A PALADIN PRESS BOO

ISBN 087364-764-5
Fred Brown
Rearming the
66mmLight
Anti-Tank
Weapon ISBN 0-87364-764-5
9000 0
J..
9"780873"647649
LAW amiDisorder
Rearming the 66mm Light Anti-Tank Wenpon
byFred Brown
Copyri ght0 1994by FredBrown
ISBN 0-87364-764-5
Printedinthe United SlatesofAmerica
Publishedby PaladinPress,a divisionof
PaladinEnterprises,Inc.,P.O. Box 1307,
Boulder,Colorado80306,USA.
(303) 443-7250
Direct inquiriesand/orordersto the aboveaddress.
Allrightsreserved.Exceptfor use inareview,no
portion ofthis bookmay bereproducedin aoy form
withouttheexpresswrittenpermissionofthe publisher.
Neithertheauthornor the publisher assumes
aoy responsibilityfor the use or misuse of
informationcontained inthis book.
I NTRODUCTION: 1
PARTONE:Overview 3
PARTTWO:UsingtheLAW 9
PART THREE: RearmingtheLAW 23
APPENDIX:Warhead 47
... .. ,. --- .
III
II
II
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il
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:/
0, yourarsenalof homemadeweaponsis
Ii almostcomplete.You'vegot handguns, rifles,
machineguns, andgrenadelaunchers;CN
gas, CSgas, andMace; mantrapsandbooby
traps. You'vemaybeeven knockedupafew
i
missiles.Butwhataboutthe LAW? No, nottheguys who
chasedyoulastSaturdaynight,I'mtalkingaboutthe
II
I
LightAnti-tankWeapon,M72,66mmtype.
TheLAWis availableininert,fired, ordeactivated
II formonthesurplus/collector/undergroundmarketand
"
I 1
II
is surprisin gly eas y t o rear m. This little man ual
describes how to do jus t that, showing in illustrated,
step-by-step form how to disassemble, rebuild, and
rearm the weapon's internal firing components and con-
struct a suitable projectil e.
In the United States, surplus LAWs are likel y to be
found wi th the designations M72AI, M72A2, M72A3,
and Practice Launcher M190. In Europe the same system
i s likely to be found with a designat ion such as RK
66mm HEAT LI A2Bl or LNCHR & RKT 66mm HEAT
LI A3B!.
Be warned. This manual is for information purposes
only. You should never mess wi th propell an ts, projec-
tiles, rocket launchers, igniters, explosives, raw fish , 0
poisonous toadstools without first checki ng with Mom
and Dad that it is safe. Always wear gloves, goggles, safe-
ty boots, a hard hat, cl ean socks, and a tic. This ensures
that ifyou do blow yourself up you wi ll be smartly
dressed for the funeral .
When dealing with improvised exploding things (lETs),
it pays to check periodically for missing body parts, e.g., a
finger. These bits are often the first to disappear when an
experiment goes wrong. Coun t and make a note of the
number of fingers you have now, for future reference.
riginally developed in the mid--l960s for
t he U.S. Ar my, the M72 66mm LAW is
a vet eran of many conflicts. Although it
is now obsolete or obsolescent in its
original form by virtue of the improve-
men t s i n tank armor, an enhanced ver si on (the
M72E4(S(6 series, manufactured by the Tall ey Defense
Syst ems(Raufoss consortium) is still in product i on at
the time of this writing. The M72E4 has an armor-pene-
tration capability of 355 millimeters . In the U.S. Army
LAWAN D D ISO RDER
................................................................................................ ...............................
2
3
:11
1,1 1
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III
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r
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III/
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!
the 84mm M1361AT4) has taken over the ro le of the
M72 LAW. The British army replacement [for the 66mm
LAW and the 84mm Carl-Gustaf) is the 94mm LAW80.
CONSTRUCTION
The M72 series 66mm LAWs are single-shot, fire-and-
discard syst ems. Each unit consist s of t wo concentri c
tubes. The out er tube is fiberglass and carri es the rear
sight cover, rear and front sight assemblies, safety han-
dle, t rigger housing, and trigger assembly.
The inner t ube is of aluminum const ructi on and is
designed so as t o slide tel escopically along a channel
assembly ri ding within an alignment slot in the t rigger
housing assembly. The channel as sembly contains a fir-
ing-pin-rod sys tem.
When t he inner tube is extended, as for firing, the
channel assembly locks it in the fully open position. Th e
last inch or so of travel of the inner tube as it is extended
causes the firing-pin-rod assembly to cock the weapon.
THE FIRING SYSTEM
The trigger takes the for m of a rubber-covered bar,
which must be depressed firmly t o release the cocked fir-
ing-pin-rod assembly. This cannot be done un til the safe-
ty handle is pulled out to the 11arm11 position. The firing.
pin assembly is contained in a housing mounted on the
top rear section of the innermost tube.
When the trigger is depressed the spring-loaded firing-
pin rod is released and moves backward, causing the
point of the firing "pin" to pass through a small horizon-
tal exit slo t and strike the primer. The pin is then with-
drawn back into the housing.
The pri mer itself is con tain ed within a primer block
in the form of a cyli ndrical nyl on insert mounted in the
firing-pin housing. Attached to this block is a flash tube
t hat runs down to a propellant igniter in t he base of the
rocket itself. Upon firing, flame from the primer travel s
through the tube to the igniter, causing the rocket mot or
propellant to st art burning.
THE ROCKET AND WARHEAD
A t ypical 66mm ro cket comprises an MI8 HEAT
(Hi gh Expl osive An ti -Tank ) warhead, tet ryl booster,
M412 PIBD (Point Init iating, Base De tonating) fuze, and
the M54 rocket motor. The design of this motor is such
that all the propell ant is burnt before the roc ket l eaves
the tube. This technique is known by the acro nym
ABOL, derived from the phrase II All Burn t On Launch."
Systems ut il izi ng the ABOL principle do not require a
blast/heat shi eld around the front of the tube as was
common in early bazooka-type anti-t ank launchers in
whi ch the rocket motor was still burning fiercely when
the projectile left the tube.
It is perhaps wort h noting here that syst ems such as
the RPG-7 and i ts vari ant s employ an alt er nate tech-
nique in which a small charge "kicks" the projectil e out
of the tube to a safe distance in fron t of t he firer befor e
the rocket engine proper start s it s burn.
Att ac hed to the nozzl e of t he LAW rocke t are six
spri ng-loaded fins . These are fol ded forward along the
nozzl e/ motor section when t he rocket is in the tube.
Upon leaving the tube these fins spring out t o stabilize
the rocket i n flight. Ini t i al veloci t y of the rocket is
around 158 meters per second [rn/sec).
The HEAT warhead section of the rocket is of a taper-
ing cylindrical design con taining a shaped charge based
around 3/4 pound of explosi ve (originally Octal) and a
copper cone liner. Upon impact a piezo-electric crystal
assembly in the PIED fuze is crushed, causing an electri-
cal current to be generated. The current travel s along a
connecting wire to the fuze, which explodes, detonating

LAW AND D,SORDfR
II
4
,"- . OVERVIEW
5
II'
il!
TA LW CC
SP FZ
RSI-I
1t....
RS
;(
SL TB
, ,
CB
,.

