20mm Lahti L39 Antitank Rifle (Shooting & History)

/ forgottenweapons
The Lahti L39 was the Finnish answer to the need for an anti-tank rifle, developed just before the Winter War. The rifle was created by noted Finnish designed Aimo Lahti, who had pressed for it to use a 13.2mm cartridge. However, arguments for using a 20x138B cartridge won out, based on hopes to use that cartridge in both antitank and antiaircraft roles, as well as testing that showed the 20mm projectile to have greater terminal effect.
The L39 was not available for use in the Winter War (having been adopted barely 2 months before the Russian attack), but was used extensively in the Continuation War. While improved tank armor quickly became thick enough to protect against the round, it was used for a variety of anti material roles, attacking machine gun positions, bunkers, light vehicles, and more. In 1944, an anti-aircraft version was also produced, firing in full auto and using 15-round magazines.
Today, ammunition is available from a few companies, typically using lathe-turned new cases and surplus 20mm Vulcan projectiles.
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/ forgottenweapons

[@danextrinsic0174]

"The tank is down Lieutenant!" "Good job soldier, now put that shoulder back in its socket!"

[@thespeeddemon7832]

Lmaoo

[@thekone85]

And same in Finnish: "Tankki tuhottu, herra luutnantti!" "Hyvää työtä jääkäri, nyt laittakaa se olkapää takaisin paikoilleen!"

[@henriaho2271]

LoL.

[@Rx_Vitamin_R]

What shoulder, Sir?

[@Goliath23online]

Oh mY God, amazing sense of humor... You made me laugh and that is rare

[@ElagabalusRex]

When the tanks get too close, you can sit on it and ski away.

[@hobbit483]

lol

[@Guillotines_For_Globalists]

Yossarian would be proud.

[@mrkeogh]

20mm Lahti Toboggan 😉

[@hobbit483]

And the Finns have been disqualified from the 2016 Winter Olympics

[@11DNA11]

+TheAmityboopfliction That's not even the craziest thing Finns did in the war :) First one was to even think you could defend against an army that large. Apparently all it takes is a little planning and a ton of SISU.

[@jensh92]

The sound of the bolt engaging.. Glorious...

[@chrisproost7290]

Indeed... the phrase 'doesn't that just torque your jaws?' comes to mind.

[@hartmann3emt]

Bolt engages *Orgasms*

[@zerik8979]

Like someone once said, this gun is so finnish that it even has skis on it.

[@kevinsnyder8448]

Lol yessss

[@dougheclipse1717]

LMFAO perfect

[@omkr0122]

Any person unfortunate to be the target is Finnished!

[@Justin-nu1oh]

😅👍

[@jimihendrix6969]

Is this gun why i can only think of one time, and a very large country trying to invade Finland?

[@simokoistinen7470]

Fun thing about this gun. The Finnish defense forces actually had serious plans from 1960s to 1980s to put this gun as anti-helicopter use.

[@rubenskiii]

*PERKELE INTENSIFIES*

[@rodolfocampanatres3862]

Why let the passage of time ruin a little bit of fun with a great design.

[@thebravegallade731]

i mean a good shot of this into the engine of a heli will certainly down it

[@andrewrobertson3894]

That'd work. Maybe not against a modern gunship but anything else ...well, you might want to sit on your helmet and pray.

[@thebravegallade731]

@@andrewrobertson3894 i mean even a modern gunship would need to GTFO if hit by this

[@tydevelle9437]

“The Finns were really good shots with iron sights” *white death intensifies*

[@jaesungkim5478]

The Finns were really good shots even without iron sights

[@tvroped9824]

Rest in peace Simo Hayah

[@mustanaamiotto3812]

@@tvroped9824 *Häyhä

[@zeburancher9480]

@@jaesungkim5478 really?

[@juliushakala5148]

@@tvroped9824 okay that's a bruh moment

[@cyruskhamneipur9864]

"Whats the largest caliber you're willing to fire?" Finish Soldier: "Yes"

[@Koehfurn]

For a split second I thought that read Finnish Shoulder

[@tarmaque]

Let's just say that any nation that goes to war against Finland deserves what they get.

[@YaoEspirito]

Gay comment.

[@mikapesonen5811]

35000 foot-pounds ! Hehe.

[@linzmcgeorge]

@@YaoEspirito, just like your two dads....

[@lighghtrite2261]

“Worlds most ballistic crossbow” is my favorite gun jesus description so far.

[@Tunkkis]

You know your gun is awesome when it sets off car alarms.

[@RandomNJ]

A Not So Random Throwaway I believe that gun can take care of that car and alarm easily.

[@kevinmalone1600]

Mine set off the school alarms

[@okok-yf3tp]

@@kevinmalone1600 uh oh

[@AfroGaz71]

@@kevinmalone1600 Oof!

[@comradecommissar8223]

@@kevinmalone1600 did you go to jail!?!?

You can tell its Finnish because of the skis underneath.

