The video is a demonstration of the Lottie L-39 20mm anti-tank cannon, a firearm popular in European militaries during the 1930s. The cannon became obsolete almost immediately upon the start of World War II. The idea behind its creation was to have a large, lightweight gun that could be carried by a two-man crew to destroy enemy tanks. The gun was cheap to produce compared to a tank, making it a cost-effective way to fight an enemy with many armored vehicles.
The Finnish military had a unique approach to the cartridge used in the gun. Instead of using a 50 caliber cartridge as was standard, they opted for a 20mm cartridge. This decision was influenced by a debate within the Finnish military and bureaucracy about what cartridge to use. The designer, IMO Lahti, argued for a 13.2mm cartridge, but the majority voted for a 20mm cartridge. The argument for the 20mm cartridge was that it could use the same ammunition for both anti-tank and anti-aircraft purposes.
The gun was formally adopted in September 1939, just before the Russians invaded Finland in November 1939. The guns were not available in total during the Winter War, but they were produced in large quantities for the Continuation War. The guns were primarily used as a combination of a long-range sniping rifle and an anti-materiel rifle. They were gas-operated semi-automatic guns with fixed barrels. The cartridge used is the 20mm by 138B, a belted case typically called the 20-millimeter Solothurn long.
The gun has a 10-round magazine and a crank-style bolt handle due to the significant recoil impulse. The gun locks open after every shot is fired, probably to help cool it. The gun has a grip safety, and when you depress the grip safety, it releases the bolt. When you're ready to shoot, you pull the trigger and fire. The gun is equipped with a dual type mount, with skis for soft ground or snow, and by pods with some nice pointy feet on them for hard ground.
The video concludes with a demonstration of the gun's operation, including the removal of the muzzle cover, the opening of the dust cover, the operation of the bolt, and the loading of the magazine. The gun is then fired, and the video ends with a call to action for viewers interested in the gun to check out the James Giulia auction company for more information.
Here are some key facts extracted from the text:
1. The text is about the Lottie L-39 20 millimeter anti-tank cannon, a Finnish firearm designed by IMO Lahti and adopted in 1939.
2. The gun uses the 20x138mmB cartridge, also known as the 20mm Solothurn long, which was also used for anti-aircraft guns by the Germans.
3. The gun is gas-operated, semi-automatic, and has a 10 round magazine. It locks open after every shot and has a crank handle to open the bolt.
4. The gun has iron sights that range from 200 to 1400 yards and a manual safety that disengages the trigger.
5. The gun has a rubber buffer wheel to prevent the ejected cases from hitting the shooter's hand, which could cause serious injury.
6. The gun weighs 109 pounds and was typically carried by a two-man team. It has skis for soft ground or snow and bipods for hard ground.
7. The gun was used for both anti-tank and anti-aircraft purposes, as well as long-range sniping and anti-materiel roles. It was found to be very accurate but ineffective against heavily armored tanks like the T-34.
8. The gun generates 35,000 foot-pounds of muzzle energy, which is about three times that of a 50 BMG. It can fire different types of projectiles, such as armor-piercing, tracer, incendiary, and high-explosive.