Solothurn S-18/1100

Solothurn S-18/1100 20 mm Anti-Tank Cannon
Type	Large caliber rifle, Anti-materiel rifle
Place of origin	Switzerland
Service history
Used by	Germany Italy
Wars	World War II
Production history
Variants	Solothurn S-18/100, Solothurn S-18/1000
Specifications
Length	85 inches
Barrel length	57 inches
Cartridge	20 mm x 138 mm
Caliber	20 mm
Action	automatic
Muzzle velocity	850 m/s
Feed system	10 rounds

The Solothurn S-18/1100 20 mm Anti-Tank Cannon was a Swiss anti-tank rifle used during the Second World War, and was a variant of the S-18/1000 with modifications for automatic fire. Being the first rifle between the Solothurn anti-tank rifles to have been equipped with a select-fire option, the S18-1100 was offered to some buying countries (such as Italy, Netherlands and Switzerland) as a "Universal Weapon" usable both as anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapon.

20 mm Solothurn Anti-Tank Cannon S 18-1100, AA-Mount (Museum Altes Zeughaus Solothurn, Switzerland)

As a result of its large, powerful ammunition the gun had a tremendous recoil, and its size made portability difficult. The Solothurn firearms company was owned by the German firm Rheinmetall, and used the Swiss company to manufacture arms which were prohibited for manufacture by any German firm, to get around arms limitations imposed upon them at the end of the first World War.