What's new
British Ordnance Collectors Network

Join over 14,000 collectors of inert military ordnance. Get expert identification help for shells, fuzes, grenades, and more — plus access our classifieds marketplace and decades of archived knowledge. Free to register, takes seconds.

AP mine Nr.409, Belgium / Portugal

pzgr40

Well-Known Member
Cutaway model of an AP mine Nr.409, produced by PRB Belgium. The mine was also produced in licence by Portugal as the M969 AP mine. The mine is fully plastic, exept for the spring metal firing pin needles and the duplex detonator housing. Therefore it is difficult to detect.
The mine is build up of a lower housing, containing the explosive charge and the duplex detonator. A plug is glued in behind the detonator to permanently fixate the duplex detonator into the mine body. A plastic cap closes the mine body. On top of this cap the pressure plate is glued. This plate has a pressure knob in the middle which has to be stepped upon. A firing pin release lever (black) is glued to the lower side of the pressure plate. The firing pin exists of a hook shaped double needles that is formed like a peg spring. As soon as the firing pin release lever is pushed down far enough, the two needles swing inward, piercing the firing cap of the detonator (red hole). This will explode the firingcap, the detonator and the mine.
The transport safety cap is held in place with a wire clip that prevents the pressure plate from moving down.
This mine has been deployed in Angola, Chad, Equador, Kuwait, Iraq, Peru, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Thailand, Western Sahara and Zambia.
It can be found in the colours olive green and desert yellow.

Diameter : 82mm
Height : 28mm
Weight : 183 grams
Explosive charge : 80 grams of TNT or composition B.
Operation pressure : 5 kg
Regards, DJH
 

Attachments

  • AP mine Nr.409 (Belgium or M969 (Portugal) complete.JPG
    AP mine Nr.409 (Belgium or M969 (Portugal) complete.JPG
    124.2 KB · Views: 38
  • AP mine Nr.409 (Belgium) or M969 (Portugal) without protective cap..JPG
    AP mine Nr.409 (Belgium) or M969 (Portugal) without protective cap..JPG
    96.8 KB · Views: 30
  • AP mine Nr.409 (Belgium) or M969 (Portugal) firing pins detail.JPG
    AP mine Nr.409 (Belgium) or M969 (Portugal) firing pins detail.JPG
    105.9 KB · Views: 31
Top