The PTRD-41 was a one-shot weapon capable of damaging most of the armored vehicles at close range, even some of the early WWII tanks. Its handling was simple and required a team of two people, the shooter, and the loader. This weapon is just over 2 meters long and weighed around 17 kg, light enough to be transported by a man. Usually, the team changed positions as they fired due to the huge muzzle blast, which revealed its position.The 14.5mm bullet had a muzzle velocity of 1,006 m/s and weighed from 59 to 64 grams. The rifle had a muzzle brake and the recoil of the barrel itself ejected the empty case leaving the chamber open to introduce a fresh round. After entering the new round the bolt had to be closed manually. The opening action is known as “long recoil” but having to complete the loading operation by hand, was something unique.The PTRD-41 effectiveness was more than questionable if it was fired against tanks, because projectile sometimes broke and did not penetrate the armour. These bullets carried small incendiary charge that produced a flash when it hit the target, this aided the accuracy. This rifle fired 5 different types of ammunition, the same as PTRS-41. After WWII this weapon could be seen during Korean War in hands of Chinese and North Korean forces.
