General Facts
- TYPE
Mortar - ORIGIN
United States - NICKNAMES
M30F1 (Norwegian production) - DESIGNED
Late 1940's - DESIGNER
? - PRODUCTION
1951 - ? - PRODUCERS
Norway - Kongsberg
United States - QUANTITY
Unknown - UNIT COST
Unknown - CHARACTERISTICS
Good range
Resonable rate of fire
Very heavy
Stability issues
Introduction
The M30 is a conventional muzzle loaded, drop fired, rifled 107mm mortar. It was developed in the United States after World War 2 to replace the older M2 with a weapon with more range.
Design
The design of the M30 is similar to the M2. The M30 is unusual in a way that it does not use a bipod but a single strut on a square footing.
Firepower
The M30 is able to fire most ammunition used by the earlier M2, but a newer range of ammunition was developed to provide increased range. The maximum range is 6.8 km. The maximum rate of fire is 18 rounds per minute, sustained rate of fire is 3 rounds per minute.
Mobility
As the M30 is very heavy many have been fitted on a turntable within a modified M113 armored personnel carrier called the M106.
Users
The M30 replaced the lighter M2 in US service and was actively used in the Vietnam War. The M30 was in turn replaced in US service by the M120, but many remain in service throughout the world.
M30
The M30 is a 107mm mortar of conventional design. It is muzzle loaded and drop fired. The M30 is unusual in a way that it does not use a bipod but a single strut on a square footing. As the M30 is very heavy many have been fitted on a turntable within a modified M113 armored personnel carrier called the M106.
- Specifications:
- M30
| Type | Mortar |
|---|---|
| Crew | ? |
| Ordnance | 107mm rifled mortar, 1.52 m tube |
| Elevation | +40 to +65° |
| Traverse | 7° left and right, 360° on baseplate |
| Rate of fire | 18 rpm (max), 9 rpm (normal), 3 rpm (sustained) |
|---|---|
| Range | 870 m to 5.65 km |
| Carriage | - |
| Weight | 305 kg (firing position) |
| Length | ? |
| Width | ? |
|---|---|
| Height | ? |
| Towing vehicle | - |
| Speed | - |
| Remarks | - |
107mm M2
The M30 is a heavier but much more capable weapon than the M2 it replaced in US service.
