What makes a mortar shell explode?

as I understand it, artillery shells explode when they hit the ground because there’s a small amount of volatile chemical inside the round that ignites when it experiences high levels of acceleration, which makes the main charge explode.

How does a trench mortar work?

It consisted chiefly of a smooth metal tube fixed to a base plate (to absorb recoil) with a light bi-pod mount. When a bomb was dropped into the tube an impact sensitive cartridge at the base of the bomb would make contact with a firing pin at the base of the tube, thereby ejecting the bomb.

Are mortars effective?

The plunging, high-angle fire of the mortar is effective against targets in trenches or behind cover. Mortars are not especially accurate weapons. The first round may be 100 meters or more off-target, but by adjusting the aim point, the crew can get on target after a few shots.

What are the advantages of mortars?

Mortars have the advantages of portability because of their size, of freedom of movement without the need for logistical support, and of the capacity to be fired from a trench or defilade (a fighting position that protects the operators from direct return fire).

Why is mortar needed?

Mortar is a workable paste which hardens to bind building blocks such as stones, bricks, and concrete masonry units, to fill and seal the irregular gaps between them, spread the weight of them evenly, and sometimes to add decorative colors or patterns to masonry walls.

What is a muzzleloader and how does it work?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A muzzleloader is any firearm into which the projectile and usually the propellant charge is loaded from the muzzle of the gun (i.e., from the forward, open end of the gun’s barrel). This is distinct from the modern (higher tech and harder to make) designs of breech-loading firearms.

How do you load and unload a mortar?

1 Interact with the mortar by pressing the interaction key ⊞ Win and looking near the muzzle. 2 Select the Load Mortar action and then select the round type you want to load. 3 If you want to unload the mortar without firing, interact near the muzzle again and select Remove Round.

What type of gun-mortars are used in tanks?

The Israeli Merkava tank uses a 60 mm mortar as a secondary armament. The Russian army uses the 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled 240 mm heavy mortar which is one of the largest mortars in current use. Gun-mortars are breech-loaded mortars usually equipped with a hydraulic recoil mechanism, and sometimes equipped with an autoloader.

What is the muzzle velocity of an 81mm mortar?

Data for 81 mm L16 mortar Charge Muzzle Velocity Range Primary 73 m/s 180–520m Charge 1 110 m/s 390–1,120m Charge 2 137 m/s 580–1,710m Charge 3 162 m/s 780–2,265m