| 4,2 cm Pak 41 | |
| Origin: | Germany |
| Type: | Panzerabwehrkanone |
| Is Artillery: | yes |
| Wars: | World War II |
| Unit Cost: | 8000 Reichsmark |
| Production Date: | December 1941–June 1942 |
| Number: | 313 |
| Part Length: | bore (55.8 calibres) |
| Cartridge: | Fixed QF 42×406mm R Armor-piercing composite non–rigid (APCNR–T) Pzgr 41 |
| Cartridge Weight: | [1] |
| Rate: | 12 round per minute |
| Breech: | Horizontal sliding-block |
| Carriage: | Split trail |
| Elevation: | -8° to +25° |
| Traverse: | 60° |
The 4.2 cm Pak 41 (Panzerabwehrkanone - "anti-tank gun") was a light anti-tank gun issued to German airborne units in World War II. This gun was externally similar to the 3.7 cm Pak 36, using a modified version of the latter's carriage, but used the squeeze bore principle (in German called Gerlich after Hermann Gerlich, who developed the principle in the 1920s, reportedly for a hunting rifle) to boost its velocity, and hence armour-piercing ability. The bore had a diameter of at the chamber, but tapered down to at the muzzle. Production was terminated in June 1942, after the delivery of 313 guns. By November 1943, 47 remained in service.
| Range | Penetration at 0 degrees from vertical | Penetration at 30 degrees from vertical | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source: | Gander&Chamberlain[2] | Hogg[3] | Gander&Chamberlain | Hogg |
| 0 m | 124 mm | - mm | 95 mm | - mm |
| 100 m | - mm | 120 mm | - mm | 90 mm |
| 250 m | 105 mm | - mm | 83 mm | mm |
| 500 m | 87 mm | 87 mm | 72 mm | 72 mm |
| 750 m | 70 mm | - mm | 62 mm | - mm |
| 1000 m | 60 mm | 60 mm | 53 mm | 53 mm |