PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-590
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 590
JANUARY 2002
PS 590
JAN 02
41
PS 590
JAN 02
40
The
wrong
cleaners
and lubes actually
hurt your weapon
instead of help it.
H
Cleaning small arms with
stuff
other
than what
the -10 TMs tell you to
use is
not
very smart.
“Some units are big on
oven and
carburetor cleaners
for
cleaning out all carbon from
weapons. But those cleaners also
pull out all the oil from a weapon's
metal and strip its protective finish.
Without oil, corrosion can ruin a
weapon in mere days.”
“
Cotton tips
seem perfect for
cleaning tight spots like the bolt
carrier key. But the cotton comes
off and mixes with lube, plugging
things like gas ports. Before you
know it, your weapon stops firing.
Pipe cleaners are what's best for
cleaning those tight spots.”
“
Lightweight oils
like those you
use to lube door hinges may seem
like a good substitute for CLP,
LAW, or LSA, but they're not.
Lightweight oils evaporate quickly
and don't stop corrosion. They
also have a high flash point.”
“
Cleaning pads
work great for
shining up your weapons. But the
pads do that by taking off the
protective finish. Soon corrosion
has killed the weapon.”
“
Paper towels and old rags
aren't good replacements for
cleaning patches or new cleaning
rags. Paper towels and old rags
shred and clog areas like the
buffer tube.”
“Any soldier who’s in the Army long
enough will hear about some
miracle homemade cleaning
tool.
Don't believe it. Those tools
usually scratch off the protective
coating, which leads to corrosion.”
Smart cleaning
doesn't have
anything to do with barracks
gossip about better ways to
clean your weapon.
Smart cleaning
means cleaning
with the stuff
your
TM
tells you
to use:
They
have been
tried
and
tested-
and they
work!
CLP, LAW,
RBC, LSA,
pipe
cleaners,
bore and
chamber
brushes,
and
cleaning
patches.
Small Arms…
this
isn’t
necessary. I’m
sure every
soldier
knows
this info…
maybe
not
okay… I’ll
describe it
again, so…
…
listen
up!
590. 40-41 (C)
11/23/01
4:16 PM
Page 1
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