on air cannons and anti-tank artillery). I practically did not touch on the latter, since, in my understanding, they already bear little resemblance to a "gun".

Separately, it is necessary to consider the class of "recoilless", the development of which began in the USSR at the very beginning of the 30s ...

But that's a completely different story.

hand weapons

Recoilless guns

There is no clear boundary between rocket-propelled grenade launchers and recoilless rifles. English term recoilless rifle(recoilless gun) designates both the L6 WOMBAT weighing 295 kg on a wheeled carriage, and the M67 weighing 17 kg for firing from the shoulder or bipod. In Russia (USSR), a grenade launcher was considered an SPG-9 weighing 64.5 kg on a wheeled carriage and an RPG-7 weighing 6.3 kg for firing from the shoulder. In Italy, the Folgore system weighing 18.9 kg is considered a grenade launcher, and the same system on a tripod and with a ballistic computer (weight 25.6 kg) is considered a recoilless gun. The appearance of HEAT shells made smooth-bore recoilless guns promising as light anti-tank guns. Such guns were used by the United States at the end of World War II, and in the post-war years, recoilless anti-tank guns were adopted by a number of countries, including the USSR, and were actively used (and continue to be used) in a number of armed conflicts. The most widely used recoilless rifles are in the armies of developing countries. In the armies developed countries BO as an anti-tank weapon has been largely replaced by anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). Some exceptions are the Scandinavian countries, e.g. Sweden, where BW continues to develop, and by improving ammunition using the latest achievements equipment, achieved armor penetration of 800 mm (with a caliber of 90 mm, that is, almost 9klb)

ATGM

The main advantage of tank ATGMs is greater, compared to any type of tank armament, accuracy in hitting targets, as well as a large range of aimed fire. This allows the tank to fire at an enemy tank while remaining out of range of its weapons, with a hit probability greater than that of modern tank guns at that distance. The significant disadvantages of the KUV include 1) smaller than that of a tank gun projectile, average speed missile flight and 2) the extremely high cost of a shot.

Artillery mounts

An anti-tank gun (ATG) is a specialized artillery weapon for combating enemy armored vehicles by direct fire. In the vast majority of cases, it is a long-barreled gun with a high muzzle velocity and a low elevation angle. To others characteristic features anti-tank guns include unitary loading and a semi-automatic wedge breech, which contribute to the maximum rate of fire. When designing PTO Special attention pay to minimize its weight and size in order to facilitate transportation and camouflage on the ground. A self-propelled artillery mount can be structurally very similar to a tank, but is designed to solve other tasks: destroy enemy tanks from ambushes or fire support for troops from a closed firing position, and therefore has a different balance of armor and weapons. Tank destroyer - specialized for combating enemy armored vehicles, fully and well-armored self-propelled artillery mount(SAU). It is in its armor that the tank destroyer differs from the anti-tank self-propelled guns, which have light and partial armor protection.

tactical missiles

Tactical missiles, depending on the type, can be equipped with all kinds of anti-tank submunitions, mines.

Aircrafts

Attack aircraft A-10 Thunderbolt (USA)

Attack is the defeat of land and sea targets with the help of small arms(cannons and machine guns), as well as rockets. Attack aircraft - a combat aircraft (airplane or helicopter) designed for attack. Non-specialized types of aircraft, such as conventional fighters, as well as light and dive bombers, can be used for ground attack. However, in the 1930s, a specialized class of aircraft was allocated for ground attack operations. The reason for this is that, unlike the attack aircraft, the dive bomber only hits point targets; a heavy bomber operates from a great height over areas and large stationary targets - it is not suitable for hitting a target directly on the battlefield, since there is a high risk of missing and hitting your own; a fighter (like a dive bomber) does not have strong armor, while at low altitudes the aircraft is subjected to targeted fire from all types of weapons, as well as to the effects of stray fragments, stones and other dangerous objects flying over the battlefield. The role of attack decreased after the appearance of cluster bombs (with which it is more effective to hit elongated targets than from small arms), as well as during the development of air-to-surface missiles (accuracy and range increased, guided missiles appeared). The speed of combat aircraft has increased, and it has become problematic for them to hit targets at low altitude. On the other hand, attack helicopters appeared, almost completely displacing the aircraft from low altitudes.

Unmanned aircraft

Most often, UAVs are understood as remotely controlled aircraft used to carry out aerial reconnaissance and striking. The most famous example of a UAV is the American MQ-1 Predator. In February 2001, at Nellis Air Force Base, for the first time, test launches of AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles (ATGMs) from the Predator UAV were performed. The Predator can be armed with two ATGMs (one under each wing). Aiming at the target is carried out using a standard laser designator

anti-tank mines

Anti-tank mines are anti-bottom, anti-track mines, anti-aircraft mines. They are designed to disable tanks and other equipment, but do not work when a person or animal steps on it.

Anti-tank gouges

They belong to non-explosive anti-tank barriers. They are usually part of a defensive line and combined with minefields and barbed wire.

see also

Links

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Simonov anti-tank rifle PTRS 41 Tankgewehr M1918 Lahti L 39 ... Wikipedia

PTRS - Soviet self-loading anti-tank rifle of the Simonov system. It appeared in the troops shortly after the start of the Great Patriotic War. Until 1943, the USSR needed to fight the armored vehicles of Nazi Germany by any means, and anti-tank rifles during this period became almost an uncontested weapon in terms of effectiveness.

