What Is A Claymore Mine

What does a claymore mine do?

The Claymore fires steel balls out to about 100 m (110 yd) within a 60° arc in front of the device. It is used primarily in ambushes and as an anti-infiltration device against enemy infantry. It is also used against unarmored vehicles. Many countries have developed and used mines like the Claymore.

Why are mines called Claymores?

Its inventor, Norman MacLeod, named the mine after a large medieval Scottish sword. Unlike a conventional land mine, the Claymore is command-detonated and directional, meaning it is fired by remote-control and shoots a pattern of metal balls into the kill zone like a shotgun.

Are Claymore mines legal?

The United States first produced Claymore mines in 1960 and has since produced 7.8 million of them for a cost of $122 million. When used in command-detonated mode, Claymores are permissible under the Mine Ban Treaty. When used in victim-activated mode, usually with a tripwire, they are prohibited.

What are Claymore mines made of?

The M18 Claymore, a directional fragmentation mine, is 8-1/2 inches long, 1-3/8 inches wide, 3-1/4 inches high, and weighs 3-1/2 pounds. The mine contains 700 steel spheres (10.5 grains) and 1-1/2 pound layer of composition C-4 explosive and is initiated by a No. 2 electric blasting cap.

What is a toe popper?

Toe poppers: small pressure-detonated mine with the power to blow off a hand or part of a foot, used for booby traps. When triggered it bounced 3 feet in the air, then exploded, causing extensive shrapnel damage to the lower body.

How many steel balls are in a claymore mine?

A Claymore mine is a military weapon containing approximately1. 5 pounds of C4 plastic explosive and embedded approximately 700 steel ball bearings. It is engineered as a directional antipersonnel weapon to inflict death or serious bodily injury over a large area.

Why is it called a Bouncing Betty?

The S-mine acquired its odd nickname “Bouncing Betty” from American infantrymen. The German habit of laying the mines around anti-tank and anti-vehicle mines contributed to the reputation. If a vehicle was disabled by a mine, the soldiers would be trapped in it until someone came to rescue them.

Can you buy Claymores?

An Anglicization of the Gaelic claidheamh-mor, or Great Sword, the claymore is a Scottish version of the medieval two-handed longsword. At Buying a Sword, you can find many excellent claymore replicas for purchase.

Is a claymore a greatsword?

Claymore. The Scottish name “claymore” (Scottish Gaelic: claidheamh mór, lit. “large/great sword”) can refer to either the longsword with a distinctive two-handed grip, or the basket-hilted sword. The two handed claymore is an early Scottish version of a greatsword.

Do Claymores use lasers?

Claymore mines Laser tripwire mines are highly discouraged by the Geneva convention. Typically, real claymore mines are detonated with a wire and switch.

Is using mines a war crime?

Placing minefields without marking and recording them for later removal is considered a war crime under Protocol II of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, which is itself an annex to the Geneva Conventions.

Are Claymores motion sensor?

The compact camera unit is mounted atop the mine, enabling command-detonation upon proper identification of the target. A motion-detecting sensor can be added to ensure that no one sneaks past the mine and there’s even an option to record video feedback with GPS positioning.

How many BB’s are in a claymore?

The M18 Claymore system is roughly 8.5 inches in length, 1.375 inches wide, 3.25 inches high and weighs just 3.5 pounds. 700 steel-based sphere ball bearings (10.5 grains) are used as the projectiles, set within an epoxy resin, and a 1.5lb layer of composition C-4 explosive is used for detonation.

How does a bounding mine work?

A bounding mine is an anti-personnel mine designed to be used in open areas. When it is tripped, a small propelling charge launches the body of the mine 3 to 4 feet (91.44 to 121.92 cm) into the air, where the main charge detonates and sprays fragmentation at roughly waist height.

What does hump mean in Vietnam?

hump To travel on foot, especially when carrying and transporting necessary supplies for field combat. platoon A military unit composed of two or more squads or sections, normally under the command of a lieutenant: it is a subdivision of a company, troop, and so on.

What is in Agent Orange?

Agent Orange is composed of a mixture of two kinds of herbicide agents, 2, 4-D and 2, 4, 5-T. The highly toxic dioxin contaminant known as 2, 3, 7, 8-TCDD is a byproduct that is produced by Agent Orange.

What is the Backblast of a claymore mine?

The backblast area of around sixteen meters to the rear and sides of the munition was generally considered unsafe. As such, in the field it was common for the Claymore to be set up with the back facing mounds or other obstacles to help eliminate or at reduce the risk of friendly-fire.

What is a CR 38 mine?

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.

What is a jumping jack mine?

The Jumping Jack Mine is a gold mine located in Nye county, Nevada at an elevation of 7,201 feet.

Can you survive a bounding mine?

This means that, in general, the best way to survive a bounding mine is to throw yourself flat on the ground, face down. If you’re close enough, most of the shrapnel will pass over you. The best-known bounding mines, the German S-Mine class, had a four-second time delay on the fuse.