A firing pin or striker is part of the firing mechanism used in a firearm or explosive device, designed to ignite combustions/detonations by delivering an impact force to shock-sensitive compounds known as primers. Firing pins may take many forms, though the types used in fuzes for single-use devices generally have a sharpened point. In contrast, firing pins used in firearms usually have a small, rounded portion designed to strike the primer of a cartridge, detonating the priming compound, which then ignites the propellant (inside) or fires the detonator and booster.
An anti-tank mine is a type of land mine designed to damage or destroy vehicles including tanks and armored fighting vehicles.
The PP Mi-D mine is a Czechoslovakian copy of the German Second World War Schu-mine 42 anti-personnel mine.
The PMD-6, PMD-7 and PMD-57 series mines are Soviet Union blast-type anti-personnel mines that consist of a wooden box with a hinged lid with a slot cut into it. The slot presses down against a retaining pin, which holds back the striker. When sufficient pressure is applied to the lid of the box the retaining pin moves, allowing the striker to hit the detonator. The mines typically have an operating pressure of 1 to 10 kg. All the mines in the series use MOV series fuzes.
The M15 mine is a large circular United States anti-tank blast mine, first deployed during the Korean War. Essentially, it is a larger version of the M6A2 anti-tank mine, which it replaced. Although the M15 has been superseded by the M19 mine, the U.S. retains large stocks of M15s because they are still regarded as reliable and effective weapons. When used against main battle tanks the M15 is primarily a "track-breaker" which creates mobility kills, but has a comparatively small likelihood of causing crew fatalities. However, when used against lighter vehicles such as APCs or unarmored vehicles such as trucks the damage inflicted is much more severe.
The M7 is a small, metal-cased United States anti-tank blast mine that was used during the Second World War. It was based on the British Hawkins grenade. Approximately 2.5 million were produced before production ceased, and although it has long since been withdrawn from U.S. service, it can be found in Angola, Burma, Cambodia, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Korea, Lebanon, Myanmar, Somalia, Thailand, and Zambia.
TM-62 is the designation for a series of Soviet anti-tank blast mines. The mines have a central fuze and typically have a 7.5 kg explosive charge, however they vary greatly in detail. The mines can be laid manually or automatically from a mine laying machine including the PMR-1, PMR-2 wheeled towed mine layers, the GMZ tracked mine laying vehicle and the VMR-2 helicopter mine laying system.
The AT-8 or Cuban anti-tank mine is a square green plastic cased anti-tank mine. It is a scaled-up version of the Cuban anti-personnel mine. The mine consists of a plastic ribbed hinged upper case which rests on the fuzes placed into the lower plastic case. When enough pressure is placed on the upper lid the strikers are released from the fuzes. This triggers the main charge, which consists of up to twenty 400 g blocks of TNT. The mine is fitted with MUV or RO-1 type fuzes.
The TM-38 was a rectangular, metal-cased Soviet anti-tank mine used during the Second World War. The mine had a large raised rectangular central pressure plate with four reinforcing creases. When enough pressure was applied to the plate it collapses pressing down on a bolt connected to an internal lever. The lever is pulls a retaining pin from the MUV fuze, which releases the striker, which impacts the MD-2 detonator.
The TM-35 was a rectangular, metal-cased Soviet anti-tank mine used during the Second World War. The mine has a metal case, which is rectangular with a carrying handle on one side and a large raised pressure plate in the centre. Sufficient pressure on the central pressure plate presses down on one end of an internal see-saw like lever, which removes the retaining pin from an MUV fuze, releasing the striker, triggering the mine.
The T-IV was a Soviet anti-tank mine developed before and used during the Second World War. The mine has a metal case with a wooden pressure plate attached to the top of the mine. It is similar in configuration to the later TM-38.
The TMD-40 was a wooden-cased Soviet anti-tank blast mine used during the Second World War. The mine consisted of a rectangular wooden box which contained a detonator assembly at each end and seven 400 gram and four 200 gram blocks of explosive. The fuse assemblies consisted of a lever device, which when pressed downward by pressure pieces attached to the lid of the mine, see-sawed upward, pulling the striker retaining pin from a pull detonator. The main charge was then triggered.
The NV-41 was a wooden-cased Soviet anti-tank blast mine used during the Second World War. The mine consists of a square wooden box with a filling plug on the bottom. The top of the box is covered by a thin pressure lid, which covers a pressure plate held up by a spring. Sufficient pressure on the lid collapses it down onto the pressure plate. Downward movement of the pressure plate moves down a pressure plunger, which in turn levers up the striker retaining lever, releasing the spring-loaded striker and allowing it to impact the stab sensitive detonator, triggering the main charge.
The Bakelite anti-tank mine type I and type II were Italian anti-tank mines produced during the Second World War. As the name suggests, the mines used Bakelite cases and used relatively few metal components, making them difficult to detect with mine detectors of the era. It was primarily used to deter pursuit when withdrawing from an area.
The CC 48 is an Italian wooden cased minimum metal anti-tank mine that was used during the Second World War. The mine uses a shaped TNT explosive charge to produce a directional cutting effect. The mine uses two PMC/43 fuzes, but these can be replaced with PMC/42/2 anti-personnel fuzes, combined with weakening the lid this can make it sensitive enough to be detonated by the weight of a mine.
A tilt-rod fuze is a device used to trigger anti-vehicle landmines. Typically it consists of a vertical pole, normally around a meter high, which is connected to the top of a landmine. When the track or main body of a vehicle passes over the mine, the rod is tilted, releasing a spring-loaded striker which triggers a pyrotechnic delay of approximately half a second, followed by detonation of the main explosive charge. The small time delay allows the vehicle to continue over the mine before detonating, exposing more of it to the blast. A tilt-rod fuze has a number of advantages over pressure fuzes - it acts across the entire width of a vehicle, rather than just its tracks or tires. This allows it to attack the vehicle's belly and potentially cause a catastrophic kill. Additionally, tilt rod fuzes tend to be resistant to blast overpressure clearing methods, which can trigger most pressure fuzes.
The Henschel Hs 297 Föhn or 7.3 cm Raketen Sprenggranate was a small German surface-to-air rocket of the Second World War. The associated multiple rocket launcher was known as the 7.3 cm Föhn-Gerät.
The Type 99 81 mm mortar was a Japanese mortar used primary by Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. The Type 99 designation was given to this gun as it was accepted in the year 2599 of the Japanese calendar (1939). The Type 99 81 mm mortar is typical of the Stokes-Brandt type mortar. The Type 99 81 mm mortar differs from the Type 97 81 mm infantry mortar in the shortness of its tube and in the method of firing. The differences between the Type 99 and the US 81-mm mortar, M1 are pronounced.
The B-Stabmine (Behelfs-Stabmine) or Makeshift Stickmine in English was an anti-tank mine that was developed by Germany and used by the Wehrmacht during World War II.
The Mine A.P. Improvised Type II is a British Anti-personnel mine of World War II
