Just after a horrific week of news about mounting body counts in Mexico from the drug war, Danger Room points to news that at least one narco arsenal was found to include Claymore Mines. The mines can be triggered with an electronic remote, and are capable of spewing 700 steel balls in any direction, with a wounding range of 50 yards. Here's a video.

  • Aram Jahn

    Well, headless, handless and legless corpses strewn along Mexican highways and on playgrounds is a small price to pay to keep up the illusion that we’re keeping someone from getting high in Amerikkka. I saw we TRIPLE DOWN on this policy! As some DEA mucky-muck is no doubt saying to someone else as I write this, “We’re finally winning. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We’re making Americans safe.”

    • http://echofox3.blogspot.com efergus3

      Usually ‘the light at the end of the tunnel’ is an oncoming train.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Pruett/100001318132925 Chris Pruett

    Based on the photo provided at the Small Wars Journal site, the mine in question looks to be a Russian/ComBloc MON-50 rather than a US M18A1. Not that it makes much of a difference….

  • relawson

    Why can’t anyone come up with a claymore detector like in MGS?

    • SpaceBeers

      Just crawl everywhere. Problem solved.

  • http://profiles.google.com/max.kingsbury Max Kingsbury

    “using” / “arsenal was found to include” :-

  • sockdoll

    50-year-old technology that still gets the job done.

    “FRONT TOWARD ENEMY”

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Pruett/100001318132925 Chris Pruett

      LOL. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard a story about “that one guy in Basic” who managed to misunderstand this seemingly simple, straightforward instruction, I’d be at least thirty bucks ahead…

  • Joseph Grace

    Very easy to make these :L

  • Phil Fot

    Xeni, I have a a few decades of experience with claymore mines. I can assure you that they don’t spew their little steel balls in “any direction.”

    When you detonate a claymore the balls cover an arc of 60 degrees. That’s why the front cover says “FRONT TOWARD ENEMY.”

    Personally, I love Claymore mines. I didn’t like them at first since they seemed like a lot of extra weight to schlep around. Then we had occasion to rely on them one night when snooping around. Needless to say, we made it back and our many playmates were left behind in the bush.

    I never again questioned the order to carry a half a dozen or so when heading out for the night.