JU I~ PART TWO WEAPON TRAINING CHAPTER SEVEN THE RIFLE I. Gcncrnl 1. ~haracteristics.-\iVhen cared for and handled correctly, the rifle is:- (i) C.1pable of a high and accurate rate of ti re. (ii) Suitable, _ with the bayonet, for hand-to-hand fighting. 2. Service standard.-Instruction is designed to make the soldier:- (i) A steady and accurate shot. (ii) A quick shot at targets appearing at short and indefinite intervals. (iii) A handyman with the rifle, able to fire bursts of 5 to 10 rounds at a rapid rate. 3. This chapter has been drawn up for use with the No. 1 Rifle. Any changes in handling necessitated by the differences in design of the Ross Rifle will be found in the sectio~ which describes the Special Features of that rifle. 2. Clenning 1. Stripping i. Identify riiie by numbers on bolt lever and right of body. ii. Remove bolt-push safety catch forward, raise knob and draw bolt right back, press bolt head upwards, disengaging it from retaining spring and remo,·e bolt. iii. Remove magazine by pressing home magnine catch. iv. Open butt trap and remo,·e oil bottle and pull-through. "Qnroll and straighten out pull-through. Remove sling. v. Fitting gauze.-fn war-time the gauze will be kept fitted to the pull-through. To tit it, fold it ·:-as in Fig. 2, the longer sides taking the shape of an "S." Open the loop of the pull-through nearest the weight and put one side of it in each loop of the "S." Coil each half of the gauze tightly round the cord until the two rolls thus formed meet. Remove loose strands. To make the gauze tit the bore tightly, pack it with a small piece of flannelette if •necessary. Th!! gauze will always be oiled before use. -~7 WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKWtRE GAUZE: FOLCEO (Section) • ON PU~&..-THROUGH Fig. 2 2. C/e(llling tbe b(lrrd i. Place a piece of flannclctre, sb~e '~ inches by 2 inches, in centre loop and wrap it round cord. Inse rt weight in breech. \ ;vith butt on ground, pull the cord straight through the barrel. Avoid cord rubbing aga inst the side of the barrel. Repeat as n ecessary, changi ng flannelette when required. ii. Examirie bore by holding muzzle close to the ere, draw head back and look into grom·es for dirt. R epeat from breech end. If barrel is clean, oil it with fl:mnelettc -l inches by 11 inches. Should din still be present (a~ it 111ay ln: after firing) use warcr if :mtilablc. iii. Use of water: Pour 5 to 6 pints of water (boiling if possible) carefully rhrough barrel, using a funne l or any other suitable appliance; boiling w:ncr is best; hot water is better than cold; but e\·en cold water is better than no water at all. Dry, examine and oil the barrel. · .3. C/e(luiug chl'lmber Use a stick abour a foot long with a slot at the top for flannelette. A piece o/ flannelette 4 inches by 2 inches should be inserted and wrapped round the stick which is then pushed hard into the chamber and turned se\·e ral times. Note.-T he best accuracy of fire is obtained if the barrel :md chamber :tre dried before firing . . t. Ch:nniug outside of 1'iflc After cleaning barrel and chamber, wipe the dirt from all metal portions, using an oily rag. Make certain all crevices anti gas escapes :1rc clean. WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKS. Cleaning and rep/aci7lg of bolt and magazine, etc. i. J3olt.-Din and grit must be removed from all parts. Oil it, except in c:usry climates. ii. M:tgazinc.-Rcmovc dirt from inside and outside, if necessary remove platform and spring by pressing down wide end. Narrow . end is then disengaged from front lips. Remove platform and spring carefully. Replace in reverse order. It should only be removed when necessary. iii. Replace bolt.-Scc that n~unbet' corresponds with body number. Head should be screwed fully home. Sec that cocking piece is in line with steel lug and safety catch forward. Push bolt into the body till it meets the charger guide, turn down the bolt head, draw it back to resisting shoulder, press it right down. Push bolt forward and down. Press trigger and put s:tfety c:ttch back. iv. Replace magazine.-Front end first into magazine opening. Press fully home and test it to ensure it is engaged. v. Replace oil-bottle head first, then roll up pull-through by holding end of cord in the hand with about l inch below the bottom of the hand. Roll loosely once round the hand. Slip coil off and twist remainder of cord tightly round it, leaving enough to allow the weight to drop easily into the recess in butt trap. Push cord into the trap, leaving loop end uppermost and close the trap. Replace sling. 