Usage Lahti L-39

1 usage

1.1 winter war
1.2 continuation war
1.3 after world war ii
1.4 details of use

usage
winter war

during winter war (1939–1940) finland lacked anti-tank weaponry. 2 20 mm rifles , few 13.2 mm machine guns made front, 13.2 mm machine guns found ineffective , unreliable while larger 20 mm rifles proved successful against soviet armour. because of this, finland settled on 20 mm design , started production.

the gun used in cold charlie counter-sniper technique, finns use mannequin posing officer sloppily covering himself. soviet snipers fire upon mannequin, , finns return fire @ soviet snipers lahti l-39.

continuation war

the continuation war (finnish: jatkosota, swedish: fortsättningskriget, 25 june 1941 – 19 september 1944) second of 2 wars fought between finland , soviet union during world war ii.

an l-39 used during continuation war on display @ sgt. richard penry medal of honor memorial military museum in petaluma, california

although weapon not able penetrate newer soviet tanks t-34 , kv-1, still proved quite effective against bunker loopholes/embrasures, long range targets, , aircraft. automatic version of l39 made in small numbers served anti-aircraft gun. other targets snipers, , several weak spots on tanks, such open top hatches, phosphorus ammunition. able damage tank turrets , pin them stop traversal of cannon.

approximately in december 1940, lahti l-39 replaced original 13.2 mm l-35/36 machine gun on single finnish l-182 armored car. conversion employed armored unit of 1. divisioona (english: 1st division) during 1941.

after world war ii

several of rifles remained in service after world war ii serving anti-helicopter weapon, while many others sold collectors, in united states. today rifles, in working condition, quite rare , highly sought after. deactivated weapons (with steel bar welded chamber) have been reactivated due value. ammunition rare. rechambered .50 bmg lower cost of use. in united states, civilian ownership remains possible, depending on state , federal laws. because weapon fires rounds larger .50 calibre, considered destructive device , subject 1934 national firearms act. civilian ownership dependent on compliance law , whether 1 s state law prohibits civilian ownership of destructive devices.

details of use

users found l-39 heavy , difficult move in battlefield. magazine weighed 2 kilograms. magazines had covered viewing slit on right side indicate number of rounds left in magazine, , 15-round magazine later developed anti-aircraft use.

to combat l-39 s immense recoil, recoil spring stiff impossible cock weapon traditional charging handle. instead, rotating crank lever on right side of gun used pull bolt back. while semi-automatic in function, l-39 s bolt locks after every shot, , grip safety functions release bolt. entire front of grip , trigger protected large guard , rubber buffer protect operator s hands spent casings eject bottom of gun @ high speeds.

the whole weapon weighed 50 kilograms , towed horses, when stripped down carried several men. rifle had adjustable iron sights calibrated between 200 , 1,400 meters , equipped unusual dual bipod, 2 sets of legs, 1 spikes use on hard ground , other skids use on softer ground or snow.

in field, two-man team assigned gun move , fire it. rifles abandoned in heat of battle, easy replace. end of war on 1900 l39s had been manufactured vkt (valtion kivääritehdas, state rifle factory , modern day patria) , put in field.