The PTRS was designed to deal with enemy medium and light tanks and armored vehicles at distances from 100 to 500 meters. In addition, such guns could fire at fortified firing points (bunkers and bunkers), as well as at aircraft.

History of creation

The unfortunate start of the Great Patriotic War for the USSR led to the fact that already in July 1941 I.V. Stalin set the task of arming Soviet troops mobile and powerful means of combating German tanks. On the eve of the war, a large-caliber 14.5-mm cartridge had already been created in the Soviet Union, under which an anti-tank rifle (PTR) designed by Nikolai Rukavishnikov was tested. This gun was superior to the foreign analogues available at that time, but the complexity of its design did not allow for its rapid and mass production, especially in the conditions of such a difficult war.

According to the memoirs of D.F. Ustinov, one of the leaders of the Soviet defense industry during the war years, Stalin, at one of the first meetings of the GKO, suggested entrusting the development of more technologically advanced 14.5-mm anti-tank rifles, for reliability, to two designers at once. Vasily Degtyarev and Sergei Simonov received this assignment in early July 1941.

Samples of new weapons ready for testing appeared in the shortest possible time: only 22 days passed from setting the task to the first trial shots. Both samples presented at the same time were successfully tested, on August 29, 1941, they were adopted by the Red Army and put into mass production under the names PTRS and PTRD. The decoding of these abbreviations meant, respectively, the Simonov and Degtyarev anti-tank rifles of the 1941 model.

When creating a gun S.G. Simonov decided to take as a basis the design of his self-loading rifle of the 1938 model, which had already justified itself in battles. This required a significant increase in the dimensions of the weapon to such a size that it became possible to use 14.5 mm caliber cartridges. In general, it was this idea that was implemented, which made it possible to make the new anti-tank rifle self-loading, and bring its practical rate of fire to 15 rounds per minute.

In comparison with Rukavishnikov's self-loading anti-tank rifle, Simonov's development showed similar results during tests both in terms of ballistic characteristics and weight and size parameters, as well as in terms of armor penetration and magazine capacity. At the same time, the PTRS showed higher survivability, and was also easier to operate and maintain. It turned out to be noticeably more technologically advanced in production. In particular, the number of parts in Simonov's gun was one third less than in Rukavishnikov's gun.

Compared to the Degtyarev version, Simonov's anti-tank rifle was one and a half times faster, but at the same time heavier and more difficult to manufacture. And in those days, as many guns as possible were required, and most importantly, they were needed immediately. Serial production of PTRS was launched in November 1941, but by the end of this year only 77 units were produced.

The delay in the release of PTRS was also due to the fact that they were planned to be produced in Tula, but after the evacuation of this production to Saratov, their production was soon established there at the former Traktorodetal plant. Moreover, for the quick organization of production, the manufacture of the magazine box was entrusted to the combine plant, the striker - to the mechanical workshops of the local university.

Izhevsk became the second place for the production of PTRS, where PTRDs were also made at the same time. For this, the evacuated production facilities of the Tula Arms and Podolsk Mechanical Plants were used. In the summer of 1942, the production of anti-tank rifles of both systems was separated into an independent plant No. 622 (later Izhevsk Mechanical Plant), and from the middle of 1943 this enterprise produced only PTRS.

The peak of the production of these weapons came in 1942-1943, when the role of the PTR in the anti-tank defense system was the most significant. The release of PTRS in Saratov continued until June 1944, in Izhevsk - until December of the same year. In total, 190,615 PTRS units were produced during the war years. Subsequently, a significant number of PTRS were delivered Soviet Union North Korea and China, they were actively used in the Korean War of 1950-1953.

Design features

Self-loading PTRS operated according to the scheme with the removal of powder gases. It consisted of a barrel with a muzzle brake and a vapor chamber, a receiver with a butt, a bolt, a trigger guard, reloading and trigger mechanisms, sights, a magazine and a bipod.

Butt

The PTRS had a wooden stock and a "pistol" grip. A shock absorber (the so-called “cushion”) was located on the butt plate of the butt, which softened the recoil action. The neck of the butt was used to hold the weapon with the left hand.

Nutrition

The gun was powered by an integral store. A box-shaped two-row magazine with a hinged bottom cover and a lever feeder had a capacity of 5 rounds. Loading was carried out from below, with a metal clip with cartridges arranged in a checkerboard pattern. Shooting could only be carried out with single shots.

Automation

Automation PTRS worked on the principle of removing part of the powder gases through a transverse hole in the barrel wall. The design had a gas regulator with three positions for dosing the gases discharged to the piston, depending on the operating conditions. The barrel was locked by skewing the shutter frame in a vertical plane. for carrying. The percussion mechanism is trigger, with a helical mainspring.

Trunk

The barrel had eight right-hand rifling and was equipped with a muzzle brake. A folding bipod and a carrying handle were attached to the PTRS barrel.

Fuse

The trigger mechanism provides fire only with single shots. When the cartridges are used up, the shutter stops in the open position. Flag fuse.

sighting mechanism

The PTRS sight belonged to an open sector type and was designed for combat distances from 100 to 1500 meters. Sectors sighting device had values ​​from 1 to 15, each of them corresponded to 100 meters of distance. The sighting device also included a front sight with a namushnik.

Specifications

Simonov's anti-tank rifle had a combat rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute. The initial speed of a bullet fired from it was 1020 m / s.

