PTRD 41: The Simple Soviet Antitank Rifle of WWII

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The Soviet Union had originally eschewed the use of large numbers of antitank rifles, anticipating that any potential combat use of them would be largely against tanks impervious to AT rifle cartridges. However, when German forces came flooding across the border in 1941, the Soviet Union found themselves being attacked by quite large numbers of tanks which were in fact vulnerable to an antitank rifle cartridge. Stalin ordered an immediate development and production of such a weapon, and the designers responded with concepts. Simonov produced the PTRS-41, a semiautomatic 14.5mm weapon that was sophisticated, expensive, and effective. Degtyarev produced the PTRD-41, a single shot 14.5mm weapon which was simple, cheap, and also effective. Both used the same cartridge, which fires a 980gr armor piercing projectile at a remarkable 3320 fps.
Both the Simonov and Degtyarev rifles were ordered into production, with the PTRD-41 being available and fielded within a month because of its very simple nature. By the end of the war some 185,000 of these rifles had been made, and even after the new German tanks became impervious to them, they remained effective weapons for use on light armored vehicles, field guns, machine gun nests, pillboxes, and other hardened targets.
The PTRD-41 is a mechanically interesting and unusual weapon in that despite being only a single shot system, it is recoil operated. When fired, the entire barrel assembly recoils rearward, absorbing some of the immense recoil energy and also opening the bolt and ejecting the spent case. The shooter then need only drop a new cartridge into the action and close the bolt to be ready for a subsequent shot.
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[@alexkoptev]

My grandmother made these guns in 1941. She was 17 years old.

[@absolutelydisgusted8665]

She played a small part in disabling more than one German tank.

[@envrnmntlsm]

thats metal

[@duartesimoes508]

In which Oblast was she?

[@TheIfifi]

@jpc1918 wow. Lol... okaaaay. You go be you man!

[@JackFrostIsHere]

@jpc1918 probably just a lying show off just cause the the person making the top comment might be a Russian

[@Igor_lvanov]

Stalin: I want an antitank rifle Degterev: When? Stalin: Yesterday

[@BigBoss-sm9xj]

Blin!

[@josephaugustine4876]

Here you go comrade Stalin

[@albvscommesincastello6346]

Made my day Man... i laughted so hard on this

[@kiiik8801]

PTRD was developed few years before the war. It was abandoned becouse Red Army was to conquer Europe and this kind of gun is usseles when troops advance. In 1941 when Soviets defend themselves all they had to do was to put gun into production

[@jeremystewert4303]

I want to see the giant SKS.

[@IncredibleMD]

"So, the controls." Ian's brain momentarily skips as it struggles to conceive of what actually counts as a "control" on this tube. "... There's a trigger."

[@iaial0]

"makes it go bang" A Big Bang I might add

[@Mike_Rogge]

You could call the bolt handle a control, it mechanically manipulates a moving part.

[@user-yc1xe1pd1f]

Lol. But actually, it’s not forgotten weapon. It’s even used on some shooting ranges with blank shells. (Not bullets, damn it, shells 😂)

[@TheMsdos25]

_T O O B_

[@DoNotTrustTheSVN]

@@user-yc1xe1pd1f and Ukraine too, but with those insane rounds.

[@esthera3923]

Who would win: - Glorious, finely-made Kruppstahl - Some weird metal tube developed in 22 days

[@dweebus3698]

The panzer 1 is glorious?

[@esthera3923]

@@dweebus3698 The 14.5mm rounds of the PTRD could go through the side armor of most Panzer IIIs and IVs at close range up until the Germans started adding side skirts to their tanks. Considering those (and their derivatives, such as the StuG III) were the most common German tanks for most of the war, I'd say the PTRD was fairly effective in its role.

[@gogopedroe1873]

Finely made what?

[@TheMrDemonized]

Glorious my ass

[@yuriy8756]

Ilya Kaplunov, the Soviet 24-years old marines sniper with PTR, knocked out 9 (nine) Manstein's tanks during one day 1942 about 35 km to Stalingrad. Awarded posthumously as the Hero of the Soviet Union.

[@ivanmonahhov2314]

After WW2 they were used as hunting rifles in the far north. Now you may ask "what they were hunting with these ?" Whales.

[@lucignolo8333]

Also bears

[@dereenaldoambun9158]

Elephant?

[@5anjuro]

Some daring tribal warriors would set out in the Arctic Ocean to try and challenge the mighty Ktulhu with it. Their kayaks had a reinforced mount kind of like a punt gun.

[@ToyDirigible]

Lassi Kinnunen *woooosh*

[@Plymouth888]

Quite elegant, in a STEN type way.

[@montimuros2837]

- What do you like the most about Russian guns? - They work

[@leeshang6419]

Because they have less to screw up.

[@Dr_V]

This reminds me of some winter hunting trips when my old IJ12, often ridiculed and criticized by my fellow hunters, was the only gun that never jammed or misfired. I'm also using an antique IJ16 inherited from my grandfather, less powerful but very accurate and equally reliable. I tried a number of modern shotguns over the years, decided to stick to my venerable Russian ones, they may be modest but they do the job properly every time.

[@themadhammer3305]

@@Dr_V out of curiosity was that a shotgun developed for military use? Or was it made for the civilian market in Russia

[@Dr_V]

@@themadhammer3305 They're both civilian hunting weapons, the 12Ga is a regular series from the 1990s, the 16Ga is from a special batch ordered for Romanian police and military personnel in the 1970s (my grandfather was a police sergeant back then), but besides some particular decorative markings it's no different from other shotguns of the same period.

[@themadhammer3305]

@@Dr_V fair enough must just have been a good design. The 16Ga sounds like an interesting piece of history I'll have to give it a look to see these decorative markings

[@nickparka7981]

This video itself is longer than the design process

[@epauletshark3793]

But not as long as the rifle.

[@GhostOfDamned]

Lmao

[@mikeburch2998]

@@kristoffer3000 I agree! Russian engineers are superb in everyway. They are also very pragmatic.

[@norcaljuche]

thats soviet engineering for you!

