Quote:
Originally Posted by Legbreaker
"The M16 is a bounding fragmentation type mine consisting of a mine fuse, a propelling charge and a projectile in a sheetmetal case. The mine is approximately 4 inches in diameter, 7-5/8 inches in height with the fuse installed, and weighs 7-7/8 pounds. Pressure of between 8 and 20 pounds acting on one or more of the three prongs of the fuse, or pull of between 3 and 10 pounds on a tripwire attached to the release, will activate the mine. The principal difference between the M16, M16A1, and M16A2 versions are in the construction of the detonators and boosters. The casualty radius is 27 meters for the M16 and M16A1 and 30 meters for the M16A2. A pressure of 3.6 to 9 kilograms applied on one or more of the three prongs of the M605 fuse or a pull of 1.4 to 4.5 kilograms on the trip wire will activate the mine."
As can be seen, anything beyond about 3 pounds pressure (8 pounds direct) and you've got real problems.
|
Well the rats are too light to set off one of those through direct pressure and I think it would be pretty rare for a rat to snag itsself on a tripwire or put its full weight on a trip wire. Still, I do take your point that it would theoretically be possible for a pouch rat to set off some AP mines. When you said that an animal that size could set off some mines I thought you were talking about those mines you see in WWII films with the little prongs that stick up out of the dirt. They seem like something a rat could set off. I've never looked into how they work (the prongs I mean). Does anyone here know?