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M252, 81mm Mortar


Medium Weight Extended Range Mortar


United States | 1987



"The M252, 81mm mortar replaced the aging M29 series of 81mm mortars in service with the US Army and USMC."

Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the M252, 81mm Mortar. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
18,618 ft
5,674.8 m | 6,206.0 yds
Max.Eff.Range
30
Rounds-Per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire
Physical
The physical qualities of the M252, 81mm Mortar. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
1,270 mm
50.00 in
O/A Length
838 mm
32.99 in
Barrel Length
90.83 lb
41.20 kg
Weight
Smooth Bore, Muzzle Loading, High-Angle-of-Fire Weapon
Action
81mm
Caliber(s)
1
Feed
M64A1 Sight Unit
Sights
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the M252, 81mm Mortar Medium Weight Extended Range Mortar family line.
M252, 81mm - Base Series Designation
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 10/19/2017 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The smoothbore, muzzle-loading M252 medium weight mortar system offers up accurate long-range indirect fire support to American ground forces. It is an 81mm high-angle-of-fire system that is crew-served, entering US Army service in 1987. The American M252 is based on the standard British L16 81mm mortar.

The M252 consists of several key components making up the whole. These include the M253 Cannon (firing tube), the M177 Mortar Mount, the M3A1 Baseplate and the M64A1 Sight Unit. The M253 Cannon is 50 inches long and accepts a variety of munitions type for fire including high-explosive (HE), red phosphorous and smoke, illumination and other NATO-accepted rounds. The barrel is capped with the Blast Attenuation Device (BAD) for crew protection. Elevation is accomplished through the use of a screw-type elevation and traverse system. A crew of three is recommended for maximum firing efficiency.

The M252 has capable ranges of 83 meters minimum and 5,935 meters maximum. The entire unit weighs 91lbs. A maximum rate-of-fire of 30 rounds-per-minute is attainable for up to 2 minutes. Sustained firing falls between eight and sixteen rounds-per-minute. The M252 replaced the aged M29 81mm mortar and is in service with the United States Army and United States Marine Corps.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the M252, 81mm Mortar. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): Watervliet Arsenals among others - USA
National flag of Canada National flag of Egypt National flag of Estonia National flag of Iraq National flag of the United Kingdom National flag of the United States

[ Canada; Egypt; Estonia; Iraq; United Kingdom; United States ]
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Image of the M252, 81mm Mortar
Image from the United States Department of Defense imagery database.

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The M252, 81mm Mortar Medium Weight Extended Range Mortar appears in the following collections:
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