It wasn't until soldiers met armoured vehicles that the conflict of infantry firearms and armour began. The tug of war between armour and projectiles had been developing for a long while among naval vessels, since the advent of the ironclad. While medium and heavy tank armor became too thick to be penetrated by rigid projectiles from rifles that could be carried by a single soldier, anti-tank rifles continued to be used against other 'soft' targets, though recoilless rifles and rocket-propelled grenades such as the bazooka were also introduced for infantry close-layer defense against tanks. The usefulness of rifles for this purpose ran from the introduction of tanks in World War I until the Korean War. The term is usually used for weapons that can be carried and used by one person, but is sometimes used for larger weapons. Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr 13.2 x 92 mm anti-tank rifle at the Musée de l'Armée in Paris.Īn anti-tank rifle is an anti-materiel rifle designed to penetrate the armor of armored fighting vehicles, most commonly tanks, armored personnel carriers, and infantry fighting vehicles.

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Anti tank rifle vs modern sniper rifles