81-mm M252

The M252 improved 81-mm mortar is an off-the-shelf purchase of the British L16 mortar. The smoothbore, muzzle-loaded weapon has replaced the M29 as the standard battalion-level mortar in the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.

The M252 combines the British barrel and bipod with a U.S.-designed and -built M3A1 circular base plate; M64A1 optical sight; and M177 bipod. The cannon tube is designated as the M253. The barrel has a distinctive flared blast attenuator. The lower half is finned to...