PTRD-41
| PTRD | |
|---|---|
| File:AT Rifle PTRD 1941.jpg A PTRD. | |
| Type | Anti-tank rifle |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1941—? |
| Used by | Soviet Union, North Korea, China |
| Wars | World war II, Korean War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Vasily Degtyaryov |
| Designed | 1941 |
| Manufacturer | Degtyaryov plant |
| Produced | 1941 - 1945 |
| No. built | N/A |
| Variants | PTRS |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 17.3 kg |
| Length | 2020 mm |
| Barrel length | 1350 mm |
| Width | N/A |
| Height | N/A |
| Crew | 2 |
| Cartridge | 14.5 x 114 mm |
| Caliber | 14.5 mm |
| Action | manually fed |
| Rate of fire | 6 to 8 shots per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 78.7 in |
| Effective firing range | 400 mm |
| Maximum firing range | 800 mm |
| Feed system | Single shot, no magazine. |
| Sights | N/A |
The PTRD-41 (Shortened from Russian, Protivotankovoye Ruzhyo Degtyaryova) was an anti-tank rifle produced and used from early 1941 by the Soviet Red Army during World War II. It was a single-shot weapon that fired 14.5 x 114 mm tungsten core rounds. Although unable to penetrate the frontal armor of German tanks, it was effective against the thinner sides of early-war German tanks and self-propelled guns. The 14.5 mm armor-piercing bullet had a muzzle velocity of 1012 m/s. It could penetrate an armor plate up to 35 to 40mm thick at a distance of 100 meters. In 1941, most German tanks had side armor thinner than 40mm.
It and the similar PTRS-41 were the only individual anti-tank weapon available until the arrival of Lend-Lease bazookas from the USA later in the war. PTRD users would attempt to hit weak spots such as tank tracks and view ports to damage tanks that had armor too thick to be vulnerable. The PTRD was still effective against lesser armored vehicles like light tanks, transports and unarmored vehicles such as trucks. A major weakness of the PTRD was that it was a single shot weapon that gave off an immense muzzle flash, thus giving away the units firing position. On the other hand, anti-tank rifle teams were very easily concealed. The PTRD was eventually replaced by the RPG series of anti-tank rocket launchers.
Due to the effectiveness of Soviet anti-tank rifles early in the war, the Germans responded with the "Schürzen" ("skirt") armor plates added to the Panzer III, Panzer IV. The PTRD and PTRS were also effective against vehicles with lighter armor, such as the SdKfz 251 and SdKfz 222 in World War II.
Beside World War II the PTRD was also used extensively by North Korean and Chinese armed forces in the Korean War.
After World War II, the PTRD was modified with a .50 barrel and a scope to become one of the world's first .50 caliber sniper rifles.