Caliber and cartridges

For firing from the PTRS, 14.5 mm caliber cartridges with a sleeve length of 114 mm were used. These ammunition had the following two types of bullets:

• B-32 (ordinary) - armor-piercing incendiary with a hardened steel core;
• BS-41 (special) - an armor-piercing incendiary bullet with a ceramic-metal core based on tungsten carbide.

The armor penetration of these bullets was (at a meeting angle of 90 °): at a distance of 300 m - 40 mm, at a distance of 100 m - 50-60 mm.

Aiming range

The aiming range of the PTRS was 1500 meters. Wherein maximum range effective shooting was considered a distance of 800 meters, at which the gun could successfully hit enemy fortified firing points. To defeat armored targets, the maximum range was considered to be a distance of 500 meters.

Dimensions, weight and length

Store capacity

The integral magazine had a capacity of 5 armor-piercing rounds.

Operating principle

PTRS served the calculation of two people (shooter and loader). In combat, the gun could carry one calculation number or both together (the carrying handles were attached to the barrel and butt). In the stowed position, the gun was disassembled into two parts (a barrel with a bipod and a receiver with a butt) and carried by both calculation numbers.

Soviet soldiers used PTR to destroy not only tanks and armored vehicles, but also bunkers, and even low-flying aircraft. Simonov's anti-tank rifle had a very high accuracy of fire. The fundamental disadvantage of this weapon was the weak armor effect of a 14.5-mm bullet: even with an accurate hit, it was quite difficult to knock out crew members or a serious host of enemy armored vehicles. Sometimes it took up to 15 hits to destroy one German tank from the PTR

Already after the first months of the war, the Germans constantly increased the armor protection of their shock armored vehicles, which became more and more difficult to hit with time. To do this, it was necessary to fire from a very close distance, in fact - at 100-150 meters. In addition, the shot of an anti-tank rifle raised powerful clouds of dust, which almost completely unmasked the calculation of the anti-tank rifle, which became the primary target for enemy machine gunners, snipers and infantrymen accompanying tanks. It often happened that after repulsing a tank attack from the armor-piercing company, not a single soldier remained alive.

It should be noted that Soviet anti-tank rifles are referred to as "worthy of respect" weapons in many German works devoted to the Second World War. In memories German tankers credit is given to the courage of their calculations. Since 1942, Soviet commanders have noted the peculiarities of German attacks involving tanks and assault guns, which sometimes stopped 300-400 meters from the forward trenches (that is, at a distance from which Soviet anti-tank rifles opened fire), and then supported their infantry with fire from places.

During the war, a number of Soviet PTRs were captured by the Germans. The Wehrmacht willingly put these trophies into their arsenal under the name Panzerbüchse 784 (r) (PzB 784 (r)), which indicates the rather high combat qualities of these guns.

Application in World War II

Since December 1941, anti-tank rifle crews were introduced into rifle regiments, united in separate platoons. One regiment operating on the front line, as a rule, included three platoons of soldiers armed with PTRD or PTRS. Since the autumn of 1942, a standard Soviet rifle battalion had an anti-tank rifle platoon of 18 rifles on its staff. From January 1943, the PTR company began to be included in the motorized rifle and machine gun battalion of the tank brigade, where they existed until March 1944.

PTR companies were also introduced into artillery anti-tank battalions, and anti-tank battalions - into anti-tank brigades. Anti-tank guns Together with light machine guns, they provided self-defense for artillery batteries from enemy surprise attacks.

With the advent of PTR units, special tactics for their use were also developed. In battle, the PTR company commander rifle regiment or the battalion could be completely left at its disposal or given to rifle companies, leaving at least a platoon of "armor-piercers" as its reserve as its reserve.

An anti-tank rifle platoon could operate in full force, split into squads of 2-4 guns or half-platoons. The anti-tank rifle detachment, acting as part of a platoon or independently, had to choose a firing position in battle, equip and camouflage it, quickly prepare for firing, and after the defeat of enemy armored vehicles, change the firing position during the battle.

Firing positions were chosen behind natural or artificial obstacles, although often the crews had to take cover simply in the grass or bushes. The positions were supposed to provide all-round shelling at a distance of up to 500 m and occupy a flank position towards the direction of the probable movement of enemy tanks. Organized interaction with rifle units and other anti-tank forces. At the position, depending on the availability of time, a full-profile trench with a firing platform was being prepared, a trench for circular firing with or without a platform, or a small trench for firing in a wide sector without a platform - in this case, shooting was carried out with a bent or removed bipod.

Fire on PTR tanks was opened, depending on the situation, from 250-400 meters, preferably on the side or stern, but in infantry positions armor-piercers usually had to "hit in the forehead." PTR crews were divided along the front and in depth at intervals and distances of 25-40 m angle forward or backward, while flanking fire - in line. The front of the PTR squad was 50-80 m, the platoon - from 250 to 700 m.

It was recommended to focus the fire of several anti-tank missiles on a moving tank, when a tank approached - along its turret, when a tank overcame a barrier, scarp, embankment - along the bottom, when a tank moved towards a neighbor - along the side and engine part, external tanks, when the tank was removed - to the stern .

In the offensive, the PTR platoon moved in rolls in order of battle rifle company (battalion) in readiness to meet enemy tanks with fire from at least two squads. PTR crews occupied positions ahead in the gaps between rifle platoons. When attacking with an open flank, they tried to keep the armor-piercers on this flank. The PTR squad usually attacked in the gaps or on the flanks of a rifle company, the PTR platoon - on the flanks of a company or battalion. From position to position, the crews moved along hidden approaches or under cover of infantry and mortar fire.

