Accession Number | REL/19322.003 |
---|---|
Collection type | Technology |
Object type | Artillery Accessory |
Physical description | Paint, Steel |
Maker |
Watervliet Arsenal |
Place made | United States of America |
Date made | c 1970 |
Conflict |
Period 1970-1979 Vietnam, 1962-1975 Period 1980-1989 |
81 mm M29 Mortar Barrel
Description
M29 mortar barrel made from ordnance steel. The barrel has a smoothbore profile and has helical external grooves. The barrel is in original steel finish. Markings - 8766506.
History / Summary
81mm M29 mortar standardised by the Australian Army and the US Army in 1970. This mortar served in the later stages of the Vietnam conflict. The barrel consists of a tube with a base plug and a fixed firing pin for drop firing and is of the smooth bore type. The exterior of the barrel is helically grooved to reduce weight and this also aids in heat dissipation. The mount consists of a bipod of the Stokes-Brandt adjustable type with traversing and elevating mechanisms and a spring type shock absorber above the barrel. The baseplate is circular.