FIGURE 1:Crosssection of the M72 66mm LAW system
IT Inner tube
OT Outer tube
RSH Rear sight housing
RS Rear sight
(temperature compensating)
TB Trigger bar
SL Safety lever
FS Front sight
TS Transportation safety pins
RE Rear end-cap
CB Close-down button
PB Primer block housing
SF Spring-loaded fins
(folded forward)
FB
II
FIGURE2: Exterior of the 66mm LAW rocket
I
WH Warhead section (black with RL Round lock (transit safety)
caliber and model designatio n, RM Rocket motor housing
ammunition lot number, and
type of warhead in
yellow lettering)
NC Nose cap
CL Closure
6
H u ~
I:
(anodized aluminum)
FB Fuze and booster section
(anodized aluminum)
FS Fins (6, spring-loaded)
LAW AND DI SORDER
_
FIGURE 3: Cross secti on of 66mm LAW rocket
PB Primer bl ock
FZ
F5 Spring-loaded fin
TB
FT Flash tube
WB
IG Igniter
LW
FL Fin lugs
CC
SP Stud plate
HE
PG
CT
Propellant grains
Closure threads
NC
TA
Fuze
Tetryl booster
Warhead body
Lead wire (running from TA to FZ)
Copper cone
Hi gh explosive
Nose cap
Terminal assembl y ("LUCKY")
the boos t er cha rge of tctr yl and, vi a thi s, t h emain
shaped charge.The copper cone is converted intoa high-
ly penetrating jet ofplasma. The difference between the
M72Al and M72A2 is si mply t heimproved armor pene-
trationofthelatter.
THESIGHTS
The rear sight of M72Al and lat er- seri es sy st ems
incorporatesaspring-loadedapertur eplatet hatcompen-
satesautomaticallyfor temperaturevariations.Arubber
coverisfixed to thetop ofthesight.Thefrontsightcon-
sists ofacentral,vert i calrangeli neindicatingranges
from50 to 350 metersin 25-met er incremen ts .Range
estimationisfaci li tated by twodivergingstadiali nes,
whi ch will bracketa 6-meter (20-foatJ-longtarget atthat
range.Therange-findingsystem assumesthatthetarget
is t wiceaslongas it ishigh.Provisionfor aim-off(lead)
on amoving target takes the form of crosses, whi ch are
OVERVIEW
.... ..................... ...................................................................................................
7
visibleon theextr emeleftand right ofthesightplate.
Thesegive thecorrectleadforadirectlycrossingtarget
travelingat24kilometersperhour[km/h] ,or 15mph.
THETRAINING LAUNCHER
Introducedfor thepurposesofrea li sticinst ruct ion,
the trai ninglauncher consists of anormalM72A1 tube
contai ninga telescopingM190s ubcal iberl auncher
assemblyand theM7335mmsubcali ber rocket .The
subcali ber inserti sreusabl e.Sightingandfiringproce-
duresar ethesameasforthetacticalweapon.
TheM73 35mmrocketconsistsofadet onatingwar-
head,rocketmotor,motorclosure,and igniterassembly.
Thewarheadis madeof ri gi d pl astic and cont ai n s
appr oximately 1.5gramsofMBOcompositionmixtur e.
Thefrontpartofthemotorclosurecontainsabase deto-
nat ingfuze and an M26stab primer. When therocket
st rikes at argetani nertia-drivenfiringpi n stri kes the
pri mer, thereby setting off the head cha rge.Although pr i-
marilya spottingch arge producingnoise,afl ash,and
smoke, this will penetrate approxi matel y 3 mill imet ers
ofsteelpl ateor20millimetersofsoftwood.
The rocket mot or casingitself ismetalandcontains
three tub ulargrainsofM7propell ant. Stabili zationin
flightisprovidedbysixmoldedplasticfins.
The foll owi ng section isareprin tof t he U.S.Army
LAWuser manual. Itcontai ns fulldetails ofhowto arm,
aim,andfirethesystem, aswellastheactionsthatshoul d
be t aken in t he eventofami sfir e.Thi sinformat i on
appli es to tubes of American and Europeanmanufacture.
LAW AND DISORDER
................................................................... ....................... .......... ............................
9
8
AlA
ABRIEf DESCRIPTION'
1,,, 1
WEAPON DATA
I
'III
Tactica.l Pra cl lco
M72Al M72A2 . M72A3
Launcher M190
",,/R ackel M73
Wo ight
S.l Lb . s.r-ue, S. Lb .
Coto; Identification
Launch.r
Firing In, truc.tion label
00
00 Backg round
Whi, . Prin, lno
00
00 Background
Wh it. Printi ng
00
00 Background
Wh ito Printing
Modol. 14t
No, Dot e
Mfg 14bo l
00 W/ Y. l1ow
Printing
00 W/ YoUow
Pri nting
0 0 WI Yollow
Print ing
Wa rhoad
M72 (Hoot) M72Al (Hca l ) Sport ing eha rgo
Campl. t o L..n9th
(Clo. od) Nominal
(Opon) Naminol
24.7-l n.
34 .7 ln.
24.7-ln.
34.7 1".
25.3- ln.
35 .4- 1" .
Diamete r 4.9-'n. 4.9-ln.
4.9.ln.

it;
I'
p M72A2 OPM12A3
.1;
i
WEAPON
EXTHIDEO (READY FOR USE)
,j
I
NOTE EXTERN AL VI EW OF TACTICAL AND PRACTICE WEAPON ARE IDENTICAL
LAW AND DISORDER USING THE LAW
. . . . .. .. . . . . .... . ... ..... . ... . . ... . ... ....... . .. . ... .. &
10
11
EXTERNAL VIEW AS ISSUED (NOT EX TENDED)

