Sky Horse

50mm Light Field Mortar [ 1963 ]

The Sky Horse was a homemade 50mm mortar used by Viet Cong forces during the Cold War-era Vietnam War.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/09/2016 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

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GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]

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Since the Viet Cong forces of the Vietnam War (1955-1975) lacked a settled industrial base from which to pull war-making goods, it led to the skillful engineering of basic household materials into weapons of various types. Such was the case with the 50mm "Sky Horse" portable light field mortar employed by Viet Cong (VC) units. The weapon was formed from a length of 2" metal pipe with its crude, folding bipod support base formed of 1/8th" strap metal strips. Components were joined by nuts and bolts as well as with wire. The result was a serviceable, portable artillery system capable of projecting a 50.8mm projectile through in-direct fire. Such makeshift weapons were forced into the VC inventory when traditional weapons procurement was not possible and this led to various examples of crude, though useful, weaponry like the Sky Horse mortar being collected by American and South Vietnam forces during the war.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

1963

Origin

Vietnam

Classification

50mm Light Field Mortar

Various Workshops - North Vietnam

(View other Arms-Related Manufacturers)

North Vietnam; Vietnam

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Fire Support
Capable of suppressing enemy elements at range through direct or in-direct fire.

Action

Manually-Actuated; Muzzle-Loaded

(Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information)

Caliber(s)*

50.8mm

Sample Visuals**

Graphical image of an infantry mortar projectile / shell

Rounds / Feed

Single-Shot; Reusable Launch Tube

*May not represent an exhuastive list; calibers are model-specific dependent, always consult official manufacturer sources.
**Graphics not to actual size; not all cartridges may be represented visually; graphics intended for general reference only.

Rate-of-Fire

10
rds/min

Sky Horse - Base Series Name

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