Big Gun

There were two types of 13.2X92 cartridges, a Berdan type primer and a recessed pinfire ignition system. The .51 cal. ammo goes for $70 apiece now but are too collectible to shoot.
Hold it wrong and you would break your arm!

Thank you

... guess it fell on the wrong hands there :)

Not really...

These 13mm Mauser rifles were used to shoot through the armor on WWI tanks. These weapons inspired the U.S. Army to ask John Browning to design a machinegun that fires similar ammunition. Since then vehicle armor has gotten better, but so have the bullets; consequently, most armored vehicles encountered by the U.S. Army (such as BMP fighting vehicles) can still be destroyed by Browning .50-caliber machineguns. Nowadays McMillan makes a .50-caliber bolt-action rifle similar to that German weapon. Until recently a Canadian sniper, armed with the McMillan, held the world record for the longest-range combat kill with a rifle.

They had a bore that grew smaller towards the muzzle. I believe that idea was stolen by the U.S. when they made the Abrams main gun.

The 88mm German gun might also have had the pinched bore.

Of course I could be completely wrong about all of this.

A long barrel increases accuracy but is not more advanced technology, it just shoots straighter. The Kentucky long rifles would shoot the eye out of a squirrel, just ask Jed Clampett from the Beverly Hillbillies. He could shoot flies off the fence, but only if they were in flight.

Longer barrels also allow a greater part of the powder to be consumed behind the projectile. This permits greater muzzle velocity. Home mixed black powder burns at an inconsistant rate necessitating a long barrel. Pistols of that era were short range.

If you are really interested, there is some good infos here:-

Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr

That is interesting, the small guy has the biggest gun! Also that armour plating, must have been heavy.

I think that was to show the Germans have a sense of humor.

When I was still at home in Indiana going to Jr. College back in the late 60's, Dad and my brothers and I would sit out in the front driveway on folding chairs and pass around a Remington 22 semi-auto with open sights and shoot flies off the persimmons on Moms persimmon tree. If you hit the persimmon Dad would always admonish us with some colorful phrase like, "Hey, dumbass, quit hitting the fruit!" which was embarassing enough to make us better shots.

I would imagine that considering the accuracy of a barrel that long that the best shooter got the long gun and I myself could easily put one down the barrel of a tank at up to 200 or 300 yards with open iron sights, especially resting it on a sand bag from a bunker.

I wouldn't want to be any closer than that anyway!

I can still put a 50 cal. black powder round out of a Thompson Center Hawken through a quarter tapped into the top of a fence post at 100 yards, standing, with open sights as many times as you like.

I think tho that it is time to put an end to all wars of any description and we should all of us get together for a nice frothy pint and talk about the 'good ol' days', what we've learned from them and where we are going next!

I hear it's snowing in Colorado!