[Plastic Cowboy]

I am facinated by BIG guns. Does anyone have pix/info about those big bore anti-tank rifles developed during WWI?
I guess some of these monsters had shoulder breaking recoil if not used properly.

I bet specimens of these firearms are worth big $$$ to collectors today.

[1 old 0311]

Those were the Boys Anti Tank Rifle?

[Dr.Rob]

Many were converted to 50 bmg for the US market, if they weren't they'd be a destructive device, subject to the same laws as cannons.

[modifiedbrowning]

Those were the Boys Anti Tank Rifle?

I thought the Boys was a WWII weapon used by the US Marines.

[SigfanUSAF]

Boys Mk I & Mk II (used by the British only, officially)
-Developed in the mid-30s
-.55 Boys caliber
-5 round bolt action
-Used slightly in 1940 and again in '42.
-MK I unsuccessful and withdrawn from service
-MK II Never adopted

T-Gewehr M1918 in 13x92mm SR T-Patrone (cartridge)
-Developed by Mauser in 1918
-Single shot
-13x92mm SR T-Patrone (cartridge)
-Limited use in the last months of WWI
-Superceded by the SS41 (7.92x95mm)

[Jim K]

The Boys was WWII British bolt action, 5-shot, anti-tank rifle. In .55 caliber, it is legally a "destructive device" in the United States. There were other anti-tank rifles of the period, most in 20mm.

I think the only WWI rifle was a 13mm single shot made on an oversize Mauser bolt action. AFAIK, it was used only by Germany. It also would be a destructive device under U.S. law, since it is over .50.

While most of the powers started WWII with some version of an anti-tank rifle, tank armor soon became too thick for such weapons, and very soon even heavier guns of 37mm and 40mm mounted on wheeled carriages would no longer do the job on medium and heavy tanks, although they were still effective on light tanks and armored personnel carriers.

The introduction of light rockets carrying shaped charges soon put paid to all the other infantry support light anti-tank weapons.

Jim

[captdenden]

If you want to further research them, they were also called "boyes" depending on which training manual you used. If my memory serves the "boyes" was more often used by the Brits. Seeing they invented the thing, that might be the proper spelling.

[Jim K]

I have seen a photo of a paper the man signed and he spelled his name "Boys" so I will take that as correct in spite of other spellings elsewhere.

The Boys was used by about all the British Empire countries; some sources say it was used by the U.S. Marines, but I have seen nothing to absolutely confirm that, or to indicate if such use was extemporaneous or if the rifles were an issue item. All the ones I have actually seen came from the U.K.

Jim

[armoredman]

The Germans had a 7.92mm version, with a small bullet and HUGE casing, driving the tungsten slug to unholy velocities. It also has a small tear gass pellet attached to the back of the slug, the theory being, the tear gas would disperse inside the tank, and drive the crew out. The reality was the pellet often fell off outside the vehicle, and affected thier own troops, attempting to physically assault the vehicle.

I wonder if the 7.92mm AT rifle is NFA, as it is NOT 50 cal....

[SDC]

I believe the only anti-tank rifle (designed as such) used in WW1 was the 13mm M1918 Mauser, but it led to several later copies and competing designs (the Polish Maroscek, the British Boys, the German PzB 38, 39, and 41, the Swiss Solothurn, etc.) Here's a picture of the original:

http://www.sturmgewehr.com/bhinton/HK_Plant_Mauser_Museum/1918_Anti-TankRifle.jpg

[Jim K]

I knew of the 7.9mm Panzerbuchsen (PzB) 38 and 39 AT rifles, but the initial question was about WWI, and the 7.9 rifles did not come along until just before WWII.

FWIW, I have never seen one and would be surprised if any are in the country except maybe in a military museum. But in case you have one, no legal problem; not being over .50 caliber, they would be classed as ordinary rifles. Here is a reference with more info.

http://www.smallarmsreview.com/pdf/may03.pdf#search=%22German%20anti%20tank%22

Jim

[hso]

1939 Lahti 20mm antitank "rifle"
http://www.ohioordnanceworks.com/lahti/l-1.jpg

[Sunray]

The Boys(it's not Boyes) was one of many anti-tank rifles developed at the end of W. W. I. All of 'em were seriously obsolete by 1939. None of 'em would bother any tank in use by then. Light skinned vehicles sure, but not tanks.
The shop I worked in long ago had a German PzB39 single shot anti-tank rifle(later rechambered to 8mm Rem Mag and scoped. The guy who bought it and paid for the chamber insert conversion had more money than brains. He was a big, very strong guy and could shoulder the friggin thing. Mind you, he could shoulder a .50 BMG too). The ammo looked like a necked down, coke bottle with an 8mm AP bullet and was $15 each in the early 80's. One day, an older guy came in and stood looking at it. Told him what it was(I suspect unnecessarily) and he asked if I had ever heard of the Boys. "Yep". says me, feeling very smart. He said he had been in the Indian Army prior to W. W. II and they used the Boys to snipe from mountain top to mountain top at Afghan tribesmen. Funny how nothing ever changes.