QuestMasters Museum - Weapons
United States WWII 81mm M1 Mortar, above photo.
The WWII United States 81mm M1 Mortar was based on the pre-WWII French Brandt mortar. The M1 mortar was used
from World War II until the 1950s when it was replaced by the lighter and longer range M29 mortar.
The French Brandt Model 27/31 mortar was a regulation weapon of the French Army during the Second World War.
Designed by Edgar Brandt, it was a refinement of the British 3" Stokes mortar. The United States, France and Great
Britain all used the same caliber of 81mm or 3" diameter shells. This mortar system was used and copied by over a
dozen different countries during WWII, all with very similar or exact characteristics.

The mortar shown here was restored using a BATFE compliant unthreaded replica base cup and barrel with steel bars
welded across the center, supplied from the IMA-USA: International Military Arms Company, N.J.
U.S. WWII 81mm Mortar Rounds, above photo.
Shown here are a December 1944 R4FLB 81mm M56 High Explosive Shell shipping box - which contained two rounds
of ammunition, a M14 Aiming Post Light, multiple fiber shipping tubes for 81mm ammunition and a clover-leaf shipping
bundle which contained six rounds of ammunition. The 81mm (inert) shells shown here from left to right are: mid to late
WWII 81mm M43A1 with M52 fuze, painted olive drab with yellow stenciling; pre-WWII Frankfurt Arsenal 81mm M43 Lot
570-4, painted in pre-WWII ordnance yellow with black stenciling - retaining the 3" Trench Mortar designation and
pre-WWII silver fins, with M45 fuze produced by Picatinny Arsenal December 1937 Lot 8275-2; pre-WWII Frankfurt
Arsenal 81mm M43 Lot 8275-2, painted in pre-WWII ordnance yellow with black stenciling - retaining the 3" Trench
Mortar designation and pre-WWII silver fins, with M52B1 bakelite fuze; pre-WWII Frankfurt Arsenal 81mm M43 Lot
1142-1, painted in pre-WWII ordnance yellow with black stenciling - retaining the 3" Trench Mortar designation and
pre-WWII silver fins, with M45 fuze; mid to late WWII 81mm M43A1 with M52B1 bakelite fuze, painted olive drab with
yellow stenciling; mid to late WWII 81mm M43A1B1 Lot MUA 7-44 with M52 fuze, painted olive drab with yellow
stenciling; early WWII 81mm M43A1 made by M.M.C. with M52B1 bakelite fuze, originally painted ordnance yellow and
repainted olive drab with yellow stenciling for training use and a 1941 WWII 81mm M43A1 Lot 2305-11 produced by TMC
with M52 fuze, painted ordnance yellow with black stenciling that changed to the 81mm & 3M designation.
The bottom shell is the 81mm M57 White Phosphorus shell with M52B1 bakelite fuze.

The United States 81mm mortar shell changed slightly in design and color designation between the 1930's through
1945. The original 1930's pre-WWII M43 shell was painted ordnance yellow with silver bent-inward fins and black
stenciling marked 81M & 3TM (for 81mm and 3" Trench Mortar). At the beginning of WWII, the M43A1 shell was painted
ordnance yellow with brown painted straight fins and black stenciling - changed to 81M & 3M (for 81mm & 3" Mortar,
the word Trench dropped from the designation). During 1942 and 1943, the 81mm mortar shell was produced in olive
drab with yellow stenciling, the earlier yellow and black paint was disbanded. The stencil was marked 81M, deleting the
non-longer fielded 3" Trench Mortar designation.

All mortar rounds shown here are Inert.
UNITED STATES WWII 60MM M2 MORTAR:
This WWII M2 60mm Mortar, left
photo, was restored by
QuestMasters. This mortar has the
late war M5 Mount with covered
transverse screw. The early style
mount had an exposed threaded
screw which was prone to
clogging in the field. Also pictured
is the M14 Carry Case (far left) for
the M4 Sight (attached to the
mount). The barrel cover and carry
strap is pictured in the far right of
the photo.
M5 Mount, Mortar, nomenclature
plate, above right photo. This
mount is serial numbered 25439,
dated 1945 and inspected by A.C.R.
The following is a restored French "Lance-Grenades de 5cm Modele 1937" mortar, in the QuestMasters
Museum collection. This 50mm mortar was produced by France as the Model 1937 just prior to WWII. This
type of mortar was used by the French Army until the fall of France in 1940.
After the fall of France, the German Wehrmacht pressed French weapons into service and re-designated
this mortar as the "Granatewerfer 203 (f)".
The barrel on this mortar is marked: L. Gr. Mle 37 No 7248.

This mortar was deactivated after WWII by cutting a 50mm hole in the bottom of the barrel and adding a
steel bar across the bore for BATFE compliance.
FRANCE:
Browning M-1917 and M-1919
Machine-gun accessories
The WWII M2 60mm Mortar set-up, above six photos, in the QuestMasters Museum collection.
Shown here is the 60mm M2 Mortar with multiple rounds of M49A2 Ammunition. Also shown are the R4CAC 60mm
Mortar Crates and 18 round waterproof fiber shipping containers.
BROWNING WWI and WWII M-1917 and M-1919
MACHINE-GUN ACCESSORIES:
UNITED STATES WWII 81MM M1 MORTAR:
The mortar shown here was used by Portugal as the Morteiro 81mm M/937 (FBP) with serial number 0696. The mortar
baseplate is marked Morteiro 8cm M/937 with the serial number 20.
It is not known if this mortar was sent to Portugal prior to WWII, serving in the Spanish Civil War or redesignated after
WWII with the data plates being added to the bipod and baseplate.
WWII 81mm Mortar Firing Tables, FT81-B-4, above four photos.
This firing table was written January 9th 1945 for the M43A1 High Explosive Shell, M43A1 and M44 Practice Shell with
M52, M52B1 and M52B2 Point Detonating Fuze.
WWII 60mm Mortar Firing Tables, FT60-D-2, above two photos.
This firing table was written June 3rd 1943 for the M49A2 High Explosive Shell with M52B1 Point Detonating Fuze.