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A Subject of Mortars in Miniature.com |
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Medium Extended Range Mortar
The Kit:
This is another Dartmoor Military Models offering in 1/35 scale of the
current U.S. Army and Marine Corps 81mm Mortar. It is cast in white metal and is
just a beautiful kit to build. There were a few very minor casting flaws found
and the ones that I did find, cleaned up with a fine file and sandpaper easily.
The muzzle needed some interior cleaning that I did with a de-burring bit
mounted in my Dremel Tool. Actually, this is the first model that I have
built that is cast in white metal and there was some apprehension at first, but
by using super glues, it went together really well. It's a fragile kit, but it
transports well, already having survived a couple of trips to local shows with
no problems. The key to safely transporting something like this is to adhere all
the contact points to the groundwork.
The Details:
Just about Out Of the Box (OOB) with this kit. The only additional
details that are a must and are not included with the kit, are the retaining
strap and mounting hardware to the bipod. I added this feature by using thin
strips of drafting tape and photo-etch brass 'hardware'. My example's traversing
rod wasn't cast very well, so I cut it out and replaced it with a piece of Evergreen
styrene rod.
The Base and Groundwork:
This base is cut to 3-1/2 inches in diameter and is of pine wood,
stained with a natural stain and sealed with multiple coats of Polyurethane. Sculptamold
mixed with white glue was added for the groundwork. Dry Sculptamold was
lightly sprinkled on top for a ground 'texture', and the boot prints were
pressed in before the Sculptamold had fully dried. Once again, I added
some dried-flowers for the bushes.
Painting, Weathering and Finishing:
With this being another metal kit, I first primed the model with PollyScale
Acrylic Metal Primer.
PollyS/PollyScale Acrylic Paints were used
throughout. Winsor and Newton Oils thinned with Loew-Cornell
Odorless Brush Cleaner and Thinner were used for the washes. Dry brushed in part
with PollyS/PollyScale Metalline series Acrylic Paints. PollyScale Acrylic
Flat Coat was then applied overall to the finished subject.
General Info:
The M252 is an adaption of the British
L16A2,
and is found in mortar platoons of infantry battalions. The object at the end of
the tube is a blast attenuator device which is fitted to further protect the
crew from the effects of the muzzle flash. This weapon is of a British design
with Canadian built components and has American modifications. Truly an
international weapon system.
The M252 in U.S. Army service is transportable in the self-propelled mode by
the M125 series of fully tracked vehicles based on the M113 Armored Personnel
Carrier. In U.S. Marine Corps service, the M252 is carried in the LAV(M),
8-wheeled Light Armored Vehicle. Both vehicles providing 'under armor' operation
and excellent mobility of this weapon.
| Actual Data: Length: 56in. Weight: Tube Assembly: 35lbs. Bipod: 26lbs. Baseplate: 25.5lbs. M-64 Sight Unit: 2.5lbs. Total Weight: 89lbs. Maximum Effective Range: 6,234yds. Rates of Fire: Maximum: 33 rounds per minute. Sustained: 16rpm. Ammunition Types: HE, M821 HE, M889 RP, M819 |
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TM 9-1015-249-10 |
FT
81-AR-1 |
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From a United States Marine...
"As an 81mm mortarman with 2/9 from '88 to '92 I've got a
ton of guntime on this excellent weapon. The one thing that really stands
out when firing it is the "ring" associated with the B.A.D.,
especially when firing max charge H.E. or illum. When the round goes out
there is a very distinct sound as the B.A.D. reverberates - when videotaped the
blast isn't as loud as you would expect (probably attenuated by the camera) but
the ring comes through loud and clear." --
Dustin Atwood, USMC
References:
Federation of American Scientist
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U.S. 81mm Mortar, M252 |
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Mortars in Miniature, Created and Maintained by
Kevin Robert Keefe,
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