LABELS
AND
ON
RIGHT
SIDE
LABEL FOR
PRACTICE IT EM
U.5.ARMY
UI,JOIP. ..Ito
,or
10 ..1U'
src.lQ. lUIP. - 40' r.. . Ita ,

--
THIS PAGE INTINTIOHALLY
LfI'T ' LANK
Following applies to tactical weapononly. I"
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l
SERVICE UPON
RECEIPT OF MATERIEL
CHAPTER 2
OPERATION
O
KEEP MARKING "NOSE END"
OF BOX FACING LEAST
HAZARDOUS AREA
A STANO TO SIDE
V Of NOSE l!No-
MARKI NG.
o REACH OVER
U TO P OF BOX
AND UNFASTEN
WI RE HOOPS
!lll lllllllll lllll llllltl\ll lll lll lll iiil llll ,, '!!:!
00 NOT USE SHARP 1'1 1'1
I I!
II 1I It: [IiIll!ii
A PUl l FLAP
W AT NOSE END
OF BARRIER BAG
AND OPEN TO EXPOSE
CONTAINER END
{)
PULL PREPARED TEAR
STRIPS OFF COI'lTAINER
END AND REMOVE COVER
O
REMOVE
, Cl;SHIONING
AND WEAPON
..
FOLLOWING APPLIES TO TACTICALAND PRACTI CEWEAPONS
EACH WEAPON SYSTEM FOR
"c"";;:",t" ",- CRACKED TUBE FRAYED SLING
DENTED PARTS LOOSE OR BENT REAR HOOK
MISSING PARTS LOOSEORDAMAGED SAFETY MECHANISMS
LOOSE PARTS BLURRED ORINCORRECT NOMENCLATURE
TRIGGER SAFETY HANDLE MUST
BE IN SAFE POSITION
WARNING
00 NOT EXTEND LAUNCHER UNTIL READY FORUSE.
II
LAWAND DISORDER THELAW
........ . . . . . . _ u - _ _ -
12
13
' 11
11
,II
FUR TACTICAL WEAPDNS ONLY.
Il
il
IF TIME PERMITS
I
/
CHECK IGNITER FOR DAMAGE
I (BROKEN, CRACKED OR SPLIT)
I
(SEE INSTRUCTIONS FOR
RElvIOVING CARRYING SLING)
I
\
'Ilil
IF SO DAMAGED
\
\
TAPE OAMAGD IGNITERS TO \
II
PREVENT LOSS OF IGNITION
MAiER:AL REPLACE SLING ASSEMSLY.
.I i CLOSe REAR COVER AND REPLACE
PULL PIN.
IIi!
I
...-
/
\t.
CARRYING
POSITI ON
TO CARRY
SL:NG OVER
WARNING
DO NOT CARR":' WAPC1'l IN EX":'E:NCED
FOS;110N.
. ,

LAW AND DISORDER
14
BACK BLAST DANGER ZONES

+-
TARGET

1. SGck
DANGeR IN THIS AREA FROM BlJ'ST.
2. Body a re cleo t of
KEAT. AND PROJECTEDMATERII\LS.
U,
N
ZONE "A"
I 40 METERS I
cr:
'" I-
w
::E
WARNI NG
UNLESS ..
bl aot GreG is door af
p. n o"ne l a nd obstructions.

Rockot exhaust e nd.
ZONE "8"
IN fHIS AREA FROM
PROJECTED MATERIALS
=- "'
'.'. : ... FORFIRING
,r",..
..-.'
,y_

/ ';" _ .- All weapons

O
Th o Following Step s Are
Porformed At Th. Firing Point.
oREMOVE PULL PIN
USING THE LAW
15

I I
. I
:','
o'HOLO LAUNCHER
\
I .
SLIGHTLY AWAY '
FROM BODY


KEEP
LAUNCHER
ON TARGET


U UNCHER OPEN FAIL -
CLOSE AND SET SYSTEM ASIDE
FOR DISPOSAL 8Y AUTHORIZI D
PERSONNEL
(SEE SECTION X FOR
i
,
y/ \ 1) SNA? \\
....
I
(1) EXTEND OUT WITH RIGHT HAND
EXTENDING THE WEAPON TOO SLOWLY CAN
WARNING
RESULT IN FAILURE TO COCK THE WEAPON.
{) GRASP REAR SIGHT
JCOVER HOLD FIRMLY
__ BE SURE LAUNCHER SNAPS
C \
.....
KEEP ON TARGET
FIRING POSITIONS c-
/'
TARGET

PLACE FINGERTIPS ON
oTRIGGER SPRING BOOT AS
FAR BACK AS POSSIBLE
o
PLACE SIGHTAT
EASY READING
DISTANCE
READY
TARGET
DRMOVING
THEAD-ON
- :>J
100 .
ON
$"0/
(STATI
lOO
TARG

- AT 2
.:
.
..&'.l

asMETERS)
' 0
AIM
/"j"" """ ""'
.... __ .f,':' ...
(1
i\ M,\RKER
LEAD MARKER
(TARGET MOVING ]:\ I
'O
?:
ISMPHI
=t '0 1. \ +.
, \ 1..1. ':00
1
\r::;
. \ I '
.. \ ,lOO I 1-,,0 I
FRONT
RUBBER S'GHT
I'
USING RAHGE MARKI!R FOR
SIOl virw RANGl lSTIMATION
nr===
T '0
T 100 ..
150
1 . ' . \
L . - -
SIGHT I ,
\ :Q?:
.. \ T , " 'L..!, ,.

BOOT
--SI l I ,. 1- 1
I .j. I
USING RANGI MARKI!R FOR
HEAD. ON IlANGl ESTI MATION
SIGHTS ARE COATED
TO AID IN NIGHT FIRING
(EXCEPT M72A3)
.", 11- \ '-'_
I - I
J>o
ON TARGET
(MOVING)
LAW AND DISORDfR USING THELAW
16 17

1
:1111:1
1
eWAIT 10 .SECONDS
BEFORE RECOCKING
If time i. not available loy weapon down point ing
a t torget - abandon.
I'
KEEP ON Iii :
ii
I
:1
TARGET
j\
&.lIl PARTIALLY CLOSE LAUNCHER
II!i
I
.,(APPRO X IMATE LY 4 INCHES)
I
11111II!
e
SHARPLY SNAP
LAUNCHER OPEN
IN TO LOCKED POS ITION
"I
I
oPLACE LAUNCHER BACK ON SHOULDER
eAIM
DEP!USS TRIGGER
IF A
HAS MISFIRED
NOT FIRE,
SAFElY HANDLE
POSITION
NOTIFY
PERSONNE!.. FOR
CARHULLY LAY WEAPON
TARGH AND EVACUATE
'- - ,

BOOr FIRMLY TO FIIiE
RECOCKED WEAPON WHI CH
STILL DOES
PUSH TRIGGER
TO "SAFE"
AND WAIT
10 SECONDS
THEN
ON GROUND FACING
AREA
AUTHORIZED DISPOSAL
DISPOSAL OF WEAPON
ITARGET)
CAREFULLY REMOVE
WEAPON FROM SHOULDER
oRETURN SAFETY TO SAFE
7 <7 1

PREPARED FOR - BUT NOT FIRED
i
II II II LAWAND DISORDER
USING THE LAW
....................................... _ .
18
19
O
e
GRASP LAUNCHER
NEAR FRONT SIGHT
GUSP LAUNCHER
0
-
AND
BY REARSIGHT '-------,/ HOLD DOWN FRONT SIGHT
HOUSING V .

L. . - . errrxr
I
&'
r:
-=-.., BOOT
-= ..:i"
I
\
A SLIOE INNER TUBE INTO
11 V OUTER TUBE APPROXIMATELY
1
TWO INCHES
IIIIi
'1
,; ,. e
i - REMOVf THUMB FROM DETENT l
I III
., I
soor

i
h., 8-
) PERFORM ALL COMPRESSION ACTIONS
SLOWLY TO AVOID INJURY TO FINGtltS
:Ii
!
[11:1
LAUNCHER
UNTIL TRAVEL IS
STOPPED BY LIP ON
FRONT S:GHT

REMOVE THUMB
FROM FRONT
SIGHT AND
GRASI' iiOUSING
d)
KEEP LAUNCHER ......
POINTED DOWN RANGE."
lIEPLACE BUFFElI PLATE
. .... :;.o...
I
Ut,Lb , -, ""' (10172.0\3 ONLY)

REPLACESLI NG ASSEMBLY
LAUNCHER AND PACKING
SHOULD BE MARKED OR
TAGGED TO INDICATE
LAUNCHER HAS BEEN WHEN POSSIBLE
EXTENDED ONCE EXTEHOED
LAUNCHER SHOULD
BE RETURNEO TO
ORIGINAL PACKING
, -,-j-
CHAPTER 3
MAINTENANC[
OPERATOR MAINTENANCE
I i
::;,:;,;",;: SNOW SLEET CLEAN AS REQUIRE) ,;::;,.;.

