Lahti L-39
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Barrel
- 1300 mm
- Weight, empty
- 49.50 kg
- Introduced
- 1939
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Lahti L-39 is a massive Finnish semi-automatic anti-tank rifle chambered in 20x138mmB, designed by Aimo Lahti and produced by VKT (Valtion Kivääritehdas). At nearly 50 kg and over 2.2 meters long, it is one of the largest and heaviest shoulder-fired weapons ever fielded. The gas-operated action fed from a 10-round detachable top-mounted box magazine, giving it an exceptional rate of fire for an anti-tank rifle. The weapon could penetrate 30mm of armor at 100 meters, making it effective against Soviet light and medium tanks during the Continuation War. Finnish soldiers transported the weapon on specially designed skis in winter conditions.
Finnish soldiers nicknamed the Lahti L-39 'Norsupyssy' (Elephant Gun) and used it with devastating effect against Soviet tanks during the Winter War and Continuation War. The weapon was so large it required a two-man crew and was transported on specially designed wooden skis across frozen Finnish terrain. Despite its weight, Finnish troops valued the weapon for its reliability in extreme cold where other weapons seized up, and its 20mm round could disable Soviet T-26 and BT-series tanks with flank shots.
The Lahti L-39 was nicknamed 'Norsupyssy' (Elephant Gun) by Finnish soldiers due to its enormous size and tremendous recoil. Finnish troops found the weapon particularly effective in the extreme cold of the Winter and Continuation Wars, where the weapon's reliability in sub-zero temperatures was a significant advantage. The L-39/44 variant was converted for fully automatic fire and used as an improvised anti-aircraft weapon on a tripod mount. The 20mm round was also effective against bunkers, machine gun nests, and vehicles.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Valtion Kivääritehdas (VKT)
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Country
- Finland
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1939 to 1944
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 1300 mm
- Overall length
- 2240 mm
- Weight, empty
- 49.50 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 52.50 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 10
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood and steel
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 800 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 47360 J
- Effective range
- 700 m
- Maximum range
- 2000 m
- Rate of fire
- 30 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Muzzle brake
Bipod
Recoil absorbing pad
Gas operated- Ski equipped transport
- Anti aircraft tripod adaptable
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 430 sniper rifles | 49.50 kg | 5.40 kg | Among the heaviest tenth |
| Overall lengthAmong 429 sniper rifles | 2240 mm | 1150 mm | Among the longest tenth |
| Barrel lengthAmong 434 sniper rifles | 1300 mm | 620 mm | Among the longest tenth |
| Magazine capacityAmong 434 sniper rifles | 10 | 6 | Holds more rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Lahti L-39
How much does the Lahti L-39 weigh?
The Lahti L-39 weighs 49.50 kg (109.13 lb) empty and 52.50 kg (115.74 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Lahti L-39?
The Lahti L-39 is chambered in 20x138mmB.
How many rounds does the Lahti L-39 hold?
The Lahti L-39 holds 10 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Lahti L-39?
The Lahti L-39 is 2240 mm (88.2 in) long overall, with a 1300 mm (51.2 in) barrel.
Who makes the Lahti L-39?
The Lahti L-39 is made by Valtion Kivääritehdas (VKT) (Finland). It was designed by Aimo Lahti.
When was the Lahti L-39 introduced?
The Lahti L-39 was introduced in 1939 and discontinued in 1944.
How does the Lahti L-39 operate?
The Lahti L-39 uses a gas operated action, and its firing mechanism is striker fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Finnish Defence Forces
- 1939
Provenance
Confidence in this record
87%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/lahti-l-39' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "lahti-l-39", "name": "Lahti L-39", "manufacturer": { "id": "vkt", "name": "Valtion Kivääritehdas (VKT)", "countryCode": "FI", "foundedYear": 1926, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "updatedAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "version": "72a81775e70cd3e10495f664627c049d6de82439f1969ec9dc5d783ec092ddd1" }, "category": { "id": "sniper-rifle", "name": "Sniper Rifle", "description": "Precision rifles optimized for long-range accuracy" }, "country_of_origin": "FI", "year_introduced": 1939, "barrel_length_mm": 1300, "weight_empty_g": 49500, "action_type": "gas_operated"}