PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-724
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 724
MARCH 2013
37
PS 724
MAR 13
Dear Editor,
Through our experience repairing weapons here at the Ft Carson DOL, we
see a couple of problems that armorers need to pay attention to:
Proper Storage
Armorers are not storing rifles, machine guns and pistols properly.
Soldiers lock and clear their weapons before they turn them in to the arms
room. Often the armorers leave the hammer cocked and the bolt locked
to the rear when they put the weapon in the rack. That tension on the
hammer and trigger springs causes them to lose their strength, which means
armorers then have to replace the springs. Leaving the bolt locked back
weakens the recoil spring, which could lead to jamming.
For the M16 rifle and M4 carbine, storing them cocked can also cause
them to fail the trigger pull test. Then the hammer and trigger pins must be
removed and reinstalled. If that has to be done often, the pins’ holes enlarge
and fail gaging. Then the only fix is to replace the lower receiver.
Armorers can avoid
all of these problems by
always
leaving the bolt
or slide
forward,
the
selector on
SEMI
for the
M16/M4 or off
SAFE
for pistols and machine
guns, and the hammer
uncocked
for storage.
That’s all it takes!
M16 Sight Suggestion
If an ACOG sight is used on an M16 or M4, the backup iron sight should be
installed on the weapon. The backup iron sight won’t interfere with the ACOG,
plus it is the ACOG’s backup.
And,
if
Soldiers
remove the iron sight,
it’s probably going to
disappear. Stress this to
the Soldiers in your unit.
If
the
iron
sight’s
windage screw is difficult
to adjust, it may just
be
that
the
sight’s
mount
screw
is
too
tight. Try loosening the
mount screw a tiny bit
and see if that solves
the problem. Too often
armorers
just
replace
the iron sight when this
problem occurs.
Allan Dykes
Adam Treloar
Ft Carson, CO
Editor’s note:
It only takes seconds, armorers,
to uncock a weapon, slide the bolt forward, and
set it on SEMI or off SAFE. Make it a habit to
check that this has been done for every weapon
before you put it in the rack.
Small Arms…
If windage screw is
difFcult to adjust,
slightly loosen
mount screw
…let bolt go forward for storage
Depress bolt
catch and…
when I
told you I
wanted those
weapons
relaxed…
what in
the name
of…!?
huh?
we’ll have
another
round!
oh, I
needed
this.
I’ve been
feeling so
shot
lately.
sergeant,
yes,
sergeant!
O
L
-
I-
VEr
-
O!
…this is
NOT
wHat I meant!
724 36-37.indd
1-2
1/21/13
2:59 PM
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