This Russian anti-tank rifle is one formidable weapon.
Ever since armies developed some of the first tanks, the militaries of the world have worked to develop solutions to defeat them. This has resulted in the development of some of the largest shoulder-fired weapons currently in existence. Because the rounds must be massive in order to penetrate that thick armor and stop a vehicle.
The Russian Solothurn S18-1000 Anti-Tank Rifle is one of the more obscure anti-tank weapons ever developed. Probably because it was developed between the two World Wars and saw little combat.
Still, this 20mm rifle is intimidating to look at just because of the massive size of the weapon. Learn more about the history in the video below from Ian of Forgotten Weapons.
When targeting lightly armored tanks and other hard targets of the past, the Russian Solothurn S18-1000 Anti-Tank Rifle is a heavy hitter.
We are a little surprised this thing did not see more action during World War II. Perhaps it was because of the massive weight over 100 pounds. During times of war, firearms designers did not really consider ergonomics to the user. The focus was on how effective the rounds would be on targets.
We'd like to give a special thanks to Ian from Forgotten Weapons for sharing these great historical weapons that would otherwise be lost to the sands of time.
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Do you like articles about the outdoors? Click here to view more articles by Eric Nestor. You can follow him @ericthewoodsman on Twitter, The Classic Woodsman on Facebook, and @theclassicwoodsman on Instagram. You can view more Nestor Photography photos at Nestor Photography.