[@EzekiesAcheron]

It's literally a boom tube with a muzzle break lol

[@kkrummelrhs]

"That Panzer is history Sergeant!" "Good shooting comrade, now pop your shoulder back into its socket"

[@oerlikon20mm29]

Would a soviet sergeant really care if his men were wounded though, he'll just find a replacement

[@ironwoodnf9128]

@@oerlikon20mm29 a sergeant might have... It was the officers and politburo

[@hellfiredoughnut1434]

You dont need clip of bullets for this weapon. You need clip of soldiers to shoot

[@Abdega]

@@oerlikon20mm29 This one would care, he needs help carrying that thing

[@celticman1909]

Actually the recoil was taken into consideration with the energy absorbing system. The German 1918 Mauser Tank Gewehr13.2mm anti-tank rifle was just an upscaled shoulder abusing weapon.

[@Hamachingo]

PTRD: Post Traumatic Rifle Disorder

[@roskcity]

I have been diagnosed with PTRD

[@lolbosss]

I have new symptoms

[@zombies4evadude24]

That beautiful sound strikes fear in the hearts of men. I envy and pity the soul on the other side of that shot.

[@TiocfaidhArLa34]

the ptrs will give you ptsd, post traumatic shoulder disorder.

[@godmodejustgharuhi5610]

@@TiocfaidhArLa34 post trigger shoulder dislocation.

[@nazarderkach9320]

Soviet soldier: *_loads and aims a PTRD_* His right shoulder: *_My time has come_*

[@Luciffrit]

Just look where his digits are hiding... ( ಠ ͜ʖಠ)

[@kubakawulka7532]

Nah, Tankgewehr was even worse

[@ReySchultz121]

It's my left shoulder for me.

[@Stu787878]

@@TheJimyyy Tankgewehr had no recoil mitigation though.

[@swampfolk2526]

Ну дорогой, просто нужно положить на плечо пару варежек зимних или шапку или еще что то. И пинок в правое плечо будет не смертельным.

[@user-ky9sq8sy8k]

"Half-semiautomatic" - so, mathematically speaking, it is actually 1/4-automatic?

[@jauzaafaishalahmadpadmadis3846]

With that fire rate, that's basically a bolt action, without bolt action

[@DickHolman]

It is fully self-unloading, so half the reload procedure is automatic. I'll get me coat.

[@novemberalpha6023]

Quartermatic??

[@Abdega]

@@novemberalpha6023 Ninja’d by two months

[@Pershingtank]

Well, tank cannons are considered "semi automatic" when they automatically eject the casing but still have to be manually loaded, so I suppose it would fit that sort of case.

[@roadtomanitoba9753]

My grandfather was this gun operator from being conscripted in Sept 1943 to May 1944. He never shot into actual tank main job was suppressing machine gun nests and he got a pretty good in it, his citation for "Slava" is specifically about that. He was trained and tried to shot aircraft with it as well but it just wouldn't happen. After liberating Sevastopol in 1944 his rifle was taken from him to arsenal and he never seen it again. After relocating to Baltic front he was handled PPSh and went on with it untill the very end. And another non obvious thing, reloading the gun was a task of second guy in a team, so this thing had impressive rate of fire with shooter eyes always on a target. Iconic russian movie "Aty baty" set around the platoon of "Tank fighter" armed with these things and my grandpa was noticed that it was not at all realistic. Actors have never actually fired this thing, just faking the recoil and then moving the bolt manually.

[@Shaun_Jones]

I suspect that finding actors willing to take the abuse of shooting this for real is a somewhat difficult task.

[@maxakabeast]

Shooting aircraft with that thing, it's just epic.

[@namvo3013]

@@maxakabeast it happen in mgs games

[@CallofDutyBlackOps28]

understandable; firing something like this means "so long shoulder; i knew ye well"

[@oceanbytez847]

@@Shaun_Jones actors do crazy stuff like losing and gaining tons of weight or muscle all the time. I bet finding an actor who would take the abuse of this thing for a reasonable price is more likely the exact issue.

[@patrikhjorth3291]

"I suppose Stalin was the kind of guy you took seriously when he said something like that" Ian, Master of Understatement.

[@AtheistAnarchoCommie]

I thought the same

[@lordmountbatten154]

me tooooooohhhh

[@alexhayden2303]

At Stalingrad 13,500 were executed for not getting on with the job!

[@gratius1394]

@@alexhayden2303 That's a whole division's worth of manpower, do you really think that the Soviets would be so wasteful when all available troops were desperately needed? Such high rate of executions is a myth just like mindless human wave attacks often portrayed in modern movies. Just think about it - why simply kill thousands of deserters and other AWOL types when you can form few penal battalions and use them for extremely dangerous/unpleasant tasks like cleaning minefields? Hell, if you want them dead, just give them few grenades and throw them at the Germans in "Enemy at the gates" style attack - killing them yourself is just... counterproductive.

[@alexhayden2303]

@@gratius1394 I'm here to learn! www.independent.co.uk/news/world/world-history/revealed-the-forgotten-secrets-of-stalingrad-8282751.html Zaytsev: The Criterion Collection DVD of, 'Enemy at the gates', has a Bonus section with an interview of Z. who tells how they killed the top German sniper, and what it cost them!

[@Slysheen]

"22 day development timeframe" Jesus, necessity really is the mother of invention.

[@CassiusGreen]

Can't afford to waste any time when under attack, because the germans won't wait for you to finish your guns that's for sure.

[@Mephiles343]

@@CassiusGreen the russians didn't fuck around that's for damn sure lol

[@coolstorybro_cant_wait_4_movie]

5f saqqqaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa fee á

[@dallaswood4117]

We went from the wright brothers to landing on the moon in a couple decades thanks to World War One World War Two and the Cold War so yeah something about thinking you’re going to be wiped off the face of the earth really expedites the process

[@IncredibleMD]

Stalin looming over his shoulder probably helped more than necessity.

[@commanderkei9537]

The importance of this gun cannot be overstated. It’s presence alone essentially prevented entire isolated groups of infantry from being overrun by something as simple as a half track with an mg. Considering how much the Soviets were forced to embrace pocket defense, something like this was like a modern caltrop sprinkled all over the battlefield. Not at all devastating, but something to force armored cavalry to slow their role and be careful where they tread, and something that would tear apart a hot-headed, careless charge

[@morganbeasley]

good take

[@just9911]

Even against organized and aware opposition, they still add a wrinkle to the Soviet defense in depth and offer capabilities you don’t get with other weapons. I don’t think nearly enough people realize how many different vehicles from a variety of nations were thrown at the Soviet forces. This added to mortars, rifle grenades, and machine guns can make for a really bad day for any axis unit that has to deal with a force equipped as such. The entirety of the eastern front is really hard to wrap your head around, for me it got to the point that reading the numbers of things like casualties and soldiers committed to a given battle made my brain go numb.

