[47lincsled]

After years of shooting the mortar with an improvise breach plug and cannon fuse I finally bought one of the breach mechanisms from Sarryco, like every thing I ever buy from them it required fitting to work, but it is so much better then cannon fuse, it takes a 12 gauge black powder shell,I use about 100 grains of Pyrodex FFF, which is only about half a 12 gauge, I turn my rounds out of old bowling pins,I get about 250 yards, since I figured I might be shooting it more often I decided I would build a bipod for it, I base my design loosely on the m-2 tripod, again every thing came from the bone pile, maybe someday I'll get lucky and find a reasonable US WW2 mortar bipod but for now this works really good!

 

[CaptMax]

47lincsled, That looks great!!!
Bet it can really make those bowling pins fly too.
I am still using cannon fuse on my BP but I don't get time to shoot it often either.
You have done a great job on the bipod as it looks like it came that way.
Thanks for posting the picture.
CaptMax

 

[brassmagnet]

I agree - great looking setup. You did well on the bi-pod. I'd be interested in a pic of one of your turned rounds - I have a box full of pins in a shed I don't know what to do with.

 

[47lincsled]

mortar rounds

Here is a selection of rounds, the far left is a 60's era dummy, next to that is one I built using the tail fins from an illumination round the next one is shaped like the illumination round, the last one is what I turn out just to shoot into the fields,it takes about 20 minutes on the shop smith, they fly better with tail fins I just hadn't gotten around to putting some on yet.

 

[brassmagnet]

Thanks for posting the pics.

 

[bradcliff]

I would love to have one of these mortars for my collection if anyone knows where I can find one for sale.
Nice work on the bipod and great looking mortar

Ben

 

[alpino]

finishing Finnish Smoke Thrower

47lincsled
good looking Finn Smoke Thrower. Exactly what I'm slowly working on.
I see we have similar "diseases" Finn weapons & US military vehicles.

I was wondering, I have one of those breech mechanisms from Sarco... what type of threads did you use, to tap it into the barrel/breech?
Was it some plumbing tap or custom?

Still debating what kind of projos [I hate that word after 27 years as a grunt, first time I've used it] to make
The Finns shot a wretched looking black smoke canister, no fins

Thanks & look forward to hearing from you!

 

[47lincsled]

threads

I can't remember what the exact size was on those threads, but they are standard threads,not metric,which surprised me, just take your breach unit to a nut and bolt supplier that carries big nuts and you should be able to find one, my mortar had the threaded part, but I found the shell holder so handy that I converted my 57mm AT gun to use it,it's so much easier to use a 12 gauge shell then having to make up little baggies of black powder!

 

[alpino]

Thanks 47lincsled
more questions if you don't mind.
I'm looking at some DOM tubing 3" ID with .25" or .375 thick walls
Any idea/suggestion on thickness?
I am looking to make one as in my photo.
Last is the "cup"
are these made or is there a way to make them?
be advised I am only going to shoot these 12ga shells as you have suggested
with wooden rounds as you have done.
Again thank you for all your input!

more ideas below

 

[steamer]

How does the firing work on these? Fuse like a cannon ?

Do bowling pins come as solid plastic or are all wood core with plastic cover?

Where do you get the fins?

where should I look for what is legal to build?

Sorry for the questions but I would like to build one the right way.

3" DOM tube can be found here: http://stores.ebay.com/Industrial-M...M-Seamless-Steel-Round-Tube-/_i.html?_fsub=16

Steamer

 

[47lincsled]

mortar rounds

The real tail fins are very hard to find,I lucked out about ten years ago and found some at a flea market in Vegas,so far I've lost two,it's amazing how easy they disappear after firing! All bowling pins have a nice wooden core, but you have to be careful because there are holes bored in them to make the weigh the right amount, I lucked out with a big pile of them that a guy was going to take to the dump, for just playing around the bowling pin rounds work great,just find a nice dummy round to display with the mortar,I'll measure the tube in the morning and get some specs.

 

[rugman59]

The real tail fins are very hard to find,I lucked out about ten years ago and found some at a flea market in Vegas,so far I've lost two,it's amazing how easy they disappear after firing! All bowling pins have a nice wooden core, but you have to be careful because there are holes bored in them to make the weigh the right amount, I lucked out with a big pile of them that a guy was going to take to the dump, for just playing around the bowling pin rounds work great,just find a nice dummy round to display with the mortar,I'll measure the tube in the morning and get some specs.

"The real tail fins are very hard to find." ??
Just gotta know where to look.( I already found them months ago when searching for something else.)
:tongue:
Their prices jumped, I see. Ouch.
http://www.cdvs.us/60mm-mortar-iner...-in-factory-paper-60mm-mortar-tube-P1348.aspx

 

[47lincsled]

tail fins

I wish I had known those 60mm tail fins were worth so much,I stopped at the museum in Hawthorne NV last year and they had a pile of them for $5 each! All NOS! I only bought one because I needed 81mm fins!

 

[47lincsled]

mortar breach

The tube on the actual Finnish mortar isn't that thick,about 3/8, but the breach cup is very thick,I took a close up of it so you can see how the firing mechanism installs,plus you can see just how thick the cup is, you could use a big nut to recreate this piece welded to a cup,hope this helps.

 

[alpino]

thank much 47lincsled, the photo and info helps very much,
and of course a few more questions.
Is that an actual Finnish cup? or did you make it yourself, and if so, how?
The added thickness looks like another 3/8ths?
Does the breech mechanism & charge just sit inside the barrel?
or is there something to protect it from the round coming down?
And lastly, that flange looking device with the bolt. That looks original,
I assume it is to lock the breech mechanism in place?
THANKS again


ps. the 57mm is spectacular!!! as an old paratrooper it warms my heart, as the 57mm was glider carried into battle, to link up with jeep

 

[47lincsled]

mortar

That is all original,I bought it about 20 years ago with out the firing mechanism,I just used a piece of bolt with a hole for cannon fuse till I found the actual firing mechanism, they use an interrupted thread,like most cannon breaches so you only have to slide it in and turn it a 1/4 of a turn to lock it, the ring around the opening is to align everything, inside the opening is a thick wall tube with holes in it which allow the expanding gases to pass from the firing mechanism into the tube,and it also stops the round from going down too far.

 

[rugman59]

That really is cool! I mucked out my stall so you can get something in there now. Sorry about that. I had no idea it was full already.