PTR played a big role in anti-tank defense in 1941-1942, but from the second half of 1943, when the enemy began to use heavy tanks and self-propelled guns with powerful armor protection, their effectiveness decreased significantly. Since the spring of 1944, anti-tank rifle companies in tank divisions have been disbanded, "armor-piercers" were most often retrained as tankers, replenishing the crews of the new T-34-85, which, unlike the "thirty-fours" with 76-mm guns, had not 4, but 5 Human.

Nevertheless, the commanders of units and formations in 1944-1945 successfully used the main advantages of the PTR - maneuverability, the ability to constantly be in combat formations of small units, and the simplicity of their disguise. When fighting in settlements, when capturing and securing bridgeheads, when it was not possible to use artillery, anti-tank rifles often turned out to be very effective.

Separate attempts have been made to use PTR with appropriate optics instead of a sniper rifle to engage the enemy at long ranges or behind cover. But in general, the practice of applying optical sight on the PTR turned out to be ineffective due to the too strong recoil of the weapon.

Advantages and disadvantages

Soviet fighters and commanders in general highly appreciated the qualities of anti-tank rifles, considering them to be simple, trouble-free, very maneuverable and quite effective weapons, even despite the initial imperfection of their design. As noted at the end of 1944, the 5th department of the GAU, summarizing the comparative results of the use of anti-tank rifles PTR Degtyarev and Simonov during the war, at the first stage of its service (until the end of the summer of 1942), the PTRD had a significant drawback - tight extraction of cartridge cases, which sharply reduced the reliability of its operation.

For this reason, the troops at first preferred to have PTRS as a more reliable weapon with a higher rate of fire, but then the situation changed. From August 1942, the active army began to receive PTRD, where the noted defect was completely eliminated. By that time, the shortcomings of the PTRS began to be revealed to a greater extent: transverse rupture of the sleeve, chronic delays in firing, fairly frequent "double" shots, leading to a rupture of the barrel.

The weapon was continuously improved, but these shortcomings were never completely eliminated. Ultimately, the insufficient penetration of Soviet anti-tank missiles against the increasingly heavily armored German vehicles at the final stage of the war led to the cessation of production of both types of these weapons.

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World War II became the "finest hour" of the tank forces. The massive use of armored vehicles and the improvement of its basic combat characteristics also required the improvement of the means of combating them. One of the simplest, and effective ways to stop tanks opposing infantry units is an anti-tank rifle (ATR).

Infantry against tanks

The main burden of the offensive of the tank armada fell on the infantry, which did not have powerful means to resist armored vehicles, especially in the early stages of the Second World War. In the conditions of highly maneuverable combat operations of mobile enemy units, conducted with an unprecedented intensity and scope, the "queen of the fields" was in dire need of its own simple, affordable, cheap anti-tank weapons that can be used in battle formations, fighting tanks, armored vehicles and other equipment in close combat.

The role of infantry close combat anti-tank weapons (PTS) remained significant throughout the course of the war, even as the warring parties en masse introduced more and more armored and protected tank models. The war gave birth in the infantry to such new specialties of fighters as "armor-piercer", "tank destroyer", the main weapon of which was an anti-tank rifle.

anti-tank weapons

During the Second World War, cardinal changes took place in the arsenal of close-range combat vehicles and in the methods of their use. If at the beginning of the Second World War the main anti-tank weapons of the infantry were simple in design, anti-tank weapons, then by the end of the war, prototypes of guided anti-tank weapons appeared.

High-explosive grenades, bundles of hand grenades, and incendiary bottles were also of great help to the soldiers in the trenches. By the middle of the military campaign, cumulative grenades, mounted and hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers of recoilless and reactive schemes were already being used.

Purpose of PTR

The anti-tank guns of World War II played a very significant role in the victory. Of course, the main burden of anti-tank defense (ATD) fell on guns (guns) of various types. However, when the course of the battle took on a complex, highly maneuverable and "tangled" character with the massive use of armored vehicles, the infantry needed its own armor-piercing means. At the same time, it is important that the soldiers be able to use them directly in combat formations and fight tanks and armored vehicles in close combat. Soviet engineers, under the guidance of the outstanding weapons designers Simonov, Degtyarev, Rukavishnikov, presented the fighters with simple but reliable means against armored vehicles.

The term "anti-tank gun" is not entirely correct. A more precise designation is "anti-tank rifle". However, it has developed historically, apparently as a literal translation of "panzerbuchse" from the German language.

Ammunition

A few words should be said about the anti-tank rifle cartridge and its damaging effect. For anti-tank rifles, ammunition of a larger caliber than traditional small arms has been developed. In domestic samples, armor-piercing bullets of 14.5 mm caliber were used. Its kinetic energy was enough to break through 30 mm armor or inflict damage on weakly protected armored vehicles.

The effect of an armor-piercing bullet (projectile) on a target consists of an armor-piercing (impact) action and a damaging effect behind the armor (armor-penetrating action). The action of PTR bullets is based on their kinetic effect on the armor and its penetration by the hull or solid core. The thickness of the pierced protection is the higher, the higher the kinetic energy of the projectile (bullet) at the moment of collision with the armor. Due to this energy, work is done to break through the metal.

