$10 Money Pit, 81mm Mortar

[Aragorn243]

On a whim, I bought an 81mm mortar body off Coleman's for something like $10. Wasn't real happy when it arrived as they demilled the top by blow torch cutting it about 3/4's of an inch. So it sat here in my office for three weeks. Found fins for $50 and a fuse for $34 and a gas check for $5. So I'm maybe regretting this whole $10bargain but I have to say, it looks real cool. I just have the fins, not the fuse so I'll wait to post photos. After all this, I found a complete one for sale for about $30-$40 more than what I have in this pieced together one so I guess it's still a "bargain".

81MM Mortar Bomb Casing - Colemans Military Surplus

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[browningautorifle]

Don't beat yourself up over this one. It's the bits and parts that are hard to find, and to get them all together is even harder. Now you have it and it won't go down in cost. I saw an ad asking for any 60mm training bombs or artifacts...anything... I thought about selling my 60mm solid bomb for about a minute and then thought about the head shaking of collectors here...why would you sell it? How do you replace it? Guess my kids can do that...

Waiting for pics...

[CINDERS]

Some collectors sell & trade I'm like Jim I do not really on sell kit unless I have a couple of them then I am more likely to trade as cash seems to go through my fingers like sand and I end up at my wifes side asking like Oliver Twist!
Who tries to understand my passion for collecting "Stuff!" as for my son one hopes he appreciates it when my perch snaps.

I am chasing a 75mm projie for a Pak that I can share between a M4 case I have H.E or A.P does not matter thing is it will have to be an Australian contact as getting it from O/seas would be too costly and may cause panic in customs!
I priced one from a seller over in the eastern states he only had a complete round which he wanted $600 for (passed on it).............!

[Aragorn243]

I'm not regretting it really, the cool factor of how this looks just puts a smile on my face when I hold it. And that's with just the fins attached. I'll have to dremel out the threads on the top so I can screw the fuse on. I just hope the fuse is the right size. Looks like these things are pretty standard, no trouble with the fins other than having to clean the threads up a little there also. They shipped the fuse and gas check today so hopefully I'll have them early next week.

Only real drawback with this thing is how to display it. the fins are about 7 inches long and made out of aluminum. The mortar body probably weighs 15-20lbs and is top heavy even without the fuse. Have to lay it on its side on a shelf I suppose.

[CINDERS]

Do what I did for my 3" M/B make up a sitting Jig the bakerlite transport plug I keep separate and leave the fuse in the bomb as those plugs are pretty well impossible to get if it gets broken.

[Aragorn243]

My mortar has a solid base. Still had the firing mechanism in it. It isn't active but it's there. It's a raised "primer" that sets off a charge which goes through a small hole into the main fin base. I will try to get some photos up this afternoon after work. Fin comes apart also.

[browningautorifle]

15-20lbs

Really? The 81mm bombs I fired were about 10 lbs...even the long smoke and illum. Here's my 81mm and 60mm...

[Aragorn243]

Coleman's says it is 5lbs 2 ounces but I think it weighs a lot more than that. Maybe not. I don't have a scale.

[WarPig1976]

When we say "Gas check" is that the band around the upper part of the projectile?

[Aragorn243]

Took some photos, will make explanations easier. That is a 50 cal for scale. I have three rulers which are usually sitting on a shelf above my desk and they are all missing.

This is the top of the shell where they blow torched about an inch down. I'll have to clean up these threads to get the fuse screwed on and then probably fill it with JB weld unless someone has a better suggestion.



Here is with the fin broken down. The gas check goes into the groove a little over halfway up the shell. These are expandable so I can put a new one into the groove. You can buy a 500 count box of them on gunbroker if you have need of them, not sure why anyone would but hey, they are there.



And the fin and shell assembled. May not be the correct fin for the shell but I don't care. Listed as a US Navy mortar fin, also used by the British for HE rounds.