Performance was basically the same as that of the PzB 38. It retained the barrel of the PzB 38 and had an only slightly increased overall length of 162.0 cm (5 ft 3.8 in) weight was reduced to 12.6 kg (28 lb). It also used a vertical breech block mechanism and the same cartridge as the PzB 38. The next development, onto which production was immediately switched, was the Panzerbüchse 39 (PzB 39), an improvement made by Gustloff on their PzB 38.

also known as the '7.92 x 94 Patronen'.ĭug in soldiers with the Panzerbüchse 39 deployed on the Eastern Front. It used a specifically designed cartridge with a standard caliber of 7.9 mm, but a very large 94 mm long case (nominal 7.92×94mm). This rather complicated mechanism was reportedly prone to jamming as the system got dirty in field use.Īlthough manufactured with pressed steel parts that were spot-welded, because of the complicated vertical breech block mechanism it was difficult to manufacture and only a small number of 1,408 PzB 38 rifles were built in 19 at the Gustloff Werke plant 62 of these weapons were used by German troops in the invasion of Poland in 1939. The breech and barrel would then move forward again and the trigger was cocked in preparation to fire. The gunner then released the cocked breech with a lever at the grip. The breech block was then arrested in the rear position, remaining opened for the gunner to manually insert a new cartridge. When fired, the barrel recoiled about 9 cm (3.5 in), which opened the breech and ejected the spent cartridge casing. It was a manually loaded single-shot weapon with a recoiling barrel. Brauer at Gustloff Werke in Suhl designed the Panzerbüchse 38 (PzB 38).

In an effort to provide infantry with a man-portable lightweight anti-tank rifle, Dipl.-Ing. German development resumed in the late 1930s.

That single shot manually operated rifle enjoyed moderate success approximately 15,800 rifles were built.

It was created in response to the appearance of the first British tanks on the Western Front. German anti-tank rifles originated back in 1917 with the Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr, the world's first anti-tank rifle.

How to say gewehr