Damaging armor action

The WWII anti-tank rifle was very effective. Of course, with its help it was impossible to overcome the armor protection of the turret and hull of medium and heavy tanks, however, any vehicle has vulnerable zones, which were amazed by experienced shooters. Armor only protects the engine, fuel tanks, mechanisms, weapons, ammunition and crew of the combat vehicle, which, in fact, must be hit. In addition, anti-tank missiles were used against any equipment, including lightly armored ones.

The action of the damaging element and armor on each other is mutual, the same energy is spent on the destruction of the bullet itself. Therefore, the shape and transverse load of the projectile, the strength of its material and the quality of the armor itself are also of decisive importance. Since mass is included in the formula of kinetic energy in the first power, and speed in the second, the final velocity of the ammunition is of particular importance.

Actually, it is the speed of the bullet and the angle of its meeting with the armor barrier that are the most important factors that determine the armor-piercing effect. An increase in speed is preferable to an increase in the mass of the projectile also from the point of view of accuracy:

• the flatness of the trajectory increases, and hence the range of a direct shot at a “tank” type target, when shooting is carried out at one sight setting;
• the time of flight of the bullet to the target also decreases, along with it the amount of drift by the side wind and the movement of the target during the time from the start of the shot to the expected meeting of the striking element with the target.

On the other hand, the mass is directly related to the transverse load, so the armor-piercing core must still have a high density.

Armor action

It is no less important than armor-piercing. Having pierced the armor, a bullet, a solid projectile or an armor-piercing core inflicts damage due to fragmentation and incendiary action. Their highly heated fragments, together with armor fragments, penetrate the inside of the vehicle at high speed, hit the crew, mechanisms, ammunition, tanks, supply pipelines, lubrication systems, and are capable of igniting fuel and lubricants.

To improve efficiency, cartridges with armor-piercing incendiary and armor-piercing tracer bullets were used, which had armor-piercing and armor-piercing effects. The high initial velocity of the bullet was achieved by using a powerful cartridge and a large relative barrel length (from 90 to 150 mm).

The history of the creation of domestic anti-tank rifles

In the USSR back in 1933, the “dynamo-reactive” 37-mm Kurchevsky anti-tank rifle was adopted for service, but it lasted in service for about two years. Before the war, PTR did not arouse keen interest among Soviet military leaders, although there was experience in their development and production. Soviet designers S. Korovin, S. Vladimirov, M. Blum, L. Kurchevsky created samples in the 30s that surpassed foreign counterparts. However, their designs and characteristics were imperfect due to the lack of a clear vision of what exactly they should be.

With the adoption of specific requirements for this type of weapon, the situation has changed. It was then that the caliber of the anti-tank rifle was increased to 14.5 mm, the bullet weight was 64 g, and the muzzle velocity was 1000 m/s. In 1938, the basic armor-piercing cartridge B-32 was developed, later improved. At the beginning of 1941, ammunition appeared with an armor-piercing incendiary bullet equipped with a steel core, and in August, a cartridge with a metal core.

PTR Rukavishnikov

On October 7, 1939, the USSR Defense Committee approved the adoption of an anti-tank 14.5-mm gun of the design comrade. Rukavishnikov. Kovrov Plant No. 2 was given the task of manufacturing Rukavishnikov's PTR (also known as PTR-39) in the amount of 50 pieces. in 1939 and 15,000 in 1940. Mass production of 14.5 mm cartridges was entrusted to plant No. 3 in Ulyanovsk and No. 46 in Kuntsevo.

However, work on organizing the mass production of Rukavishnikov's PTR was delayed by a number of circumstances. At the end of 1939, the Kovrov Plant carried out an urgent task to organize the large-scale production of the PPD submachine gun due to the Soviet-Finnish war, which required an urgent increase in the number of individual automatic weapons. Therefore, before the "big" war, these guns were clearly not enough.

Specifications

Rukavishnikov's anti-tank gun had an automatic gas engine with the removal of powder gases through a transverse hole directly in the barrel wall. The stroke of the gas piston is long. The gas chamber was located at the bottom of the barrel. The channel was locked by a shutter collar. On the receiver, on the left, there was a receiver under the clip (pack) for 5 cartridges. The PTR had a muzzle brake, a buttstock with a sponge rubber shock absorber and a folding shoulder pad, a pistol grip, a folding bipod, and carrying handles.

USM allowed to fire only single shots, included a flag non-automatic fuse, the lever of which was located on the right side of the trigger. The percussion mechanism was of a percussion type, the mainspring was located inside a massive drummer. The combat rate of fire reached 15 rds / min. The sighting device included an open sector sight and a front sight on a bracket. The sight was notched at a distance of up to 1000 m. With a barrel length of 1180 mm, Rukavishnikov's PTR had a length of 1775 mm and weighed 24 kg (with cartridges).

At the beginning of the war, seeing the lack of anti-tank weapons, the army leadership hastily began to take adequate measures. In July 1941, the most prominent Soviet weapons designers V. Degtyarev and his talented student S. Simonov were involved in the rapid development of anti-tank rifles. At the end of the month, V. Degtyarev proposed 2 variants of a 14.5-mm gun that had already passed field tests. The system was called PTRD - Degtyarev anti-tank rifle. Although the gun received universal approval at the training ground, in trench conditions, with insufficient care, it often jammed.

Greater success was achieved when creating a magazine self-loading rifle of the S. Simonov system. Only the trigger and burst loading mechanics were changed. Based on the positive test results, on August 29, 1941, the USSR State Defense Committee decided to adopt the Simonov magazine self-loading anti-tank rifle (PTRS) and the single-shot Degtyarev caliber 14.5 mm.

