Talk:Stripes (1981)

The Mortar that the Fort Knox recruits were firing in this movie WAS NOT the M224 60-mm Lightweight Company Mortar (LWCM). What they had was the pre M29 81-mm mortar. This is from someone who got intimate with both the M224 and the M29 (as well as the 4.2-inch Mortar).

Not only where the rounds they were holding too large to be 60-mm mortar (which is about the diameter of a coke bottle); the barrel and bi-pod assemblies of those used in the movie is a dead giveaway. The M224 60-mm mortar has two "collar" attachment points that the bipod clamps around. The two points correspond to the Elevation values (in mils) that the tube is supposed to be set at. This affects the range as well as the maximum Ordnance (highest point of the round's trajectory) that they want to shoot the round up and out to. This also affects the Time-of-Flight (TOF).

The M224 bipod (which was designated: M170 bipod) also contained the recoil mechanism under the collar. As you see in the images of the movie the mortar being used has the recoil mechanism at the top of the tube. The M170 is attached to the tube by a hinged collar that is secured close using a single knurled knob.

The final glaring difference it that the M224 had a trigger firing mechanism and a range scale near the bottom of the tube. This allows us to hand fire the mortar without the use of the bipod. This mortar actually had a selector switch with the options of SAFE, DROP, and TRIGGER (if memory serves me correctly).

YOu can see what an M224 60-mm LWCM looks like here: http://www.inetres.com/gp/military/infantry/mortar/M224.html