United States Marine Corps Weapons & Equipment
M252 81mm Medium Extended Range Mortar
Length: 56 inches (142.24 centimeters)
Weight:
Mortar Assembly: 35 pounds (15.89 kg)
Bipod: 26 pounds (11.80 kilograms)
Baseplate: 25.5 pounds (11.58 kilograms)
Sight Unit: 2.5 pounds (1.14 kilograms)
Total: 89 pounds (40.41 kilograms)
Bore diameter: 81mm
Maximum effective range: 5700 meters
Rates of fire:
Maximum: 33 rounds per minute
Sustained: 16 rounds per minute
Elevation: 45 to 85 degrees
Unit Replacement Cost: $24,717
Features: The M252 81mm Medium Extended Range Mortar is a crew-served, medium weight mortar which is highly accurate
and provides for a greater range (4,500 meters to 5,650 meters) and lethality than the previous 81mm mortar. The
cannon has a crew-removable breech plug and firing pin. The muzzle end has a short tapered lead-in which acts as
a blast attenuator device. The breech end is finned for better cooling. This mortar also uses the standard M64
mortar sight of the 60mm mortar, M224.
Background: This mortar replaced the previous Marine Corps 81mm mortar in 1986. The M252 is an adaptation of the
standard British 81mm mortar developed in the 1970s. It is mostly commonly found in the mortar platoon of an infantry
battalion.
Information and Photos Courtesy of United States Marine Corps
