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INERT DEACTIVATED. Rare, Home Guard, Early WW2, 20lb Blacker Bombard 29mm Spigot Mortor Practice Round. Sn - 22044:1 After the fall of Dunkirk, there was a dire shortage of weapons, especially anti tank weapons and the Blacker Bombard was accepted only after the intervention of Winston Churchill. The Blacker Bombard, also known as the 29 mm Spigot Mortar, was an fin stabilised infantry anti-tank weapon devised by Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart Blacker in the early years of the Second World War. Unlike conventional mortars the spigot mortar did not possess a barrel, and instead there was a steel rod known as a 'spigot' fixed to a baseplate with the bomb having a propellant charge inside its tail. The bomb was fin stabilised and when the mortar was to be fired, the bomb was pushed down onto the spigot, which exploded the propellant charge and propelled the mortor forward off the spigot. The weapon was intended as a means to equip Home Guard units with an anti-tank weapon in case of German invasion in 1940. Although there were doubts about the effectiveness of the weapon, many were issued, however the weapon saw no or little service at the start of the Second World War. This is a rare, original high explosive anti tank round for the weapon which is in excellent condition and retains much of its original green painted finish with a yellow band round the nose. The service high explosive anti tank round would originally have held 8 ¾ pounds of high explosive hence the bulbous nose of the round. The round consists of a steel tube to mount over the spigot with a pressed steel fin assembly and warhead. The round retains much of its original green painted finish and yellow band round the nose. The top if the warhead still retains its varnished cloth seal round its circumference. The round was intended to be reused up to 20 times, due to its low velocity by firing it into a soft earth banking. Although the Blacker Bombard is long gone many of the original cylindrical concrete mounts remain, the give away is a 2 inch diameter stainless steel point on the top. No licence is required to possess this inert spigot mortar in the UK if retained as part of a collection or display and the price includes UK delivery. Sn 22044:1 £895.00
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