264. To Clean the Barrel.—1st. Stop the vent with a peg of soft wood, or piece of rag or soft leather pressed down by the hammer; pour a gill of water, warm, if it can be had, into the muzzle; let it stand a short time to soften the deposit of powder; put a plug of soft wood into the muzzle and shake the water up and down the barrel; pour it out and repeat the washing until the water comes out clear; remove the peg from the cone and stand the barrel muzzle downward, to drain, for a few moments.
2d. Screw the wiper on the end of the ramrod, and put a piece of dry cloth or tow round it sufficient to prevent it from chafing the grooves of the barrel; wipe the barrel dry, changing the cloth two or three times.
3d. Do not put oil into the vent, as it will clog the passage and cause the first cap to miss fire; but, with a slightly oiled rag on the wiper, rub the bore of the barrel and the face of the breech-screw, and immediately insert the tompion into the muzzle.
4th. To clean the exterior of the barrel, lay it flat on a bench or board, to avoid bending it. The practice of supporting the barrel at each end, and rubbing it with a strap, buffstick, ramrod, or any other instrument to burnish it, is pernicious, and should be strictly forbidden.
5th. After firing, the barrel should always be washed as soon as practicable; when the water comes off clear, wipe the barrel dry and pass into it an oiled rag. Fine flour of emery cloth is the best article to clean the exterior of the barrel.
265. To Clean the Lock.—Wipe every part with a moist rag, and then a dry one; if any part of the interior shows rust, put a drop of oil on the point or end of a piece of soft wood dipped into flour of emery; rub out the rust and wipe the surface dry; then rub every part with a slightly oiled rag.
266. To Clean the Mountings.—For iron and steel parts, use fine emery moistened with oil, or emery cloth. For brass parts, use rotten-stone moistened with vinegar or water, applied with a rag, brush, or stick; oil or grease should be avoided. The dirt may be removed from the screw-holes by screwing a piece of soft wood into them. Wipe all parts with a linen rag, and leave the parts slightly oiled.
267. Dismounting by an Armorer.—The parts which are specially assigned to be dismounted by an experienced armorer will be stated in their regular order, following No. 8, viz.:
9th. Unscrew cone. 10th. Take out cone-seat screw, 11th. Take out band-springs, using a wire punch. 12th. Take out the guard-screws. Be careful that the screw-driver does not slip and mar the stock. 13th. Remove the guard without injuring the wood at either end of the plate. 14th. Remove the side screw-washers with a drift-punch. 15th. Remove the butt-plate. 16th. Remove the rear-sight. 17th. Turn out the breech-screw by means of a "breech screw-wrench" suited to the tenon of the screw. No other wrench should ever be used for this purpose, and the barrel should be held in clamps neatly fitting the breech.
268. Lock.—To take the lock apart: 1st. Cock the piece and apply the spring-piece to the mainspring; give the thumb-screw a turn sufficient to liberate the spring from the swivel and mainspring notch; remove the spring. 2d. The sear-spring screw. 3d. The sear-screw and sear. 4th. The bridle-screw and bridle. 5th. The tumbler-screw. 6th. The tumbler. This is driven out with a punch inserted in the screw-hole, which at the same time liberates the hammer. 7th. Detach the mainspring swivel from the tumbler with a drift-punch. 8th. Take out the feed-finger and spring. 9th. The catch-spring and screw.