Despite a number of "growing pains" - design flaws that were corrected throughout the war and after it - guns became a powerful argument against tanks in the hands of Soviet soldiers. As a result, PTRD and PTRS are still being used effectively in regional conflicts.

High efficiency

The need for this weapon was so high that sometimes the guns fell straight from the factory floor to the front line. The first batch was sent to the 16th Army, to General Rokossovsky, who was defending Moscow northwest of the Soviet capital, in the Volokolamsk direction. The application experience was successful: on the morning of November 16, 1941, near the settlements of Shiryaevo and Petelino, soldiers of the 1075th Infantry Regiment of the Eighth Guards Division, who held the front, shot a group from 150-200 m German tanks, 2 of which burned out completely.

The role that Degtyarev's (and Simonov's) anti-tank rifle played in the defense of the Soviet capital is evidenced by the fact that V. Degtyarev himself and many factory workers who organized the production of deadly weapons for armored vehicles were awarded the medal "For the Defense of Moscow".

As a result combat use gun systems designers have made significant improvements in their mechanics. The production of guns increased every day. If in 1941 17,688 units of the V. Degtyarev system and only 77 units of the S. Simonov system were manufactured, then in 1942 the number of guns increased to 184,800 and 63,308 pieces, respectively.

PTRD device

The single-shot PTRD (Degtyarev anti-tank rifle) consisted of the following units:

• trunk;
• cylindrical receiver;
• butterfly valve of sliding type;
• butt;
• trigger box;
• aiming device;
• bipod.

Specifications PTRD

The anti-tank rifle was developed by Degtyarev in a record (for many unthinkable) 22 days. Although the designer took into account the achievements of the creators of previous samples of the 30s, he managed to embody the basic requirements of the military in metal: simplicity, lightness, reliability and low cost of manufacture.

The barrel is 8-rifled, with a rifling stroke of 420 mm. The active muzzle brake of the box system is able to absorb most of the recoil energy (up to 2/3). The rotary (“piston type”) bolt of cylindrical shape is equipped with two lugs in the front and a straight handle in the rear. An impact mechanism, a reflector and an ejector were mounted in it.

The percussion mechanism activates the drummer with the striker, also the mainspring. The drummer could be cocked manually by the protruding tail or put on the fuse - for this, the tail had to be pulled back and turned to the right by 30 °. In the receiver, the bolt was held by a stop located on the left side of the receiver.

The shutter was unlocked and the spent cartridge case was extracted automatically, the shutter remained open, and in order to prepare for the next shot, it remained to manually insert a new cartridge into the upper window on the receiver, send and lock the shutter. This made it possible to increase the combat rate of fire with the coordinated work of the calculation of two people. The buttstock is equipped with a soft cushion-shock absorber. Folding stamped bipod was attached to the trunk. The Degtyarev anti-tank rifle with ammunition and additional equipment weighed up to 26 kg (17 kg net weight without cartridges). Aimed shooting - 800 m.

PTRS device

The gun was equipped with an automatic gas engine with gas exhaust through a transverse hole in the barrel wall, an open-type gas chamber, reinforced from the bottom of the barrel. The stroke of the gas piston is short. The overall design and bore are generally similar to the PTRD, which is logically explained by unified ammunition.

Simonov's anti-tank rifle had a barrel locking with a skew down the bolt core. The shutter stem, supplemented by a handle, locked and unlocked the channel. The “reloading mechanism” referred to the details of the weapon’s automation, namely, a gas three-mode regulator, a rod, a piston, a tube and a pusher with a spring. After the shot, the pusher, under the pressure of powder gases, moved back, transmitted an impulse to the bolt stem, and itself returned forward. Under the action of the bolt stem moving backwards, the frame unlocked the barrel bore, after which the entire bolt moved back. The cartridge case was removed by the ejector and reflected upwards with a special protrusion. The shutter, when the cartridges were used up, rose to a stop, mounted in the receiver.

USM is mounted on the trigger guard. The non-automatic flag safety lock blocked the trigger when the flag was turned back. A permanent magazine (lever-type feeder) is attached to the bottom of the receiver, the magazine cover latch is located on the trigger guard. The magazine is equipped with a pack (clip) for 5 rounds, placed in a checkerboard pattern.

The Simonov anti-tank rifle of 1941 is 4 kg heavier than the Degtyarev model, due to the multi-shot automatics (21 kg without cartridges). Aimed shooting - 1500 m.

The barrel length of both PTRs is the same - 1350 mm, as well as armor penetration (average indicators): at a lethal distance of 300 m, the B-32 bullet overcame 21 mm armor, the BS-41 bullet - 35 mm.

German PTR

German anti-tank guns developed a slightly different scenario. Back in the mid-20s, the German command abandoned large-caliber anti-tank rifles in favor of the "rifle" caliber 7.92 mm. The bet was made not on the size of the bullet, but on the power of the ammunition. The effectiveness of the specialized cartridge P318 was sufficient to deal with the armored vehicles of potential opponents. However, like the USSR, in the Second world Germany entered with a small number of anti-tank rifles. Subsequently, their production was increased many times, and the developments of Polish, Czech, Soviet, British, French gunsmiths were used.

A typical example of 1939-1942. there was a 1938 Panzerbuchse model of the year - an anti-tank rifle, a photo of which can often be seen in archival military photographs. Pz.B 38 (abbreviated name), and then Pz.B 39, Pz.B 41 were developed in the city of gunsmiths Sule by designer B. Bauer.

