Hello friends, I going to need some charitative russian character to translate this for me.
That is part of a very neat book about german rifles, but…the languaje barrier…:evil: , thanks already.
Image caption: 7.92mm self-loading AT rifle PzB.40 G, made by Gustloff-Werke corporation.
Self-loading AT rifle model 41 was made by firm Mauser-Werke from town Oberndorf-am-Nekkar. It was gas-operated. Locking was achieved by turning the bolt. 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.
Corporation 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. 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.
Beautiful, many thank Sneaksie. In the future I going to bother you again with others russian pages. 
Here is another…:rolleyes:
Zul (town?) firm 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 is best.
In the same time, in 1940-1941, Germany keep working on producing experimental prototypes of… (AT MGs?)
Image caption:
15mm checkoslovakian AT rifle W/15 (it was named PzB.42 in Wehrmacht), right view
15mm checkoslovakian AT rifle W/15 (it was named PzB.42 in Wehrmacht), left view
7.92 AT MG.141. Experimental prototype.
Quiet weird desing that 15 mm rifle I wonder wich cartrigde case it used.
Many Thanks Sneaksie, I going to post the next page later so “we” (…:mrgreen: …) can continue the lecture.
Here is the next page sorry for the lenght.
… automatic AT weapons, using 7.92 cartridge 318. Mauser firm made AT MG Gerat 318 (aka Einbauwaffe 141), which was meant to be mounted on reconaissance armored cars and Pz 1 nA tanks. 40 such MGs were made for tests. With overall length of 1670mm and barrel length of 1085mm they weighted only 30.4kg. It was capable of penetrating 25mm armor sloped at 60 degrees at 300m distance.
Short time after that the same firm developed another AT MG.141(M) with belt feed in two variations: using 7.9x94 or 13x64 cartridges. These MGs with overall length of 1815mm and barrel length of 1000mm weighted 25.5kg (7.9mm variant) and 27.3kg (13mm variant). Rate of fire was 850 shots per minute. Other firms were developing such weapons too: Steyr (MG.142), Krieghoff (MG.143) and Gustloff (MG.144). Lock mechanism made by Gustloff firm (tested in March 1940) was capable of 6-round bursts along with semi-auto fire.
But while these tests in autumn of 1940 started, some of the firms, analyzing experience of French campaign, where german infantry faced enemy tanks with 60-70mm armor, begun to find the ways of developing new, more powerful weaponry capable of engaging perspective enemy armored vehicles. Thus developing automatic AT weapons using 7.92 cartridge 318 was canceled as unpromising and already made weapons remained in prototype state. Developers were asked to begin the work on 15mm rifles.
In autumn 1941 germans learned about powerful soviet AT rifles made by Degtyarev (PTRD) and Simonov (PTRS), which were using new 14.5mm cartridge with high penetration ability, and tried to draw on russian experience. Scientific ant technical base for such work was established long ago.
In the same year, based on the new tactical-technical task for developing high-caliber AT rifle PzB.243, which was issued by HWaA, several prototypes of new german AT rifles were made. They used 15mm MG cartridges wich were effective enough. Several firms participated in competition: Gustloff, Krieghoff, Berlin-Suhler Waffen und Fahrzeugwerke (BSW) and SS-Waffenakademie in Brno. Germans fully used chekhoslovakian arms industry potential, which had major potential for developing AT rifles.
In 1942 design department of H.Krieghoff firm was developing 15mm magazine-feeded self-loading AT rifles, which were gas-operated, their barrel locked by vertical wedge mechanism.
In the same time, BSW firm presented their own 15mm single-round AT rifle prototype BSW mod. 1. It was larger variant of PzB.38, but designed to use 15x95 ‘Mauser’ cartridge made for high-caliber MG.151. Exactly as AT rifle PzB-38, BSW mod. 1 rifle was single-round mechanical weapon with back-blow barrel during shot…
And this is the last one, thanks for the your good will.
during shot. Anti-back-blow device consisted of spiral spring which was put on the barrel. Barrel was shielded by punched casing. Barrel locking was achieved by semi-auto vertical wedge breechblock. Reloading of the breech was triggered by a lever, made as pistol fire control handle. Percussion mechanism was cock-type. Safety gear consisted of two devices: first - flag-type - was made on the right side of rifle’s body, and second turned on when rifle’s butt was folded down; folded butt decreased rifle length in stowed position in the same time. While using powerful cartridge, the weapon was compact and light enough, according to HWaA demands. With 15kg mass BSW mod.1 rifle had overall length of 1430mm and barrel length of 838mm.
Gustloff corporation engineers developed two more 15-20mm caliber AT rifles with enhanced bullet ballistics, including self-loading 15mm rifle using the same 15mm cartridge. Automatics of AT rifle M.1941 was powered by rifle’s back-blow (length of back-blow was 186mm). Powerful reactive-type single-chamber muzzle brake was fastened on the end of the barrel, reducing the recoil significantly. Safety flag was made on the the left side of pistol fire control handle. The rifle was magazine-feeded, and it should be noted that the receiver of box-shaped magazine was made on top side of the rifle.
Image caption:
15mm AT rifle made by BSW firm, mod. 1
- in combat position (left view)
- in combat position (right view)
- in stowed position with folded butt (right view)
Beatiful , many thanks I going to ad that prcious info to the german military.
Once more I going to ask for translation. :rolleyes:
