PFM-1 AP MINE (Historical Prop)

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PFM-1 (Russian: ПФМ-1) is a Soviet land mine that closely resembles the US Army BLU-43. Both devices share similar shapes and principles, but they employ different explosive materials. The PFM-1 consists of a plastic container filled with explosive liquid. When an arming pin is removed, a detonating plunger is slowly pressed forward by a spring until it makes contact with the detonator, at which point the mine becomes armed. This process takes anywhere from one to forty minutes, allowing for manual deployment or air-dropped placement. The mine's soft plastic skin deforms when stepped on, causing the arming plunger to strike the detonator and trigger the explosion. Due to its single cumulative pressure primer design, handling the PFM-1 is extremely hazardous, as a mere 5 kg of pressure can activate it. The charge typically produces non-lethal damage but can still cause significant harm if stepped on. The PFM-1's distinctive shape and bright coloration have led Western media outlets to speculate that they were deliberately designed to resemble toys, a claim the Soviets have consistently denied. However, the mine's original camouflage colors, such as European green, made it stand out in Afghanistan's landscape during the 1980s. The PFM-1 can be deployed from helicopters or by infantry units, with several mines dispersed over a roughly 15-meter circle. Once armed, the fuze on a PFM-1 mine cannot be disarmed, and variants like the PFM-1S self-destruct after one to forty hours, with 85% of mines destroyed within eighty hours. To safely dispose of a PFM-1, military personnel typically destroy it in place by detonating a small explosive charge next to it.