(ii) Caution.—Neither the cartridge nor the chamber of the rifle are on any account to be oiled before loading, nor is any other form of lubricant to be used with a view to facilitate the extraction of the empty case. Such a procedure greatly increases the thrust on the bolt-head due to the explosion of the charge, and is liable to injure the rifle.
5. Cleaning after Firing.—(i) Arms will be cleaned immediately after firing. The fouling can be removed easily while it is still warm, and before it has had time to set hard; while the less the time allowed for the fouling to exercise its power of absorbing moisture from the air, the less chance is there of rust forming. If it is impossible to clean the rifle at once, an oily rag should be pulled through the bore, and the rifle should be cleaned at the earliest opportunity.
(ii) After firing Blank Ammunition.—After firing blank ammunition, special care should be taken that the cleaning is thorough, as, although there is no friction between bullet and bore, and so no internal fouling or “sweating,” there is greater accumulation of superficial fouling from blank than ball cartridge. This is due to the fact that there is no bullet in blank ammunition to scour the fouling left by the preceding round. The firing also is in most cases more prolonged, and a greater interval most usually elapse before the rifle can be cleaned thoroughly. When blank firing precedes practice with ball, the rifles will be cleaned carefully before ball practice commences.
6. Cleaning the Bore.—(i) The following method of cleaning the bore should be adopted. Thoroughly oil the gauze to prevent it scratching the surface of the metal. Drop the weight of the pull-through through the bore from the breech, and pull the gauze through three or four times. Then place a tightly fitting piece of dry flannelette in the second loop of the pull-through, and draw it through till the bore is clean. Finally oil the bore with a loosely fitting piece of flannelette, using enough oil to cover the bore thoroughly. The rifle will be cleaned in this manner for three days following that on which it was fired.
(ii) Use of Boiling Water.—An effective means of cleaning the bore, whether firing has taken place or not, is found in the use of boiling water. Before boiling water is used superficial fouling and grease should be removed. About 5 or 6 pints should be poured through the bore from the breech, using a funnel to prevent its entering the body or magazine. The rifle should then be dried thoroughly and the bore oiled. Not only does the boiling water remove the fouling, but the expansion of the metal due to the heat of the water loosens any rust there may be, and facilitates its removal.
7. Cleaning the Action and Exterior—(i) Bolt.—Thoroughly clean the bolt, paying particular attention to the face of the bolt-head, the striker point, and the extractor. If the bolt requires cleaning inside it will be taken to the armourer.
(ii) Magazine.—See that the recess for the extractor spring is clear of dirt. Take out the magazine and wipe the inside of the body and the entrance to the chamber with an oily rag. Remove all dirt from the slots in the charger guide and from the extractor recess in the front of the body. Take out the magazine platform if required, and clean the inside of the magazine with a dry rag.
(iii) Exterior.—Wipe the exterior of the rifle with an oily rag, seeing that the U of the backsight, the hole in the aperture-sight, the gas escape holes, and, in the short rifle, the rack on the side of the leaf, are free from dirt. Remove any fouling which has collected on the bayonet boss on the nose-cap. If allowed to accumulate, this may cause difficulty in fixing the bayonet.
(iv) Caution.—The instructions regarding the use of an oily rag for cleaning the bolts and bodies will not apply in dusty countries, where all parts of the action will be kept dry and clean.
8. Cleaning ·22-inch Rifles and Aiming-Tubes.—(i) As a foul rifle shoots very inaccurately it is of the utmost importance, from considerations of safety, that the barrel should be wiped out frequently during use.