Cutaway model of an Italian VAR-40 AP mine. The mine is nearly completely plastic made and therefore difficult to detect. The only parts that are metal are three small springs and the firing pin in the fuze. The mine body consitst of a upper and a lower body. The fuze is placed in the upper body part, the detonator is placed in the lower body part. A ring shaped explosive charge is placed in the body.
The cone shaped rubber cap of the fuze protrudes from the upper part of the mine body. In rest, all springs are untensioned. In top is the cone shaped rubber cap (1), Below the rubber cap, the pressure cap is placed (2), in which the firing pin spring(3) is placed between the pressure cap and the firing pin (4). The firing pin is kept in upper position by two opposite steel balls (5), placed in the guidance piece for the firing pin (6), and under a recess in the firing pin. The balls are kept in inward position by a spring (7) loaded sleeve ( 8 ). A weak conical spring (9) below the firing pin keeps the firing pin in it’s upward position
When stepped upon (or pressure is applied) the pressure cap (2) moves downward , tensioning the firing pin spring (3). The pressure cap starts pushing down the spring loaded (7) sleeve ( 8 ), untill the sleeve has moved down far enough to allow the two steel balls (5) to move outward and release the firing pin (4). This will ignite the stab detonator, igniting the mine.
One remarkable feature of the mine is the safety cap which has a sidepiece in which the stab detonator has been placed. When delivered, a blue plastic safety plug –preventing the firing pin mechanism from being armed- is srewed in the bottom of the mine. The stab detonator is screwed in the sidepiece. When made ready for use, the blue plug is screwed out of the base, the stab detonator is screwed in the bottom, and after the mine is placed in the ground, the safety cap is removed. The mine is now live. Laying the mine was done manualy.
Due to the relatively small pressure plate, the mine is quite resistant to overpressure from explosive mine clearance.
The VAR-40 AP mine was produced in Italy by Tecnovar Spa, and can be encountered in Angola, Iraq and Kurdistan
Data:
Diameter of the mine : 78mm
Height of the mine : 44 mm with safety cap, 41 mm without safety cap
Weight of the mine : 100 grams
Weight explosive charge : 40 grams RDX or Composition B
Activation pressure : appr. 12 kg
Regards, DJH
The cone shaped rubber cap of the fuze protrudes from the upper part of the mine body. In rest, all springs are untensioned. In top is the cone shaped rubber cap (1), Below the rubber cap, the pressure cap is placed (2), in which the firing pin spring(3) is placed between the pressure cap and the firing pin (4). The firing pin is kept in upper position by two opposite steel balls (5), placed in the guidance piece for the firing pin (6), and under a recess in the firing pin. The balls are kept in inward position by a spring (7) loaded sleeve ( 8 ). A weak conical spring (9) below the firing pin keeps the firing pin in it’s upward position
When stepped upon (or pressure is applied) the pressure cap (2) moves downward , tensioning the firing pin spring (3). The pressure cap starts pushing down the spring loaded (7) sleeve ( 8 ), untill the sleeve has moved down far enough to allow the two steel balls (5) to move outward and release the firing pin (4). This will ignite the stab detonator, igniting the mine.
One remarkable feature of the mine is the safety cap which has a sidepiece in which the stab detonator has been placed. When delivered, a blue plastic safety plug –preventing the firing pin mechanism from being armed- is srewed in the bottom of the mine. The stab detonator is screwed in the sidepiece. When made ready for use, the blue plug is screwed out of the base, the stab detonator is screwed in the bottom, and after the mine is placed in the ground, the safety cap is removed. The mine is now live. Laying the mine was done manualy.
An interesting feature of this mine is that all springs are not tensioned untill the moment pressure is applied to the pressure cap, so no tension on the plastic parts of the mine untill pressure is applied to the fuze.
Due to the relatively small pressure plate, the mine is quite resistant to overpressure from explosive mine clearance.
The VAR-40 AP mine was produced in Italy by Tecnovar Spa, and can be encountered in Angola, Iraq and Kurdistan
Data:
Diameter of the mine : 78mm
Height of the mine : 44 mm with safety cap, 41 mm without safety cap
Weight of the mine : 100 grams
Weight explosive charge : 40 grams RDX or Composition B
Activation pressure : appr. 12 kg
Regards, DJH
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