This “Soviet Style” 82mm is a conventional drop-fired mortar very similar to the Yugoslavian 60mm M57 also in the Lovett Collection.  It also generally resembles the US 81mm Mortar from the WW2 Era. The 82mm Mortar’s breech piece is threaded into the barrel and has a ball fitting to mate into a triangular base plate. The mortar is a conventional drop-fired mortar with a fixed firing pin. The bipod has a cross-leveling gear operated by a threaded sleeve between one leg and the elevating gear. This is attached to the yoke, which carries the traversing screw and the shock-absorbing spring cylinders.

This mortar has a mix of parts from different 82mm mortar types. With the exception of the sight mount, which accepts the NSB-4A Sight (not the NSB-3 of the M69A) it generally has the appearance of the Yugoslavian 82mm M69A Mortar.

The “Soviet Style” 82mm Mortar is used world wide by many nations and insurgent groups.  It can fire its own ammunition plus any captured or acquired stocks of 81mm Mortar ammunition. 

Caliber:	82mm
Weight:	63 kg
Elevation:	+45 to +85 degrees
Rate of Fire:	20 to 25 rds/min
Muzzle velocity:	124-200 m/s

Max. Range:

6.7 KM

Most of what I know about the 82mm Mortar is from being one of its potential targets. Locally, in Iraq, the mortars are known as the "Al Jaleel" .  My 118 Field Artillery Q-36 Radar Team frequently received rounds from these pieces in"lovely" Mahmudiya, Iraq. All of my five man crew earned the Combat Action Badge due to danger close rounds from an “82”.  In turn, we also acquired rounds that lead to counter-fire which killed two enemy “82 Teams”. Incidentally, this counter-fire was from elements of “A” Battery, 118th FA.
The 82mms were certainly something to worry about and my second task force (1-502 IN) took casualties due to them. That said, the enemy 120mm Mortar was surly the one to dread.  In the area South-West of Baghdad, it seemed the 120mm crews were the better gunners and a 120mm round will penetrate “Texas Barriers” and concrete roof tops. Fortunately, we managed to counter-fire and destroy one of these teams too.

On returning to the US in November 2006, the first thing I did was start looking for an 82mm Mortar.  For some reason as a Counter-Battery Radar Team Leader, I just wanted this “Albatross” around my neck a little longer.   As always, my Father, Leon Lovett has been very helpful regarding this new interest and recently, we purchased two of them.  Like almost everything else, these were available on the US market, unfortunately however, in de-militarized form.

This is our 2nd 82mm Mortar.

The 2nd 82mm Mortar is basicly the same as the first but is missing its sightmount.

We have almost everything imaginable to accompany the 82mm Mortar:  The backpack rig for the tube, the sights, aiming circles, range stakes and even many complete uniforms for Yugoslavian/Serbian/Bosnian/Croatian and Iraqi Forces Mortar Crewmen. At this point the only thing I’m missing is the ammunition. Sooner or later this too will turn up.