Numerous parts were made from aluminum to help save on weight. Developed by BSA and Captain H.C. The Boys Anti-Tank Rifle was an AT rifle used by Great Britain during World War II. 5-round detachable box magazine Two Boys Mk Is were produced in a 13.2 calibre (the same calibre as the Tankgewehr of 1918). Boys Anti-Tank Rifle Parts Layout w/ List. However, this was the lowest penetration compared to its contemporaries. These were then redistributed to Static units and other lower tier units for defensive and training works. Your email address will not be published. Rifle includes 49 rounds of the original .55 cal ammunition. Henry C. Boys in 1936 and produced from 1937 to 1940 by RSAF Enfield, Birmingham Small Arms and John Inglis and Company. During the evacuation of Dunkirk, the heavy rifle was left in large numbers upon the beaches. It also received much simpler fixed sights and the butt padding was reinforced with rubber. Furthermore the .50 BMG (with use of armor-piercing (AP), armor-piercing incendiary (API), and armor-piercing incendiary tracer (APIT) ammunition) was just as effective against armored vehicles, and could also be used as an anti-aircraft gun. Disney was commissioned by the Canadian Directorate of Military Training, the Canadian Department of National Defence and the National Film Board of Canada to produce an animated and live action educational film on the proper use and handling of the Boys. The Boys rifle was effective in the early stages of the war, notably against the Panzer I and II tanks, it quickly became obsolete, with armor on tanks and vehicles becoming increasingly thicker. There is … There was also a walnut cheek-piece and the butt was curved and padded to allow for better control of the weapon. The Boys was designed from 1936 to 1937 by Captain Henry C. Boys as an anti-tank rifle that could be used by British forces. At the start of World War II, only some European nations had an anti-tank rifle based on a high-velocity, large-calibre round, such as the British Boys anti-tank Rifle. Save boys anti tank rifle to get e-mail alerts and updates on your eBay Feed. The very earliest (pre-amendment) 1937 edition of the Small Arms Training Pamphlet No.5 for the Boys Anti-Tank Rifle carries a paragraph on page 6 stating that "Practice at stationary and snapshooting targets will be carried out on ordinary ranges, using an adaptation for .303 inch ammunition embodied in the anti-tank rifle". This meant a tank could take several hits before stopping (if it stopped at all), thus demoralising troops. PIATs began appearing in useful numbers from 1943 onwards. In connection to the Irish Boys, the Official Irish Republican Army is known to have possessed one which they used during an attack on HMS Brave Borderer in September 1965, causing severe damage to one of its turbines. The Boys Anti Tank Rifle is a large rifle with a padded butt, pistol grip, walnut cheek piece, an over-the-barrel 5 round magazine, an integrated mono-pod and oiler in the aluminium butt stock. Chambered in the original .55 caliber. The Boys Anti-Tank rifle proved to be of some value for the British Army, particularly against earlier light and medium tank designs of the World War 2. Only against the Fiat M13/40, with its 30mm frontal armor, did it struggle. The most noticeable is the muzzle brake, often referred to as the harmonica. This was adopted into service as the Mk.II bullet in June 1939 and the Mk.I bullet was declared obsolete in December of that year. The Soviets received 3,200 of the Boys through the Lend Lease programme. Length By 1940, the team developed a tungsten-cored bullet which achieved a muzzle velocity of 990.6 m/s (3,250 ft/sec), which outclassed the original bullet, which fired at a muzzle velocity of 747 m/s (2,450 ft/sec). Notable users The Boys Rifle was ultimately replaced by the PIAT (Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank) in British service. Get all 4 Tank Encyclopedia Magazine issues for 25% off! These trains were armed with a 6 pounder gun, two Boys anti-tank rifles and six Bren machine guns. The Boys Rifle was designed to use a .55 inch diameter bullet, designed for penetration against armoured vehicles. A Univeral Carrier armed with a Boys. At the start of World War II, only some European nations had an anti-tank rifle based on a high-velocity, large-calibre round, such as the British Boys anti-tank Rifle. These saw use similar to how the Chinese deployed them, in ambush positions to take out the thin-skinned Japanese tanks. Boys Anti-Tank Rifle Hi, recently saw an episode of "Cajun Pawn Stars" which featured a Boys Rifle in 50 cal. Mecheye 13:48, 28 November 2018 (UTC) Void. It was also given to the reformed armies of the Governments in Exile, like Poland, to give them some form of anti-tank protection. The Boys rifle used the .55 Boys Cartridge (13.9 mm) which could penetrate up to 21 mm of armor at 302 meters with a muzzle velocity of 747 m/s.. This page provides a compilation of information regarding the rifle and is unlikely to be a comprehensive collection, yet attempts to draw together the information found by our… We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. It was declared obsolete by the the end of 1943 and the new platoon level anti-tank weapon would be the PIAT. Close up of the sight and muzzle break on the Mk 1 Boys. These rifles are lots #1087 and #1088 at Morphy’s April 2019 auction: The Boys Anti-Tank Rifle was adopted by the British military in 1937, and remained in production until 1943 when it was replaced by […] Source: WarThunder Forums Originally to be dubbed the Stanchion Rifle, instead the weapon received its name from the designer, Captain H.C. Gun Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Across Europe, the Boys Rifle was eventually superseded by another dedicated anti-tank measure - the famous PIAT anti-tank rocket launcher (detailed elsewhere on this site). Boys Anti-Tank Rifle Boys Anti-Tank Rifle. It was the ineffectiveness against newer tanks that saw the Boys being utilised in other roles by the British. War Office, Boys Anti Tank Rifle Mark I, Aldershot Gale and Polden Limited, 1944 However, he did not get to see the rifle in use as he had died a few days before his rifle was accepted for service. (762 mm), 5 ft 2 in (1.575 m); Airborne: 4 feet 8 inches (1.427 m), Mk I: 747 m/s (2,450.1 ft/s); Mk II: 884 m/s (2,899.5 ft/s), 23.2mm penetration at 90° 100 yards (91 m); 18.8mm penetration at 90° 500 yards (460 m). The Wz. Private O.Z. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Backsight Lever Detent Spring, Used. Meanwhile, captured units in Nazi Germany were named 13.9-mm Panzerabwehrbüchse 782(e) following their capture after the evacuation of British Expeditionary Forces in Norway and France. Bolt action From this influence they built, like many other anti-tank rifles of the time, a large-scale bolt action rifle. To give it a high velocity in order to penetrate armor, the barrel was 910mm long and had 7 grooves. Soldiers of the Rifle Brigade exercising with a Boys in 1939 before the outbreak of war. These exiled armies were organised along similar lines to the British Army and so the Boys saw issue at platoon level and in similar fashion to the British, it would be replaced in 1943-44 by other more effective infantry mobile anti-tank weapons. The end scene states “a rifle is like a woman, treat her right and she will never let you down”. Japanese armor was relatively light (the Type 95 had a top thickness of 16mm and the Type 97 30mm) and so easily fell prey to the Boys. A Boys mk.II cartridge (left) versus a .50 BMG cartridge. Production information It was named after its designer, Captain Henry C. Boys, and primarily produced at the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield from 1937 to … Top PM Register To Reply. The barrel and receiver are free to recoil approximately 1" against a large buffer spring. 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