PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-592
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 592
MARCH 2002
D
on’t take chances with headspacing, armorers. If the
space between the bolt face and the chamber isn’t
exactly right, not only will the gun shoot poorly or not
at all, but it could explode.
That’s why you must make sure every rifle and
machine gun has been headspaced by support before it
goes to the field. Active duty units must have their
weapons headspaced at least every 12 months, while
Army Reserve and National Guard units should do it
every 24 months.
But any time a bolt or barrel is replaced, DS needs
to headspace the weapon.
With machine guns, get the spare barrel headspaced
by support, too. Clearly mark both barrels with the
gun’s serial number so they can easily be identified.
Have the number
stamped on a dog
tag and use lacing
wire to secure the
tag to the barrel’s
handle or leg. Paint
the tag a dark color
so it won’t reflect
in the field.
Of course, the M2 machine gun is an exception. It
must be headspaced and timed every time it’s fired.
Stamp number on dog tag
Rifles, Machine Guns…
Use Your Head on Headspacing
PS 592
MAR 02
44
PS 592
45
ATACMS…
ATACMS…
Avenger Missile System…
t
hat’s why it’s critical that you repairmen
check the humidity indicator’s gasket when
you change the indicator. If the gasket is
cracked, deformed, or doesn’t seal properly,
it won’t be able to seal out moisture.
If the gasket is bad, replace it with NSN
5330-01-146-7182. You do not need to
replace the entire sight glass just because of
a bad gasket.
seal out moisture
Track M3P Rounds to Stay on Track
I
f you don’t keep track of how
many rounds your Avenger’s M3P
machine gun fires, you’ll miss its
2,500-round inspection.
That means the M3P’s extrac-
tor, sear slide, firing pin, and
cocking lever may not be replaced
when they’re worn out. An M3P
with worn parts fires poorly.
So record the rounds fired on a
DA Form 2408-4,
Weapons
Record Data,
every time you fire.
All rounds—live and blank—
count toward that 2,500 limit.
ok, so
exactly how
many rounds
did you fire
today?
hold on,
soldier!
looks like
somebody
hasn’t
been paying
attention to
headspacing!
Check gasket when you
change humidity indicator
Hmm.
I had
a
good
day…
let’s
see…
It was
53.
I’m almost
ready for
my 2,500-
round
inspection!
If moisture gets
inside
the
guided
missile launching
assembly
(GMLA)
for the
Army
tactical missile
system
(ATACMS)…
…it can
take the
missile
out
of action.
During training,
make sure
your
machine gunners
know the importance
of
not
mixing bolts
and barrels.
When cleaning
several weapons at
once, they need to
be careful not
to put the wrong
barrel on
-or
wrong bolt in their
machine gun. If
there is
any doubt,
the gun needs to be
checked by support.
The
best
way to
prevent confusion
is
not
do batch
cleaning.
592. 44-45 (C)
2/2/02
11:33 AM
Page 1
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