Panzerfaust

a light, recoilless hand firearm. The Panzerfaust was a single-shot grenade launcher used against tanks and other armored targets. First used by fascist German troops at the end of World War II, it was manufactured in two versions. The weapon consisted of a barrel open at both ends and equipped with a powder charge, a firing mechanism, and a rear leaf sight; it fired a shaped grenade (seeSHAPED CHARGE) stabilized by an empennage. The Panzerfaust was operated by a single soldier. The two models weighed 5.35 and 3.25 kg and had an effective firing range up to 30 m. At an angle of impact of 90°, the grenade could pierce armor 160–200 mm thick.