[en] A sampler was developed to take 25-L samples of sludge from Savannah River Plant waste tanks. The cylindrical sample vessel has a retractable nose section. Sludge enters an annular space at the nose section as the sampler is forced through the sludge layer with rigid drive pipes. Two samples have been taken and transported in a special cask to a waste processing research facility at the Savannah River Laboratory. 7 figures