Heavy anti-tank rifle Oerlikon
| Heavy anti-tank rifle Oerlikon | |
|---|---|
| general information | |
| Military designation: | Heavy anti-tank rifle Oerlikon |
| Country of operation: | Switzerland |
| Developer / Manufacturer: | Oerlikon-Bührle |
| Development year: | 1932 |
| Manufacturer country: | Switzerland |
| Production time: | since 1932 |
| Weapon Category: | Anti-tank rifle |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 1450 mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | 33 kg |
| Barrel length : | 750 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : | 20 mm |
| Possible magazine fillings : | 5 cartridges |
| Cadence : | 8 rounds / min |
| Fire types: | Single fire |
| Visor : | Rear sight and front sight |
| Closure : | Mass closure |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Oerlikon heavy anti-tank rifle was an anti- tank rifle designed by the Oerlikon-Bührle company for the Swiss Army in 1932 . The large - caliber self - loading rifle fired ammunition with a caliber of 20 mm.
history
Oerlikon-Bührle was known for its 20 mm anti-aircraft guns . With the heavy anti-tank rifle, the company tried to weapons that could be used by the infantry without mount against armored vehicles, as in World War I with the inserted tank gun M1918 the Reichswehr was done. Initially, the pointed projectiles of the Oerlikon anti-tank rifle were still able to penetrate the light armor of conventional combat vehicles. However , the penetration power was not sufficient for later armor , whereupon Oerlikon-Bührle switched to a revised version with stronger ammunition and longer barrel in 1936 and 1941 . Due to the weight of the Oerlikon anti-tank rifles, they were shot from a monopod at the rear and a bipod at the front.
It is no longer possible to determine data on the exact number of items produced by Oerlikon. The weapon was not introduced in Switzerland because the army had opted for the Solo 40 tank rifle and was working on a new development, the 24 mm tank rifle 41 . The Oerlikon anti-tank rifle was used in small numbers by the Czechoslovak army and the Finnish armed forces .
technology
The Oerlikon heavy anti-tank rifle is a self-loading rifle with a self-loading bolt. The function is the same as that of the early Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns. After pulling the trigger, the slide moves forward, pushes a cartridge from the rod magazine inserted on the left into the chamber and ignites it in advance before the case hits the front narrowing of the chamber. The recoil brakes the slide and accelerates it backwards, the empty case is ejected and the slide is blocked again in the rearmost position. The gun is ready to fire again. The advantage of this system is that it significantly reduces the recoil of the weapon. The disadvantage is that the heavy bolt is accelerated forwards by the closing spring after the trigger is actuated, before the shot breaks. This will cause the gun to jolt and move it out of the finish line. In contrast to mounts , as used with heavier weapons, the three supports used in the Oerlikon anti-tank rifle are not sufficient to stabilize them when fired.
The manufacturer supplied an ammunition cart to be pulled by hand for the anti-tank rifle . The anti-tank group consisted of the group leader and six men.
literature
- Manfred Lidschun, Günter Wollert: Illustrated encyclopedia of infantry weapons . Ed .: Siegler. Brandenburgisches Verlagshaus, Königswinter 2008, ISBN 978-3-87748-668-9 , p. 560 .