Manual

tures or when the rifle is exposed to extremes of
sand and dust.
c. In cold climates (temperatures below freez-
ing) the rifle must be kept free of moisture and
excess oil. Moisture and excess oil on the working
parts cause them to operate sluggishly or fail com-
pletely. The rifle must be disassembled and wiped
with a clean, dry cloth.
Drycleaning solvent may
be used if necessary to remove oil or grease.
Parts
that show signs of wear may be wiped with a patch
lightly dampened with lubricating oil (LAW).
It is best to keep the rifle as close as possible to
outside temperatures at all times to prevent the
collection of moisture which occurs when cold
metal comes in contact with warm air.
When the
rifle is brought into a warm room, it should not be
cleaned until it has reached room temperature.
d. In hot, humid climates or if exposed to salt
water or salt-water atmosphere, the rifle must be
inspected thoroughly each day for signs of mois-
ture and rust. It should be kept lightly oiled with
special preservative lubricating oil. Raw linseed
oil should be applied frequently to the wooden
parts to prevent swelling.
e. In hot, dry climates the rifle must be cleaned
daily or more often to remove sand and/or dust
from the bore and working parts. In sandy areas,
the rifle should be kept dry. The muzzle and re-
ceiver should be kept covered during sand and dust
storms.
Wooden parts must be kept oiled with
raw lhaeed oil to prevent drying. The rifle should
be lightly oiled when sandy or dusty conditions
decrease.
f. Special instructions on caring for the rifle
when it is subject to nuclear, biological, or chem-
ical contamination can be found in TM 3-220 and
FM 2140.
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