The mortar squad members are responsible for the care and cleaning of the gun. Basically, each member is responsible for the part of the gun that he carries. A schedule should allow time for supervised cleaning on each day the mortar is fired and once weekly when it is not in use.

General Cleaning

To clean the bore, attach cotton waste or rags to the cleaning staff and insert them into the bore. Move the staff in and out several times with a turning motion. Replace the dirty rags with clean rags. This cleaning

Figure 14-23.-Misfire procedure: Removing the round.

removes accumulations of dust, dirt, and thickened oil. Repeat this procedure until the cotton waste/rags comes out clean. When necessary, wash the outside of the barrel with a soap solution, rinse it with clean water, dry it, and apply a light coat of preservative lubricating oil. You must be careful to rinse and dry all parts of the mortar thoroughly after using soap and water.

CAUTION

When cleaning the bore, be careful not to leave any waste on the firing pin.

To clean the firing pin, remove it by using an Allen wrench. Insert the firing-pin vent cleaning brush into the vent. While exerting light pressure, turn the brush clockwise to remove excess foreign material from the shoulders of the vent. Clean the shoulders carefully, because the firing pin does not seat correctly when there is foreign material left on the shoulder. This results in gas leakage while firing. Next, wrap a rag around the vent cleaning brush and insert it into the firing pin vent. Clean the vent by moving the rag back and forth through it. Replace the dirty rag and repeat this procedure until the rag comes out clean; then saturate the clean rag with preservative lubricating oil, and push it in and out of the vent. Next, clean the firing pin, oil it lightly, and properly reseat it into the baseplug.

To clean the mount, keep all parts of the biped and baseplate clean and free of foreign matter. Keep all moving parts and polished surfaces lightly coated with oil. Use a small paintbrush or toothbrush to clean the screw threads and crevices. To remove moisture and dirt from the metal surfaces, rub them with a dry cloth; then wipe them with a cloth containing a small quantity of preservative lubricating oil. Maintain this protective film at all times. Clean and lightly oil the socket, socket cap, and collar of the baseplate.