The bore of the Pz.B 38 was locked with a vertical wedge bolt. To soften the recoil, the barrel-bolt clutch was moved back in the box. The recoil was used to unlock the shutter, similar to how it is done in semi-automatic artillery pieces. The use of such a scheme made it possible to limit the length of the barrel stroke to 90 mm and reduce the overall length of the weapon. The large flatness of the trajectory of bullets at a distance of up to 400 m made it possible to install a permanent sighting device.

The design of the weapon showed a desire common to the end of the 1930s to switch to mass production technologies - the box, in particular, was assembled from two stamped halves, equipped with stiffeners and connected by spot welding. The system was further refined by Bauer several times.

Conclusion

The first anti-tank guns appeared along with the tanks themselves - in the First World War. Before the start of the Second World War, both Germany and the USSR did not realize their obvious importance, giving priority to other types of weapons. However, the very first months of the collision of infantry units with the tank armada of the Wehrmacht showed how erroneous the underestimation of mobile, cheap, effective anti-tank rifles was.

In the 21st century, the “good old” anti-tank rifle still remains in demand, the modern purpose of which is fundamentally different from that for samples of the Great Patriotic War. Considering that tanks can withstand several RPG hits, the classic PTR is unlikely to "shine" to hit an armored vehicle. In fact, anti-tank rifles have evolved into a class of "heavy" universal sniper rifles, in the image of which the outlines of anti-tank guns are guessed. They are designed to hit "drones", manpower at a considerable distance, radar, rocket launchers, protected firing points, means of communication and control, unarmored and lightly armored mobile equipment, and even hovering helicopters.

At first, they were carried out mainly under 12.7-mm ammunition from heavy machine guns. For example, the American M82A1 Barret, M87 and M93 MacMillan, the British AW50, the French Hecate II, the Russian ASVK and OSV-96. But in the 2000s, special “sniper” cartridges appeared within the 12.7x99 (.50 Browning) and 12.7x108 families of large-caliber cartridges. Such cartridges were included, for example, in the same Russian 12.7-mm OSV-96 and ASVK (6S8) sniper systems, and the American M107. Rifles for more powerful cartridges are also presented: the Hungarian Gepard (14.5 mm), the South African NTW (20 mm), the American M-109 (25 mm) and others. The start, taken at the beginning of the 20th century, continues!

Anti-tank single-shot rifle arr. 1941 Degtyarev system (PTRD)- Soviet anti-tank rifle of the Degtyarev system, put into service on August 29, 1941. It was intended to fight medium and light tanks and armored vehicles at distances up to 500 m. Also, the gun could fire at pillboxes, bunkers and firing points covered with armor at distances up to 800 m and at aircraft at distances up to 500 m.

PERFORMANCE AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS ANTI-TANK GUN DEGTYAREV
Manufacturer:	Zlatoust: plant number 385 Izhevsk: factories No. 74 and No. 622 Carpets: Factory No. 2
Cartridge:
Caliber:	14.5mm
Weight without cartridges:	17.3 kg
Weight with cartridges:	17.5 kg
Length:	2020 mm
Barrel length:	1350 mm
Number of grooves in the barrel:	8 left hand
Trigger mechanism (USM):	Impact type
Operating principle:	Sliding gate with automatic extraction
Fuse:	Safety cocking
Aim:	Open, with two range settings at 400 m and from 400 m to 1000 m
Effective range:	800 m
Target range:	1000 m
Muzzle velocity:	1020 m/s
Armor penetration at a meeting angle of 90 °:	300 m - 35 mm, 100 m - 40 mm
Type of ammunition:	single shot
Number of rounds:	1
Years of production:	1941–1944

History of creation and production

At the beginning of July 1941, I. V. Stalin set the task for the People's Commissariat for Armaments of the USSR to create an effective, simple and cheap anti-tank rifle for a fully developed 14.5-mm cartridge within a month. The gunsmiths N. V. Rukavishnikov, V. A. Degtyarev and S. G. Simonov were involved in the work on the creation of anti-tank guns.

On July 16, 1941, a 14.5-mm cartridge with an armor-piercing incendiary bullet with a hardened steel core was adopted by the Red Army under the designation "14.5-mm cartridge B-32".

The development of the PTRD took place in KB-2. V. A. Degtyarev and S. G. Simonov completed the working projects at the same time. For both designers, the development and production of prototypes took 22 days.

The first pre-production PTRD was manufactured and sent for testing in mid-August 1941.

By a GKO decree of August 29, 1941, V. A. Degtyarev’s anti-tank rifle was adopted by the Red Army.

The gun was very technologically advanced in production, almost completely could be made on lathes, so the mass production of PTRD was mastered earlier than the mass production of PTRS.

The production of PTRD was started at the Kovrov Arms Plant, at the end of November 1941, the production of PTRD and PTRS was also mastered by the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant (to which drawings, technical documentation and part of the blank parts were delivered), but until the beginning of 1942, the total production of anti-tank rifles in Izhevsk did not exceed 20 pcs. per day.

Serial production of the first ATGMs began on September 22, 1941, in October the first pilot batch was assembled - 50 guns, in total 17,688 were produced in 1941, and 184,800 ATGMs in 1942. Since October 1943, they began to assemble the PTRD in Zlatoust at plant No. 385. The production of the PTRD was discontinued in December 1944, a total of 281,111 units were produced. guns.

