DETAILED STRIPPING.
Buttstock Group.
It is best never to strip this group, but if found necessary, the screws securing buttplate and butt tang to buttstock are readily removed.
Receiver Group.
See that the feed operating arm is pushed to the right, then pull back and remove feed cover.
Feed Cover.—From the feed cover the stop pawl, rebound pawl and cartridge guide spring are readily removed with the point of a bullet.
Back Sight.—The back sight may be stripped from feed cover by removing bed spring screw.
Feed Operating Arm.—Remove feed operating arm complete, by pushing forward on feed operating arm latch and then lifting clear of magazine post. The feed pawl and feed pawl spring are removed from feed operating arm by lifting them clear of the studs. The latch should not be removed.
Ejector.—With the point of a bullet lift and pull out ejector cover and the ejector.
Safety.—The safeties may be prised out of the receiver with a bullet point.
Gear case hinge pin and centre key are permanently assembled and should not be removed.
Gear Casing.—Push forward and remove receiver lock pin and unhook gear casing from gear case hinge pin.
Mainspring Group.
To strip completely the parts assembled in gear casing, raise the gear stop with the point of a bullet, and allow mainspring to unwind.
Gear.—Then unscrew the collet pin and shake out gear.
Mainspring.—Pushing with a bullet through the gear against mainspring collet forces out mainspring casing from which mainspring, with its locating rivets and mainspring collet, may also be removed by the use of a bullet.
Gear Stop.—The gear stop and gear stop spring should not be stripped, but in case of necessity they may be removed by driving out the gear stop pin.
Guard Group.
The assembled guard contains trigger mechanism and butt latch. To strip, punch out trigger pin and sear pin.
Trigger.—Pull back trigger and lift out.
Sear.—Remove sear, sear spring box and sear spring.
Butt Latch.—Punch out butt latch pin and remove butt latch, and butt latch spring.
In ordinary practice the guard group need never be stripped.
Bolt and Rod Group.
The bolt and rod group comprises the bolt complete and operating rod complete. These two assembled parts are withdrawn together from the receiver, and may then be separated by lifting bolt clear of operating post on rod.
Bolt Complete.
Feed Operating Stud.—Unscrew and remove feed operating stud from rear end of bolt.
Extractors.—The extractors are spring-tempered and are sprung into place. To remove, insert point of a bullet under extractor claw and push head of extractor out and away from bolt. At the same time draw the whole extractor forward until it is clear of its seating.
Operating Rod Complete.
Not usually stripped.
Piston.—The piston connecting pin is riveted in place, but may readily be punched out in case it is desired to remove piston.
Striker.—The striker may be withdrawn after punching out striker fixing pin.
Barrel Group.
Gas Regulator.—Lift out gas regulator key, then unscrew and remove gas regulator cup.
Clamp Ring.—Using the gas regulator key as a tool, unscrew clamp ring screw and remove clamp ring which carries front sight and clamp ring positioning screw.
Radiator Casing.—Pull forward radiator casing front, and pull back radiator casing rear which is permanently assembled to radiator casing rear locking piece.
Gas Cylinder.—Unscrew and remove gas cylinder, using operating rod as a wrench.
Gas Chamber.—Unscrew gas chamber, using, if necessary, barrel mouthpiece wrench.
Barrel Mouthpiece.—Unscrew barrel mouthpiece. Thread is left-handed.
Barrel.—Drive out barrel from radiator. This operation may conveniently be accomplished before removing barrel mouthpiece by unscrewing latter part way and then allowing barrel and radiator to drop from a height of two or three feet on to a solid piece of wood, striking on front end of barrel mouthpiece. The weight of the radiator dropping from this height will usually loosen barrel sufficiently so that it can be withdrawn by hand from radiator after mouthpiece has been removed.
Gas Chamber Band.—Lift out gas chamber band from its recess in radiator.
Assembling.
By reversing the operations for stripping the assembling of gun is readily and quickly carried out. The following points, however, should be noted:—
1. Be sure that gas chamber band is correctly inserted into its place in the radiator before barrel is pushed home, and that barrel is turned with gas port at bottom.
2. In replacing bolt and operating rod the cam slot in bolt is slipped over striker and feed operating stud is screwed into bolt as far as it will go.
3. After inserting bolt, rod, and charging handle, the charging handle is carried forward to extreme end of its stroke before gear casing is swung up into place and rack engaged.
4. The mainspring is wound up by engaging the rack and gear, disengaging the guard, and pulling back on the charging handle until the required tension is obtained. The gear is then disengaged, charging handle moved completely forward, gear re-engaged and guard pushed home.
5. To reduce tension of mainspring proceed as follows:—
Remove buttstock.
Disengage both guard and gear.
Move charging handle part way back.
Re-engage gear and guard.
Replace buttstock.