Paulins are used to cover the harness and guns when in the field or in park. On the march they are carried on the carriages, being folded to serve as seat cushions. Holes and tears should always be properly sewed, stitched or darned as soon as practicable.
Picket Ropes are used in the field as drag ropes for the carriages or as picket lines for the animals. The ropes must be in a serviceable condition and free from knots. To keep them in a serviceable condition, splicing may often be necessary.
CARE AND CLEANING OF THE DIFFERENT
PARTS OF THE CARRIAGES.
To disassemble and to clean the cylinder.—For cleaning, the cylinder is dismounted and emptied and the cylinder head, counter recoil buffer, and piston rod removed. The interior of the cylinder, the piston, the counter recoil buffer and the stuffing box should then be thoroughly cleaned by the use of cotton waste. The removal of the packing is not necessary in cleaning. The cylinder bore should be carefully inspected, and if any rust has formed it should be removed with coal oil, using if necessary, fine emery cloth. The latter must be used with great care to prevent any increase in the clearance between the piston and the cylinder. If rubbing, burring, or scoring of the parts is noted, the rough spots should be carefully smoothed down by a skilled workman with a dead smooth file or with emery cloth, and the cause of the roughness ascertained and removed. Where unusual rubbing or scoring has occurred, the facts will be reported to the Officer of the Ordnance Department charged with the duty of keeping the battery in repair, for his information and action. The exterior of the cylinder should be kept well oiled and free from rust and dirt, and an inspection made at least once a month to ascertain its condition. Where rust has formed it should be removed with coal oil, and, if necessary, emery cloth. For shipment or storage, or where the carriage is to stand without firing for extended periods, the cylinder should be coated with the light slushing oil used for the bore of guns.
To fill the recoil cylinder.—If the cylinder is not completely filled, loss of stability will occur and higher stresses than normal will be developed in the carriage. For this reason the cylinder should be filled with the greatest care, a commissioned should, himself, verify that the cylinder is full and that no air is left in it, exception of the void noted below. It is far easier to fill the cylinder when it is disassembled from the cradle. If assembled in the cradle, bring the gun to its maximum elevation and remove both filling and drain plugs. It is necessary that the drain plug holes should be lubricated on top of the cylinder. Fill through the hole in the piston rod. Allow a few minutes for the air to escape and the oil to settle.
Refill and repeat two or three times. When satisfied that the cylinder is entirely full of oil, insert both plugs, and depress the gun to its maximum depression. After a few moments elevate again to its maximum elevation and unscrew both plugs. Now refill as described above. When entirely full, allow not more than two cubic inches (about one-fourth of a gill) of the oil to escape, insert both plugs and lash them with copper wire. It may happen that after firing a few rounds the gun will not return to battery. This may be due to, first, weakness of springs, second, stuffing box gland being screwed up too tight, or third, the oil having expanded, due to heat. It any case the cause must be ascertained and remedied, if due to expansion of oil, it is proven by the fact that the gun cannot be pushed into battery by force exerted on the breech of the gun. In that case elevate the gun to its maximum elevation and remove the filling plug. The oil will now escape permitting the gun to return to battery. In emergencies, water may be used in the cylinder. This should be done only when absolutely necessary, and never in freezing weather, and as soon as practicable the cylinder should be emptied, cleaned, and thoroughly dried and filled with hydroline oil. About 9 pints of hydroline oil are required for filling the recoil cylinder.
To empty the recoil cylinder.—The cylinder may be emptied either when assembled or disassembled from the cradle. In either case, remove both the filling and drain plugs, depress the forward end of the cylinder and drain the contents into a clean can or other receptacle over which a piece of linen or muslin has been stretched, for straining the oil.
To clean the recoil cylinder oil.—The hydroline oil used in the cylinder should be cleaned and free from grit and dirt. The oil should be stored in the closed cans provided for the purpose, and be carefully protected from dirt, sand, or water. Oil withdrawn from the cylinders and containing any sediment must not be used again until it has been allowed to settle for not less than 24 hours. When sediment has thus been permitted to settle great care must be taken not to disturb it in removing the oil. To insure the cleanliness of all cylinder oil it should be strained through a clean piece of linen or muslin before using.
To clean the bore of the gun.—After firing and at other times when necessary, the bore of the gun should be cleaned to remove the residue of smokeless powder, and then oiled. In cleaning, wash the bore with a solution made by dissolving one-half pound of Sal Soda in one gallon of boiling water. After washing with the soda solution, wipe perfectly dry and then oil the bore with a thin coating of the light slushing oil furnished for that purpose. Briefly stated, the care of the bore consists of removing the fouling resulting from firing, in obtaining a chemically clean surface and in coating this surface with a film of oil to prevent rusting. The fouling which results from firing of two kinds—one, the production of combustion of powder, the other, copper scraped off the rotating band. Powder fouling because of its acid reaction, is highly corrosive, that is, it will induce rust and must be removed. Metal fouling of itself is unactive, but its presence prevents the action of cleaning agents. It should be removed if it accumulates. At every opportunity in the intermission of fire, the bore of the gun should be cleaned and lubricated.
To clean the breech mechanism.—The breech mechanism should be kept clean and well lubricated. It should be dismounted for examination and oiled when assembled.