What a Beautiful Anti-tank rifle!

[supertsar]

Ran across this cool picture of Polish Eastern Front troops in kolberg in March 1945 armed with the ubiquitous Anti-tank rifle. Russia started using them in November 1941 and their use continued right through to the end of the war making them appropriate for just about any scenario...
(Now that we know this years releases, lobby season for 2010/11 releases is officially open, right?)

[Mk 1]

Russia started using them in November 1941 and their use continued right through to the end of the war making them appropriate for just about any scenario...

Actually, the North Koreans and Chinese used them in combat through the early 1950s as well. So one might even suggest they fit in the "Wehrmacht 1947" line!

(Now that we know this years releases, lobby season for 2010/11 releases is officially open, right?)

Ah, but as with the Soviet infantry's rifles, let us be careful to ask for the ones we really want.

In that picture the troops are armed with the PTRS-41 anti-tank rifle. I find it rather [interesting to see it in the hands of Polish troops, as the Siminov was the premium/upscale model of the Soviet ATR offering.

Far more common was the Degtyarav model, the PTRD-41.

By observing the muzzle brake you can get at least a hint, as the PTRS had a fairly blocky brake, while the PTRD, when seen in profile, looked more like a funnel (when seen from above/below it also looked somewhat funnel-like, though was much wider as it diverted gasses to the sides). A more certain indicator is the above-barrel gas return cylinder, a sure mark of the semi-automatic PTRS. Also (not shown) the PTRS had an under-receiver 5-shot magazine. The PTRD, being a single-shot bolt-action had a somewhat longer barrel, and no above barrel fixtures, looking more like a very long pipe with a funnel at one end and a shoulder-pad at the other.


Here they are, side-by-side in my gun cabinet.* The PTRD is the longer gun on the left, the PTRS is the more compact design, with magazine, on the right.

The PTRD was by far the more common version, being made in some millions of units. The PTRS was built in the hundreds of thousands, so was not rare by any means. Still, if one is looking to equip a Red hord, the PTRD might be the better choice.

Kind of like the question of riflemen armed with Tokarev semi-auto rifles, versus Mosin-Nagant bolt actions. I'll lobby for the more common guns for my Soviets.

* Yeah, and if you believe THAT I have some real estate I'd like to sell you just off the coast. Actually, the picture is from my gaming buddy Vladimir's Silicon Valley Scale Modellers web gallery, and the guns shown are on display at the Great Patriotic War Museum in Minsk.

[supertsar]

They made enough of each where I could live with either one.
What is important is that when they package them they put many in per pack (probably will be mixed with other heavy weapons).
The Soviets formed ATR companies (24 rifles) and these were in turn formed into ATR battalions. Can't do that if they give us just a few per pack....

It HAS to be just a matter of time before they make these... we've got all these German tanks running around our battlefields with skirts - and don't have any of the weapons the skirts were designed to defeat!

Will they be part of the December 09 "R64 Russian Individual Infantry #2"? Better be at least 12 per pack!!!!