Antitank rifle PTRs (Simonov): characteristics, calibre

Anti-tank rifle PTRs (Simonov) was taken into service in the summer of 1941. It was designed to attack medium and light tanks, aircraft and armored vehicles at distances up to 500 meters. In addition, from the gun to meet Pillboxes, bunkers and the enemy firing points, disguised armor, from a distance of 800 metres. The gun played a crucial role on the battlefield of world war II. The article examines the history of its creation and application and performance characteristics.

Historical background

Anti-tank rifle (PTR) is called manual small arms, able to withstand the enemy armored vehicles. Also PTR is used to attack fortifications and low-flying air targets. Thanks to the powerful cartridge and a long barrel achieved the highest muzzle energy of the bullet, allowing it to hit the armor. The MFR of the Second world war was able to penetrate the armor thickness up to 30 mm and was a very effective means of combating tanks. Some models have a large mass and represented, in fact, a small-caliber weapon.

The Germans Have the first prototypes of the PTR appeared at the end of the First world war. The lack of efficiency, they are offset by high mobility, ease of masking, and low cost. The second world war was for the PTR this high point, because a weapon of this type is massively used all parties to the conflict.

The Second world war was the first major conflict in the history of mankind, which is the best falls under the definition of “war of engines". Tanks and other armored vehicles became the basis of the impact force. It tank wedges have become a determining factor in implementing Nazi tactics "Blitzkrieg".

After the disastrous defeats early in the war, Soviet troops were in desperate need of funds to fight enemy armor. They had a simple and agile vehicle, able to withstand heavy cars. So it became anti-tank gun. In 1941, for service received from two samples of such weapons: gun Degtyarev and Simonov rifle. Ptrd with the General public is familiar with much better. Contributed to movies and books. But the PTRs-41 is known far worse, and it was produced not in such quantities. And yet to detract from the merits of this gun would be unfair.

The First attempt to implement PTR

In the Soviet Union on the creation of anti-tank guns worked actively with the 40-ies of the last century. Especially for advanced models of PTR was developed by the powerful cartridge with a caliber of 14.5 mm. In 1939 he tested several samples of PTR from Soviet engineers. Winning the contest was won by the anti-tank gun system Rukavishnikova, but it has not been established. The Soviet military leadership believed that in the future, armor will protect a minimum of 50-mm armor, and the use of anti-tank rifles would be impractical.

Development of PTSD

The Assumption of the leadership was completely wrong: all types of armored vehicles used by the Wehrmacht at the beginning of the war, it was possible to hit from anti-tank guns, even when shooting in the frontal projection. July 8, 1941, the military leadership decided to begin serial production of PTR. Model Rukavishnikova acknowledged the complex and too expensive for the then conditions. It was announced a new competition to create the appropriate PTR, which was attended by two engineers: Vasiliy Degtyarev and Sergey Simonov. Literally after 22 days, the designers presented prototypes of their guns. Stalin liked both samples, and they were soon put into a series.

Operation

In October 1941 antitank rifle PTRs (Simonov) was supplied to the troops. When the first cases of the use of it demonstrated its high efficiency. In 1941, the Nazis did not have such armor, which could resist fire rifles Simonov. The weapon was very easy to use and no need for a high level of training fighter. Convenient sights allow you to confidently hit the enemy in the most uncomfortable conditions. However, not once was poor zabronevoe action 14.5-mm cartridge: some enemy car destroyed from the PTR, had more than a dozen holes.

The German generals have repeatedly noted the effectiveness of PTRs-41. According to them, a Soviet anti-tank rifle greatly superior to the German counterparts. When the Germans managed to get PTSD as a trophy,they willingly used it in their attacks.

After the battle of Stalingrad, the value of PTR as the primary means to combat tanks began to decrease. However, in battles on the Kursk anti-tank Riflemen more than once praised this weapon.