[@oddom6667]

Lol

[@jlsperling1]

Yes, for ski troops to transport tactically. For operational mobility, you would use a pulka (a reindeer sleigh)

[@House_of_Caine]

@@jlsperling1 Actually ahkio (or pulkka as you were trying to say, but ahkio was more prevalent word)

[@rossfromfriends8468]

And because it’s bad as fuck. Always been a fan of the Finns cuz they are crazy tough bastards

[@lithiumvids9448]

Ross from Friends me too

[@sanitarycockroach9038]

A perfect hunting rifle. Very practical. Guaranteed stoppage of any game you come across, especially those pesky wild Panzers.

[@Viirrvill]

@Crauce don't know actually, Tigers were not around when this gun was in use. but we sure would have tried it on them too had a chance come to us

[@hoppinggnomethe4154]

I bet it can stop a pigeon. 🤔

[@VeryGemmy]

Have you ever seen those skirts on the sides of panthers and tigers Those are for AT rifle protection

[@breakingames7772]

Maybe instead of shooting dirt he could hit a GD target. What a jack ass

[@brandonblackfyre5783]

I watched a video of a guy shooting a deer with a .50BMG and at first he thought he hit the deer because it dropped and died instantly but after some inspection he noticed that the .50caliber actually MISSED the deer but because of the velocity and size of the round it sucked the eyes and brain matter out of the eye sockets because of the Vacumm the bullet created lol

[@theofficialsikris]

*Fires AT Rifle* "Now that's a Lahti damage!"

[@bamboozlednoodle6513]

Take my like and leave

[@kelp2697]

F*** you I love it

[@samuelbhend2521]

yep. it finnished that thing at once...

[@Red_Beard2798]

Bravo, sir

[@mileskessler6634]

We will both go to hell for that joke:you for saying it, and me for laughing at it.

[@Fede_uyz]

This gun is for when you have a guy behind his car, behind his house, which is 2000 ft. away, and you need him absolutely, positively, without a doubt, 100% dead

[@zombiecowboy4946]

Federico Olivares You know what would suck? If you missed that.

[@The_Bird_Bird_Harder]

It's maximum functional range for armor penetration is 300 yards as its 500 yard range was revoked from firing protocol due to being ineffective. I watched the training video.

[@zenjon7892]

Accept no substitutes

[@mattilaiho7979]

@I want live zombie girls to feast on my inguinals Naturally, all guns are a product of their time.

[@conorclimo8534]

2000 ft = 610 m btw

[@pricklydingus8604]

*FIRES* "Fun?" *CAR ALARM*

[@bloodydavid]

This gun caused an earth quake lol

[@w4SwD]

Exact same thing happend when I was shooting it at big sandy. First round, car alarm goes off. That thing is abeast.

[@NotACutie]

Nice comment, satan.

[@Juhnaaa]

Eric Brown its a bird..

[@brentkeller3826]

This is a gun you would hunt dinosaurs with if time travel were possible.

[@GeorgePerakis]

I'm pretty sure that's how the dinosaurs went extinct. Mammoths too.

[@utrak]

dino gun too op, finland pls nerf

[@thebateman7949]

It would honestly be overkill. :P

[@wridersupermototerritory3020]

If jurassic park happened in 1939

[@Alexandros.Mograine]

the finns killed all the mammoths with this during the ice age

[@ajcannQn]

10:04 gets me every time. must be one of the most satisfying feelings to have that giant bolt come forward, and Ian's heh heh afterwards is similarly priceless

[@sethb3090]

_happy anti-tank noises_

[@mikewatkinson1996]

this gun would certainly Finnish a tank off

[@BeOnPoint.]

i see what you did there

[@AnonEcho98]

I approve of this pun!

[@House_of_Caine]

I approve of this gun, too! That grin on Ian's face: Priceless!

[@davenwatts8173]

Mike Watkinson bravo👏

[@crimi.photos]

Mike Watkinson Nice joke there

[@Hjalmar64]

Greatingd from Finland! My grandfather said this gun really destroyed the russians machine-gun nests good in 1942. No new russian crew wanted to man the nest again after this gun had blown up the first crew. The gun has a really big recoil and its also wery heavy to drag around.

[@concorde837]

Juhani64 From what I've seen, that is the most big ass tank gun.

[@Juissimies84]

My grand-father was AT-rifle man in war. I got he´s hand written manual/instructions of the gun after he passed away. That manual was written by the time he was training with the weapon i war.

[@House_of_Caine]

@@Juissimies84You should scan the manual and send it to Ian

[@zoolkhan]

@@Juissimies84 piste verkkoon ; you can scan it with the cell phone use "office lens" app on android.

[@petrisyrja-kokkila7103]

My grandfathers bataillon/regiment destroyed 11 T-26`s or such with those 1941 in single fight. It was a clearing in the middle of the forrest with one narrow road leading to it. There were one 40-50mm anti tank gun and several l-39`s. It took several shots/ each tank to be destroyed. One guy was awarded a Mannerheim cross for that battle.

[@aidankenealy2231]

Holy shit, the sound from just closing the bolt is awesome.

