PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-676
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 676
MARCH 2009
21
PS 676
MAR 09
S
oldiers continue to try to improve
their weapons by modifying them. They
think they can come up with better ways
to make their weapons work than can
the Army’s small arms experts.
That is a dangerous assumption.
Putting an M4 buttstock on an M16 rifle,
for example, can cause it to malfunction.
You don’t want that happening in the
middle of a Fre Fght.
The
only
time a weapon can be
modiFed is if the Army has approved a
modiFcation work order (MWO).
Should I store weapons
with the barrel caps?
How can I get along better with my feld maintenance?
By doing your job before you ask
them to do theirs. Support complains
that armorers bring weapons to
them for gaging that haven’t been
cleaned. They can’t gage dirty
weapons and so must send them
back to you. Support also gets
weapons with problems that include
some that should have been Fxed
by the armorer. Support won’t do
its repairs until you’ve done yours.
They also won’t accept weapons that
don’t have maintenance requests
that are properly Flled out and
signed. It’s no use hauling weapons
over to support without the correct
paperwork. You’ll just have to cart
them back unFxed. It’s more work
for you in the long run.
Should I store weapons cocked?
No. Store weapons with the bolts
forward. If you store them cocked, the
springs are left compressed and soon
lose their spring. Then you get poor
recoil and feeding.
Para
3-1e
in AR
750-10,
Army
Modifcation Program
, makes this very
clear: “Commanders will not allow their
equipment to be modiFed unless there is
an ofFcial MWO.”
If you modify your weapon without
authorization, you risk making it non-
mission capable and you can be held
responsible for any damage to it or your
fellow soldiers.
If you want to help your weapon do
its best, take care of it like its operator’s
TM tells you to. That’s enough.
Small Arms…
Don’t
Modify Your Weapon
what
the
heck!?
no. barrel caps
will trap moisture
inside the weapon,
which will lead to
corrosion.
hey armorer
buddy, we’re
in-
side
-we don’t
need caps!
uh-oh,
he
left us
cocked.
I can’t
stand the
tension.
what!?!
you’re saying
I have to take
all
these back
because I didn’t
fill out the
form right!?
my rifle’s
jammed!
cover me!!
it jammed
‘cause you put
that m4 butt-
stock on your
m16 rifle.
pull back,
‘cause you’re
defenseless!
676.20-21.indd
1-2
1/19/09
12:04:51 PM
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