kmart

To extend and clairify on the reason for "banging" the bottom of the mortar in SPR; not all mortars are the same, but light mortars of the type depicted had the following features: -A fuse at the tip designed to ignite the charge no matter what direction or velocity of impact (a haybale would still set it off) -A safety pin, preventing the fuse from getting triggered if dropped. -An internal safety that is triggered by the accelleration of the shell at launch. The important thing to note is that banging metal against metal results in very high accelleration, if only for an instant, that is adequate for removing the internal safety. The internal safety is there so that if you pull the pin, then drop the round, you don't kill your whole team. So, in SPR, the trick of pulling the pin, arming (removing the internal safety by banging) then throwing it would have worked perfectly well. Due to the fact that there was no firing pin on the plate they were banging, the propellant wouldn't go off. And yes: -modern mortars don't work this way. Inertal triggers have replaced the accleration triggers. -it is very dangerous to do this, but if your choice is to do this or get shot by 20 or so people, the choice is obvious. -this wasn't the safest mortar design in the world, but many WWII weapons were not "safe". As Rummy says, you fight with the army you have, not what you wish you had.