The Soviet 45mm Anti Tank Gun Model 1942 (53-K) was an upgrade of the Model 1937. The Model 1937's anti tank capabilities were limited to successes against only the lighter German panzers and armoured vehicles. The Model 1942 had a longer barrel, shells with more powerful cartridge and a thicker shield. Some other minor changes were also introduced to speed up production. Introduced in 1942, 10,843 were produced between 1942 and 1943.