Improvised Munitions Handbook

Improvised Munitions Handbook

This is TM 31-210, a U.S. Army technical manual first published in 1969 for Special Forces personnel operating without access to standard-issue ordnance. It was written to document how expedient weapons and explosives could be assembled from scavenged materials, common chemicals, and items available at ordinary stores, knowledge intended for personnel cut off from conventional supply lines.

Across 251 illustrated pages, the manual is organized by category: explosives and propellants, mines, grenades, small arms, ammunition, mortars, rockets, incendiary devices, fuses, and detonators. It reflects Cold War-era Special Forces doctrine on self-sufficiency in the field, and it's one of the most widely referenced and reprinted military manuals in existence, cited often in discussions of unconventional warfare history.

This is a historical and reference document. As with our other field manuals, we don't promote using anything in this book for illegal purposes.

The Short & Sweet:

• TM 31-210, U.S. Army Special Forces manual
• First published 1969
• 251 illustrated pages
• Organized by category: explosives, mines, grenades, small arms, incendiaries, and more
• For historical reference only; not a guide to unlawful activity