LSA

First of all, remove carbon deposits using rifle bore cleaner, NSN 6850-00-224-6663.

Then use LAW, NSN 9150-00-292-9689, to lube your weapon if the temperature dips below 10[degrees]F. LAW works better in the cold than other lubes like CLP or LSA. An exception is the M249 machine gun, which always takes CLP.

If you are not using the weapon, store it in an wind-protected and covered area. When an area like this is not available, cover the weapon with a blanket or poncho to keep snow and ice from getting to the barrel, sights and working parts.

Prevent moisture from freezing and jamming your weapon by keeping the ammo dry. If YOU need to, wipe the amino and the insides of the magazines before firing.

When your weapon reaches room temperature, it can be cleaned. That's when it has stopped sweating. If you clean it before it stops sweating, the moisture can freeze when you take it back outside.

Cover your weapons when moving from a cold to a warm environment. This prevents condensation from forming inside the weapon by letting it warm up slowly.

Every 30 minutes, hand function your weapon so that the parts do not freeze. Don't force sticking parts--they can break. Move the parts slowly and easily until they move smoothly.

Never lay hot weapons or barrels on snow. The sudden cold can cause warping. Instead put the weapon on an MRE box or something similar.

DON'T DO THAT

Dear Editor,

Here at the Fort Leonard Wood DOL we've seen your articles in the past; on what not to do For your rifle, machine gun, or pistol. And they bear repeating.

DON'T USE:

We Fix lots of weapons at Leonard Wood and we have a Few more don'ts to add to your list.

* Don't use a chamber brush attached to an electric drill. That cleans the chamber so well that it wears out the star chamber (barrel extension) and causes excessive headspace. We had to replace 90 M16 rifle barrels because of this. Just use a chamber brush attached to a cleaning rod attached to your hand. That's all the cleaning power you need.

* oven and carburetor cleaner on your weapons. They strip off the protective finish, which leads to corrosion.

* cleaning pads. They also strip off the finish.

* cotton tips or swabs. The cotton comes off and plugs things like gab ports.

* lighweight oils. They evaporate quickly and have a high flash point.

* paper towels and old rags as substitutes for cleaning patches and new cleaning rags. Paper towels and old rags shred and clog areas like the buffer tube.

* homemade cleaning tools. They scratch off the protective finish.

* Don't use shaving cream or cleaners like Simple Green. They remove all lubricants, which leads to corrosion. Clean with CLP or LBC or any of the other cleaners listed in the operator TMs.

* Don't put typewriter correction fluid (the white stuff) on the front sight. Some shooters think that helps them sight better. But actually the white stuff causes a glare off the sight post that makes it harder to sight.

Editor's note: Thanks, guys. Gunners, don't forget these don'ts when it comes time to take care of your weapon. Clean the way your operator TMs tell you to. That's plenty good enough.

Andy Free Chuck Dutton Gary Becker DOL, Ft Leonard Wood, MO

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COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group