Recession

So how to make a self-loading anti-tank rifle Simonov was more difficult and more expensive than the PTR Degtyareva, it was produced in much smaller quantities. By 1943, the Germans began to reinforce the armor protection of the equipment, and the effectiveness of anti-tank guns began to decline sharply. On this basis, their production began to decline sharply, and soon completely stopped. Attempt to upgrade your gun and increase its penetration has taken various talented designers in 1942-1943, but they were not successful. Modifications created by S. Laskovym, S. Ermolaev, M. Blum, and V. Suhocki better pierced the armor, but was less mobile and larger than the regular PTRs and ptrd. In 1945 it became very clear that as a means of anti-tank anti-tank self-loading rifle is exhausted.

In the last years of the Second world war, when attacking tanks with PTR was already pointless, anti-tank Riflemen began to use them to defeat armored vehicles, self-propelled artillery, long-gun emplacements and low-flying air targets.

In 1941, it produced 77 copies of PTRs, and the following year – 63.3 thousand In total by the end of the Second world war from the conveyor descended about 190 thousand rifles. Some of them were used in the Korean war.

Features of use

From a distance of 100 meters antitank rifle PTRs (Simonov) could penetrate the 50-mm armor, and at a distance of 300 metres – 40 mm. While the gun had good accuracy. But he had a weak spot – low zabronevoe action. So in practice the military is called the efficiency of the bullet after penetration of the armor. To get into the tank and punch it in most cases, he also needed to hit the tank or any important node of the machine.

The Efficiency of operation of PRTs and ptrd decreased significantly, when the Germans began to increase the armor protection of its equipment. In the end, to impress her with rifles has become almost impossible. To do this, the arrows had to work at close range, which is extremely difficult, primarily from a psychological point of view. When fired, anti-tank guns around it raised great clouds of dust issuing firing position arrow. The enemy machine gunners, snipers and infantry accompanying tank, was led by fighters armed Ptraj, a real hunt. Often happened so that after reflection of a tank attack in the composition of the armor companies were no surviving members.

Design

The submachine gun involves partial removal of powder gases from the barrel. To control this process installed three-way regulator, metering the amount of gases discharged to the piston, depending on conditions of use. The bore is locked due to the warp gate. Directly above the barrel housed a gas piston.

The trigger mechanism allows firing only single shots. When the ammo runs out, the shutter remains in the open position. The design uses a lever type fuse.

The Barrel has eight right-hand rifling and is equipped with a muzzle brake. Thanks to the brake, the compensator significantly reduced the recoil of the gun. The buttplate is equipped with a shock absorber (cushion). Stationary shop has a hinged lower cover and lever the feeder. Charging is realized by means of metal bundle of five rounds stacked in a staggered manner. Six such packs were included with PTW. The firing range of guns with a high probability of effective hitting 800 meters. As sighting devices have been used open sight sector type working in the range of 100-1500 meters. The gun, which was created by Sergei Simonov, was structurally more complex and heavier than the gun Degtyarev, however it was won at the rate of 5 shots per minute.

PTRs was operated by a crew of two men. In the battle to carry the gun might one crewmember or two. Handle for transportation is attached on the butt and the barrel. In the stowed position of PTR can be disassembled into two parts: the receiver with the butt and barrel with a bipod.

The caliber PTRs has developed a cartridge that could be equipped with two types of bullets:

1. B-32. Simple armor-piercing incendiary bullet with a hardened core of steel.
2. BS-41. Different from B-32ceramic core.

PTRs: features

Summarizing all the above, we present the main characteristics of the gun:

1. Caliber – 14.5 mm.
2. Weight – Of 20.9 kg.
3. Length – 2108 mm.
4. Rate – 15 rounds per minute.
5. Velocity of the bullet exit from the barrel – 1012 m/s.
6. Bullet Weight – 64
7. Muzzle energy – 3320 KGM.
8. Armor: 100 m – 50 mm, with 300 m – 40 mm.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that anti-tank rifle PTRs (Simonov) had some flaws, the Soviet soldiers loved the weapon, and enemies – feared. It was trouble-free, undemanding, very maneuverable and quite effective. Its operational and combat characteristics of self-loading anti-tank rifle Simonov superior to all foreign analogues. But most importantly – this type of weapon helped the Soviet troops to defeat the so-called tankoboyazn.