manual for commanders of infantry platoons. - US Army Combined ...

MANBUACL FO)R COMIMtNDERS OF IN~FANTRY PL;ATOONS1 69
Third. Under the action of th~e recoil spring of the breechblock:
Tue l~iberatedl breeehblochr i~s carriedl forwL~ar·d.
To fire it is aecessairy to dlraw the hreechblock to the
that
rear,
is to siY? t1ocock it,)1)y mlea~ns of the lug provided for
purpose,
that
to snap the clii) under the gun, then to press
triggeie
on the
inl oioer to free the breeclhilockt, which, being carried forwardr~~
IY'the iccoil spring, loadsx the arm andc fires the ca~rtridge.
.'The bP'aandc scafet~y icier has a caml that, according
position,
to its
locks the p~iece, assures automatic fire, or fire by single
shots.
FTor· auztoma~ttic: fire: Cam horizontal (set at M), hold
on
the
thle
finger
ri''irger; iti th!is action ceases the fire stops- barrel for·wardt
;brcebhblock canughti in the rear position.
Enldc' 01 to hold the line of sighti on the objective; arreste
the tir~c~to 1 epoint thre 1)iece.
Threecc k;in·ds bf fire: By short burst~s, 2 or 3 cartridges
ing fire).
(rang­
3By long bursts, 6 to 8 cartridges (normal fire for
erffect). Rapid fire, 20 cartridges (in a crisis).
T~o fire byJ s~ingle shots.-Cafm vertical and turned dlown (set
at C~). Press the trigger, annt release it after. having
the
repointeil
piece at each shot.
Safety.-Cam vertical an~d t~urned upwardl c (set at
t-rigger·
S). Thul
mechanism is inoperative. The clip beinlg exhaustedi,
cock the piece; pi-essithe catch thrat holdis the clip in place
r~eceive
andi
it in the hand as it drops wvhen tile catch is relealsedl.
Acciden~ts of flr'c.-The gunner can r~emedy on tile battle field
the following principal sources of arrest or delay Qf fire:
1. Fa~ilur~e of tile br~eeehbloeh to "couplee" (ther~efor'e to
"coek~") inb theC i-ear positionZ.-Dr'aw the cock~ingrpiece
neuver button)
(ma­
clear balck so it w~illcatch.
2. Facilur~e of barrl'c to r·et'urn h~omez.-X~Tork; the maneuver I~uttonl;
if that does not suflice, strikie the
ground.
but o h ic t·
ftepeeo h
,3. Fanilursle to entracct.-Extractl the shell
hlook
w-ith
or
the
the
THotchki~ss
cleaning r·oll that are in the p~ouch of cleaning
4. Failulre to feed anzd facultti inser~tion of tli e ear'tridge.-Dlo
nzotIwa·ste time. Change the tcilp.
Care'of the L~pon1.--Keep e the piece in~ the earse
qucired.for-firinzg
unt2il 'it is8 re­
(protection ainsztfp mud, d7ust, etc.).