[@johannesgutsmiedl366]

@@just9911 the eastern front of world war 2 by itself is the largest armed conflict humans ever fought by a large margin and it's sad how much of it's history we have been deprived of especially in the west by the ensuing cold war... sadly the window for cataloguing survivor's accounts has closed now but I hope we will continue to get less ideologically tainted accounts of these events in the future.

[@hermatred572]

Degtyaryov: how precise are we talking here Stalin: minute of tank

[@yoboikamil525]

My granddad was armed with this thing when he was fighting alongside the soviets in the 1940's. he said how it made him feel like the most powerful man in the world for about 10 seconds before he got spotted. Many close calls.

[@DukeOnkled]

Can definitely see that, operating something like that would feel like pointing god's own finger at someone.

[@andrewshepherd1537]

Gunner, do you see that bunker? I don't want to any.ore

[@zjanez2868]

Smiting the enemy with 14.5 mm divine judgment

[@kennethjackson7574]

The muzzle brake blast, whether in snow or dirt, often gave away their position, so (A) the two-man crew tried to have one or two places to relocate in mind before firing, and (B) shoot-and-scoot likely offset the unreliability of the semi-automatic PTRS, making PTRD vs. PTRS a push.

[@Uncle_Smallett]

​@@kennethjackson7574 not fact. First of all, you will not go to attack with this thing. You'll be firing from position. And at war, when you stop - you DIG. These things usually used from trenches, foxholes etc, not so easy to be hit by direct fire.

[@kovaskovas]

My grandfather, master sergeant Ivan Stepanocitch Vasiliev was a PTRD operator from 1942 till 1944. He was killed in action by nazis during Dnepr crossing operation. Thank you for a possibility to get some understanding what he passed thru as a PTRD operator.

[@blacklightdeen4473]

Soviet: *Sees a German Tank* Also Soviet: " *Ivan. Get The Shoulder Cannon* "

[@b226tj]

The Soviets later(Early 90's) made a production 4 gauge pump action shotgun, because someone didn't want the rest of their 23mm AA gun barrels. Edit: It's called a TOS-123 apparently.

[@CircusFoxxo]

@@b226tj KS-23*. 6-gauge.

[@literal_f22]

@@b226tj KS-23M

[@sonicfon]

@@b226tj KS-23

[@jonaszimmermann1361]

​@@b226tj it's KS-23, TOZ-123 is a civilian smoothbore version. And it started in late 70s

[@DeNihility]

Meanwhile in Canada... "Hi, I wanna buy this pistol" "You got the proper paperwork and licensing?" "Uhh, on second thought, how about this cannon instead?" "Sure, here you go. Oh, and here's your receipt."

[@whyme943]

Pistols are used in the majority of shootings. AT rifles are unlikely to be used for criminal activity.

[@mohammadnoor8429]

@@whyme943 is that a challenge?

[@Alpha.Phenix]

@@whyme943 *Those are some brave words for someone in PTRD range*

[@tequila7419]

You still need a license for non restricted guns btw

[@mr523592891]

Tequila and someone can easily buy a nr rifle on CGN without showing the pal. Even he shows, there’s no way for the seller to confirm that is his. Canadian firearm laws are literally retarded. Come up by some liberals who have all their knowledge from movies.

[@akspsm]

My grandfather was fighting in WW2 with this rifle. Participated since June 22, 1941 and until the end of the war . Participated in the Battle for Stalingrad, were he was wounded more than once. Survived the war. Never talked about it much. He told me that you had to be really close to the armour 100-200 mm to get positive results, from the side of course. The idea was to penetrate the armour and the projectile ricochets inside the armour killed everyone inside. Or just destroy the tracks, when armour is too thick. Super cool videos!!!!

[@lathrin]

Prove it

[@BoBaH_BoBaHoB]

my grandpa was fighting with DP-28

[@SephiMasamune]

Getting really close is an understatement if you have to be within 10 to 20cm from the tank. ;-)

[@tianxiu]

@@SephiMasamune "It is personal", said the Russian comrade. XD

[@odizzido]

Might as well say screw it and just put the barrel right against the armour at that point. Go big or go home.

[@SeaWasp]

For Canadians, let this sink in a moment. Non-restricted in Canada. Edit on 6th of May 2020: Not anymore :(

[@SweatShopActual]

Yup.

[@joshuahadams]

For when you want to keep bears away. Maybe put a big hole in one.

[@iloveindomienoodle]

For when you want to keep a pack of wolves away, you better disnintegrate the alpha and let the rest fly with the shockwave

[@mrpyromaniac675]

Where can i get one in canada? For hunting

[@chrisnelmes7180]

Ummm....good luck finding ammo.

[@chancemoser7568]

"Penetrate 35mm out to 300yds" Gotta love the seamless blend of metric & SAE units there 😂

[@ivanmonahhov2314]

40mm at 100m

[@sshar71]

10:20 not for speed, but for extracting the inflated cartridge case. Removing the cartridge case after the shot was the main problem of all the Soviet PTRs. The kit included a hammer, which was used to knock out the bolt with a cartridge case. This often destroyed the bolt. This is an original solution to a complex problem. After the shot is fired, the bolt opens and the remaining gases push out the cartridge case. Sorry for the bad English

[@iamt_tl]

really i can't imagine any guns that's more effective than this. 22 days paper to production with so much simple, practical yet well thought and useful features like the semi bolt-action - i'm like 'how the heck' until i saw the explanation. I mean it served its purpose till 1943 and still being used today! 22 DAYS!!! Soviet Russian indeed.

[@skotiskiller]

a product of socialist relations of production

[@fear-is-a-token]

Check out the SG-43 machine gun, it has a similar story behind)

[@fear-is-a-token]

@@skotiskiller daaaamn right, dude

[@joeloco5129]

Necessity is the mother of invention. You'd be amazed what you could produce in 22 days if you were hearing reports of your comrades being skinned alive by the thousands.

