EXPAL P-4-A metal free anti personel mine, Spain

[pzgr40]

Cutaway model of a Spanish EXPAL P-4-A metal free anti personel mine. The minebody is build up of a lower and upper PVC half which are screwed together. The explosive charge exists of a pressed ring of explosives, placed in the body. The fuze body houses the sensitive stab detonator (red), the firing pin, the firing pin spring and the release collar. The spring is not steel made but a rubber cilinder that acts as a spring. The firing pin is made of hard PVC, the release collar is made of hard rubber. The firing pin has a collar on the outside that fits a rim in the inner circumference of the release collar. On top of the rubber cilinder a plastic pressure plate is mounted.
When a person steps on the pressure plate, it will move downward, compressing the rubber cilinder that is placed in the firing pin. At a certain weight, the rim on the outside of the firing pin will be pushed through the inner rim of the release collar, allowing the firing pin to move into the detonator (red), exploding the detonator and the mine.
As this mine contains absolutely no metal parts, it is not possible to find this mine with a mine detector.

Diameter mine : 72 mm
Height with protective cap : 53 mm
Height w/o protective cap : 50,5 mm
Weight complete mine : 171 grams
Explosives weight : 100 grams of TNT/Petn/Wax 93/6/1
Operation pressure : 10 kg

The mine has been found in Equador, the Falklands and Peru.

Regards, DJH