[@Midironica]

I'm glad that he mentioned the car alarms. People who've never fired a gun hear what a camera microphone can capture and play in this video and think that is what a gun sounds like. No...unprotected, it's really really really loud. That...plus the pressure wave some larger calibers create when fired and you will see why people are using ear protection.

[@unclestone8406]

There's also the fact of this rifle's muzzle brake. This Lahti is like a punch in the face for breakfast, man, I can't help but love those physics.

[@rooseveltbrentwood9654]

someone fired a short barred 30-06 next to me and it felt like getting smacked in the face

[@ahope4u2]

Midironica .........and why owning a Suppressor or “Silencer” should be easy and common. Not only does it help protect the Human but hunting Dogs benefit.

[@puskajussi37]

Just noticed how clearly the Gauss rifle from Fallout took inspiration from this.

[@Boeing_hitsquad]

they look nothing alike

[@GrandDaSarge]

I kinda thought of that when I saw the stock and rotating crank

[@CAMSLAYER13]

+Phil Verhey the one in fallout 3 looks kinda similar

[@puskajussi37]

I mostly tought of the crank, stock and magazine

[@NemesisTypeT]

Huh, no kidding. Just take off the scope and the coils and the Gauss rifle is basically a shortened L39.

[@HeatwaveHeavycruiser]

But what does it's bayonette look like ?

[@nekoroms]

i want to look at the holster for this gun

[@EasyFromFinland]

In Finland, we put swords to our guns

[@brandonobaza8610]

You had your choice of Mjöllnir or Excalibur

[@darkiee69]

Twohanded claymore.

[@thejawalord3169]

It doesn't have a bayonette . They fit an M203 grenade launcher on the end instead.

[@beezzarro]

"you should never start fights son. But when you find yourself in one, Finnish it"

[@simohenrik1860]

aka try to have peace with everyone but never side with evil (even if evil sides with you)

[@highestqualitypigiron]

A long range sniping rifle?! they shot people with those behemoths. God I would not want to be one of those poor fellas

[@mortisCZ]

It had to be fast end. I would call it mercifull.

[@mortisCZ]

INF1D3L010 I hope the shock would shut You down in seconds.

[@roberthdavisii]

There's a scene in The Jackal that demonstrates ballistic amputation.

[@tranq45]

+INF1D3L010 ; In all likelihood, get hit with that monster and you're unconscious immediately, even if you're not killed outright.

[@tranq45]

+INF1D3L010 ; Fair enough: You clearly have bloodily-acquired knowledge I don't have.

[@username-1122]

If you hunt birds with this, you will get chicken nuggets

[@sgthop]

No, I think you'll get chicken mist.

[@thesturm8686]

If you use HE, you'll get pulled chicken

[@blackkitty2871]

Actually you get a few feathers and someones cat sniffing around on the ground. The flesh goes to mist

[@Blozox]

If you have a big enaught pot, you get chicken soup.

[@pckkaboo6800]

Ostrich.. penguins.. make your pick hahaha

[@thegoldencaulk2742]

Someone should do a simulation with one of those ballistic gel & skeleton hands, put it in front of the trigger guard and see what kind of damage those massive cases will do!

[@fjubben]

I would be happy with a hotdog.

[@dandee5042]

that's right Jay.

[@waltlars3687]

+turbostewi yep that was first thing that came to mind

[@dandee5042]

we've got some Red Letter Media fans I see

[@reignick1133]

The result is a resounding "CRUNCH"/ "SPLAT" if you're lucky all of the fingers on that hand are broken, if you are not then all of the fingers on that hand are pulverized/ severed beyond ALL reconstructive surgical techniques.

[@KiithnarasAshaa]

One might even call the recoil of this gun, by itself, a "significant emotional event."

[@mattisvov]

I just love the way Ian laughs when he gets to fire a really awesome gun. Like HeHeHeHeHe. Just, a contagious good mood.

[@andreashansen5313]

Very late reply, but he sounds like Patrick haha

[@Peto111222]

If only he could aim. he missed by like 10 meters

[@AtheistAnarchoCommie]

I love those moments when Ian gets giddy

[@steveneal3056]

I couldn't agree with you more on proper hand placement to avoid injury. A close friend gave me the honors of firing first round on his recently purchased Lahti 20mm. I still have the 2 centimeter long scar on my left hand index finger as a reminder. As I understand I'm fortunate to still have my index finger attached! Lesson learned.

[@flare9757]

Walks into hospital Nurse: “What happened to your fingers?” Me: “They were crushed by a ejected Lahti 20mm Anti Tank gun shell.”

[@dakotahuff2081]

Still might get laid.

[@ryanm.191]

Officer, I use it for hunting What do you hunt with that? Mostly tracked

[@valdo345jr]

what do i hunt with that? whatever i want.

[@Cross_111]

The real answer is: „i dont know - all thats left is a mess“ ^^

[@valdo345jr]

@@Cross_111 yeah. there aint much but a bloodstain...

