Ordnance, RCL, 3.45 in
Encyclopedia
The 3.45 inch RCL was a British recoilless
weapon, designed by Sir Dennis Burney
during the Second World War. Delayed by problems due to wear upon firing, it did not see action, as was hoped, in the Far East. However it did lead to the post war Mobat and Wombat
recoilless rifles.
Sir Dennis was privy to the design of the 20mm m/42, a recoilless rifle designed by the Swedish Bofors Carl Gustaf company during World War 2, but it had little bearing on his work as the Carl Gustav was a large bore rifle design intended to remove the recoil experienced with anti-tank rifle
s such as the Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55 in, Boys
or similar large calibre bolt-action rifles which required large cartridges to deliver high velocity rounds. The usefulness of anti-tank rifles was lost as tanks were built with much thicker armour during the war. Although Burney's designs did not have high muzzle velocities, this was negated by using a shell which relied on a HESH explosive instead of speed and weight to defeat the armour.
A portion of the propelling charge bled through holes in the cartridge wall and into a space around the breech and then backwards through four venturi
s. This counter blast backwards cancelled out the recoil.
Recoilless 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...
weapon, designed by Sir Dennis Burney
Charles Dennistoun Burney
Sir Charles Dennistoun Burney, 2nd Baronet was an English aeronautical engineer, private inventor and Conservative Party politician....
during the Second World War. Delayed by problems due to wear upon firing, it did not see action, as was hoped, in the Far East. However it did lead to the post war Mobat and Wombat
L6 Wombat
The L6 Wombat, was a 120 mm calibre recoilless anti-tank rifle used by the British Army. They were used until anti-tank guided missiles such as Vigilant and MILAN took their place....
recoilless rifles.
History
The 3.45 inch RCL was built by the Broadway Trust Company, a company formed by Sir Dennis himself.Sir Dennis was privy to the design of the 20mm m/42, a recoilless rifle designed by the Swedish Bofors Carl Gustaf company during World War 2, but it had little bearing on his work as the Carl Gustav was a large bore rifle design intended to remove the recoil experienced with anti-tank rifle
Anti-tank rifle
An anti-tank rifle is a rifle designed to penetrate the armour of vehicles, particularly tanks. The usefulness of rifles for this purpose ran from the introduction of tanks in World War I and until the Korean War...
s such as the Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55 in, Boys
Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55 in, Boys
The Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55in, Boys commonly known as the "Boys Anti-tank Rifle" , was a British anti-tank rifle in use during World War II....
or similar large calibre bolt-action rifles which required large cartridges to deliver high velocity rounds. The usefulness of anti-tank rifles was lost as tanks were built with much thicker armour during the war. Although Burney's designs did not have high muzzle velocities, this was negated by using a shell which relied on a HESH explosive instead of speed and weight to defeat the armour.
Design
This was a weapon that could be fired from the shoulder, giving unrestricted traverse or elevation within the limits of the human frame, or mounted on a simple tripod.A portion of the propelling charge bled through holes in the cartridge wall and into a space around the breech and then backwards through four venturi
Venturi effect
The Venturi effect is the reduction in fluid pressure that results when a fluid flows through a constricted section of pipe. The Venturi effect is named after Giovanni Battista Venturi , an Italian physicist.-Background:...
s. This counter blast backwards cancelled out the recoil.
Specification
Ordnance, RCL, 3.45in Mk 1- Weight: 75 pounds (34 kg)
- Length: 68.55 inches (174.1 cm)
- Barrel length: 14.75 calibres
- Muzzle velocity: 600 ft/second (180 m/s)
- Range: 1000 yards (914.4 m)
- Ammunition: Cartridge RCL, 3.45 inch WB ("Wallbuster") 3.45 inches (8.8 cm)
- Type: HESH
- Propellant: 11.125 pounds (5 kg) corditeCorditeCordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom from 1889 to replace gunpowder as a military propellant. Like gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance...
- Filling : plastic explosivePlastic explosivePlastic explosive is a specialised form of explosive material. It is a soft and hand moldable solid material. Plastic explosives are properly known as putty explosives within the field of explosives engineering....
- Weight: 16.25 pounds (7.4 kg)