PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-684
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 684
NOVEMBER 2009
36
PS 684
NOV 09
Dear Editor,
Through our experiences working with the M230 gun at Ft Bragg and in
Iraq, we’ve come up with a few tips for better shooting:
Use TW-25B lubricant.
The Army has approved TW-25B for some
components of the ammo handling system and the M230 and we’ve found
it’s a big improvement over other lubricants like “moly-b”. Moly-b was like
glue to sand, plus it became so hard in the desert heat that it was difficult
to remove. TW-25B didn’t attract sand nearly as much, was more durable,
and was easier to clean off. TW-25B can be used on most areas of the
inner receiver, bolt and track, chain, drive gear, breech, barrel support, gun
support bearings and all chutes and rails. Make sure not to coat areas that
directly contact the ammo. Don’t use TW-25B on the internal components
of the constant speed drive. Use moly-b there.
Pay careful attention to recoil
adapters in the desert.
The hydraulic
fluid in the recoil adapters is affected
by the temperature. Because the desert
temperatures can fluctuate tremendously
from day to night, it’s even more important
to check the recoil adapter indicators
before a mission to see if they have too
little or too much fluid. If you fire with too
little fluid, the hard recoil could damage the
gun cradle. Too much fluid could cause the
recoil adapters to leak. Just make sure
the red indicator is visible in the sighting
hole. Drain or add fluid as necessary.
Fix cradle vibration in the field.
If the cradle (or its attaching
parts) for the M230 gets even a little loose, the gun vibrates too much
during firing and quickly wears out expensive parts on the gun turret and
cradle. PS 644 explained that the culprit may be the recoil clamps. For the
procedure on checking the clamps, see
If you detect cradle vibration while in the field and suspect it’s from the
recoil clamps, a good temporary fix is put a piece of paper under the clamp
to act as a shim. Then tighten the recoil clamps to the required torque. This
often quiets most of the vibration. But this is a temporary fix. Get your
mechanic to check out the cradle as soon as possible. The clamps or even
the cradle may need to be replaced.
Editor’s note:
Excellent tips! These shoot down lots of M230 problems.
Check forward flex chutes
before
use.
Corrosion,
bent
or
broken
links
and
improper
installation can all cause the ammo
system to jam. Even new chutes
need to be inspected for proper
assembly and lubrication prior to
installation.
CW2 Willie Roller
SGT Casey Rice
D Co, 1-82 ARB
Ft Bragg, NC
Clean the contacts
on the contact box.
Dirty contacts can cause
a ROUNDS DECREMENT
FAIL when you try to fire.
Even a brand new electrical
box for the M230 has a
thin layer of anti-corrosion
coating that may interfere
with firing voltage. Just
wipe these contacts with
a clean cloth to ensure a
good connection.
M230 Gun…
Straight
Shooting
Field Tips
TW-25 works better in desert for
M230 and ammo handling system
Make sure red indicator is visible
in sighting hole before missions
To stop cradle vibration in Feld,
slide piece of paper under clamp…
…and tighten recoil clamps.
Get clamps checked out ASAP.
Make sure
forward
flex chute’s
straight
connecting
links are
properly
assembled
before you
install chute
pay attention
to the advice
these guys have
on the m230
automatic gun!
684.36-37.indd
1-2
9/30/09
12:30:44 PM
SGT C.R.
CW2 W.R.
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