mortar or rifle greade

[dano1917]

Picture 1 is of the French WW1 Guidetto mortar/rifle grenade. Is it a mortar or a rifle grenade? Picture 2 is more of the Guidetto mortar/rifle grenade shown with firing device. Picture 3 is of the basic French WWI pneumatic mortar projectile. Question is - Is the Guidetto a mortar or rifle grenade. Here is Wiki's defination of a mortar.

MORTAR - Muzzle loading indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities, short ranges, and high arcing ballistic trajectories. It typically has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber. Certainly fits this criteria!

I have long thought the guidetto to be a mortar projectile as the firing device comes no where close to a service rifle of the period. Thjere is no great controversy here, just more of a split opinion. Whatever the case the Guidetto is an extremely el-coolo piece of ordnance and in my opinion is definately i the mortar catagory. What do you think? Dano

[US-Subs]

Though I would argue with Wiki's definition I would say definitely a mortar.

[hasag]

The third picture is a pneumatic mortar Brand, the shot was done by a compressed air discharge tube launcher.

[super7]

French WW1 Guidetto mortar/rifle grenade. Is it a mortar or a rifle grenade?

Mortar. It can not be fired from a standard rifle with or without a cup
therefore it is not a rifle grenade. The but and trigger mechanism for the
guidetto was merely borrowed from a rifle because it was more convenient
at the time.


Regards, Jan

http://www.westernfront.nl