[@AAAF556]

My April 1962 issue of GUNS & AMMO magazine has the Lahti L39 advertised by two separate vendors for $99.95, right in between the German Panzerschreck "bazookas" for $19.95 and Russian 50mm M1938 mortars for $19.95. The original Seaport ad's write up, reads: "ANTI-TANK RIFLE $99.95 Now you a can get that man-eating jack rabbit with the first shot (or even near miss) with this fantastically accurate semi-automatic. This super-power Finnish 20MM anti-tank rifle is mounted on special sleds so that you can drag it ANYWHERE in ANY weather. The ultimate in BIG bore perfection, guaranteed NRA very good or better. Only $99.95 complete with wooden case, tool & repair kit, muzzle cover, 8 extra magazines, 4 mag carry cases, etc. 10 rds. 20MM ammo . . . . $9.95. Case of 100 rnds . . . . $84.95. Check in full must accompany order. No partial payments accepted." Shoot, a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff!

[@AAAF556]

That would be around $1500 in today's money. Not bad, granted the market was flooded with WW1-2 surplus arms back then. Here are some other deals I found in the Sep, 62 issue: Walther PPK .380 $67.50, Walther P38 $93.50, M1 Carbine $69.50, M1 Garand $79.95 for NRA good ($89.95 for "like new"), Springfield 1903 $39.95, Italian Carcano 6.5 cal $11.88 (4x Scoped 'Oswald special' version for $19.95), M1917 Colt .45 revolver $24.95, U.S 1917 rifle $29.95. Deactivated Lewis gun $29.95, Webley Revolvers starting at $14.95. April issue, 62: Enfield No. 4 Sniper rifle w/scope $39.88, Swedish Mauser M-94 $29.95, British PIAT Mortar $19.95 (I assume its live firing, since the ad doesn't state otherwise), .43 cal Remington Rolling block barreled actions $9.95. I think a lot of the really desirable stuff (like Lugers) started to dry up in the 60s.

[@twogenders]

Wow, thanks for sharing.

[@beardo52]

Back in the 60's these were pretty inexpensive, about 1,000 L-39's were imported along with all sorts of Boys rifles, Solothurn Rifles, and Soviet PTRD, and PTRS guns . One interesting thing was that the U.S. Gov't sent a number of L-39's to the Batista backed troops that were to be involved in the overthrow of Castro (Bay of Pigs era) . The Boys guns went for under $80. the L-39 for the 99.95, and the solothurn for a whopping $189. They were sent right to your door.

[@R281]

what wonderful years...

[@beardo52]

R281 Indeed they were, and should be again.

[@Insanity_Bound]

This is something a space marine would definitely use

[@redditor7548]

Full auto though

[@ncrtrooper7246]

@@redditor7548 and dual wielding

[@Brandelwyn]

Bolters are 19mm, yes

[@durandol]

Isn't that pretty much a heavy stubber?

[@LiezAllLiez]

Kinda pointless, to be honest. Bolters already do everything this gun does + more.

[@wewd]

You must yell PERKELE before every shot.

[@House_of_Caine]

Well, after all, You DO have to offer a prayer to the old gods when in war...

[@santsa9042]

wewd or TULTA MUNILLE the Finnish battlecry

[@joexali235]

wewd tai tulta munille!!

[@suedetrombone2019]

Saatana!

[@zoolkhan]

@@santsa9042 fire t o the balls? wasnt it verta luita hampaita ? :)

[@cyranus10]

My dads roommate in college came back from winter break with one of these. He said it took the, all semester to save enough money to load a couple of rounds for post-finals fun ( on top of all the other ammo they put together). 1960s Colorado sounded a lot more fun than the current.

[@cyranus10]

*them

[@kalashloy4179]

did he still get to keep it? :3

[@cyranus10]

oh yeah, he still had it when they graduated. no clue what happened after that though.

[@Robinsa]

These days you're not allowed to bring a BB gun to college but in the 60s you were allowed to bring your anti-tank rifle? How times have changed.. :D

[@NorthernSeaWitch]

Gun Jesus: The most ballistic crossbow. Joerg Sprave has entered the chat

[@generic8891]

_Let me show you its features_

[@TheCompleteMental]

**German laughing as he slaps rifle**

[@eduardkronhardt7396]

Ah.. I see you’re a man of culture as well.

[@tristanperciful6609]

Nobody's gonna talk about the fact that he called the guy "gun Jesus"

[@hummel6364]

@@tristanperciful6609 no that's a title that's been used for him for ages

[@niilo2378]

Huge respect for u guys. Im from Finland and part of Finnish reserve forces like any other Finnish man. But gotta say many people here enjoy watching these videos where u review our loved ones.(Suomi kp, ”pystykorva”, this antitank gun, RK 7.62, etc.) thanks for that!

[@dareka9425]

They couldn't penetrate the newer, heavier-armored Russian tanks so they fired phosphorus rounds to burn the forests around their enemy instead...lol!

[@allain98productions]

I would pay to see that.