After the end of the Great Patriotic War, the ATGMs were removed from service with the Soviet Army, but remained in storage. In the mid-1950s - 1960s, a certain number of PTRDs that were in storage were transferred free of charge from the warehouses of the mobilization reserve of the USSR Ministry of Defense to the hunting farms of the Far North, where they were used for hunting whales.

Design and principle of operation

The barrel has a channel with eight rifling, winding from left to top to right, a muzzle brake to reduce recoil, in the middle are a handle for carrying weapons and a groove for attaching a bipod. In the front of the barrel there is a front sight base (on which the front sight is planted), and in the back there is a sight bracket.

On the left side of the receiver there is a slide delay, and on the bottom there is a trigger mechanism. Outside, it has: an upper window (for inserting a cartridge), a lower window (for ejecting a spent cartridge case), a platform with a ledge (for connecting with a butt), a cutout (for moving the bolt handle when locking and unlocking the bore). Inside the receiver has: a channel for placing the shutter, two longitudinal grooves and two support ledges.

The trigger mechanism consists of a trigger, trigger, sear and two springs (for sear and trigger).

The sight consists of a bracket, a rear sight with a slot and a spring. In early examples, the bracket has a hole through which the rear sight moves up and down. In the lower position, the rear sight corresponds to firing distances up to 400 m, and in the upper position - from 400 m to 1000 m. m.

The front sight is pushed into the groove of the front sight base and can move left and right when bringing the ATGM to normal combat.

The shutter consists of a shutter core and a percussion mechanism. The shutter frame has: a handle, a cup with a whisk (to place the cartridge head), a channel (for the passage of the firing pin), a groove (for placing the ejector), a socket (for the reflector and its spring), two lugs (for locking the barrel), beveled a cutout (retracting the drummer when the bolt is opened), an annular groove (which includes an annular protrusion of the coupling for engaging the percussion mechanism with the bolt frame) and two holes (removing powder gases in case of their breakthrough into the bolt). The impact mechanism consists of a striker (having a protrusion with a cocking), a coupling (connecting the impact mechanism to the bolt), a mainspring (sending the striker to the forward position), a restrictive tube (limiting the striker's retreat back), a striker coupling (protecting the striker from disengaging from drummer) and the striker (breaking the primer).

An anti-tank crew with an anti-tank rifle PTRD-41 in a combat position during the battles for Stalingrad.
A Mosin rifle is visible in the foreground.

The stock is attached to the receiver and consists of a shoulder rest (cushion) with an outer tube and a trigger box with an inner tube. The shock absorber spring is located in the outer tube, and on the left there is an emphasis for the gunner's cheek. On the right there is a tide with a curved edge to open the shutter after the shot. A wooden stop is attached to the pillow and the outer tube for holding with the left hand during firing. In the trigger box with an inner tube is the trigger mechanism. A pistol grip is attached to the inner tube for ease of shooting. The trigger box has a platform for connecting the butt to the receiver, a hole for a pin (securing the trigger box with the receiver) and a trigger guard (protecting against accidental pressing of the trigger).

Belonging to the PTRD: a composite ramrod, a key, a screwdriver, a double-necked oiler and a brush. Also, for each gun there are two canvas cartridge bags (for 20 rounds each), two canvas covers (for the breech and muzzle of the gun) and a form (with the results of the battle check, the number of shots, delays and ways to eliminate them).

To load the PTRD, you must perform the following steps:

1. Turn the bolt handle to the left (the bore is unlocked);
2. Pull the bolt back to failure (the bolt delay rests on the rear plane of the left lugs of the bolt and holds it in the receiver);
3. Put the cartridge on the guide bevel of the upper window of the receiver and send it into the chamber;
4. Send the shutter forward (the shutter advances the cartridge into the chamber, and the cocking of the firing pin, having stumbled upon the sear of the trigger mechanism, stops the firing pin, holding it on the cocking);
5. Turn the bolt handle to the right until it stops (the barrel bore is locked, the mainspring receives the most tension, the ejector hook jumps into the sharpening of the sleeve head, the reflector is recessed into its socket with the sleeve head).

After that, to fire a shot, you only need to press the tail of the trigger. Wherein:

1. The trigger turns the trigger lever, causing the sear to drop and come out from under the cocking of the firing pin.
2. The mainspring, unclenching, presses on the clutch of the striker and with force sends forward the drummer with the striker, breaking the cartridge primer.
3. The barrel with the receiver and trigger boxes and the bolt move back under the pressure of powder gases to the bottom of the sleeve, which causes the shock absorber spring to compress. The shutter handle, having reached the curved edge of the tide of the outer tube, begins to slide along it and turn to the left. The lugs of the bolt come out from behind the support lugs of the receiver and become against the longitudinal grooves. The shutter, moving backward by inertia, is separated from the rear edge of the barrel, and the ejector hook removes the sleeve from the chamber. When the sleeve is against the lower window of the receiver, the reflector pushes it out from under the ejector hook.
4. The shutter stops in the rear position, bumping the left lug on the shutter delay.
5. The shock absorber spring returns the moving parts to the extreme forward position.

To put the trigger on the safety platoon, it is necessary to pull the hook of the drummer back to failure and turn it to the right.

Combat use

The anti-tank rifle PTRD was a powerful weapon - at a distance of up to 300 m, its bullet pierced armor 30–40 mm thick. The incendiary effect of bullets was also high. Thanks to this, it was successfully used throughout the Second World War.

Video

Shooting from PTRD, handling weapons, etc.:

PTRD-41 compilation in HD