Comparitive rarity, and originality in my mind...
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Comparitive rarity, and originality in my mind...
I realize the rarity issue. But I meant the general fear of shooting the thing. The other T-rifles should have about the same charge behind the projectile.
Patrick, I think you will find that later anti-tank rifles all had muzzle brakes, shoulder pads, recoil absorber springs etc, making them a lot more bearable to shoot. The T-Gewehr was a brute-force solution, one could call it a monstrosity, being basically a scaled-up Gew.98 without any consideration for the non-scaled up skeleton of the shooter!
It was the first of its kind, and it is huge. I have a later German piece, the PzB39, and had a chance at a Boyes but missed the chance (dammit), and have also owned the Russian PTRS semi auto AT rifle. I wouldn't really want to shoot any of them, but of the group, I would want to shoot the Mauser T-Gewehr the least. The others do have muzzle brakes, shoulder pads, some recoil reducing features, etc, while the T-Gewehr is just a MONSTER 98. I saw a video of one being fired, and the fellow doing the shooting moves back, with the rifle, about 3 feet through the dirt..........
Having said that, very cool rifle!
Ed
Some photos
Next to me--I'm 5'8" tall
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...Nexttome-1.jpg
Next to a standard WWI G98
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...serinfan-1.jpg
Receiver next to my hand
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...Receiver-1.jpg
Chamber marking details
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...mberdate-1.jpg
Optimistic sighting graduations
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...duations-1.jpg
T-Gewehr bolt next to G98 bolt--face view
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...oG98bolt-1.jpg
T-Gewehr bolt next to G98 bolt--side view
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...oG98bolt-1.jpg
T-Gewehr bolt next to G98 bolt--top view
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...8bolttop-1.jpg
Ed
Attachment 39235Attachment 39234The original US 50 cal cartridge also had a rim like the 13mm Mauser, that was soon changed as the Browning 50 cal M1919 m/g was being developed after WW1.
Photo shows three WW2 cartridges: 55 Boys, 50 cal Browning and 12.7mm Russian
Some collectors/shooters have made 13mm Mauser cartridges to shoot in their rifles
After WWI the US Army gave away plies of heavy German MG's etc to the VFW Posts. I think lots of these in private collections have a VFW connection.
Considering that ear protection was not in general use at the time ... I´d definitely shoot it. Don´t think I could live with it without having shot it. If apprehensive, you could always start off with a weaker load and progress from there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by villiers
One shoulder-saving answer would be to turn up a case or two from solid brass (like the Samereier cases for reduced loads), leaving a powder space more like that of a 45-70 or 50-70, and then in effect load it as if it was a 50-70 with a nitro load. Going a bit further, the large mass of the rifle ought to make it feasible to shoot something equivalent to a 50 caliber 3" Nitro Express without too much personal strain!
A sub cal round...that would work extremely well...
Now that would be a fun thing to try--machine a round, make a .303 chamber in it, and fire something smaller. That would sure raise some eyebrows at the range if one showed up with that and set up! :lol: :p Maybe even a .22!