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The PTRD (Противотанковое однозарядное ружьё образца 1941 года системы Дегтярёва Protivotankovoye odnozaryadnoye ruzh'yo obraztsa 1941 goda sistemy Degtyarova, lit. "Single-shot anti-tank rifle, model of 1941, Degtyaryov system"), often known as the PTRD-41, was a Soviet single-shot anti-tank rifle designed by Vasily Degtyaryov and manufactured by the Degtyaryov Plant from 1941 to 1945.

History

After the USSR captured some Model 35 anti-tank rifles from the Polish, which proved effective, Vasily Degtyaryov copied the lock and some features of the Panzerbüsche 38 into his then new design, when hasty production was required.

At the time, the PTRD and PTRS were the only anti-tank rifles available upon the outbreak with Germany. The 14.5x114mm round could penetrate 35-40mm of armor. As most German tanks had a thin sheet of armor that was less than 40mm at the time, it was supposed to be easy to penetrate. However, there was a high chance that the bullet would not penetrate the armor and instead shatter if a tank is struck at the wrong angle.

Due to its obsolescence and ineffectiveness against tanks, the PTRD and PTRS fell out of favor with the army as anti-tank rifles, and instead were reassigned as anti-materiel rifles. The PTRD had numerous flaws, such as lack of penetration power and the inability to aim accurately with a telescopic sight, annoying many crews that used the PTRD, and absurd muzzle flash, instantly giving away a crew's position. The PTRD was later taken out of service and replaced with the RPG-7.

Design

The PTRD is a crudely-designed, single-shot anti-tank rifle firing the 14.5×114mm cartridge. It uses a lock from the kb ppanc wz. 35 and some elements from the Panzerbüsche 38.

The weapon is a single-shot self-ejecting anti-tank rifle. The bullet is inserted through a port in the top of the weapon; when the weapon is fired, the front receiver recoils back, opens the bolt and ejects the spent cartridge downwards automatically in an effort to increase the rate of fire.