RT-20 (rifle)
Encyclopedia
The RT-20 is a Croatia
n anti-materiel sniper rifle developed by Metallic in Rijeka in the mid-1990s and marketed by RH-Alan. It was developed to shoot the thermal sights on Serbian M-84 and T-72 tanks. The name itself is actually an acronym of the Croatian word Ručni Top 20 , or "Hand Cannon 20mm". Operating with a bolt action, it houses a single 20mm round and must be reloaded after each shot. Given its large caliber, it is one of the most powerful anti-materiel rifles currently in use by any country, and is comparable to the South African NTW-20 and the Indian Vidhwansak
, with the difference it is recoil-less.
or rocket launcher.
This system is seldom used in small arms and comes with its disadvantages. It can not be fired in confined spaces, for example with things, such as walls, in close proximity to the rear. Another possible disadvantage would be that the gases from the back-blast can be detected by the enemy and the sniper's hiding position would so be compromised.
In the RT-20 however these negative effects proved to be not as relevant as in an anti-tank weapon, as in its case the portion of gas funneled through the venturi tube is far less than what will exit from the muzzle.
Another characteristic that differs RT-20 from other heavy sniper rifles is that both optics than bolt lever are positioned on the left side of the rifle itself.
It is also important to note that the maximum effective range of the RT-20 depends on the nature of the target.
Chambering 20x110mm Hispano, the rifle fires a 130 gram
projectile at a muzzle velocity of 850 m/s. Producing a massive muzzle energy of 46,962.5 J. In other words it can penetrate the armour of any modern day APC
at ranges out to 800 metres.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n anti-materiel sniper rifle developed by Metallic in Rijeka in the mid-1990s and marketed by RH-Alan. It was developed to shoot the thermal sights on Serbian M-84 and T-72 tanks. The name itself is actually an acronym of the Croatian word Ručni Top 20 , or "Hand Cannon 20mm". Operating with a bolt action, it houses a single 20mm round and must be reloaded after each shot. Given its large caliber, it is one of the most powerful anti-materiel rifles currently in use by any country, and is comparable to the South African NTW-20 and the Indian Vidhwansak
Vidhwansak
Vidhwansak is an Indian multi-caliber anti-material rifle or large-caliber sniper rifle manufactured by Ordnance Factory, Tiruchirapalli. It can be used in the anti-materiel role for destroying enemy bunkers, lightly armoured vehicles, radar systems, communication equipment, parked aircraft, fuel...
, with the difference it is recoil-less.
Specifications
A unique feature of the weapon is the counter-recoil reactive tube or the back blast above the barrel. This tube funnels gasses from the cartridge out the back end, similar to that of a recoilless rifleRecoilless rifle
A recoilless rifle or recoilless gun is a lightweight weapon that fires a heavier projectile than would be practical to fire from a recoiling weapon of comparable size. Technically, only devices that use a rifled barrel are recoilless rifles. Smoothbore variants are recoilless guns...
or rocket launcher.
This system is seldom used in small arms and comes with its disadvantages. It can not be fired in confined spaces, for example with things, such as walls, in close proximity to the rear. Another possible disadvantage would be that the gases from the back-blast can be detected by the enemy and the sniper's hiding position would so be compromised.
In the RT-20 however these negative effects proved to be not as relevant as in an anti-tank weapon, as in its case the portion of gas funneled through the venturi tube is far less than what will exit from the muzzle.
Another characteristic that differs RT-20 from other heavy sniper rifles is that both optics than bolt lever are positioned on the left side of the rifle itself.
It is also important to note that the maximum effective range of the RT-20 depends on the nature of the target.
Chambering 20x110mm Hispano, the rifle fires a 130 gram
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
projectile at a muzzle velocity of 850 m/s. Producing a massive muzzle energy of 46,962.5 J. In other words it can penetrate the armour of any modern day APC
Armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
at ranges out to 800 metres.