Weapons Wednesday - M18A1 Claymore Antipersonnel Mine
May. 28
The Claymore Anitpersonnel Mines were at your disposal in the first three Metal Gear Solid games (and quite possibly the fourth). They didn't show up in the story too much, but when they did, they were a pretty huge pain in the ass. Any weapon that can make Solid Snake's life harder is A-ok in my book. Hit the jump but watch your feet.
Claymores were quite the nuisance whenever you ran into an area teeming with them. You'd have to activate your mine detector and move very slowly to avoid setting them off. They weren't all bad, however. I have fond memories of luring hapless guards into mines and laughing with sadistic glee. But enough about me. Let's get to the mines.
The Claymore is a directional anti-personnel mine that was originally designed between 1952-1956. It consists of small, green plastic case. The case is curved to deliver the optimum distribution of fragments, which consists of about 700 small steel balls. Inside the case is a layer of C-4 explosive. When detonated, the explosion breaks apart the steel balls and propels them at a velocity of 3,995 feet per second in a 60 degree fan shaped pattern. The force of the explosion also deforms the fragments into a shape similiar to a .22 bullet and these fragments are effective up to 100 meters (328 ft), though the optimum range is half that.
Here's a video of a guy using Claymores in Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions.
The mine can be used in controlled mode, which requires detonation by the operator, uncontrolled mode, in which the mine is detonated unwillingly by the victim, or time-delayed mode. In the Metal Gear Solid games, Claymores are used in uncontrolled mode.
There are several options for detonation mechanisms when deploying an uncontrolled mine, including pressure release devices, tripwires, and infrared sensors. In the MGS games, the latter method is used.
Claymores are currently used by the U.S. Military in the Iraq War, but only under strict rules. When deploying an uncontrolled mine, the mine must be confined to clearly marked areas as to limit the number of civilian casualties.
Source: Wikipedia
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Comments
never knew they used shrapnel inside of those, I always though it was strictly with explosives.
Yep. They've got little little steel balls in them. It makes for a more effective bomb, because you not only have to worry about the explosion, but also all the shrapnel.
It's like how suicide bombers will put a bunch of screws, and bolts in with their bombs, because it creates a bunch of deadly shrapnel and makes the explosion more deadly.
It's the same concept with the Claymore.
Hi!
Thanx for putting my video on your site, I didnt expect someone would ever use it! See ya later.
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