PTRS Anti-tank Rifle

History
Designed in 1938 by Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov, the PTRS-41 is a semi-automatic anti-tank rifle that was used along the Eastern Front in World War II and then used again in the Korean War and Chinese Civil War by various factions. Along with his partner Vaily Degtyaryov, Simonov helped the Soviet Union develop new weapons between World Wars. During this time, Vaily Degtyaryov would go on to create the PTRD-41 while Sergei Simonov would create and design its cousin rifle, the PTRS-41. As one of Sergei Simonov's greatest creations, the PTRS-41 would sometimes be known as simply the “Simonov” on the battlefield.

Design
The PTRS-41 was produced and used by the Soviet Union during World War II. In the years between the World Wars, the Soviet Union began experimenting with different types of armour-piercing anti-tank cartridges. Finding the 12.7x108mm insufficient, they began development of what would become the 14.5x114mm armor piercing round. Famous Soviet weapons designers such as Vasily Degtyaryov and Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov designed rifles to accommodate this cartridge. In 1938, Simonov designed the PTRS-41, a magazine fed, anti-tank rifle with a scaled down version of it becoming the SKS rifle.

The five round magazine was loaded into the receiver and held under pressure by a swing magazine underneath. On firing the last round the bolt is held open, and the magazine release catch can only be operated when the bolt is locked back. The gas operated PTRS has a tendency to jam when dirty, and the 14.5 mm cartridge produces significant residue, blocking the gas port. The 14.5 mm armour-piercing bullet has a muzzle velocity of 1012 m/s and good ballistics. It can penetrate an armour plate up to 40 mm thick at a distance of 100 meters.

Specifications
Type Anti-tank rifle

Place of origin Soviet Union

In service 1941

Used by Soviet Union, North Korea, China

Wars World war II, Korean War, Chinese Civil War

Designer Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov

Designed 1941

Produced 1941–1945

Weight 20.3 kg

Length 2,000 mm

Barrel length 1,219 mm

Crew 2

Cartridge 14.5x114mm

Muzzle velocity 1,013m/s (3,320 ft/s)

Effective range 400 m

Maximum range 800 m

Feed system 5-round magazine