Soviet Weapons

[ArmySGT.]

PMN plastic anti personnel mine
Grenade Class: B
Weight:0.6kg
Effective Range: 0 m (emplaced, pressure activated 0.5 to 1.0 kg weight to activate)
Fuse Delay: 0 seconds (trip wire activated)
Burst Radius: 5m
DPW: 416 (.24kg TNT)
Anti-Armor Class: None
Additional Comments:This is the standard blast, pressure activated antipersonnel mine of the Warsaw Pact; the blast injuries for personnel throughout the blast radius are intended to wound or incapacitate.

Difficult to detect and small in size (about the same as a can of shoe polish).

The Soviet PMN plastic mine is a post-World War II development which has been employed on the East German border as well as in Vietnam. The casing of the PMN is made of duroplastic and has a side hole for the firing mechanism and primer charge.The top half of the mine case has a rubber mantle which issecured by a metal clasp. The mine is activated by pressure on the top of the case. This pressure releases a spring-loaded striker, in turn hitting the percussion cap capsule, thus setting off the main charge. On laying the mine, after removing the safety pin there is a 15 to 20 minute delay in arming. The mine cannot be disarmed.