TOE POPPER MINE MK I

The toe popper was originally developed back in the '60s for the Vietnam war with the intention of being
spread in vast numbers by Cluster Bombs over areas of enemy movement with the intention of inflicting
(usually) non-fatal injuries to the feet of enemy troops.

These injuries, while of a minor variety (compared to normal mine injury) would still remove a good
sized portion of a foot, rendering the soldier an immediate casualty, and also preventing his return to duty
as a soldier, since you can't attack an enemy very well while hopping on one foot.

For our purposes though, the toe popper would be intended as either a weapon of terror against civilians,
or as a protective barrier against SWAT and other police forces.

The mine is made of

plastic with a triangular
shape and beveled sides.
The shape is intended to
prevent the mine from
staying on a side, rather
than laying flat. It also
allows for packing the
mines in a circular
container with a
maximum use of space
since the mines can be
packed as shown in the
diagram, utilizing space
in the most efficient
manner.
 The mine contains a small explosive charge of less
than an ounce. This is initiated by a detonator that
is in turn ignited when a plunger compresses a
pressure sensitive mix such as armstrongs powder,
or a percussion cap.

If a primary explosive such as Acetone Peroxide or AP putty is used, a detonator can be skipped since the
shock/flame of the cap will be sufficient to cause the mine to function.

The mine is prevented from premature functioning by a protective cover. This cover is also made of
plastic and prevents any pressure from being applied to the plunger. The plunger itself has a small shear
wire to retain the plunger in a fully extended position.

The cover is attached to the mine by

a "mouse trap" type spring and is
retained in a closed position by a
small loop that fits into a slot in the
mine body. The pyrotechnic fuse is
passed through the hoop through the
hole in the mine bodies nose. This
allows the mine time to land and
settle before the cover is ejected,
exposing the plunger.

The mine will function whether the plunger is pointing up or down, as long as there is enough pressure
applied to operate the plunger. But the cover will usually flip the mine into a plunger upright position,
increasing the probablity of an explosion.
The mines come packed in a
cookie tin shaped cardboard
container of 6 mines.

A pull fuse
igniter of a few
seconds
duration is
attached to the
center of the lid.
The fuse is
attached to a
small charge of
black powder
that ignites the
mine delay
fuses, and also
ignites the
flashpaper
ejection charge
that lays
underneath a
cardboard
seperator that
the mines are
 laying on top of.
This scatters the
mines about in a
radius of a few
yards.

In use, a criminal would have several mine dispensers on hand. The igniters would be pulled and the
dispenser tossed like frisbees to land several yards apart from each other along the length of a hallway or
in the area of a doorway through which the enemy must pass.

Because the mines can be dispersed mere seconds before they're needed, without any prior need for
manually arming each individual mine, the area can be unmined, allowing you total freedom of
movement. And when the enemy attacks, you can activate the mine dispensers in seconds, scattering
them about to impede and disrupt the enemies advance or retreat.

After they are either defeated or retreat, the mines can be recovered, the covers closed up again, and a
new delay fuse inserted to allow the safe re-use of unexploded mines by repacking into rearmed
dispensers. This can be done quickly with minimal effort.