World War II Database

Country of Origin	United Kingdom
Type	Anti-Tank Rifle
Caliber	13.900 mm
Capacity	5 rounds
Length	1.575 m
Barrel Length	910.000 mm
Weight	16.300 kg
Rate of Fire	10 rounds/min
Range	90.000 m
Muzzle Velocity	747 m/s

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe Boys anti-tank rifles were the invention of Captain H. C. Boys of the British Small Arms Committee, who was also a designer at the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield, London, England, United Kingdom. The original name was Stanchion, but the design was renamed to honor the designer as he passed away only a few days before the design's approval in Nov 1937. The bolt action anti-tank rifles were heavy but were very effective against tanks the Germans fielded earlier in the war. Later in the war, however, the British (and other Commonwealth personnel) found that the Boys anti-tank rifles lack ample power to punch through thicker armor on newer tanks, therefore many of these anti-tank rifles became weapons against bunkers, machine gun nests, and armored vehicles. In Asia and the Pacific, however, Boys anti-tank rifles remained effective through the end of the war, as Japanese tanks did not improve in terms of armor since 1941. At times, they were also mounted on British Universal Carrier tracked vehicles as an alternative to typical Bren light machine guns.

In addition to British and Commonwealth forces, some Chinese Army, United States Marine Corps, and Finnish Army personnel also used Boys anti-tank rifles. A number of them, captured after the British withdrawals from France and Norway in 1940, were also in German service.

The Boys anti-tank rifles were manufactured by the Royal Small Arms Factory between 1937 and 1943. About 62,000 units were built.

Near the end of the war, a round capable of greater velocity was designed for use with Boys anti-tank rifles, allowing penetration of the thicker armor found on new German tanks. Since the entrance of these new rounds was so late, however, they were relatively insignificant in the outcome of the war.

Source: Wikipedia. ww2dbase

Last Major Revision: Nov 2007

Photographs

See all 7 photographs of Boys Anti-Tank Rifle

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