60mm M73 Yugoslav High-Explosive Mortar Round with UT-M68P1 Fuze and KV 8501-3 Fiber Tube

Inert Yugoslav 60mm M73 High-Explosive Mortar Round with UT-M68P1 Fuze and KV 8501-3 Fiber Tube

Item Overview

Original Yugoslav 60mm M73 training mortar round supplied with its black fiber storage and transport tube. The round retains its green paint, yellow Cyrillic stenciling, fin assembly, perforated tail stem, and UT-M68P1-pattern fuze. The photographs identify the round as M73; no “BHR” suffix is visible. They also show KV 8501-2 on the round and KV 8501-3 on the tube. This example is inert and intended only for collection, study, or display.

Identification and Features

The streamlined body, stabilizing fins, removable nose fuze, and 60mm markings identify this as a Yugoslav M73-series mortar training round. A large “Т” and the abbreviation “ТРЕН.” identify the training configuration. The fiber tube names the ammunition, fuze, original propelling-charge types, packing code, and gross packed weight.

• Country: Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
• Caliber: 60mm
• Model: M73 training mortar round (in H.E. configuration)
• Fuze marking: UT-M68P1
• Round code: Cyrillic КВ 8501-2, transliterated KV 8501-2
• Fiber-tube code: Cyrillic КВ 8501-3, transliterated KV 8501-3
• Original green paint and yellow Cyrillic stenciling
• Black fiber storage and transport tube with gray identification band
• Inert, nonfunctional collectible

Original Mortar-Round Markings and Locations

The following markings are visible on the green projectile body and metal tail section. Several production stamps are shallow, worn, or partly hidden by the curve of the body.

• Upper body: “Т”
• Upper and center body: “ТРЕН. МИНА М73”
• Center body: “ЗА”
• Center and lower body: “60ММ МИНОБАЦАЧ”
• Lower body: “КВ 8501-2”
• Impressed beside the M73 stencil: “02-25/13”
• Small impressed mark below “02-25/13”: appears to read “БК”
• Faint over-stamps near the center lettering: appear to include “6 0141” and “ТК”; partly obscured
• Metal tail stem: partial stamp ending in “683”; preceding characters are not fully legible

English Translation of Mortar-Round Markings

These translations follow the Serbian Cyrillic wording visible in the photographs. Model numbers, production numbers, and inspection codes remain unchanged.

• “Т” — “Training,” used here as a training-identification letter; located on the upper body
• “ТРЕН. МИНА М73” — “Training Mortar Round M73”; located around the upper and center body
• “ЗА” — “For”; located at the center of the body
• “60ММ МИНОБАЦАЧ” — “60mm Mortar”; located across the center and lower body
• “КВ 8501-2” — “KV 8501-2”; an alphanumeric identification code rather than a phrase; located on the lower body
• “02-25/13,” “БК,” “6 0141,” “ТК,” and the partial “…683” — production, inspection, or lot-style markings with no dependable word-for-word translation

Original Fuze Markings and Locations

The bare-metal nose component carries engraved and lightly scratched markings. The principal model designation is clear, while several secondary inspection marks are faint.

• Lower fuze cone: “УТ-М68П1”
• Lower fuze cone: “К СРБ 8308 БК”
• Side of fuze cone: faint hand-applied or inspection markings that appear to include “8-83”; remaining characters are indistinct

English Translation of Fuze Markings

The fuze markings are mainly model and production identifiers rather than full words or instructions.

• “УТ-М68П1” — “UT-M68P1”; the Yugoslav model designation, classified in technical references as an impact, superquick mortar fuze
• “СРБ” — transliterates as “SRB”; located within the lower production marking and likely serving as an abbreviated factory or national identifier
• “К,” “8308,” “БК,” and the faint secondary marks — retained as production, lot, or inspection codes because no reliable expanded wording is visible

Original Fiber-Tube Markings and Locations

Yellow Cyrillic stenciling appears around the upper and center portion of the black fiber tube, with the gross-weight marking placed nearer the bottom.

• Upper stencil panel: “60ММ МИНОБАЦАЧ”
• Upper stencil panel: “МИНА ТРЕН. М73”
• Upper stencil panel: “КВ 8501-3”
• Center stencil panel: “ОСНОВНО ПУЊЕЊЕ М80”
• Center stencil panel: “ДОПУНСКО ПУЊЕЊЕ М73П1”
• Center stencil panel: “УПАЉАЧ”
• Center stencil panel: “УТ-М68П1”
• Center stencil panel: “КВ 8552”
• Lower tube: “БРУТО 1,8 КГ.”

