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Boys anti-tank rifle
The Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55in, Boys, or as it is more commonly known, the Boys anti-tank rifle is a British anti-tank rifle developed shortly before the outbreak of World War II. It was named after its designer, Captain Henry C. Boys, and primarily produced at the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield from 1937 to 1940. The Boys is a bolt-action rifle that fires the proprietary .55 Boys (13.9x99mmB in metric) cartridge, which is based on the .50 BMG cartridge and is fed by a five round detachable magazine. It is fitted with a muzzle brake and padded buttstock to combat the massive recoil produced by the round. Despite this, the Boys was frequently described as being unpleasant to shoot or even painful at times due to its extremely loud report and heavy recoil, despite the attempts at felt recoil mitigation.
While effective against lightly armored vehicles in the beginning of the war, the Boys, along with many other anti-tank rifles, was rendered obsolete and ineffective in the face of advancing armor technology as the war progressed. The Boys would be succeeded by the PIAT launcher in 1943. While primarily used by Commonwealth forces, the Boys was also used in a limited capacity by the US Marine Raiders and Chinese Nationalist forces during World War II. It was also used by the Irish Republican Army during The Troubles in the 1960s.
Specifications
(1937 - 1940)
- Type: Anti-Tank Rifle
- Caliber: .55 Boys
- Weight: 35.3 lbs (16 kg)
- Length: 62 in (157.5 cm)
- Barrel length: 35.8 in (91 cm)
- Capacity: 5
- Fire Modes: Bolt-Action
The Boys anti-tank rifle and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Rat Patrol | Mounted on a German Halftrack | 1966 |
Anime
| Title | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planetes | El Tankikan rebel | Mk I | 2003 |
| Strike Witches | Lynette Bishop | Mk I* without bipod | 2008 |
| Strike Witches 2 | Lynette Bishop | Mk I* without bipod | 2010 |
| Luciana Mazzei | |||
| Ángela Larrazábal | |||
| Strike Witches: The Movie | Lynette Bishop | Mk I* without bipod | 2012 |
| Isabelle du Monceau de Bergendal | |||
| Strike Witches: Operation Victory Arrow | Lynette Bishop | Mk I* without bipod | 2014-2015 |
| Luciana Mazzei | |||
| Strike Witches: Road to Berlin | Lynette Bishop | Mk I* without bipod | 2020 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World War II Online: Battleground Europe | 2001-2012 | |||
| Forgotten Hope | 2003 | |||
| Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault | "Anti-Tank Rifle" | 2004 | ||
| Company of Heroes | "Boys AT Rifle" | 2006 | ||
| Forgotten Hope 2 | "Boys Mk1" | Must be deployed to fire | 2007 | |
| Mare Nostrum | Boys AT Rifle | 2008 | ||
| Men of War | 2009 | |||
| Company of Heroes 2 | ".55 cal 'Boys' Anti-Tank rifle" | Added with " British Forces" Expansion (2015) | 2013 | |
| Far East War | "Boys AT Rifle" | 2013 | ||
| World of Guns: Gun Disassembly | Anti-Tank Boys | MKI | 2014 | |
| Post Scriptum | "Boys ATR" | 2018 | ||
| Battlefield V | "Boys AT rifle" | Added in the ninth week of the "Trial by Fire" chapter (2019) | 2018 | |
| Enlisted | Boys MKI | 2021 |
See Also
- Royal Small Arms Factory - A list of weapons produced by RSAF Enfield