What was the weight of the Lahti L-39?
Users found the L-39 to be heavy and difficult to move in the battlefield. Even its magazine weighed almost two kilograms. The magazines had a covered viewing slit on the right side to indicate the number of rounds left in the magazine, and a 15-round magazine was later developed for anti-aircraft use.
What was the name of the Lahti tank gun?
It was nicknamed “Norsupyssy” (” Elephant Gun “), and as tanks developed armour too thick for the Lahti to penetrate, its uses switched to long range sniping, tank harassment and with the L-39/44 fully automatic variant, employment as an improvised anti-aircraft weapon .
Is the Lahti a semi automatic or semi automatic rifle?
After test firing both weapons in 1939, they found that the 20 mm rifle displayed better penetration. The rifle is a semi-automatic, gas operated weapon with the piston located beneath the barrel and ammunition feed from detachable top-mounted magazine with bottom ejection for the spent cartridges.
Why did Lahti make the 13.2 mm machine gun?
Officers who wanted smaller calibre anti-tank weapons believed that the muzzle velocity of 20 mm shells was insufficient to penetrate armour and a weapon with a higher rate of fire and in a smaller calibre would prove useful. As a result, Lahti designed two competing anti-tank weapons: a 13.2 mm machine gun and a 20 mm rifle.
What was the Lahti anti tank gun used for?
The Lahti L-39 is a Finnish 20 mm anti-tank rifle used during the Second World War. It had excellent accuracy, penetration and range, but its size made transportation difficult. It was nicknamed “Norsupyssy” (” Elephant Gun “), and as tanks developed armour too thick for the Lahti to penetrate its uses switched to long range sniping,…
Why did Aimo Lahti make a 20 mm gun?
Aimo Lahti had doubts about the original idea of a 13 mm anti-tank machine gun and started working on a 20 mm design. Officers who wanted smaller calibre anti-tank weapons believed that the muzzle velocity of 20 mm shells was insufficient to penetrate armour and a weapon with a higher rate of fire and in a smaller calibre would prove useful.