USING THE LAW
LAW AND DISORDER
' u u .. 21
20

DISASSEMBLY
11 disassembly and reconstruction proce-
dures outlined here are to be performed
IIII
with the LAW tube in the closed state
wi t h the safety catch on "safe." Check
I
t ha t your LAW is empty! A good rule of
thumb here is that ifyou can see through the tube, it is,
indeed, empty. This assumes, however, that you have
removed the end caps.
Undo the two screws [S] visible at the rear of the tube,
.................................................... ........................................ .............. .............. 23
1II IIlIi
asshowninFigure4. Thi s will all ow the primer housing
blockcover(BC) to beliftedoff.Ifthehousingissecured
withrivetsratherthanscrews,grindorcu t t herivet
heads awayand drift out the remaining pins . Obtain self-
tappingscrewsofasuitablelengthanddiameterfor sub-
sequ entrepl acement of t he housing. Bett er still, use
wingnut- t ypefast eners,as this-makesforveryrapid
repeat edrear ming.
BC
FIGURE4: Primer
block housi ngcover
I
5 Screws
BC Blockcover
FIGURE5:
andflashtube
Primer block
stub
Il,
I""
I!!!/
,/' 11
II 1 _
Scrapeandpullaway anysiliconewaterproofing
materialthatispresent. You shouldnowbelookingat
theprimerblockassembly(FBI and[ifyou'relucky)the
stublikeremainsoftheplasticflashtubeIFTS).
Pryoutth eprimerblock withaleveringactionusing
t he longeroft heLAW'ssafety-pinpair, thepointedbitof
aSwissArmypen knifebot tl e-openerblade, oranyot her
expedienttoolthatcan be insertedbeneaththelash
tubestub.Donotdamagethestubunnecessarily.
Nowremovetheexist ing[used] primer.Usually,the
LAWfiringpin willhaveseriouslypiercedthefaceofthe
primer.Thisbeingthecase simplyenlargethe holecare-
full ywi th aknifebladeuntilamedi um-s izedPhillips
screwdri vercan be inserted.(Thecrossheadbitcatches
t he damaged brass bet terthan a flathead does. ) Twistthe
screwdri vertol oosen theprimerinitspocket,thenlever
orpullouttheprimerwithapairofpliers.
Check now t ha t t hevent hole at the bottom of t he
FTC
PB
i
pp
FIGURE6: primerblock(stubattached) removedfrom housing
PBH Primerblockhousing FTS Flashlubestub
PP Primer pocket FTC Flashtubechannel
PB Primer block
LAWAND DISORDER REARMING THELAW
.. .............................................. ....... .
24 25
I I
11 MM
I I
CROSS SECTION
4MM
H
pp
" I 12MM
PPJ
I , oMM
FTS
VIEW FROM ABOVE
H
pp
FIGURE 7: Schematic diagram of primer block
PPJ Primer pocket insert FTS Flash tube stub
PP Primer pocket H Hole
primer pocket is not blocked and that the small stub of
flash tube remaining on the primer block is clear also.
Trim the edges of the stub so that there are no split or
flared ends. Ii the stub section is too short or even miss-
ing (havi ng been burnt away during the original firing),
then clean up the area around the hole left in the block
and attach a replacement stub made from hard plastic or
metal piping.
Drill out the hole in the block slightly, if required,
to facilitate accurate fitti ng of the replacement stub.
Secure wi th epoxy adhesive applied t o the out er ri m of
t he stub and immediate block area only. Don ' t get any
insi de the tube.
If the primer block is missing from your LAW, a replace-
ment can be made using the above specifications. Use
nylon dowel or even a cut-down, fired, 7.62-mill imet er
"Boxer " pri mered rifle case. In the case of the latter the
open end of the case can be sealed with a fri ction-fit brass
di sk soldered in place for securi ty. Use aluminum solder
,
as this joins brass more easily than standard electrical sol-
der, although a higher bit temperature is required. Remove
the primer before commencing any modifications.
A fl ash channel i n sert [fo r use with t h e cut -down
case) can be made from stiff plastic tube of approxi mat e-
ly 2- to 2. 5-millimeter internal diameter and 4-millime-
ter external diameter. This worked well in tests. Metal
piping coul d be employed just as easily. The insert is cut
as shown in Figure 8 and installed and secured initially
with a small amount of adhesive at each end. When this
has dried, the remainder of the space inside the case can
be filled wi th epoxy prior to sealing the end.
CUT HERE
FC
Fe
CUT HERE.----"
- I
FIGURE 8: 7.62mm casing primer block
FC Flash channel insert
FTS Flash tube stub
CC Cut-down case
I lnsert
S Solder
LAW AND DiSORDER REARMI NG THE LAW
r _ _ _ '"
26
27
CC
II:
I II
III III
111 1
1:-/
I!
1 11.
1
I I ~ I
;11
1
I ~ l
Theholefor theflashtubest ubshouldbedrilledto a
di ameterthatallowsthetubeto beinsertedali ttleways
into thebody ofthe block. It canbesecuredwith epoxy
adhesive(assuminganylonblockandpl ast ictube)or
withsolder (if using a metal bl ock and met alt ube).If
usingepoxy, threadapipecleaner(viatheprimerpocket
hole) t hroughthe flashtube stubt o cl earit of adhesive
beforethematerialdries .
Anotheral ternativeisto si mplyfillthe' cu t -down
casewithepoxy adhesive and,when ithasset,drillout
therequiredchannelandfl ashtubeopeningwith a2-
millimeter-diameter bit. In fact,there isanynumber of
waystoachievet hedesiredeffectand,ift heexamples
givenherestartyou thin kingandyoucomeupwith an
improvedmethod,somuch thebet ter.
Atthisstagethecorrectoperat ionoftheLAWsafet y
catch andfiring mechanismshould betested.Dothis
byinstallingat oy cap (ofthetypeusedinchildren's8-
or 12-shot revolvers ] inplaceoftheprimer.Thistype
ofcapis plast icandis usuallysuppli edin "circles"of8
or12, whi chare packed6 ci r cl est oa box.Typical
brandnames areSuper Disc andAmmo King. The
SuperDisctypei s madebyEdisonGiocattoli , 50019,
Sesto Fior entino, Italy,and is imported by Toys'R'Us,
Thoseusedintestswereabout5millimetersindiame-
te r(wi t h aslightlywi dertopflange)and5milli meters
deepandwereanexcellentfrictionfitintheprimerpock-
et.Notethattheywillstickup abovetheprimerhousing
faceslightly(about 1to2millimeters)wheninstalled.
Thistypeofplasticcapwillbeusedlaterinthecom-
pletedweapon.Itismorethanlikelythatthereate
proper commercialprimersormetalblanksofasuit-
able sizeandpowerthatcanbeusedinstead.If youare
fami lia r enough wit h thefieldtomakeanintelligent
selecti on,youmightwant to experiment.Theonlycau-
tionarynoteIwoul ds oundis thattoopowerfula
primermaywellblow the igniterassembly[not to men-
LAW AND DISORDER
......... ~ ~ ~ . u , . ~ . ~ .o ~ .o ~ - ~ ~ ~ ~ .
2.8
tion t heprimer bl ock housi ngand rear co ver )apart
rather than ini t iate the rocket pro pell an t . (Time con-
straints and the needtododge a BATFsearch t eamlook-
ing for t he LAWswestole t oexperimen t wit h during
the writing ofthi sbookl etpreventedusfromtest ingall
possi blealternat ives.) Anyway, toycaps can,inmany