[@peabase]

It was more common to shoot at bunker ports with phosphorous rounds. Anyone splattered by the phosphor was in for a very long hospital stay.

[@edyslavico3761]

Well it was effective againts the BT series and the T26 but not against T-34s and, of course, KVs

[@RoyalMela]

It was not phosphorus. They just cranked the handle one extra round, for that little extra boost.

[@timomastosalo]

Wonder if any SPecial Forces guys had that along when they found an enemy depot. Shoot a hot round through the ammo cases or gasoline barrels… Stops many tanks

[@wyldeman0O7]

The magazine has the characteristics of an ammo box

[@utidjian]

Clip the rounds together with links and hang it off the side of the weapon and most ammo boxes are also magazines of a sort. Though they are not often referred to as magazines for small arms (light machine guns to heavy machine guns.) I have read they are called "belt containers." But the "belt container" for a heavier gun in an aircraft or, say a gatling gun, are most often called a magazine.

[@brianemery8945]

jesus. just the bolt closing has more recoil than my ar and ak combined....lol wow

[@chryssalidbait8765]

That is a sign that you are dealing with a man's gun.

[@lihavatpojat4269]

you know a gun is finnish when you can hear perkele each time you fire it

[@manufrisk2437]

? Takas kouluun?

[@tatuvikstrom1332]

🤔😑

[@drops2cents260]

@Chillin ' From the gun or the shooter? :-)

[@lihavatpojat4269]

@@drops2cents260 both

[@drops2cents260]

@@lihavatpojat4269/home Thought as much. I suppose the first would be from the gun itself while it goes off, and the second from the shooter after he recovers from the recoil?

[@LucasIsHereYT]

Me: Can I buy a gun? California: Only ten rounds! **comically large gun**

[@michealrachid3232]

You cant own a caliber bigger then 458 i believe in California and well 20mm is like an inch in diameter

[@BEHEMOTH20]

@@michealrachid3232 That seems like a perfectly reasonable limit for private ownership, for hunting whales I guess?

[@poetsrear]

_Well, it's only a rifle anyways..._

[@nipplecream3099]

funniest shit i ever seen

[@FP194]

Anything over .50 cal is considered a destructive devise and falls under the NFA Because this is a “ Rifle” it might bypass that if you are lucky

[@Kepe]

In the continuation war these were mounted on tree stumps and used as anti-air guns, because of the ineffectiveness against enemy tanks. They were quite effective against low flying enemy attack aircraft, if you managed to hit them.

[@Bladsmith]

Good job, you said what he said.

[@Kepe]

***** No, he said the automatic version was developed and used for AA. I said that the basic version was also used for that role.

[@Lazarus7000]

I'd imagine more than a few guys earned themselves nice periods of not buying their own beer for downing aircraft in this fashion.

[@alaric_]

Lazarus Long, actually there was very little "partying" with soldiers during the three wars 1939-1945. Whole Finland actually had a "dance ban" because it was considered wrong and unmoral to have fun in the home front when soldiers were killed every minute. This greatly increased the bond between home and front lines as soldiers felt they were not alone in the fight. What time off soldiers had from front lines was usually in the back lines and short leaves and then soldiers opted to go home to family. And from what i have understood, war things were not discussed much and alchohol was not a top priority. There was some alcohol use in the back lines from distilling own moonshine or smuggled spirits but being under the influense was penalized heavily (duh) so use was moderate.

[@Kepe]

Alaric Balthi To add to that, soldiers who got some leave usually went home to do farm work to help food production. Since men were fighting a war, women and children did most of the farm work. All kinds of supplies were very scarce and there was a government controlled ticket system for foodstuffs and so on, so you could only buy a certain amount of products in a certain time period. This prevented wealthy people from hoarding stuff, so that everyone could get what they need, and also to make sure there was enough food for the soldiers.

[@BigSwede7403]

Imagine getting a Garand thumb with this thing...

[@StumpfsCurse]

The poor thumb would spray out of the receiver in a red mist. :s

[@PilotAwe]

What is Garand thumb

[@jewdidnaziitthrumping4410]

*hand

[@kenibnanak5554]

It is when your thumb gets in the way of the bolt on a Garand, or an M-14 or a BM-59. Trust me. You will only allow that to happen once. Similar to a 1911 thumb, but more blood.

[@Alex-oz9eh]

lol

[@ThePsychicMaster64]

For anyone who's played fallout 3 and/or new vegas, notice that the entire stock for this gun, right down to the rotating crank, looks almost exactly like the stock of the gauss rifle?

[@mokonono5903]

Or maybe this IS the gauss rifle

[@gearcube3134]

I know right?

[@iwantcrawfish6110]

Came to the comments to say this. Both badass guns

[@iwantcrawfish6110]

It even kinda sounds like the gauss rifle firing off

[@five5105]

Then flip the magazine to the side and slap a big scope on the top, it'd be perfect.

[@BigWheel.]

This is actually not a gun it is a special tool meant for disassembling T28 tanks.

