INFO ONLY. NOT FOR SALE P90-12
Soviet PMN-1 Landmine, bakelite, very little metal
PMN
* Height: 56 mm
* Diameter: 112 mm
* Main charge weight: 240g TNT
* Total weight: 600g
* Fuze: MD-9 (stab-sensitive)
* Operating pressure: 5.8 kg
The PMN-1 and PMN-2 (both called Black Widow) are blast type anti-personnel mines designed and manufactured in Russia. It is one of the most widely used and commonly found devices during demining operations. The PMN-1 mine is particularly deadly because it contains an unusually large explosive filling. In general, anti-personnel blast mines (eg the VS-50) are designed to destroy a victim's foot. In contrast, a PMN mine can destroy a victim's entire leg, in addition to inflicting injuries on the other limb. A typical anti-personnel blast landmine contains approximately 50 grams of explosive, which is less than a quarter of the explosive charge within a PMN-1. The PMN-2 also has a large explosive filling when compared to many other anti-personnel landmines.
Both mines are palm sized and cylindrical in shape. The PMN's has a bakelite case (brown in colour) with a black rubber pressure-plate and contains TNT explosive. Its successor, the PMN-2, is plastic cased (leaf-green in colour, but occasionally brown) and contains an RDX/TNT based explosive that is similar to Composition B.
Note: a significant difference between these two mines is that the the PMN-2 (a 1970s design) contains a more modern fuze with an integral baffle beneath the pressure plate. This and the X-shaped design of the pressure plate makes the PMN-2 much more resistant to traditional explosive mine countermeasures, which use sudden blast overpressure to detonate mines. In contrast, the PMN-1 (a 1950s design) can successfully be cleared by such methods.
The PMN 1 mine contains a large amount of explosives, and the injuries it inflicts are often fatal. It is designed in such a way that it is practically impossible to neutralize. As a safety precaution for those laying this mine, a 15- 20-minute delay mechanism is activated when the mine is armed
Cross section of PMN-1 mine common in Afghanistan and southern Africa. This mine is an old Russian design, dating from the 1950's, but is one of the most dangerous anti-personnel blast mines as it is very sensitive and the entire top cap is sensitive. The force required to set it off is least at the edge, and can be as little as 1 kg under some conditions. It is also reported to be very reliable: a high proportion found in the ground are still functional after many years. Photographs to the right show actual components from a PMN mine with explosive removed
