PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-597
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 597
AUGUST 2002
Dear Captain J.R.,
You bet. To use the M122 tripod with the M249, order a traversing and elevation
(T&E) adapter, NSN 1005-01-225-1156, and an ammo bracket adapter, NSN 1005-
01-425-6541. The T&E adapter is Item 1 in Fig C-14A-1 of TM 9-1005-201-23&P
and the bracket adapter will be added in the next change to TM 9-1005-201-10.
If you were one of the units whose M249s were converted to the light machine
gun role, you should have received the two adapters. If you didn't, contact your
TACOM-Rock Island logistics assistance rep or your force mod officer.
M249 Machine Gun…
DON’T BE A TOOL FOOL
DON’T BE A TOOL FOOL
I
f everybody used the right
tool for each job, it would pre-
vent lots of damage to equip-
ment. That's expecially true for
the M249 machine gun.
There's only one tool for
adjusting the front sight post—
and gunners don't have it. Only
your armorer adjusts the front
sight with the front sight post
spanner wrench, NSN 5120-01-
141-3839.
If you adjust the post with the
usual tool—a nail—you dam-
age the post. Then you can for-
get about accurate sighting.
Use a cleaning rod to remove
the handguards. If you use the
op rod, it gets bent and must be
replaced.
Dear Half-Mast,
We have several tripods for M60 machine guns, but we no longer have
M60 machine guns. Is there any way to convert the tripods for use with
the M249 machine gun?
CPT J.R.
PS 597
end
22
Never Dry Fire It
Never dry fire! If you dry fire without the barrel installed, the bolt slams forward
and ruins the rear threads of the barrel extension. Then the barrel can't be screwed
in. So, always ease the bolt forward instead of dry firing.
Carry It Right
The No. 1 reason M2s are damaged is
from hard falls. Since the M2 weighs
more than 80 pounds, the best way to
carry it is with four hands.
After removing the barrel, have a
buddy lock his hands under the barrel
support while you lock your hands
under the receiver 5 inches from its end.
If you're alone, hold the barrel sup-
port with your palm out and the receiv-
er with your palm in. Brace the receiver
against your body for more support.
Never use the backplate handles for a
carrying handle. If the backplate slips
out, the receiver falls, maybe on your
toes.
If you don't have a rack, store your
M2 flat.
Two people are
best for carrying
Brace against
your body
Armorer adjusts post
with spanner wrench
Use cleaning
rod on
handguards
ouch!
ooh, that
hurts.
Dry
firing
kills
me.
597. 22-23 (C)
6/21/02
5:14 PM
Page 1
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