[@ZeroNitroMan]

Don't you dare to forget those cute lil' T-26s'!

[@eugeneoliveros5814]

ZeroNitroMan they are freaking adorable

[@HMS1Blake]

What a piece. You can hear the sheer silky quality of the build as the bolt closes. Thanks for posting.

[@TheSonOfDumb]

A 20mm semi-automatic anti-tank rifle. With skis. Finland, you are a brilliant country!

[@kirielvids]

Just how every time he shoots it car alarms go off in the distance is so incredibly funny to me. That a big boom.

[@Suojeluninja]

I once talked with a veteran whom went with this against a KV-1. He said that he felt like he might as well have slapped it with his hand.

[@Heksu99]

Suojeluninja But wasn't KV-1 and 2 all about the armour and not too much about the firepower or moving

[@shooterrick1]

Yeah, well KV-1 was one of the best armored tanks pre-1943. But I image these things could kill T-26 and BT-series tanks. Maybe even a T-34 from a good angle.

[@redenginner]

+Robert Shaffer Finlandic acid tends to eat through stalinium if left unchecked for long.

[@GigAnonymous]

@@Heksu99 The KV-2 had a 152mm howitzer. To use against bunkers. As far as caliber is concerned, the difference between a 20mm and a 152mm is the same as the one between .17 HMR and a 30mm shell.

[@connormclernon26]

Suojeluninja shoulda gone for the tracks.

[@Alpha-dl3ob]

When he closed the bolt for the first time, I had a brief thought of it that it. Then he fired the thing

[@kingkrimson6703]

lol, same here

[@hi-ig4lh]

his little chuckles and laughs after firing is amazing

[@SSinisterXCI]

I only just realized the Gauss rifle from fallout 3 was based on this, specially the grip and wooded cheek area, not to mention the crank.

[@ethanellard9057]

you might just be right there

[@ChitrakChattopadhyay]

I knew this looked familiar

[@Kleiner9Partizane]

Hugh Mongus ... Nice review , it really looks fun .

[@murdoc26]

humongous what?? humongous what??

[@grando111]

That sexual harassment?

[@Kleiner9Partizane]

+Bernardo Grando you harras me ?

[@inquiz9747]

YOU JUST ABUSED A MAN. HOW DARE YOU!

[@Kleiner9Partizane]

+Andrew Vasyliew jeah how dare they

[@556deltawolf]

The thing is that the Finns really didn't need the Lahti L39 in the Winter War. It turns out most of the Russian T26 and early model T34s had a design flaw in them which caused their exhaust to suck in outside air. Pretty much that meant that a well placed hit from a fire based weapon could easily light the tank on fire. Thus the Finns developed the famous Molotov Cocktail. You should read about Finnish anti tank tactics Ian because the Finns were very innovative with how they dealt with Russian tanks during the Winter War. They did very thing from digging trap doors, planting explosives on frozen lakes, and even stopping a tank by stuffing a log into the tracks. There's even an incident where a Finnish soldier knocked out a T26 by breaking the links that connected the tracks with a crowbar.

[@FINNIUSORION]

My great uncle I think he would be, My grandfather's brother fought in the soumi Russian war. Multiple times he was part of the group that carried these. They had only one at a time and treated it like it was the last one they would ever get. Many times this was the only weapon they had that could stop vehicles and therefore save their lives. Lots of hit and run and guerilla tactics.

[@kuangsheng3891]

It looks like releasing the bolt is almost as satisfying as firing the gun. Can't get more 'go time' than that ka-chunk sound and weight.

[@JackFrostIsHere]

Guy : "shoots an anti tank cannon while almost breaking his shoulder from the recoil" Ian : "fun?" Guy again : "... Oh yeah.." (while crying tears in his mind with agonising pain)

[@MrYfrank14]

I'm sure it would put me in the hospital, but I would love to fire it.

[@leechowning2712]

With car alarms sounding in the background.

[@sethb3090]

I mean, it looks like the kick is insane, but he was just making happy anti tank noises the whole time

[@alpagator1372]

This video was a blast to watch, thank you Ian. Sincerely, an exited Finn.

[@Raygun222]

Suomi perkele.

[@paskaapaska2504]

Shell Shock Juu

[@Sulkie]

Mene töihin!

[@bernardtaylor7768]

These types of weapons have always fascinated me and this is the first time I have seen one fired. It's even better than I expected.

[@johnnycash8150]

This is legal in Canada. You can get this with the same license as a single shot .22. I can't have more than 5 rounds in my AR magazine. But i can have an ANTI TANK CANNON. Makes COMPLETE SENSE.

[@RealLuckless]

As far as I'm aware we can technically own a railway gun up here as long as it is firing plain old solid shot. It is "Just a firearm"... Not like anyone has ever held up a store with cannon, so there are few worries about them. We apparently don't even need licenses for old black powder cannons of some designs.