English Translation of Fiber-Tube Markings

The tube describes the original packed ammunition configuration. Its references to propelling charges identify the intended package contents and do not mean that loose charge packets are included with this item.

• “60ММ МИНОБАЦАЧ” — “60mm Mortar”; upper tube
• “МИНА ТРЕН. М73” — “Training Mortar Round M73”; upper tube
• “КВ 8501-3” — “KV 8501-3”; tube identification code on the upper panel
• “ОСНОВНО ПУЊЕЊЕ М80” — “Main Propelling Charge M80”; center tube
• “ДОПУНСКО ПУЊЕЊЕ М73П1” — “Supplementary Propelling Charge M73P1”; center tube
• “УПАЉАЧ” — “Fuze”; center tube
• “УТ-М68П1” — “UT-M68P1”; fuze model listed on the center panel
• “КВ 8552” — “KV 8552”; identification code associated with the fuze entry
• “БРУТО 1,8 КГ.” — “Gross Weight 1.8 kg”; lower tube

Training-Round Function

The M73 training round reproduced the recognizable shape, handling features, markings, and packed configuration of Yugoslav 60mm mortar ammunition. It allowed troops to study ammunition identification, storage, transport, and equipment handling without using the live high-explosive M73 round. The photographed example includes a UT-M68P1-marked nose component, but it is sold only as an inert and nonfunctional display item.

Documented End-Item Application

The tube identifies the ammunition for a 60mm mortar without naming one specific launcher. The live M73 service round is documented for the Yugoslav 60mm M57 mortar and later compatible Serbian 60mm systems, including the M06C commando mortar. The M57 was a standard light infantry mortar, while the compact M06C continued the use of M73-family ammunition in a newer system.

M73 Ammunition-Family History

The M73 belonged to Yugoslavia’s Cold War family of domestically produced 60mm mortar ammunition. The service version was a high-explosive fragmentation round fitted with a UT-M68P1 impact fuze. The training version used the same basic identification and external form for instruction. M73-family ammunition continued in Serbian production after the breakup of Yugoslavia, showing the long service life of the original design.

60mm M57 Mortar History

The M57 entered Yugoslav service during the late 1950s as a portable infantry-support mortar. Its layout followed the proven postwar pattern of a smoothbore tube, bipod, baseplate, and optical sight. Published manufacturer data lists a 60.75mm caliber, an 18.5-kilogram combat weight, a three- or four-person crew, and compatibility with the M73 mortar round. The light design allowed infantry units to carry useful indirect-fire support across difficult terrain.

Mortar-System Background

Light mortars gave infantry units a way to engage targets hidden behind slopes, walls, trenches, and other cover. Yugoslav 60mm mortar ammunition included high-explosive, smoke, illuminating, and training types. Standardized external dimensions and clearly marked transport tubes helped crews identify, store, and issue the correct ammunition during training and field service.

History of Use

The M57 and its ammunition served with the Yugoslav People’s Army during the Cold War and later remained with military forces formed after Yugoslavia dissolved. Weapons and ammunition from this family appeared throughout the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s and continued in later Serbian service and export use. Training rounds were important for teaching recognition and handling while preserving live ammunition for qualification and operational requirements.

Condition

Surplus condition with original green projectile paint, yellow body markings, black fiber tube, and matching yellow tube stencils. The round and container show scratches, small paint losses, handling marks, edge wear, and age-related surface discoloration. The fuze body, safety pin and ring, perforated tail stem, and stabilizing fins are present in the photographs. Separate M80 and M73P1 propelling-charge packets are not shown. All ordnance is inert.

Ideal For

This original Yugoslav training round and marked transport tube form a strong display set for collections centered on Cold War weapons, Yugoslav military history, mortar ammunition, translated foreign ordnance markings, or infantry-support equipment.

• Yugoslav and Balkan militaria collections
• Inert mortar-round displays
• Cold War ammunition studies
• M57 mortar accessory displays
• Museums, classrooms, and historical exhibits

Approx length 12", Approx width 3", Approx height 3", Approx weight 3.2lbs.

Pictures are stock images of our inventory. Unless otherwise noted, you will not be receiving the exact item shown in the pictures. The pictures are representative of the item’s general condition. The item you receive might be slightly better, or worse, condition than was shown in the pictures.

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