part s of t heworld,be obt ainedwithgreater easeand
l esssuspicion thanprimers.
So push t hecaphomeasfar as itwill go,butdon't
bothertoforce it.Itwillbecompressedsomewhatwhen
the cover is refit ted. The design of the LAW firing pin is
such thatthereisno riskofthecapbeingforcedagainst
it (and therefore causing it tofire ) during this procedure.
Nowreplacethe primer blockinthe housingandattach
thecoverplate. Tightenthe coverscrews alt ernately acou-
pleofturnsatatimeuntiltheplateis secure.Having
checkedthatno oneisstaringdowntherearofthetube,
ext en d the tube, pull t hesafety catch out to arm the
weapon,andfire.Isn'tthatlittleechoey"bing"satisfying?
Iftheweapon doesn' t fire,recock (closeandextend]
andtryagain .Ifnothing happens t hi s time,closethe
tubedown,check thatthesafetyis on "safe," anddisas-
sembletheprimerblockhousi ng.Ift he capbaseis
piercedorseverelyindentedthefiri ngsystemis okay.
Tryagainwithafresh cap.
If all was well,run through the procedure again a cou-
pleoftimes.Getusedto performingthecorrectmi sfire
drills.Ifyoudon'tget anymisfires,pretend.Overcome
any tendencytolookdownthetubeand/orpointthe
backofitatyourownbodywhenopeningandclosing
theweapon, andpracticenotclosingyoureyeswhenyou
depressthefiringbutton!Confirmthattheweaponwill
not firewhenthesafetyhandleispushedin.
Thenextstageistoattacha newlengthofflash
tubetothestubontheprimer blockandperforma
flashtubetest.
Areplacementflash tubecan bemadefromsemirigid
REARMING THELAW
29
/1
:1 plastictubing,5- millimeterext er nal diameter,4-mil -
:111111
limeter internal diameter. The wall diamet er will there-
forebe1millimeter.Thesedimensionsfacilitateeasy
attachmenttothestub.Thetype oftube used isnotcriti-
cal,theprimaryrequirementbeing thatitdoesn'tkink
severelywhengentlybentthrough acurve.
In tests we successfully used a length of out er insul a-
tionpulledfrom coaxi al cable ofthe typecommonly
us ed for CBand hamradio hookups.This hasan internal
diameterofaround4millimet ersandanexternaldiame-
terofaround5millimeters.
For thist estusea63.5-millimeterlengt h oftube.The
procedureis asfollows:
1. Placea safet ymatch headinoneendof t he tube
andtapeitup.
2. Installacapintheprimerblock.
3. Now forcetheopenendoft henew t ubeover the
stub on the primer block andpush it home until it
isflushwith theblockbody.
4. Refittheprimerblock(capsideinward!) andfasten
thecoverplate. When youare fitting the primer
block,t heareaoffl ash t ube thatcoverstheflash
tube stubwillmakefora t igh tfrict ionfit wi thin
the fl ash tube chan nel. Subsequently locking it
down by the coverplate ensures that the tubing
willnotsimplybl ow offthestubwhenthecap
fires. Bendthe tubeIorwardandupwardso thatit
isroughlycentralinthelauncher,andsecureitin
thispositionwithtapeor anyexpedientsupport.
Thisreplicatestheanglethroughwhichtheflash
from thecapwillhavetotraveltofire theigniter.
Test-firetheweaponfollowingallpreviouslymen-
LAWAND DISORDER
... .
30
tionedsafetyrequirements.Thematchheadshouldignite
instantaneously and will(depending on thet ype and
amountoftapeyouusedto sealtheendoftheflash tube)
probably be propell edout of the front ofthe launcher.
Ifthematchlights,yourchoiceof t ubingandcapis
okayandthesyst em willini t iatetheimprovisedigniter
describedlater.Ifthematchdoesn'tlight,checkforasplit
intheflasht ubewhereitexitstheprimerblockhousing.
Theflashtubewillspli thereifthetubewaski nkedbadly
during firing.Try a stiffertype oftubing or a different cap.
We willnowleave thisaspect ofth efi ri ngsystem for a
whileand moveon totherocketitself.
THE ROCKET
Thissectiongives detail sonconstruct ingareplace-
mentrocketfortheLAW.Therocketisanominal66mm
roundas pertheoriginal,albeitofli gh t er constr uct ion
andwithfixed fins.
Basic Principles
Rocket s (andjet s,for t hatmatter]fl yin accor dance
wit h Newto n'sthird law (how appropriate) of motion,
which stat es thatforeveryactiont hereisanequaland
opposi tereaction. Here t hat meansthat aforceequalto
t hatproducedby gases (fr om theburningpropell an t ]
escapingthroughtheexhaustnozzleis exertedi n the
opposi te direction,thereb y dr ivingt herocket forwa rd.
Therocket'smovementis notdependentonabuildupof
gaspressurebehindit.
The power source used here is based on theD12-0 or
D12-Ptype of flying modelrocket engine,avail able from
mosttoyandmodelshops.Itwi llbe usedto powera
rocketconsistingofthefollowingparts:
1. Nose cone (NC):One plastic flying model rocket
kit, nose cone type PNC-BOK, modified as
REARMI:-JG THELAW
31
:Ii
' 1
!
described; or i mprovisedconeof simil ardi men-
sions(seefig.91.
2.Nose inser t (NIl:Plastic flyingmodel rocket ki t ,
typePNC-80BBorwood,plasti c,or lightmetal
improvi sation(s omeplast ic caps fromaerosol
spraysaresuitable,asarevariouspl asticsoftdrink
bot tl esif cutdownto thecorrectdia meterI.
3.Body tube(BTl:Hardplasticorfiberglass tubingor
flyingmodelrocket bodytubing,41.6-millimeter
outsidediamet er,40.S-milli meter internal di ame-
ter, 273 millimeterslong.
4. Engi nemount assembl y (EM):flying model rocket
type EMOSOSS/ 60 lor improvise from ill ustrati on
below).
S. Stabilizingfins (SF): Sixfins, metal, plasticor
wood,95.3 millimeterslong, 1.6to2.4millimet ers
thick(dependingonmaterialused}, 11millimeters
high,shapedasperFigures 16and17.
NoseConeAssembly
Cutoffthelower(insert)partofthelongerofthetwo
plasticnosecones as indicatedinFigure9, takingcare
notto damage theremainderof thecone.Thiswill
leaveyouwith anoseconeof thedimensionsshownin
Figure 10.Nowpacktheinsideofoneendof thebody
tube withepoxy adhesivetoa depthof about70 mil -
limetersandapplyepoxy tothefrontof thecut-down
noseconetoasimilardepth.Insertthenoseconeinto
thebodytubeas farasitwillgo andwipeawayany
excessadhesive.
Usingaspiritleveland blocks,checkandadjustthe
coneuntilitisperfectlycentered.Securethejointwith
plasticelectricaltapeandsettheassemblyasideto dry.
When thet ubeandconeassemblyhasdried,thenose
insertcanbe i nst alledinto theopen front oftheplastic
cone.For " dry" firings t h efr i ct ion fitwillsuff ice.If
expl osi ve compon entsare tobeins talled, thejoin t
shouldbesealedwi thathin layerofepoxy.
ENGI NE MOUNT
FIGURE 9:
Nosecone
CUTHERE ( J70MM
A Adhesive
~ l ~ I
207MM I (\ A
65 MM I 40.5 ~ ]
MM
66MM
FIGURE 10: Inserting nose cone into bodytube
A Adhesive
Theenginemountcannow beinstalled.Thisis afly-
ingmodel rocketkittypeEM-SOS5! 60, or it may be
improvisedasperFigure 14.The mountshouldbe
LAW AND DISORDER
REARMING THELAW
III/II 32
33
~
n :t===}.-w
FIGURE11: Aligningthenosecone
SL Spirit level WI3 Wood blocks
I 66MM I
102 MM
FIGURE12: Noseinsert
25.4 MM
I I

