(ii) Rod and Brush.—The rod and brush should be inserted from the breech end. Under no circumstances should they be inserted from the muzzle, as the friction of the rod is liable to enlarge the bore and make the muzzle bell-mouthed, thus causing inaccuracy.
Section 5.—Instructions for Care of Arms and Ammunition.
1. Care of Arms.—(i) When the rifle is not in use, the leaf and slide of the backsight should be lowered to avoid the risk of damage from a blow or fall. No non-commissioned officer or soldier is permitted to take to pieces any portion of the action, except as prescribed for cleaning, nor is he allowed to loosen or tighten any of the screws, unless authorized to do so by his company commander.
(ii) Mainspring.—The mainspring should never be allowed to remain compressed, except when the rifle is loaded, as the spring will thereby be weakened. The position of the cocking-piece shows whether the mainspring is compressed or not.
(iii) Pull-off.—The pull-off is the amount of pressure which is required to release the nose of the sear from the full bent of the cocking-piece; it should not be heavier than 6 nor lighter than 5 pounds in the short rifle, and not heavier than 7 nor lighter than 5 pounds in other rifles. Defects in the pull-off should be remedied by the armourer only.
(iv) Magazine.—The magazine must not be removed from the rifle except for cleaning purposes, and, to avoid weakening the spring, cartridges should only be kept in it when necessary. A failure of the spring to raise the platform can usually be overcome by tapping the bottom of the magazine smartly with the palm of the hand. If the failure recurs, the rifle should be taken to the armourer for examination and repair.
(v) Bolt.—The bolts of rifles are not to be exchanged. Each bolt is carefully fitted to its own rifle, so that the parts which take the shock of the explosion have an even bearing, and the use of a wrong bolt will affect the accuracy of the rifle. The number stamped on the back of the bolt lever should agree with that stamped on the right front of the body.
(vi) Browning.—Care should be taken to prevent the browning being rubbed off the rifle.
(vii) Cover In Dusty Countries.—In dusty countries it may be found necessary to cover the muzzle and bolt with a cover of khaki or other suitable material, to prevent the dust gaining access to the interior of the rifle, but anything in the nature of a plug in the muzzle is expressly prohibited.
(viii) Removal of Oil.—The oil will only be removed from the bore of the rifle—