PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-563
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 563
OCTOBER 1999
Dear Editor,
The M2 machine gun barrel gets banged up during transport and
storage, particularly the barrel threads. If the threads get too scratched
up, dented, or burred, the barrel can’t be screwed into the receiver.
We’ve found that an old AOAP bottle does a good job of protecting the
barrel. After washing out the bottle, cut it into two pieces about an inch
below the bottle
threads. Turn the
bottle’s threaded
end around and
screw it on the
barrel’s threaded
end. Poke a hole
in the other end
of the bottle and put it over the muzzle.
Keep the bottle ends on the barrel any time the barrel’s not being used.
SGT Raymond Smith
461st Engr Co
Casper, WY
Dear Editor,
Armorers know that inventorying the small arms tool kit by SC 5180-95-
A07 can be time-consuming and frustrating as they try to figure out which
tool is which.
So I developed a system to make
inventory easy. I got some of the
styrofoam packing that is used to
cushion items during shipment.
The packing should be about one inch
thick. Your central supply point will
have plenty of the stuff.
Use a small sharp knife to cut the
packing so it fits inside the large
drawers of the tool kit. Use a marker
to trace the tools on the packing.
Then cutout the traced areas so the
tools fit in them.
For the shallow drawers, use bubble wrap instead of packing, then trace
and cut areas for smaller tools like the driftpins or pliers.
Make a copy of the hand receipt and cut out the name for each tool. Use
a clear glue—auto epoxy is good—to stick the tool’s name beside the tool’s
slot. Brush glue over the paper so it’s laminated to packing.
Put the tools in their places. You can now inventory the kit in minutes.
CPL Robert Sutton
N Btry, 5/14 Regt, 4th Marine Div
El Paso, TX
M2 Machine Gun . . .
We won’t keep your suggestion bottled up.
M2 gunners also need to protect barrels by
not letting them roll around during
transport. Block them in or tie them down.
Don’t leave a barrel standing on end, either,
where it can take a fall.
Good idea. The Army is working on
providing foam inserts with the small
arms tool kit. Your suggestion will
help in the meantime.
Cut slots for each tool
Use bubble wrap for smaller tools
PS 563
42
gunner, next
to you, sometimes
i think
pm
is
man's
best friend
.
OCT 99
Small Arms Tool Kit . . .
Cover barrel ends with cut-in-two AOAP bottle
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