[@thegoldencaulk2742]

Can't explain stupid

[@ohredhk]

To be fair, I do not see this as practical weapon for something like a bank job.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Ironically, a bank job is the one crime these have been used in. :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGqmi4Jpn6uIsJY

[@moiseman]

It can of does make sense, I mean good luck going on a civilian rampage with that thing

[@rahbaralhaq]

Lahti translate to "kick" in my language and in this case the name is very fitting.

[@Kepe]

Heh, Lahti is a rather common surname here. It means "bay" or "gulf".

[@costantinoandruzzi2219]

Just for the record, Lahti is also the name of Finland's 6th largest city.

[@AlanWattResistance]

I've been to Lahti, nice place.

[@MacJorma]

Lahti can be too a bay

[@DrLopo]

Lahti, the Chicago of Finland... There used to be a lot of crime there. That's what my parents say :)

[@CarlosRios1]

I love how the ejected case flings dirt into the gun after every shot.

[@TheFighting11Irish]

"The most ballistic crossbow ever"

[@mattc4013]

9:05 Ian: "...you depress the grip safety." Gun: "Maclunky!"

[@samuelschurman3762]

HE SAID IT (large volumes of automatic weapon fire intensifies)

[@NeoDragonCount]

Finnish soldiers could teach a thing or two about no-scoping.

[@backachershomestead]

When I was a kid we would go to Champaign Surplus, in Champaign Illinois. They had one of these on a corner shelf. It was there at least 30 years. I've moved away and haven't been back for several years. I always wanted that.

[@kohenemoore]

This is always so delightful to watch. Especially the car alarms going off in the background. Gotta make you giggle like a kid at the range.

[@Meeko1010100112]

"The Finns were REALLY good with iron sights and didn't necessarily need scopes to get good use of this weapon" Subtly invoking the feared "White Death".

[@Nova-ru4mi]

One thing I am surprised no one mentioned, is that the back half of this rifle, the grip, stock, cheek rest, crank, and trigger guard seem to be the visual inspiration for the Fallout 3/NV Gauss Rifle.

[@jackgraham3988]

Yeah, the back-end of that gun is very Lahti. Just like the Anti-Material rifle in that game is also a real gun - the Hecate II. The designers of Fallout NV were sick of seeing the Barrett in every game, so they went with something a lil more out there, and thus added one of my favourite guns to the game.

[@darkblood626]

This is what I imagine when I picture a 40K bolter round.

[@mortisCZ]

Emperor would love this gun.

[@Atzy]

This gun already exists in the warhammer 40k universe. They call it an "autocannon"

[@darkblood626]

Atzy I said the round, not the gun.

[@RandomDude85]

Apparently, bolter rounds are .75 cal or 19.05mm so this is actually pretty close. Heavy bolter rounds are even bigger at 1.00 cal or 25.4mm. So basically Space Marines should shred anything.

[@maximm1381]

Actually .75 is pretty close to 12ga. So basically if you load an AA12 or the USAS12 with a rocket round, you have a bolter.

[@bh8671]

I love the fact releasing the bolt has recoil. Lol.

[@tuomaskosonen8171]

My friends father have one of these, he is a liceneced gun collector in finland.

[@unidaspandemia9936]

He must be the happiest person in finland

[@vammanevanukas]

Suomi perrkkkkkeelee

[@cosmossfera]

@Preston Graham 👍😂😂😂

[@Mara-ky7ki]

Ampuuko se sillä sorsia?

[@tuomaskosonen8171]

@@Mara-ky7ki ei 😂 ihan koristeena lähinnä on.

[@nobodylovesditto]

What a beautiful piece of engineering.

[@calebgunkle1870]

I wonder what would happen if you got pulled over while carrying that in your car and how you would explain it to the cop

[@downbytheriver501]

"It's an airsoft gun."

[@Vicus_of_Utrecht]

Darrin Lapua lmao

[@Vicus_of_Utrecht]

Darrin Lapua lmao

[@TheA4p999]

Caleb Gunkle "Perkele"

[@miskabackmann2755]

Jazza Beardedbjorn officer im going to hunt some birds called metso. Officer "Isn't that a bit too big?" Me "No, it's just the perfect size."

[@df4291]

The dry fire recoil is more than an AR lol 10:02

[@jamesflowers8054]

can we expect a special edition tandem Two gun match with yoy and Karl? featuring the Lahti?

[@jjaska]

Two men, one gun-match

[@josephpete1833]

Two crew, two guns, one hospital

[@fleshesposito]

The nickname is "Norsupyssy" (Elephant gun).

[@someonewhoisacunt5566]

Anssi Koskinen "MEANWHILE IN AFRICA" So kids, should we go to hunt down Elephants?

[@christianhoffmann8607]

more like a dinosaur gun.

[@patximartel]

More like Blue Whale gun

[@johnwillis4706]

My Dad bought one of these rifles in '66, with two 800 round crates of ammo. Just because he thought is was "neat". He paid $425 for everything shipped to the house. I still have the shipping receipt. I have to agree, I've had it since he passed in '94. So now if the SHTF, I can acquire targets out at 2500-3000 meters. 😁 Happy day's.

