Peppergrinder (mortar)
The Type 94 Handheld Mortar, more commonly called The Peppergrinder (Fhs. Muileann Piobair Cannain Stua, lit. 'Peppergrinder arc cannon', implying petiteness) or Peppershaker interchangeably, is a widely used, rapid-deployment single-man mortar/indirect fire grenade launcher developed in Faneria by the artillery manufacturer Cancale Armament Design Bureau. Produced natively by the National Arms Foundry, Cancale Arms additionally produces models for export to over a dozen countries worldwide, and the Type 94 has seen common use as a portable support weapon, particularly against guerilla forces in Crona and Alshar.
| Cineál 1994 Cannain Stua 'Muileann-Piobair' | |
|---|---|
 Example of the Type 94 in use by unknown Cronan soldier, c. 2024 | |
| Type | Mortar / Grenade launcher |
| Place of origin | Faneria |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Faneria |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Cancale Armament Design Bureau |
| Produced | 1994-present |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 4.8 kg |
| Length | 24" |
| Crew | 1 |
| Cartridge | 2" grenade |
| Rate of fire | up to 30 rpm (20 typical) |
| Effective firing range | 2200 feet |
Design and Use
The Type 94 was designed in direct response to the rapid movement of the Vandarch Canal Crisis in 1992, where Fhainnin troops were forced to put down an extremist uprising, exposing capabilities gaps in the military's ability to provide extremely low-level indirect fire support and tactical advantages such as long-range illumination and lower-impact, high-mobility mortar systems to handle the highly motorized nature of the threats faced during the Crisis.
The launcher contains a closed combustion chamber to capture expelled gases, heavily reducing thermal signature, flash, smoke, and noise. Additionally, the tube of the weapon does not heat up. Sighting is limited to an angle gague, with corrections performed via observation and user knowledge of the weapon's range at various angles, included in the user manual. Flare, colorless and colored smoke, HE, and antipersonnel fragmentation rounds are available to all users; Faneria is believed to manufacture infrared-exposure flares and chemical rounds for itself but does not permit the sale of these abroad.
The Peppergrinder saw extensive use in the Final War of the Deluge, as well as use in pacification campaigns since, as well as in the civil war in Kelekona.
Users