[[)

FIGURE13: Installingthenoseinsert
installed inthe bodytubeso that t heendofthemet al
enginehol deron the mo untprotrudes about a quar t er
inch (6.4 mm) beyon d t he end of t he body tube . The
otherendofthesprungmetalholderactuall ypenet rates
t he engi ne tube,where it act s asanenginest op.The
holderisheldinplacebytheplast icretainer(PR). Thisis
al engthofplasticorrubbertubingformingat ightfri c-
ti on fit overthe engine holder and tube.
Whenitis not necessary torecover an dreusethe
rocket, analternat iveengine-mounting technique can be
used.Simplyuseabalsawoodcylinderwithanexternal
dia met er that makesfor afri ctionfi t i nsi dethebody
tube,therearendofwhichis drilledcent rallytoaccom-
modatetheengine. Thisdrilledhousingshould beshort-
ert han theenginelengthbyabout aquarterinch.Both
bal sainsert and engine aresecured with epoxy.
ENGINES
Propulsion is provided by aDI 2-0- orDI I -P-type fly-
ingmodelroc ket engine,modifi edbycaref ull ydrill ing
t hroughthepropell antoftheenginecent rall yfrom the
nozzle opening to the other end with a l /8 -inch (31.8
mml-diameterdrillbit and then(inthe case ofthe D12-0
engine] plugging the open end of t heengine case wi t h
epoxy.Savethepropellantpowderproducedduringthe
drilling;itwillbeusedlater.
STABILIZING FINS
Thefinsareattachedoneatatimein thepositi onsindi-
catedinFigures16 and 17 withepoxyadhesivelinthecase
offi berglassorheavycardbodyparts]or,ifusingmetal
parts,aspotweld,braze,orsolderinthepositi onshown.
Careshoul dbetaken to ensuret hat thefin sare per-
fec tlystraight.Onceat tachedtheycan be strengthened
by runninga thinbeadofepoxyal ongeachsideofthe
LAW A'-:D DISORDER REARMING THE LAW
34 35
I
I

6.4 MM
HO

E1
I I
PR
- FRONTVIEWOF CR
i . ' ..... 'HI,. "'-._'.' i HI .pt!


\ , I
6.4MM
FIGURE 14: Diagram ofenginemount
IT Engine tube: stiff card, 70 mm long; internal diameter, 24 rnrn:
externaldiameter, 25.4mm
CR Centralizingrings:two ringsmadeof stiffcardor plastic, 6.35 mm
deep, internal diameter allowing friction fit on ET, external
diameter allowingfriction fit in40.5 mmbodylube
EH Engineholder:length of spring steel,3 mmwide, .S mm thick, 70
mm long with the last 63.5 mm of each end bent at a 9o-degree
angle.
SP Stop piece: wooden or metal disk, 6.35 mm thick, diameter
faeili tatingfriction fit in IT
PR Plastic retainer: plastic tubing, 25.4 mm long,diameterallowinga
frictionover EHand IT
HO Hole: located as shown to facilitate upward movement of EH for
engine installation
H i
E Position ofengine
LAWAND DISORDER
36
VIEWFROMABOVE
CR
CR
FIGURE15:
Enginehol der
70MM
I I
ENGINEHOLDER
VIEWFROMSIDE
attachmentpoint."Finalignmentguides"are available
commerciallyfrom flying modelrocketsuppliers.
Notethatinthecaseofmetalbodypartsthefins are
attachedwithonlya singlespotweldorbraze.This
allowsforsubsequentminorstraightening.
Oncethefins are attached,checkto besurethatthe:
rocketcanactuallybe insertedintothetubewithout
hang-ups. Load therocket,fins first,intothefrontofthe
closedtube.As itis therearmost(inner)tubethathas
thesmallerdiameter,itisthisoneinwhichyouare
checkingforfinclearance.
w
A
- -' 1 MM
FIGURES 16AND17; Findimensions and positioning
A Epoxyadhesive w Spotweld
REARMING THE LAW
37
Ifthefins catch ontheinner mostt ube,removet he
rocket and measure the heigh t of each fi n .Ifanyar e
slightlyhigherthantheothers,sandor fil e their top
edges very carefully to bring all the fins tot hesame
h eightand then continueuntilt he overall heightof
the fins (diameter of t he fin assembly) is such that the
rocketcanbeinsert edallt hewayinto the tubewi t h-
out difficulty.
THE IGNITER
The heart of theimprovised igniter described here i s
thenozzlefromatubeofsili conesealer[bathorwindow
sealer) or somesimilarimprovisat ion. It isviathisand
theflashtubethat t heflash fromthecap orprimerwill
be communicated to the engine propell ant .
St epone is to cu t t henozzl ein half and then cut off
thetipatapointfromtheendthatwillgiveanopening
of about 2 mill imeter s. Sandor trim the outside of the
nozzleend,asrequired, togiveanexternaldiameterthat
providesthenozzletipwi th afriction fi tin theengine
nozzle toadepthofabout10millimeters.
Anozzlehousingcannowbe preparedfrom ausedD-
seriesengine,perthediagram onthefacingpageIfig.19).
The holder is simplythe nozzl e end of a D-series engine.
Theengine no zzl e holeis widenedfr om t heinsideto
provide a fri ct ion fit for the plasti cnozzle in such aman-
ner t hat wit h the plast icnozzle inserted fromthe inside
of the clay nozzle,the last10millimeters orsoof it pro-
trudes beyond the car drim,asshownin Figure 19.The
plasticno zzleist hensecuredandtheclaynozzl erein-
forcedwith epoxyadhesive.
Nowattach thenozzleassemblyto theenginepack
wi thmaskingtape . Piercethetape at theholder notch
spot andinstall the engine/ igniter assemblyinthe rock-
et, orien t ing theassembly correctly so that the engine
holderfitsinthenotchproperly.
38
LAW AND DI SORDER
(
FIGURE18: Nozzle
\ (
-