6. Explain the rifle must be examined and cleaned at frequent and regular intervals, particularly after recent firing. 7. Action during and after gas att,tck During:- To keep weapon in working order all parts should be well oiled. After:- If splashed with blister gas, weapon must be decontaminated as follows:- i. Rub anti-gas ointment into the hands; leave :t visible film of oint- ment on the hands. 11. Unless the sling is heavily contaminated it should remain on the rifle, all free liquid being removed with a swab, and ointment applied to the contamination on both sides of the sling. iii. Remove all free liquid from the rifle with any available swab (grass, etc.). The personal issue of cotton waste should not be used. iv. Rub the contamin:tted portions of the rifle with ointment vinorously. The ointment should be rubbed well into the woodwork. · v. Remove ointment from the metal parts of the rifle with a swab and re-oil. Do not remove ointment from the woodwork. vi. Wipe off surplus ointment from the hands with cotton waste then rub more ointment into the hands for half a minute. ' 8. Ammunition All free liquid should be swabbed off and the ammunition used :~s early as possible. 49 WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UK.... If n job•s worth doing it's worth doing welL 50 .. -., .... - .,..,..,~----- A careless soldier will soon spoil his r ifle by cord- wear . WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UK3. Accurncy o£ Aim (Sight Setting ami Aiming) 1. Sight setting (i) Sights are placed on the rifle in order to give both direction and elevation. (ii) Adjustment of backsight.- (Lcc-Enficlcl), with thumb of left hand press in stud on side of backsight. Move slide till line on it is even with mark on leaf giving elevation for distance named. Ensure that slide is firmly fi xed. (Ross) with rhumb and finger turn the milled head of the elevating screw until the required range (on the 1,200 yard scale on frout of the sight frame) is even with the top edge of the sight slide. 2. Aimit1g Close the left eye and bring the sights up 9n to the centre of the target with the backsighr upright. Top of the foresight must be in the middle to the "U" and in line with the shoulders; or (if using an Apcrrnrc sight) in the exact centre of the circular window formed by this aperture or "peep"- 4. Advanced Aiming Instruction Advanced instructions in aiming, aiming off for wind, anmng up and down etc. arc fully covered in SAT VOL. l Parn 3 1942 and will be taught in the course of training. 5. Firing Instruction I. Firing instruction cannot be more than briefly touched upon in these pages as it embraces 5 complete lessons, and covers all firing positions and their attendant weapon manipulation. 2. Its object is to teach the soldier to fire effecti\·ely from any type of cover and to ensure by practice that. his actions in b:mle will be instinctive, so that all his thoughts can be concentr:ned on how hcsr to kill the enemy. 6. To Load and Unlond the Rifle 1. To load Open the breech. \Vith the right hand, take from the pouch one charger of five rounds and place it in the bridge charger guide. Place the ball of the thumb on the top round just in from of the charger, fingers underneath the cut-off or woodwork. Force the rounds into the magazine with one clean sweep. Remove charger and repeat with another charger, making sure that the top mund is in the magazine. Close rhc breech, apply the safety catch and fasten the pouch. Note.-If no round enters chamber, press the rounds back inro the maga- zine and close the breech. 2. To unload .Pull the bolt backwards and forwards quickly without lowering the lever until all rounds arc clear of the magazine and chamber, close cur-off breech, press trigger and apply safety catch. ' 51 WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKV I ,.,. E:AAMP~E:: u NindmUI- Right- 4 o'clock- z DzQreeJ - ooscFtvt·R Smolltws• ... Yertic:al clock ra)• and degree measurement. POINT Of AIM I -<- DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT :··,-··: ..... .. : L--., : l : ,,·- --- .J )( ··--· I ~- ..... ------- .,._ ------- \ . . I . I • . . . POINT OF AIM WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKLony cam gt>oove (loJ. lncltned plane {/7). Action of Bolt and Cocking Piece. PLATE I Safety eaten (!21-). /Jolt recess&.S TIJis illuslrdlion shcrJ•S lht• stud ou 111,~ cockius: piu.