[@mobilegamersunite]

Word!

[@ArcadiyIvanov]

When I was a kid on my dacha, an older kid from the neighborhood dug up this exact gun (or remnants thereof) in the village about 5 clicks East from Mga. We did get the stock to move and the only way to do it was to force-drop it vertically onto its stock. A spring still worked after 50 years in the ground.

[@1anthonybrowning]

FlymanMS Probably confiscated. Communists can't abide an armed populace.

[@barthoving2053]

Yeah that's why they do not force most of their male population to serve in the military for a short time through conscription. O wait, most communist and totalitarian countries did/do this. And conscription is basically not only arming your populace but also training it in the use of those arms. In the Soviet Union I think around 13 government agencies were allowed to have firearms. That included organisation like the state Railroad company and Firefight departments. If an uprising would have occurred in the Soviet Union It would have been really easy for the rebels to get their hands on light weapons if they wanted to. However as they knew taking up arms would just mean that the tanks would have been sent in sooner, they almost never did it and chose for civil disobedience. And in the end the Soviet Union capitulated to the pressure of unarmed protesters. And do you think people living isolated in primal forest full of wolves and bears , would have been allowed to have hunting rifles?

[@ivanmonahhov2314]

In USSR to purchase a shotgun , you needed : a hunting license ! Yep , that was it get a license to cull an animal and go to shop in the countryside and buy a shotgun. Pistols and rifles were a major pain to obtain , pistols only as signs of good service to officers when obtaining certain rank ( Colonel )

[@TheAkaish]

Wrong. In Russia to purchase a hunting weapon you need both a hunting license and hunting weapon license. Also you can purchase sports weapon (pistols as well) with sports weapon license. For example here: www.air-gun.ru/sportivnoe-oruzhie/sportivnie-pistoleti You can't purchase auto rifles in Russian, pistols with hunting weapon license and use magazines more than 10 rounds for hunting rifles. Main idea is that self defence laws in Russia is a piece of junk and you can go to jail if you kill unarmed criminal. Also for self defence purposes with self defence weapon license you can buy just fucken rubber bullet shit.

[@Timsturbs]

*Something* *Awful* so killing an unarmed person is ok for you? could you name me a country where killing an unarmed people wont lead you to the court? people here was talking about ussr, why do your inflamed brain brought up current russia here? and i hope you would experience that "rubber bullet shit" on your sad anarchistic ass.

[@Twerkulies]

I love the fact that if you can source just a couple parts, you can literally fabricate this in your garage in a day if you have a welder and a few bucks to buy supplies from Lowes.

[@carlmcdaniels1675]

Actually, The PTRD was used as a sniper weapon in Vietnam. I remember talking with at least one former company commander who stated that the reason for him assuming command when he did was due to his predecessor receiving a round to the chest from a PTRD. The owner of the PTRD was killed shortly after.

[@quadroninja2708]

Knowing that USSR helped Vietnam, that is not surprise

[@VT-mw2zb]

@@quadroninja2708 the Russians handed the Vietnamese a bunch of PaK40s too, to use and field guns and light artillery, which were captured from the Germans.

[@minimalistic_banhaus]

Did the predecessor recover from his wounds?

[@RedLegs13B.]

I really admire the engineering that went into the recoil/ejection system is setup on this weapon. Simple & effective.

[@JensTomiczny-rn9dy]

Ja genau sie ist simpel und einfach aufgebaut. Mit der richtigen Maschine und etwas Ahnung davon würde man es hin bekommen. 👍😊😉

[@IgoRAZ12345]

Wow, I thought it was just a pipe with bolt and pistol grip. Now I see that it was robust and clever engineering design with that recoil system and aiming arrangements.

[@jacefairis1289]

"I suppose Stalin was the sort of guy you took seriously when he said something like that" haha, well said

[@levar6618]

Смейся-смейся, кгб уже ждет тебя

[@silvinchoren9810]

Stalin: Big gun now Degterev: What it should have? Stalin: 11:51

[@LeafseasonMagbag]

Underrated comment

[@GhostOfDamned]

XD

[@Antigonus.]

If you think 1911 hammer bite is bad, just wait until you experience PTRD 41 face bite.

[@rockchalk4815]

Stoner 63 This kills the face.

[@Vaasref]

It would bite more that you can chew.

[@lycossurfer8851]

No, this would be more of a curb stomp.

[@thepoliticalgunnut8018]

you mean face punch?

[@gregoryfilin8040]

Face bite? You mean face shredding.

[@jeyendeoso]

that rifle is around 0,9 hickok45s units of length

[@worldoftancraft]

please explain meme

[@becauseiwasinverted5222]

@@worldoftancraft hickok45 is really really tall

[@worldoftancraft]

@@becauseiwasinverted5222 thank you. Im a perception persone, but do not marked that fact

[@KC-bg1th]

Handgun*

[@balazsbuza5610]

I actually fell in love with this metal pipe. It's simplicity is charming

[@sshar71]

10:20 не для скорости, а для извлечения раздувшейся гильзы. Извлечение гильзы после выстрела было главной проблемой всех ПТР СССР. В комплекте был молоток, используя который можно было сломать затвор. Это оригинальное решение сложной проблемы.

[@rotwang2000]

Another interesting point is that unlike other armies where they were often parceled out and spread over units to provide some kind of AT capability, these guns were grouped into large units and fired in volleys at enemy tanks and even though they were unable to penetrate the front armour, things like the commander's cupola, vision blocks, machinegun ports, radio antennas, etc were fair game and usually ended up being ruined. Even if they didn't penetrate the armour, they could sometimes cause spalling and with enough of them hitting a tank, this could be nasty. This became such a problem that the Germans added Schurzen, which unlike common belief were designed to slow down and divert shots just enough they would bounce off the enemy's armour. Even Panther was vulnerable to them, especially the lower hull, where you had a gap between the wheels and the upper hull which was sloped and thick enough to stop shots, They added skirts to protect those vulnerable flanks.

[@PROkiller16]

Don't forget the fear factor. When you've got something knocking on your armour your concern isn't going to be what calibre it is.

[@softstone125]

You're right, but I'll add one more moment. In 1941, we had big problems with anti-tank weapons - army needed more and more to compensate for losses on one hand, on the other - we need to equip units created in the the course of mobilization in RKKA. Anti-tank rifles in this situation it's some kind of confidence for our infantry, that it will have something to counter the panzers, except grenades and courage. (and alsi all this - cheap and with minimal use of the machine tools)

[@DaiReith]

Typical Soviet engineering, quick, dirty and viciously effective....

[@umka7536]

Hmmm. Mostly not.

[@themadhammer3305]

@@umka7536 depends what you shoot it at I guess

[@MichaelS-vy1ku]

@@themadhammer3305 these weapons were for guerilla forces not regular army.

[@steeltrap3800]

@@MichaelS-vy1ku They were part of the standard TO&E of a Soviet rifle division. A new TO&E was issue for Soviet rifle Brigades in April 1942. One change was the inclusion of an AT rifle platoon in each of the 3-4 battalions, as well as an AT battalion that included 48 AT rifles (and AT guns). In other words, regular Red Army.

[@Bialy_1]

and based os someone else work(you forgot to add), locking mechanizm is a rip-off from Polish Wz. 35 anti-tank rifle... That in Italian manual made after they Italians tested them got up to 50mm of penetration (rifle much smaller and not so heavy).

[@bololollek9245]

Degtaryev was really a genious to come up with such a simple gun so fast.

[@updidi]

My grandmother was made this anti tank rifle in military factory of WW II

[@giostisskylas]

If there is no more ammunition, you simply take the massive bolt and kill the enemy with it.

[@izperehoda]

*bonk*

[@2dollarchickenwings689]

Use it like a wooden staff

[@sannidhyabalkote9536]

@@izperehoda use chainsaw for ammo

[@yoboikamil525]

"we're out of ammo" "just bonk the german"

[@volvo1354]

the German maintenance battalions had to hate these things, damaging road wheels, drive sprockets, and tracks of armored vehicles

[@cursedcliff7562]

*Russian soldier hits the inside road wheel of a panther* FFFFFFFFFU-

[@ZionPattersonsprofile]

when they werent breaking themselves, that is

[@essentialjazzforaspiringmu1605]

Id imagine they would have bigger things to worry about *cough cough* 150km *cough cough*

[@cianmac3934]

@@ZionPattersonsprofile there was a few pathers with 4-5k km on the transmission so they werent too bad in fairness haha

[@ReySchultz121]

German engie: bruh i just repaired that track 10 minutes ago.

[@fireaza]

"Herr Kommandant! We have word that the Russians have developed an anti-panzer rifle! Though, judging from the reconnaissance photos, to be honest, it looks as they've just strapped a bunch of pipes together." "Ho ho ho ho! They take us for fools, do they? But let us humor them! Send in our lightest panzers! Their inability to defeat even our lightest armor should make it clear who is the superior military force!"

[@imperialguardsman5726]

Germans,a couple minutes later: *TERRIFIED GERMAN SCREAMING*

[@heymedic6398]

@@imperialguardsman5726 Russian comrade who fired the round and experienced the pain: *Insert drunken russian crying*

[@theluiginoidperson1097]

The German Infantry on the other side of the tank: *Who just shot at us?*

[@reymisteryo9163]

The weapon that triggered "the rumbling" with 20% discount. "I just keep moving forward, until my enemies are destroyed... Tatakae! Tatakae!"

[@claudiaberger9639]

My father was employed in 1943 in a sd kfz251 on the Eastern Front. In one use, his vehicle was shot at with a Russian "Panzerbüchse". The driver lost both forearms. Bad time back then.

[@alt-monarchist]

My great grandfather joined the Red Army in 1941. He made it all the way to Berlin

[@alexandrkovalev5082]

@@mishka-m ты бы хоть выражения выбирал. Наши предки сражались с ублюдками и фашистами не для того чтобы их предки сами уподоблялись.

[@foxy126pl6]

@Арсений Корчевский nost of the pepole there don't even understand what is he saying (incuding me) so don't worry. Let me guess, he was calling him a nazi or something?

[@foxy126pl6]

@Арсений Корчевский oof

[@IsaacESFR]

Good

[@MlTGLIED]

I have these 14.5x114mm as a bottle opener. It is always an eye catcher for visitors 😁

[@lucignolo8333]

Where’s your pub mate?

[@MlTGLIED]

At home in the backyard 😉 you are always welcome

[@lucignolo8333]

if you'll ever find yourself in italy just write me in this comment section pal

[@PieterBreda]

You should consider using a live round. Far more exciting

[@davell1078]

I made the Metro 2033 lighter, but with a 12,7mm. It's like the capitalist version.

[@hitman911946]

This gun is the perfect representation of soviet engineering, simple, good enough, and easy to use

[@voidwarden1413]

the design is very human

[@raffaellouis4326]

The Real Anti-Titan Rifle

[@alexprokhorov407]

I want the full auto version, please. This thing reminds me of a tractor anecdote. The Russians sent us the blueprints for the newest tractor, but whatever we tried we built a tank

[@user-vu9ug4vb3u]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/m2LNZql9hJp-pNk

[@user-lm1gl5dg5y]

Full auto will kill you with recoil before you kill someone.

[@memengineer5714]

Kpv komrade

[@essentialjazzforaspiringmu1605]

That anecdote is like, the exact opposite of the production of the BT series tanks.

[@slightyawesome4859]

@@user-lm1gl5dg5y nope

[@DerTypDa]

That thing probably holds some record for "most lefty-unfriendly gun ever". Plenty of guns may spew hot brass in your face, but this guy would probably just crack your skull right open.

[@Statusinator]

You'd think a device made by communists would be good for lefties

[@aaronorr5586]

Statusinator *Shwing!* Thunk! "Hole in one people, hole in one!"

[@timeforgottenprince8271]

It was of simple design, so making one for left-handed people probably wouldn't be too hard.

[@deltavee2]

Yup, nuthin' but bwains for about 15 feet behind you.

[@Suyamu]

There was nothing lefty friendly in the Soviet Union, because the Soviets considered being a lefty something that needs to be fixed. So they did. They made lefties write and do everything else with their right hand etc...

[@jamesjross]

"Comrade Degtyarev - Brilliant gun... ... Simonov, what have you come up with?" "Hold my Vodka"

[@MakinamiPhYT]

Is this where the anti-titan rifle is based from?

[@pepsi-4275]

Most likely yes

[@projectkepleren]

yes

[@104jones]

No concerns about short sight radius on this baby

[@A_Eichler]

Not a gun collector, but I have a certain fascination with them. This channel is an informative, intelligent and well presented set of videos. Kudos.

[@bbelsito]

I'm not even a huge fan of guns but the combination of Ian's ability to storytell and the stories behind these weapons make these videos amazing, even for someone laxed about guns.

[@EchosTackyTiki]

British: I need a mag-fed, precision made destructive device. Finns: That, but on skis. Swiss: That, but (fuck you, *bullpups your AT rifle.) Russians: Angery toob.

[@thegoldencaulk2742]

Any chance you'll be able to test one against some armor in the future?

[@FarrYaweh]

useless against modern armour.

[@ivanmonahhov2314]

vs APC and IFV and MRAP in can be useful

[@thegoldencaulk2742]

Evidently I made this comment before I finished the video. If anyone _is_ looking for existing PTRD-41 footage, our old pals at Marstar have some video of theirs.

[@TheKodiak72]

Anti tank guns were useless against late WW2 tanks.

[@pulseweld]

the ammo for this weapon is priceless, and probably worth just as much as the gun

[@bigg1256]

* teleports behind you * Anti Personal kid

[@theillyrian9826]

t. npc

[@1893Mauser]

*teleports two meters behind you*

[@zedsdeadbaby]

lmaoooo

[@blah5684]

* stabs you in the back *

[@ArcturusOTE]

Telefrags the kid because the long barrel went through the kid

[@loltakeurmedz590]

ngl Gabi kinda goated w this rifle 😈

[@isaiahlee2902]

I'm surprised her shoulder wasn't dislocated from all of those shots, even if she is a Warrior candidate. Gabi's just built different

[@battleoid2411]

Its really interesting, you can even see when he zooms in how rough the surface finish is on the various components of the gun, you can tell that they just threw the stock on a lathe, got it down to tolerance in like a couple minutes, and then moved on to the next one. Even just that detail shows how breakneck the production pace was on these.

[@ShotgunGabe]

To be honest i wasn’t impressed when i saw the gun because it looks like a cheap pipe gun, but then you showed me the auto ejecting mechanic and i suddenly want one.

[@MaximilianBrandt]

It's a good gun. My father used one when he was in Angola. They were calling it "Безумная кочерга" - mad poker is the right translation. It is enough to blow holes in medium armoured vehicles.

[@ObsoleteVodka]

That's soviet engineering at its best. Deceivingly simple yet elegant and efficient. True zero-nonsense design.

[@NarcassiticGamer]

You mean you didnt want something in 14.5?

[@ShotgunGabe]

NarcassisticGamer im more of a 20mm guy XD

[@timeforgottenprince8271]

Imagine how powerful a PTRD would be if people were asked to improve it with modern technology. Damn. Also, it looks badass, I remember a friend of my father talked about getting to hold one once during some kind of performance. They didn't have any ammunition for it, but they liked to carry it around anyway, because it made them feel like a badass.

[@Dispo030]

this gun ist the essence of Sovjet engineering. what a beauty!

[@SebastianSonntag]

“Ask a Soviet engineer to design a pair of shoes and he’ll come up with something that looks like the boxes that the shoes came in; ask him to make something that will massacre Germans, and he turns into Thomas Fucking Edison.” ― Neal Stephenson, Cryptonomicon

[@Dispo030]

I was speaking in terms of simple but effective... but keep 'em coming, I'm open for puns!

[@Dispo030]

mondayfool I don't agree 100%. Sovjets had undeniable issues in the quality of materials and manufacturing and maintenance, but their engineering was in many cases pretty good. As an example, NATO fighter jets need in most cases pristine air strips to start and land safely, while USSR jets have the air intakes on top of their wings and you can land them in a potato field. (I exaggerating here ofc)

[@Bialy_1]

PTRD design was copying Polish anti-tank rifle not German, it was using scaled up bolt of Wz.35, so yea typical soviet design(steal what ever you can without paying license fees...).

[@VijayNinel]

Biały where did you get this misinformation? The ptrd bolt is not copied from the wz 35.

[@scottr.hampton2474]

Saw 2 of these in operation in my youth. We were able to inspect the emplacement afterwards. They buried a mortar track up to the top deck, camouflaged with local heavy brush. A rotational ring was installed the bipod feet sat in. VERY EFFECTIVE!

[@kfmathew]

Saw this gun first in the Russian WWII movie Panfilov's 28 Men.

[@andrewzyazev5656]

У нас в музее воинской славы есть такое ружьё , можно открыть -закрыть затвор , почувствовать вес оружия . Мощная вещь . В начале войны это оружие могло уничтожать или повреждать танки ,Т-2/3/4 . Но немцы стали устанавливать экраны и эффективность упала почти до нуля , дистанциях поражения и так была не очень большая 100 -200 метров . Но зато это оружие легко и на больших дистанциях поражало и уничтожало технику которая шла на поле боя вместе с танками , бронетранспортеры , самоходные орудия не имевшие сильной брони , а это делало танки менее эффективными без поддержки самоходной артиллерии и пехоты . В любом случае это интересное и достаточно эффективное орудие для своего периода , подобные системы в других армиях были либо ещё менее эффективными , либо очень тяжёлыми при в общем таких же характеристиках .

[@lathrin]

Да Товарищ

[@user-zl5it6ud8j]

Я понял.Аналоговнет.

[@TikageKadzama]

@@user-zl5it6ud8j анлоги то есть. но что бы стреляло таким же калибром - нет.

[@sanchesseli]

Даже на поздних этапах Войны полюбому было полезней иметь хотя бы одну такую "штуку" на взвод. Целей то достаточно и кроме танков.

[@_b_x_b_1063]

@@user-zl5it6ud8j аналоги были тяжелее и уступали по бронепробиваемости

[@thisconnectd]

It's like a mini artillery piece with semi automatic breech

[@Statusinator]

We need to make a half-scale wheeled carriage for it, and then someone could tow it with a bicycle or something

[@user-yj8vj3sq6j]

+Statusinator they added wheels on the later versions

[@ivanmonahhov2314]

Now you are thing in German aka the conic barreled 20/28 mm rifle which weighted 140+ kg

[@blackvulture6818]

@@Statusinator like a maxim gun carriage?

[@jasonscarborough94]

Remember comrades, if the PTRD is damaged to the point that it can no longer fire, the bolt can be used as a mace

[@andyweiss80]

Panfilov's 28 is on Amazon Prime and has excellent content displaying the PTRD in use.

[@bztrd80]

I agree. Also, it's a great movie, well done and... it's a true story.

[@skateibednet1skateibednet121]

Panfilov's division consisted from Kazakhs, Russians and Kyrgyzes. Iron division that stopped Nazis in a few kilometers from Moscow. The most legendary military troop in Red Army.

[@TexasViking_INFP-t_5w4]

America: I have a 50 BMG USSR: that's cute capitalist comrade

[@gross56647]

The US Had bazookas and superior air power and superior artillery which was more of an advantage than the 14.5mm.

[@TexasViking_INFP-t_5w4]

@@gross56647 it's a joke I hate the USSR anyways

[@endjfcar]

@@gross56647 ...Are you actually sure about that?

[@aisir3725]

@@mephi71101 20mm* well, we have zsu-23-4

[@webkeeper]

@@TexasViking_INFP-t_5w4 hate? Why? You can't blame the Cuban crisis on the USSR, the US had nuclear weapons in Turkey, and this is what started the Crisis. While in Vietnam, the US supported colonialism by suppressing the people of Vietnam in their fight for independence from the French. What exactly the USSR did to the US so you would express the hate you have? Beyond that, isn't the hate a bad motivator for decisions?

[@adaw2d3222]

It always amazes me how efficient the Soviet industry was during the war.

[@5anjuro]

David White Not in this particular case. The first protocol of Lend Lease was only signed in October 1941. The PTRD was designed and commissioned so quickly because of how urgent the situation in 1941 was.

[@stephenwoods4118]

Be efficient or spend some time in Siberia to think about how you should have been efficient.

[@RedRocket4000]

Communist System worked well in mass production while motivated people were available. Natural​ decline of motivation over time caused decline.

[@mikenuzzo3323]

That's why they fucking lost???

[@gregoryfilin8040]

Well, when you have an enemy army marching in, destroying your everything, you need to be quick on your feet.

[@cottontehbunbun7193]

“This is what god would use to shoot somebody” ~Soldier

[@user-yc5bh6rd6s]

No. We are just Russians:)

[@julesvagnier5684]

@@user-yc5bh6rd6s that's what he said ;)

[@TheFatMob]

I can confirm - I'm from Donbass, and I saw PTRDs at checkpoints several times during the early stages of the conflict. Now they are more or less obsolete, since both sides have normal RPGs and ATGMs, and more "fancy" units are equipped with modern-day anti-materiel rifles.

[@SamuraiAkechi]

Simonov is pronounced as Seemonov, not Saimonov. Speaking of sniper modification, there were numerous frontline modifications of PTRS and PTRD made with PU x3,5 scopes. Obviously, they weren't reliable due to scopes suffering serious damage and loosing the zeroing.

[@alecingram4669]

Edward Mass never heard of anyone putting scopes on them but I guess it could be useful when firing such a great long range cartridge. Would love to see one of these with a scope!

[@gregoryfilin8040]

Understatement there. Scope glass would shatter after a few shots.

[@coachhannah2403]

Edward Mass Vasily Yaitzev (so) tried to make a long-range sniper version from the PTRD, and tested it in the field, but the tolerances, especially the ammo, were not up to his needs.

[@gregoryfilin8040]

Coach Hannah well it makes sense. Ammo made to hit a tank at 200-600 meters isn’t conducive to precision shooting.

[@traxxasbro5604]

Semen-ov

[@MarinkoKobas]

After 1942 it was still very effective against German halftracks like the sdkfz 250.

[@TheArklyte]

But it turned from antitank rifle into an antimaterial one. Still better then it's german counterpart that faced this fate long before the war, but still was advertised as one for sake of industrialists keeping their earnings and producing more.

[@fratercontenduntocculta8161]

If you think about it, this has several things in common with the RPG: the weapon is very simple but the real magic is the ammo itself.

[@rauldemoura2417]

DAAYUMN!! For a “shoulder fired” weapon, that’s a MONSTER!! I would LOVE to see some footage of this being fired, and see the effectiveness on armor plate!

[@PeterGKO]

This thing is so cool! That half-semi automatic function has got to be one of the neatest mechanisms I've ever seen. So simple, but extremely practical. As are many Russian designed mechanisms.

[@bztrd80]

U should hear the sound of it... it's like the steps of Godzilla heard from a far distance.

[@rootbeer666]

It's worth pointing out that the design of the firearm itself around an existing cartridge can be rapid as you demonstrate here, however it takes considerably longer to design a cartridge, especially a special use cartridge like this one.

[@ozmo69]

SO much thoughtful engineering in such a simple gun. Wow

[@SFDPSFDP]

The content on this channel is fantastic, thank you very much for your dedication and all these videos. Greetings from France.

[@martentrudeau6948]

Thank you Ian, the Russians are very pragmatic when they want to be, the PRRD 41 looks simple, strong, and lethal. Excellent show.

[@khps0413]

Stalin: I want a big gun that can kill a tank, comrade, and I mean right now. Designers: Da ( rip a water barrel from street randomly and stick a pillow on the barrel). Alright, here you go.

[@khps0413]

FlymanMS What is that mean?

[@mhamedeid1228]

bretty good

[@IngLurker]

it means something like "cheers", as in when drinking a shot. exact translation would be "to health".

[@RustedCroaker]

It's "cheers" in Polish, I think, but not in Russian for sure. "Na zdorovie" in Russian mean "you're welcome" and it is your response on "thank you" from a guest after a meal you served/cooked to the guest, for example. Yet another false stereotype about Russians. When drinking a Russian will say "Za vashe zdorovie" ("for your health") or "Budem zdorovi" ("We'll keep healthy" or "cheers" actually), but never "Na zdorovie". Imagine someone say "You are welcome!" as a toast each time he taking a shot, it'll be awkward as hell.

