PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-635
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 635
OCTOBER 2005
R
ecently during training, a unit had an M16 rifle that wouldn't stop firing. A run-
away M16 is bad in training, but in actual combat it could be a disaster since you've
lost control of your rifle. How do you prevent your M16 or M4/M4A1 from running
away on you?
First and most important,
don't take
the trigger assembly apart.
You're not
trained or authorized to do that. If the
the trigger assembly is put together
wrong—and it's not easy to put it togeth-
er right—you could have a runaway.
Second, do the function test that's
listed in WP 0010 in TM 9-1005-319-
10 before you fire. That will catch
problems with the trigger assembly.
Finally, armorers, make sure
your support does the hammer and
trigger pin hole gauging check on
Page 3-69 in TM 9-1005-319-
23&P during annual gauging. That
will let you know when the holes
have gotten too big to securely
hold the hammer and trigger pins.
PS 635
OCT 05
19
Turn in M1200 Shotguns
Dear Chief J.S.,
The M1200 shotgun is obsolete and has
been replaced by the M500 Mossberg shotgun,
NSN 1005-01-295-1832. If your unit is author-
ized shotguns and you have M1200s, you
should get them replaced with M500s since the
M1200 is no longer supported by the Army. If
you need help, contact TACOM-Rock Island
at DSN 793-1943/(309) 782-1943 or email:
TM 9-1005-338-13&P
covers the M500.
Dear Half-Mast,
On our
M120/M121
mortars, we have
noticed pitting in
the bottom of the
breech cap where
the firing pin goes.
Is this something
to be concerned
about? We were
wondering if that
could mean the
breech cap is
unsafe.
SGT J.K.
Dear Sergeant J.K.,
You bet pits matter.
Any pitting more than
.01 inch deep over a
.375-in area (about the
size of the top of a pen-
cil) condemns the breech
cap and tube. They need
to be sent to direct sup-
port for borescoping and
pullover. Mortar units
should look for pitting in
the tube and breech cap
during PMCS.
PS 635
OCT 05
18
M16-Series
Rifle,
M4/M4A1
Carbine…
Leave Trigger Assembly Alone
just to
be on the
safe side,
let’s give
you a
function
test.
you
could turn
me into a
runaway!
M120/M121 Mortar…
Dear Half-Mast,
We have been told we can’t deploy
to Iraq with our M1200 shotguns.
What gives?
CW2 J.S.
meet the
army’s new
shotgun,
the
m500
mossberg
.
iT’s
totally
replacing
the
m1200.
Pits deeper than .01 inch
condemn breech cap and tube
Direct
Support
needs to
gauge
trigger and
hammer
pin holes
annually
you’re
not
touching
my trigger
assembly.
635.18-19(C).qxd
9/3/05
9:19 AM
Page 1
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