The Panzerbüchse 38 (pronounced pan-zer-beuk-se), or PzB 38, is an anti-tank rifle.
History
Originally designed by B. Brauer, the PzB 38 was meant to provide the army with a man-portable lightweight anti-tank weapon. It is a manually-operated single shot weapon with a recoiling barrel. It was manufactured with pressed steel parts that were spot welded due to the complex breech block mechanism. It was also very difficult to manufacture due to the mechanism and only about 15,800 were built.
Design Details
The PzB 38 is a breech-loaded weapon with a recoiling barrel. The loading mechanism would be seen more commonly on artillery pieces and howitzers than it would be on an anti-tank rifle. The barrel recoils about 9 centimeters when firing, opening the breech and ejecting a spent cartridge. The breech block would then be locked back in the rear, where the crew can load the weapon then hit a lever at the grip, which causes the barrel and breech block to move back forward, cocking the trigger and bringing the round into battery. This mechanism could jam up as the system got dirty due to field use.