Brandt 60 mm LR Gun-mortar
The Brandt 60 mm Long Range gun-mortar is a breech loading mortar capable of firing on a flat trajectory. It was developed from the Brandt Mle CM60A1 and resembles a long-barrelled, long-ranged variant of that weapon.[1]
| Brandt Long-Range Gun-Mortar | |
|---|---|
 Panhard AML 60-20 Serval on parade, with the Brandt 60mm LR gun-mortar. | |
| Type | Mortar |
| Place of origin | France |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Edgar Brandt |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 75 kilograms (165 lb) |
| Length | 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in) |
| Barrel length | 1.80m (70in) |
| Shell weight | 2.2 kilograms (4.9 lb) |
| Caliber | 60 millimetres (2.4 in) |
| Elevation | -11° to +75° |
| Traverse | Depends on mounting; up to 360° |
| Rate of fire | 10 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 250 metres per second (820 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 5,000 metres (5,500 yd) |
Description
The Brandt 60mm LR gun-mortar was developed directly from the Brandt Mle CM60A1 and retains the same falling block breech mechanism reminiscent of direct fire artillery.[2] The firing pin is automatically withdrawn when the breech is unlocked, reducing the potential for misfire.[2] Like its predecessor, it can be either muzzle-loaded or breech-loaded and was designed to be mounted in the turrets of armored fighting vehicles.[2] The LR gun-mortar was also tested as a deck-mounted support weapon for maritime patrol craft such as the VCSM.[2] It utilizes a hydraulic recoil system.[1] The recoil length is 170mm, maximum recoil thrust is 2,800kg, and the weight of the recoiling mass is 75kg.[2]
The LR gun-mortar has a total length of 1.8 metres.[2] Different variants were produced with electrical or mechanical firing mechanisms.[2]
Ammunition
The LR gun-mortar was designed to fire specialized long range ammunition with an indirect fire range of 5,000 metres and a direct fire range of 500 metres.[2] The standard LR high-explosive projectile possessed a fuze which detonated at any angle of impact.[2] It was manufactured of perlitic cast iron and had unfolding fins.[2] The projectile weighed 2.2kg and had a total length of 367mm.[2] Brandt claimed that its explosive charge possessed an efficiency comparable to that of an 81mm mortar bomb.[2]
The LR gun-mortar could also fire any of the standard 60mm ammunition produced for French infantry mortars, including the Mk 72, Mk 61, and Mk 35/47 high-explosive projectiles, as well as the Mk 63 illumination shell.[2] However, without the specialized ammunition indirect fire range is reduced to 3,000 metres and direct fire range to 400 metres.[2]
See also
- Brandt 60 mm HB Gun-Mortar
- MCB-81 81 mm gun-mortar
- 2B9 Vasilek 82 mm gun-mortar
- List of artillery
- List of infantry mortars
References
- "Cavalry Mortars — A Better Way". Armor magazine. Fort Knox, Kentucky: US Army Armor Center: 17–22. September–October 1995.
- African Defence Journal, Issues 17–28. The Journal, 1982, Collected Issues 17–28. p. 44.
- Hogg, Ian (2000). Twentieth-Century Artillery. Friedman/Fairfax Publishers. ISBN 1-58663-299-X Pg.166