The design of the PaK50 combines the chassis of a 5cm PaK38 with a cut-down gun from a 7.5cm PaK40, using a large muzzle brake to stop the recoil tearing the combination apart. Both Its anti-tank capability and ranger were considerably better than the older infantry gun designs The intention behind the design was to create a weapon with the same ballistic performance as the 7.5cm PaK40 but lighter and smaller; making it more manageable to handle for the crew as well as easier to conceal.