[@lathrin]

Да блять

[@lumiiv]

They had actually tried to put optical sight on it during the development but it appeared that the sights couldn't withstand the recoil and went out of alignment or were cracked all too soon.

[@kimjanek646]

Yeah no way a scope could handle the recoil of the barrel moving backwards 🤔

[@Mark-vq5dz]

Thanks Ian, always a good watch !

[@5chr4pn3ll]

Holy crap, you are so damn consistent with content Ian

[@iLLeag7e]

In the 3 years I've been watching I remember 1 day without an upload but he double uploads sometimes so he's well ahead in the long run. Ian is serious about this channel and there is much rejoicing as a result :)

[@marcinfrostymroz]

In "operation think tank" one of the guys (i think Steve Zaloga, but not sure) mentioned that Panther II was designed espacially because of russian AT rifles as normal panther had only 35mm of side armor and those rifles were able to penetrate it. Evemtually the imvention of Schurzen (thin armored skirts) increased the protection to the point where panther II project was no longer needed and got cancelled

[@eltouty345]

Panzer or panther ?

[@eltouty345]

You mean Panzer right ?

[@marcinfrostymroz]

No - i ment Pz V Panther. - source: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKXPY3eepLeDpMU

[@ivanmonahhov2314]

original Panther had 40mm of side armor , but unshielded oil piping , it was pretty bad as good hit on hit on the plate would rupture that piping and the plate would be at a very high temperature around the impact point - so this created a mix of air and oil aerosol and a hot metal plate - result of that was predictable. 14.5mm did hgave penetration of up to 50mm at 100m.

[@eltouty345]

Marcin Mróz Ok i don't know much about germans ww2 tanks . Thanks . Sorry for the spams , pretty bad connection here

[@Five_Seven7]

The soldiers who use this rife during war, was called Fishermen when they was carrying this rifle

[@rileyernst9086]

You have to remember that even by the end of the war the majority of German tanks were still earlier models. Late 1943 did not roll around and the Germans all traded in their panzer IIIs and IVs for panthers and tigers. BUT we do see the introduction of thicker armour and side skirts. The side skirts were not in response to HEAT rounds like those from bazookas(they would prove to be effective at stopping them though), but from the PTRD, as it was found that panzers and stugs were vulnerable to being hit through the lower side plates. Or the sides and rear of the turret.

[@DieselMcBadass1]

half semiautomatic? As opposed to full semi?

[@GreenHellTube]

Semi Semiautomatic

[@artemoz726]

DieselMcBadass1 quarterautomatic. IIRC this is official artillery term for systems like this

[@whyjay9959]

Quarter-automatic? Para-automatic?

[@user-dh2ev9sc4c]

Well, in russian terms, PTRS-41 is actually a semiautomatic gun) And what tyoically calls "semiautomatic" - in official russian designation is "self-loading"

[@Statusinator]

Semi automatic reloading, as opposed to semi automatic firing

[@user-kj9dj4vr9y]

There is a movie about defending Moscow during Great Patriotic war called "Panfilov's 28" ("28 Панфиловцев"), they made great scenes of shooting this rifle operated by crew of two - operator and reloader. One was shouting "CARTRIDGE!" when he requested reload, another one was always ready to slam the cartridge down into the chamber.

[@Ni999]

It's available in the US on Amazon Prime Video.

[@davidolie8392]

Panfilov's 316th Rifle Division was one of the first to have a large number of PTRDs issued, which is one reason it was able to fight so effectively.

[@wino0000006]

Funny thing - this was true to all types of guns in the USSR.

[@Ni999]

@@wino0000006 Reloading pistols like the Makarov must have been a lot harder than I thought.

[@missbelled6700]

@@Ni999 kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqfZZWV6r5ynopI LOL

[@mykl1673]

imagine direct impacting a man with this he's going home to his family in a bucket

[@hlubmos2chah945]

PTRD41 or PTRS remind me of the anti-aircraft Dhsk 12.7mm heavy machine guns which were heavily used against the slow T-28s and fast Sky Raiders to good effect in the Secret War in Laos during the Vietnam War. Love your videos. Interesting! Thank you.

[@victorbecerra1085]

Damn Russian engineering is both smart and very clever

[@randywatson8347]

That is one very cool rifle. Imagine having a salvo of 3 against one tank. The bolt could be used as a handweapon 😂

[@lathrin]

@Abu Troll al cockroachistan ISIS is too dumb to do shit

[@tjniznik6974]

I was watching journalist interviews yesterday and a pro-Russian Ukranian separatist displayed his ww2 20mm anti-tank rifle. I was quite amazed because it had a wooden stock. My understanding was that these rifles held a very heavy kick.

[@stargazer162]

I'm impressed they put a decent amount of thought into what's basically a tube with an oversized bullet. That system to reduce recoil and automatically eject the empty shell is pretty ingenious.

[@belokonev-dan]

Didn't knew PTRD's was manufactured in my home city, Izhevsk.

[@TylerLL2112]

Денис Белоконев I have a 91-30 PU from your hometown. Not that it's uncommon. But, it's cool you live there where some amazing rifles were produced!

[@quadroninja2708]

В Ижевске много оружия производили

[@RobertMilesAI]

13:26 How far back does it go? I'd be worried about your thumb there

[@migkillerphantom]

from AI safety to anti-tank rifle safety, quite a leap

[@gfhjkfghj4208]

That's only a problem when shooting for the 1. time. As Stalin said, "One thumb, one problem. No thumb, no problem."

[@WalterBurton]

I was wondering the exact same thing, +Robert Miles. 👍👍👍

[@Meph648]

Good day Mr. Miles, I'm a big fan of your channel. I also own a PTRD, and the barreled action recoils just about 3" in total travel. It does stay clear of thumbs unless they're put in the path on purpose. If the shooter has his cheek on the cheekrest, right hand on the pistol grip, and left hand under the wooden block portion of the buttstock, the shooter will not be injured. Have a nice weekend!

[@RobertMilesAI]

Good to know, thanks!

[@andrewspohrer7183]

With an optical sight, it may actually be effective against modern tank accoutrements such as imaging, coms and other items that can't be armored. Much dangerous, very like

[@finder7063]

Anyone else notice how this is literally just the Anti-Titan Rifle from AOT?