[@TheEvilBeazle]

“The Finns were really good shots with irons sights” Chuckles in White Death

[@Spectre-wd9dl]

Simo Hayha. Finnish sniper in ww2 with 505 confirmed kills plus another 200+ with a submachine gun. And all in 3 months. KZbin or google the man, you won't be disappointed.

[@johanness3850]

people know who the white death is dude.

[@Hnke90]

The guy was 152 cm long! No wonder they never saw him

[@davidengstrom4003]

Ppl were short back in the day

[@reliantncc1864]

Ian shoots this rifle. The recoil then scoots him about 6 inches backward. If the gun is over 100 pounds, and Ian is probably close to or at 200 (I believe he's fairly tall), that means it has the recoil to scoot 300 pounds 6 inches backward even with both the gun and Ian securely planted to the ground. If you somehow fired it from the shoulder, you would become a permanent part of whatever's behind you.

[@alecingram4669]

God, this is such a beautiful rifle. Normal soldiers could shoot 5 shot groups of 18 inches at 1000 yards. With modern custom ammunition, a 2500 grain drive band spritzer boat tail bullet with an sd of about 0.587 and very high bc, about 1-1.3, can be loaded to 2755 fps at 45,000 psi, the max pressure for this gun. No other gun combines this amazing accuracy and 40,500 lb ft of energy.

[@gearloose703]

How do you shoot groups if you have to get a new target every time?

[@richardwebb9532]

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denel_NTW-20 Denel NTW-20 - Wikipedia Laughs in South African....👌😎

[@toxicmatrix1337]

I like it a laht.

[@snakeplissken2148]

last summer i found a small, private museum on the former eastern front of finland and hat the opportunity to get my hands on a l39. This video helped me a lot "operating" it. Thanks Ian.

[@Arthurzeiro]

Look at me being all sneaky and commenting before the video goes live. I see this one becoming one of the most popular videos on the channel.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

I hope so - it was a very fun one to make. :)

[@SzczepanZZ]

11:45 - than maniacal laugh :D Love it, great video as always. Damn, I'd love to try shooting one of those!

[@DeputatKaktus]

Commander: You see that vehicle over there, soldier? Soldier: Yessir. C.: I don’t want to. S.: Very well, sir... *ka-chunk* *_BOOM_* _Target has left the chat_

[@SalmonVelvet]

stolen comment

[@MadMorgie6318]

"And Gun Jesus dost spake 'Hehe~!' upon firing the Mighty Lahti L39, though woe betide His shoulder." Book of Forgotten Weapons 11:05

[@lQuadXl]

*When you show her your large caliber, and she offers to **_Finnish_** you off*

[@drill6452]

i puked in my mouth

[@fredtuturo1793]

is it what they call a "happy ending" ?

[@tashkent561]

No, just no

[@louiesandoval4470]

If I'm not mistaken; I believe the official nomenclature of this weapon is the "BFG" 😁

[@tylerblubaugh5549]

Correction bafg

[@chivix4949]

@@tylerblubaugh5549 Big, a fucking gun

[@Leonidae]

*Doomguy intensifies*

[@HeIsAnAli]

@@chivix4949 More like "Big-Ass Fucking Gun."

[@rowanvincent5762]

The only thing they fear is not, in fact you. It's the fuck off Lahti you're lugging through hell.

[@jessegrisham]

HAHA! Setting off the car alarms is awesome!

[@BigPanda096]

Love watching Ian shoot. Clearly has some great fun doing it.

[@fdsdh1]

this would actually be legal in the UK because of how the action works, it requires two operations to chamber a round

[@SuperFunkmachine]

Now where i shoot it?

[@fdsdh1]

SuperFunkmachine where do the .50cal clubs shoot, it would be there I expect. Or at an MOD range

[@get953]

+fdsdh1 I think there's only a couple of ranges where a civilian can shoot a .50 BMG in the UK

[@nfsfanAndrew]

+Simon White if you hit a deer with that there will be no more deer. just red splatter on the ground.

[@beardo52]

After the operation of removing 50 Pounds Sterling from your Wallet :)

[@adamgreenhaus4691]

That magazine looks like it's built for bananas, not bullets.

[@Fede_uyz]

Anti gunners: No one needs an assault rifle Me: EVERYONE SHOULD OWN AT LEAST ONE ANTI TANK RIFLE

[@henrik3291]

Can you imagine if this rifle would have been adopted a little bit earlier? Like early enough to be supplied in substantial numbers to the Finnish army before the winter war? Then there would probably not have been anything like molotov cocktails.

[@Redstripe921]

It would have been a massacre for sure

[@thesandvitchman9303]

U know the finn's are pissed when the pull out the gun skis

[@vincentlaw1415]

The releasing bolt sound is freaking badass ......you know shit is about to happen if you hear that noise.

[@gigaflynn_]

I've got to be honest, every time you dropped the bolt on that thing, I had a horrible moment of "oh no, 20mm hang fire..." That is not a gun you want to have a bad round in...