I
..
II
III
,
'.j,.
r
.
' 'I
'!;i
I
,
',t>
1,
N
VI

:lHl
.,
"

VIEW FROMABOVE
CB
ICURE 19: Nozzlehousing
EN Enginenotch(4x4x4 mm
not chtoaccommodateendof
CH
engineholder)
CN Clay nozzle
CB Card body
I EN
CH Central hole
}'\BI I
PN Pl astic nozzle
>----i PN
13 MM
CROSSSECTION
REARMINGTHE LAW
... .
39
Ilnl
CB
........... "
CN .
CH
ET
8T
NH L
IN.
~
_ ' . EP
HN ' . . PR I EH SP
FIGURE20: Igniterin crosssection
CR Centeringrings
CB Card body
BT Body tube (rocket body)
(on cut-offenginenozzle)
PR Plastic retainer
CN Claynozzle
EP Engine
CH Cen/ralhole
EH Engineholder
IN Improvised nozzle
SP Stop piece
NH Nozzleholder
ET Enginetube
HN
Holdernotch(engine notch)
Install the rocket in the tube (fin end first, from the
front of the closed tube) so that the open end of the
improvised nozzle is more or less flush with the hack of
the tube.
Next cut a 63.S-millimeter piece of improvised flash
tube) push one end over the flash tube stub on the primer
block, and install the primer block in its housing. Now
trim the free end of the tube to a length (typically about
57 m.illimeters] that facilitates its insertion (fully) but
without undue force) into the improvised igniter nozzle
with as shallow a curve as possible (the idea being that
there are no sharp kinks in the flash tube) .
Having determined the correct length of flash tube
required [which will vary slightly depending on exactly
what type of material you have used], remove the rocket
LAWAND DISORDER
40
.... . ... . .. . . ... . . . ~ ~ u , .
and ta ke out the engine/ nozzl e assembly. Remove the
primer block and flash tube also but do not disassemble.
Now pour the pro pellan t powde r saved from the
engine-drilling process into the nozzle, tapping the noz-
zle to encourage some of t he powder t o fall i n t o t he
engine pack. Add powder until the nozzle itself is almost
filled. Press the end of the tube down firml y into the cen-
ter of the powder, turning it slightl y as required toobtain
a friction fit . Secure the tube wit h epoxy adhesi ve at the
top of the nozzle as shown.
Analternat ive igniter nozzle can be improvised from
two of the plastic igniter holders which are supplied with
the engines. These are drilled centrall y an d secured back-
to-back wi th Superglue or epoxy adhesive lor they can be
secured with epoxy adhesive first and then drilled after
drying]. One end is inserted into the engine nozzle; the
other has the lower end of the flash tube pushed over it.
PB
P
FTS
rr
FIGURE21: Thecompleted igniterassembly
CH Central hol e NH :-.I 02.zle holder
EH Engine holder(enginetube HN Holdernotch(to
and centralizingringsnot accommodate
shown) end ofengineholder)
EN Engine nozzle FT Flash tube
IN Nozzl e(containingpropellant FrS Flash tubestub
powder) PB Primer block
A Adhesive P Primer(cap)
T Tape
REARMING THE LAW
41

