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Fred's
FAQ
GI Cleaning Kit Stowage
Do it by the book: Top compartment - insert combo tool (wrench/screwdriver end first) with chamber brush nestled in handle, followed by the oiler.
Lower compartment: insert cleaning rod & pouch, closed end first.
Problems arises in two different situations.
Problem 1: Stuck Cleaning Rod/Pouch -
This is particularly common with wood stocks which swell with moisture. Two ways to handle it: with the butt trapdoor open, bang the stock down on a wood surface - like a stump. Be sure to hit only the toe of the stock against the wood - not the trap door! Start gently and increase the force of the impact until the rod & case pops out. Sometimes one or more rod sections will break free, in which case the rest of the pouch can be gotten out by hand easily.
The second way is to take an extra cleaning rod section and screw it into one of the stuck rod sections and pull it out. Sometimes you have to remove two or more sections before the pouch will come out. This is the only way to get a really stuck kit out.
Be very careful pulling a stuck pouch out by the tab! The tab is not strong enough to free a stuck pouch, only to pull out an unstuck pouch. You will rip the tab off (really, no big deal, but some guys like to keep their kit looking good).
This problem occurs far less frequently with a synthetic stock, since these stocks are unaffected by moisture. Another problem is rusting of the cleaning rod which can occur if left in the stock - especially a wood stock - for long time in humidity.
Problem II: Where to Store the Bore Brush -
Unfortunately, the bore brush made the rod pouch fit a tad too tight. The bore brush is supposed to fit in the rod pouch in line with the patch holder rod tip (one occupying the top half of the pouch, and the other, the lower half - new kits came with a short piece of plastic tubing to line them up and keep them straight, like another rod section, but this was easy to lose). When lined up right, the two pieces are just another cleaning rod section to add to the four already in the kit. But this overburdens a pouch which already has a tendency to get stuck, and apparently made for unhappy users. I find the brush rammed into the combo tool handle next to the chamber brush (leading to both brushes being messed up, and the possibility of a jammed combo tool - really hard to get out!) - or screwed into the cleaning rod handle shaft (same problems) - or most common, omitted entirely! The answer is to omit the brush or to put it where the book says - but for ease, let it be the "top half" of the "fifth rod section". Sometimes stocks are a bit more or less commodious, and pouches are a bit more or less tight, so the decision will depend on what combination of factors you have with your stock and kit which will make the insertion of same easier or harder. Personally, I suggest further that you carve out your butttrap a bit more for a spare extractor and firing pin, and know how to install them with your combo tool - if you want to be serious about keeping your rifle going in the field.
The oiler comes with two compartments. In the smaller compartment should be lubriplate or rifle grease for lubing the bolt lugs, op rod & raceway and hammer "hump". The book says put oil in the larger part of the oiler, but if you are into traveling light, I would put bore cleaner into the other half. There is room for enough cleaner to clean the rifle a couple to times in an emergency - and the used patches can wipe down the outside metal for some rust protection. |
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