Boys anti-tank rifle

Boys anti-tank rifle
Boys anti-tank rifle Mk I
TypeAnti-tank rifle
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service1937–1998
Used bySee Users
Wars
Production history
Designed1937
ManufacturerRoyal Small Arms Factory
Produced1937–1940
No. built~62,000
VariantsMk I, Mk I*, Mk II
Specifications
Mass35 lb (16 kg) unloaded
Length5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Barrel length36 in. (910 mm); Airborne: 30 in. (762 mm)

Cartridge.55 Boys (Kynoch & RG)
Calibre0.55 in (14 mm)[5]
ActionBolt-action rifle
Rate of fire~10 round/min
Muzzle velocityMk I: 747 m/s (2,450 ft/s)
Mk II: 884 m/s (2,900 ft/s)
Effective firing range100 yards (91 m): 23.2mm penetration at 90° [6]
500 yards (460 m): 18.8mm penetration at 90° [6]
Feed system5-round detachable box magazine
Swedish volunteers in the Winter War carrying Boys anti-tank rifles
British soldiers training with the Boys anti-tank rifle
American World War II propaganda poster featuring a British soldier carrying a Boys anti-tank rifle.

The Boys anti-tank rifle (officially Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55in, Boys, and sometimes incorrectly spelled "Boyes") is a British anti-tank rifle used during the Second World War. It was often nicknamed the "elephant gun" by its users due to its size and large 0.55 in (14 mm) bore.[7]

There were three main versions of the Boys: an early model (Mark I) which had a circular muzzle brake and T-shaped monopod, built primarily at BSA in England; a later model (Mk I*) built primarily at the John Inglis and Company in Toronto, Canada, that had a rectangular muzzle brake and a V-shaped bipod; and a third model made for airborne forces with a 30-inch (762 mm) barrel and no muzzle brake. There were also different cartridges, with a later version offering better penetration.[citation needed]

Although adequate against light tanks and tankettes in the early part of the war, the Boys was ineffective against heavier armour and was phased out in favour of the PIAT hollow charge weapon mid-war.

  1. ^ a b c Robinson, Laurance Kenneth (24 July 2018). "Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55in, Boys "Boys Anti-Tank Rifle"". Tank Encyclopedia.
  2. ^ Katz, Sam (1988). Israeli Elite Units since 1948. Osprey Publishing. p. 6. ISBN 9780850458374.
  3. ^ "Photo: Malaysia, armed Malay troopers during the Malayan Emergency". University of Wisconsin. 1950.
  4. ^ White 2006, p. 130.
  5. ^ Huon 1988, pp. 339–340.
  6. ^ a b Boys Anti-Tank Rifle Mk.I, 1942, Small Arms Training, Volume I, Pamphlet No.5
  7. ^ Henderson 1958, p. 18.