pzgr40
Well-Known Member
M14 low metal anti personel mine. The mine was first fielded in the early 1950’s and has not been in active service since 1974. However, the US retains 1.5 million M14 mines in stock for emergency use in Korea.
The whole mine is made of hard PVC, exept for the firing pin (blue). This makes the mine difficult to detect after being placed. Later models had a steel ring glued to the base of the mine to make it easier to detect it. In transport, the safety clip (12) is placed in two opposite grooves in the side of the pressure plate (6) and the stab detonator (3) is replaced by a blind plug. Before placing the mine in the ground, the plug is changed for the stab detonator and the safety clip is removed. Just prior to covering the mine, the arrow on the pressure plate is twisted from S (Safe) to A (Armed). By rotating the pressure plate it is unlocked and able to move down if pressure is applied, as well as the firing pin housing (8) which is released by the key (7) glued to the pressure plate. To keep the explanation about the exact functioning short, look at the “safe and armed” drawing. If someone steps on the pressure plate, he pushes it down together with the firing pin housing up to a moment where the pertinax “belleville” spring (9) flips inside out (downward), pushing the firing pin into the stab detonator (3). The pressure required to activate the mine lies between 9 and 16 kg. The main charge of the mine exists of 29 grams of Tetryl (2), placed in the lower portion of the mine body (1). The explosive charge is locked up by a cap (4) in which the bellville spring exactly fits when flipped inside out. A rubber O-ring (11), placed in a groove in the pressure plate and inside the upper mine body (5) keeps the inside of the mine moisture free.
The whole mine is made of hard PVC, exept for the firing pin (blue). This makes the mine difficult to detect after being placed. Later models had a steel ring glued to the base of the mine to make it easier to detect it. In transport, the safety clip (12) is placed in two opposite grooves in the side of the pressure plate (6) and the stab detonator (3) is replaced by a blind plug. Before placing the mine in the ground, the plug is changed for the stab detonator and the safety clip is removed. Just prior to covering the mine, the arrow on the pressure plate is twisted from S (Safe) to A (Armed). By rotating the pressure plate it is unlocked and able to move down if pressure is applied, as well as the firing pin housing (8) which is released by the key (7) glued to the pressure plate. To keep the explanation about the exact functioning short, look at the “safe and armed” drawing. If someone steps on the pressure plate, he pushes it down together with the firing pin housing up to a moment where the pertinax “belleville” spring (9) flips inside out (downward), pushing the firing pin into the stab detonator (3). The pressure required to activate the mine lies between 9 and 16 kg. The main charge of the mine exists of 29 grams of Tetryl (2), placed in the lower portion of the mine body (1). The explosive charge is locked up by a cap (4) in which the bellville spring exactly fits when flipped inside out. A rubber O-ring (11), placed in a groove in the pressure plate and inside the upper mine body (5) keeps the inside of the mine moisture free.
