PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-612

PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly

ISSUE 612

NOVEMBER 2003
PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-612 - Page 12 of 33
PS 612
NOV 03
20
Fact—
Soaking the gas plug in JP-8 and then using the plug without thorough-
ly rinsing off the JP-8 and letting the plug totally dry will make carbon buildup even
more of a problem and could actually damage your M240.
Changing the barrel when
you're supposed to will help
keep the gas plug from plug-
ging up quickly. Firing and
firing with the same barrel
ruins the barrel and plugs up
the gas system. If possible,
change the barrel every 10
minutes during sustained
fire (100 rounds per minute)
and every two minutes dur-
ing rapid fire (200 rounds
per minute) like TM 9-1005-
313-10 says.
Clean the gas plug with
your combination tool the
way TM 9-1005-313-10
shows. Remember, the soon-
er you clean the gas plug
after firing, the easier it is to
clean off the carbon. Your
armorer is authorized to use
dry cleaning solvent, NSN
the gas plug if necessary.
PS 612
21
M240 Machine Guns…
Better Ways
to Clean
and Lube?
No Way!
RUMOR
—
"Keep the gas plug
from the spare
barrel soaking in
JP-8. JP-8 cleans the
gas plug while you're
firing using the other
gas plug. When one
gas plug gets too
plugged up, you can
put on the clean gas
plug in seconds."
you just
make
more
problems!
Fact—
Graphite will eat up and destroy aluminum and other alloys. Motor oil is
for your car, not your gun. It hardens and makes a mess of your gun. CLP, LSA-T,
or LAW are what TM 9-1005-313-10 says to use for lubing and that's what you
should use. Anything else either won't adequately lube moving parts or could dam-
age the gun.
Of course, you don't
want to get CLP or any
lube in the gas system
where it will quickly
turn to carbon and plug
up the gas regulator and
plug. The gas system
needs
no
lubing, so keep
all lubricants away from
the regulator and plug.
RUMOR
—
"Avoid using CLP
on your M240--
CLP will turn
into carbon.
instead, use
15W/40 oil or a
graphite-based
lubricant."
all I
needed
was a
little
clp—
not this
motor
oil!
Reports are coming
back from soldiers
fighting in Iraq that
they have found
better ways to clean
and lube their M240
machine guns.
Here's what
is being said
and,
more
importantly,
the facts…
Changing barrel helps prevent
plugged gas plug
Clean plug with
combination tool
sure, I
welcome
your
help…
you cause
too much
carbon and
plug it up.
stay away
from me,
fella!
…but stay
away from
my gas
system.
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