~ in lite sltorl cam s:roOi't'. Sl\l:rn·y Dr;;nn;;.-At the rear end of the bolt, between the lottJ.! and short cam grooves. i~ thl" divisional stud (ll), which comes into operation when the boh is not propL"r]~! clo:o;c.•d. If the trigger is pressed when the bolt lever is onlr partially down, three functions may take place. Ft~sT.-The stud on the cnckin~: piece strikes full a~:ainst the divisional stud, thus preventing the striker from flying-forward. lftheholt is now turned clown, the action will be locked or "half cocked." The ltlrnln~: of the bolt causes the stud on the cockin~: piece to slip ofi and round the ri,::ht·hand side of l hl' divi~innal :;;tucl into the long cam s::ruovt•; the ~trikcr could now Oy fon\•ard and CX)JJode tlw charge, but the nose of the !'lt•ar is read~, to arrest itt:S fon\'ard llWVl'JJH'nt hy C'ngaging in the half ht>nt4 in which positiun the triJ!gcr cannot be.• pn•s:;;l'CI or the bolt opened until tlu- cocking pil'Ce jg pu11c~t back. SEco~n.-The stud on the cnckinJ: ph•ce strikes un ttw riJ:ht·hand ~irlt• of the rlh•h:.ional ~t ucJ, which cau:-:e~ the h•1lt to close autumaticaJJr and the charge to he fil'ed. TutuJJ.-The :-:tud ,.n tlw cocking piece ~trikL•s (IJl the )l'ft-hand side of the di\•isional stud, causing tlw bolt to 11~· open, as C he scud on thl• CtiCkinJ.! pit·ce ha~ ~nne into the short cam J!roovc and the mainsprin~ wa~ under compression. The chargL• cannot be fired. WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKPLATE 11 What Happens When the Bolt is Pushed Forward. The face of the bolt head ( I) coutcs into contact with the base of the to pmost cartrid~e in the ma~azinc (In), which. hy the forward uuwcmcnt of the bolt , is carried into the chamber (2). During this forward 1110\'Cill<'nt the full bent (3) ( of the "cocking piece" (4a) comes against the nose of the scar (3n), thus arrcstilll! it s forwa rd trm·cl; and as the stri ker (4) is auachctl tn the "cockin1: piece" (4a) the mainspring (5) i• compressed bNwcen the collar on striker (6) and the rear wall oi the bolt chamber (6a ). What Happens When the Bolt Knob is Turned Down. The bolt head (7), which is a separate component, is attached to the bolt by tn<''"'" oi a screwed tenon (7n). :md i• pre,·cnt<-d from rotatinl! when the bolt is turned by the hook on the bolt hc:td cxtc noion which tr:wcls along the body rib, and which. when the bolt is withdrawn t o its full extetH, s naps over the retaining s pring (8). The rear end of the bo lt rib (9) turns clown o\'Cr the rcsistnnccshoulder (9a), and the rc~i$tancc lu~: on the bolt (sec l'hltc I V, 15) tra vels UJl the inclined groo\'e on the left-hand ~idc oi the bolt wa)'. On these the s hock of di schar~-:c is taken. At t he same time the Ion~: cam .:rou,·c i~ brought OpJ>Ositc t he ~tud oi the cockinl! 11iccc ( 10), the short cam J:roove travelling upwards. where it can rcc(•iw the pin uf the safet)' catch. if applied, when r he bnh i~ t urn~.·cl cnutplt:.tely duwn. WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKPLATE Ill The upper lim h nf th<• sc~r ( I I) is retained in its upwar<lr>osi tion by means of the longer limb of th~ scar spring (12), the short limb oi the scar s pring (13) acting o n the Ul<t!;azinc catch (1Jn). What Happens When the Trigger is Pressed. \\'hen pr('~~urc is applied, the lowe r rib on the tris:s:cr (14) actin~: on the lower limb nf the scar ( I l a ) draws down the upper limb oi t he scar (11) until the sear nose is :tt the hot tom nf the full hcnt: t his i~ the •·first pull... \\'hen "the S("CCnd pres.sur<-" io: taken. the S<.'Cnnd rib on the tri~:~:cr ( 14a) draws d own the UJ)[lCr limb of the scar still farther until the scar nose is free of the full bent. thus rde:.~in,:: the Oteking pit..occ ami st riker, w hich fly forwa rd O\\;ns,: to tile expansion of the mni n.:sprin.g. The strikc.r nose, which protrude~ throu!lh the face of the bolt head, stri l:in~: the cap in the cartridge, explodes the char~:c. !'OTF.:- rl rro:•· .?.l abt•:f iudiwtcs tl:e "half·bmt of aJCkiiiii·Picu". For mccltmrical detf!il, ~rfrr back 1!1 diagram: "Plate I" 1... f t WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKNext >