The design of the PMN-1 mine dates from the late 1950s. It is particularly deadly because it contains an unusually large
explosive filling when compared to most other anti-personnel landmines. For comparison, most anti-personnel blast mines (e.g. the
VS-50) contain around of
high explosive, which typically destroys all or part of a victim's foot. In marked contrast, a PMN-1 contains of explosive which can easily destroy a victim's entire leg (frequently requiring
amputation high above the knee) in addition to inflicting severe injuries on the adjacent limb, which may also require some form of amputation due to
blast injury. The majority of anti-personnel mine victims (e.g. those who step on an
M14 mine containing of explosive) have a very high probability of survival, though inevitably they suffer
permanent disability regarding their
gait. However, the amount of explosive inside a PMN-1 mine is so large that the risk of victims dying is significantly greater and, assuming that they survive their injuries, the degree of disability inflicted is much more severe. These mines are palm sized and cylindrical in shape. The PMN-1 has a
bakelite case (brown or black in colour) with a black rubber pressure-plate and contains
TNT explosive. The PMN-1 mine is armed by removing a steel ring-pull at the end of the horizontal fuze. When in position, the pin on the end of the ring-pull holds a
spring-loaded striker back from the stab-
detonator. Pulling out the ring-pull starts an arming delay, which requires a thin steel wire (held under tension by the spring-loaded striker) to cut through a small strip of
lead. The process of cutting through the lead strip takes between 2 and 12 minutes, depending on ambient temperature. After the wire has completely cut through the lead strip, the spring-loaded striker is freed and slides forward a few millimetres before stopping, blocked by the sliding gate of the pressure plate mechanism. At this point the mine is fully armed i.e. the only thing holding back the spring-loaded striker from the stab-detonator is a weak creep-spring on the pressure plate mechanism. Subsequently, any downward pressure on the pressure plate (i.e. when someone steps on the mine) overcomes the upward pressure of the creep-spring and pushes down the sliding gate that holds back the spring-loaded striker. This action frees the striker which flips forward into the stab detonator, firing both it and the adjacent
tetryl booster which triggers
detonation of the main
TNT explosive filling. It is not a
blast resistant mine. •
Height: •
Diameter: •
Main charge weight: TNT (initiated by a 9 gram
tetryl booster) •
Total weight: •
Fuze: MD-9 (stab-sensitive) •
Operating pressure: Image:PMN-2_mine.jpg|Two PMN-1 mines: the first example is complete, the other shows the appearance of a PMN-1 after it has detonated Image:PMN Striker Assy.jpg|The striker assembly from a PMN-1 showing the
lead-shear arming delay. This assembly would be located under the round knurled cap on the right in the previous image ==PMN-2==