TRANSITSAFETY
All thatremainstobedonenowis to attachasimple
improvisedtransit safety (roundlock).Thereareseveral
alternativespossiblehere,butasimpleandeffective
t echniqueistowrapstiffwirearoundthe nozzleholdera
co upl e oftimesandsecureit with epoxy. The wi re i s
t henbentupand outoft hetransitsafetyhole during
end-capreplacement(loopingthefreeendofthewireto
takethesafet ypin).
FINAL REARMING
Finalrearmi ng i n volves inst alling t h e enginej
igniter/ flash tubeassemblyin therocket(ensuringthat
the engineholder isreta iningthe engine corr ectly) and
thenloadingtherocketint othelauncher,fin first,from
thefrontoflauncher.If animprovisedexplosive roundis
loaded, thisprocedur eshouldbeunder taken wi th the
launcherontheground.
FIGURE 22: View of end cap
showi ng position of transit safety hole
TSH
EC
FIGURE23: Wire transit safety
attachedto igniter nozzle holder
EC End cap
TSH Transit safety hole
W Wire
NH Nozzle holder
LAW AND DISORDER
. . . ... . .. a , - .
42
Lastly,afreshcapisinstall edinthepr imerblockand
theprimerblock anditshousing coverfit t ed.
TEST-FIRING
Al though the device descri bed here has been fire d
many ti mes without problem, it is not beyond the
r ealm ofpossibili ty that you havescrewed yours up or
t ha t Murphy i s about , so always make a test-fi re
wearing goggles, gloves, and a substantial jacket. This
latterrequirement soundsodd, but if youhavefail ed to
follow the instruct ions carefully and end up wi th a
round that hangs up in the t ube, the launcher will get
veryhot .
Makesurethear eato t hefrontandrearofthet ubeis
clear. Remembert hat thesyst em fi resfr om an open
breech,sotheriskofthetubeact uallyexplodingdue toa
buildupofpressureisnegligible.
Check thet ubeth oroughlyfor damageafterthis tes t-
fireandallsubsequentfirings,andno t ethat theroc ket
engin ejs]willoften leavea deposi t int het ubethat ,
unlesscleanedaway,willinterferewi th thesubsequent
insertionofanotherrocket.
Thereissomebackblastwhen therocketsused hereare
fired asdescribed. Itisminimal,however,andgoggleswill
provideadequateprotectionagainstsmokebeingblown
int otheeyes.If you intend toexperimentwithalternate
desi gns,propell ant t ypes,orengineconfigurations, an
improvisedperspexblastshieldshouldbefittedaroundthe
fr ontof theLAWt ubeuntilt heABOL qualitiesofthe
experimentalsystemaredetermined.
DISCARDINGSABOTSUBCALI BERSYSTEM
Opting for a subcaliber rocket and a simple dis-
carding sabot assembly provides an even more rapi d
route to rearming your LAW. Several suitable rocket
REARMING THE LAW
43
kits are available, and t he only modi fica ti on they
require is a reduct ion in fin diameter t o all ow for a
sliding fit within the rear of the LAW tube. The forward
launch lug should be attached to such rockets, as per
the ki t ins tructions, but at least 25.4 millimeters from
the front of the body tube.
The discarding sabot can be made from a cylindrical
piece of balsawood, 25.4 millimeters in length and wi th
an external diameter that allows for a sliding fit within
the tube. The cyli nder is bored out centrally to a dia-
meter that provi des a tight friction fit for the rocket body
and t hen cut verti cally into two halves. A short (3.2-
millimeter) pin i s driven into the center of each resulting
face on one of the halves only. The other balsa half is
then ali gned corr ectly and pressed onto them. Finally,
the resul ting holes in the second balsa hall are enlarged
slightly to ensure that the pins move freely in them.
During loading the two halves are positioned around
the rocket, just in front of the launch lug, thus forming a
"collar" of the correct external diameter. When, upon
firing, this part of the rocket exits the tube, the assembly
will simply fall away.
LAUNCH ROD AND INSERT SYSTEM
Here a soft wood insert 6S millimeters in diameter
and 9.S millimeters thick is prepared by drill ing out a
hole 25.4 millimeters in diameter from its center and
cutting a slot 12.7 millimeters deep and 6.4 millimeters
wide from the center hole to any point on the outer rim.
The rocket to be fired is now placed centrally over the
center hole and oriented so that the front launch lug on
the rocket is at least 6.4 millimeters to the left or right of
the slot. Ink the end of the long-type Estes launch rod [or
some sturdier improvisation of similar dimensions) and
carefully place it through the launch lug until it contacts
the insert. Drill the point thus marked by the ink to a
44
LAW AND O'SOKDER
diameter that provides a tight friction fit for the end of
the launch rod. Put ting a drop of Superglue in the hole
prior to fitting the rod will keep it secure. Open the LAW
tube and position the insert in the rear of i t. Mark the
front of the launch rod where it exits the front of the
tube. Remove this excess length to a point more or less
flu sh with the front of the tube.
To use the system, install an engi ne and igniter
assembly in the rocket as previously described, and then
load the rocket into the tube and fit th e primer block,
and so on. Finally, feed the launch rod into the back of
the LAW and through the launch l ug and, having
oriented the slot so that it covers the flash tube, press
the insert as far into the back of the tube as it will go
without using undue force. Check the front of the rocket
for a more-or-less central position in the tube, and adjust
as required by applying more pressure to the appropriate
side of the insert.
Many of the smaller rocket ki ts are designed to use
"C"-type engines. Greater ranges and/or payloads can be
achieved, however, by not fitting the supplied engine-
mount assembly to such rockets and instead installing a
"D" -type engine directly i n t o the rocket body tail
section. This can be achieved by removing enough of the
outer part of the card engine body to provide for a tight
friction fit. In tests the Alpha III kit was successfully
modified in this manner and used with the discarding
sabot system described previously.
REARMING THE LAW
, , n _ .
45
II
T
hiSsection is included as an appendix, as
neither the author nor the publisher really
wants you to run around firing off live war-
heads. You're probably going to get into
enough shit for firing the nonexplosive
rounds anyway. The following illustrations show various
ways in which an explosive warhead might be detonated
upon impact. The designs are useful for incorporation
into various other types of missile systems that you
shouldn't be messing with either! Don't experiment
47
with them in conjuncti on wi t h explosive materials
unless you have a solid grasp of the field and the applica-
ble industry-standard safety procedur es.
MECHANICAL
A copper shear wire (51 passes through the housing (HI
and body of the striker (ST). On impact, the pressure plate
(PPJ is forced into the housing, shearing the wire and
allowing the striker pin (P] to hit the percussion cap (PC).
The striker pin is held clear of the percussion cap by a
creep spring (5). On impact, pressure on the pressure
PC
FIGURE24: Shearpin
ST
5
PC
' pp
5
FIGURE25: Creepspring-
pressure
PP
LAW AND DISORDER
..................... ............................... ....................................................................
48
D
HS
SP
s
+
PC
FIGURE26: Diaphragm FIGURE27: Creepspring-inertia
plate (PPJ overcomes the resistance of the spring and the
striker pin hits the cap (PCJ.
The striker is att ached to a convex disk of flexible
metal forming a di aphragm (D). Upon impact the
diaphragm deforms, reversing in shape and dri vi ng the
striker pin (SP) against the cap (PC). A varia tion suitable
for fast-moving warheads/missiles/bombs has the face of
the diaphragm covered except for two small channels.
[ust before impact the air is compressed into these chan-
nels, acting upon the diaphragm as per direct impact
with the solid target .
A heavy striker (HS) is held clear of the cap (PC) by a
creep spri ng (5). On impact, inertia (the tendency of
something that is moving to want to keep moving when
it is suddenly halted] acting upon the striker causes it to
overcome the resistance of the spring, allowing the strik-
er pin t o hi t the cap.
The striker is retained by a t hin metal flange or lip (Fl .
On impact, inertia causes the st riker to bend the retaining
surfaces, allowing the striker pin (SP) to hit the cap (PC).
WARHEAD
49
ELEORI CAL
A hea vycon t ac t (HCI is
connectedto onesideoft he
circuit;thecontactplate{CPI
is connectedtotheother. The
heavycontactis retainedby
insul atedsprun g jaws (SII
Uponimpact,inert iaforces
HC through the ja ws and
ontothecontactplate, there-
bycompletingthecircuit .
The electri calswitchcom-
prises t wo thin pl a t es {PI
FIGURE28:
install edclosetogether.On
Disk/flangeretention
impact t hepointof ametal
rod(MR)isthrustthrough
TOBAlTERY
thetwoplates, therebycom-
pletingthecircuit.
Theswitchisfittedtothe
frontof thewarheadinsidea
He
crushablecover.Onimpact
thetwothinplates(TP) are ,
forced together,therebycom- _L-'.J1\ ~ 1'I
T O ~ : : L..:I
pletingthecircuit.
DETONATOR ~ CP
SJ
FIGURE29: Inertia switch
...."-
p .
.
- . TO BATIERY
"
P jtTO DETONATOR
, l ; ~ t ~ ~ , \. TO BATIERY
.....- MR TP XI '( TO DETONATOR
FIGURE30: Thrustrod
FIGURE31: Nose-switch
LAWA:-;O OJ50!?DfR
50
u .. - .
akecarewhenloadingarocketwitha live
improvisedwarhead.Remembertheold
anarchist'ssong, IIIfI drop thisI'mfucking
dead ...de dum, dedum . . .II
Manythanksto "Nick,"withoutwhosehelpthispro-
jectwouldn'thavebeenpossible. Goodluckwiththe
appeal,Nick,seeyounextvisitingday.
Messageto readersofBic Farral l/s bookBackyard
Rocketry: Bichasaskedme topointoutthatthecarrot-
.................................................. ................... ....................................................... 51
shaped engine tubes on pages 7 and 49 are the result of
his inabil it y t o defeat the comput er graphics package
monst er from hell prior to publication. Yes, the tubes
should be symmetrical. On a related note ...
Rocket Man Is Jailed for Four Years
... A l ovesick businessman who
nailed a five-barrelled homemade rock-
et launcher to a tree intending to
ambush his ex-laver's new boyfriend
has been jail ed for four years...
"X" fir s t told the court that he
rigged up the device to fire rockets
into thunderclouds as an experiment .
. . [then] changed his story and said
the device was actually a suicide
weapon. .. The judge described the
case as "very strange" and said the
(suicide) claim was "manifestly
untrue and wholly implausible. JI
The moral of this true story? Christ knows, but it
made me laugh.
LAW AND DISORDER
52