Read Ebook: Machine gun manual by Douglas H Composer

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Ebook has 639 lines and 49298 words, and 13 pages

Release date: January 17, 2024

Original publication: United Kingdom: Harrison and Sons, 1917

Machine Gun Manual

ILLUSTRATED

For the best value in

MILITARY OUTFITS.

?4 . 10 . 0

Light and warm, absolutely wind and rain proof.

Write for complete illustrated list.

Contents.

Maxim Gun. PAGE General description 5 Plates and list of parts 11 To mount and dismount 16 ,, load and unload 16 ,, clean 17 Muzzle attachment 18 Fusee spring 18 Stripping and assembling 19 Examination and testing 21 Stoppages 23

Vickers' Light Gun. Plates and list of parts 31 Special features 35 To mount and dismount 36 ,, load and unload 36 ,, clean 36 Muzzle attachment 37 Fusee spring 37 Stripping and assembling 38 Stoppages 39 Examination and testing 39 Points to be attended to 40 Belt filling 40

Lewis Automatic Gun. Plates and list of parts 43 Description 47 To load and unload 49 Stripping and assembling 50 Stoppages 53

Colt Automatic Gun. Description 55 To load and unload 58 Stoppages 59 Stripping and assembling 62 Plates and list of parts 65

Hotchkiss Portable Machine Gun. Component parts and plates 67 General description 71 Action of the mechanism 71 To strip and assemble the gun 73 Points to be attended to before firing 78 Rapid change of barrel in the field 80 Stoppages 82 Cleaning and care 83 Feed strip filling machine 83

General. Duties 85 Section drill 86 Elementary tests 90 Machine gun characteristics 90 Fire direction 91 Fire orders 93 Signals 94 War establishment 95 General machine gun course 97 Notes from overseas 100 Points to remember 100 Choice of gun position 100 Employment of machine guns 100 Occupation of positions 102 Trench work 106 In action 107 Village fighting 109 Attack on entrenched position 110 Co-operation 112, 118 Targets and ranges 112 Guns brigaded in action 115 Indication and recognition 116 Observation of fire 117 Ammunition supply 119 Mechanical troubles 119 Pack transport 120 Training in billets 121 Painting of guns 122

Makers of Good Clothes

FOR THE BEST VALUE IN MILITARY OUTFITS

Service Kit for any regiment in 36 hours.

? s. Service Tunic 3 3 Slacks 1 1 Bedford Cord Breeches 2 2 British Warm . 3 3 Sam Browne Belt 2 2

"He sent home a Snapshot!"

? ? ?

SANDS, HUNTER & CO., LTD. 37, Bedford St., Strand, W.C.

The Maxim Gun.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION.

The gun may be considered as divided into two portions--the non-recoiling and the recoiling. It is worked automatically by two forces--the explosion of the charge which forces the recoiling portion backwards, and a strong spring which carries it forward.

Non-Recoiling Portion.

The non-recoiling portion consists of the barrel casing and breech casing, and is attached to the mounting by the crosshead and elevating joint pins.

The barrel casing is of gunmetal, holding about seven pints of water to keep the barrel cool when firing; it has three openings, one on the upper right side near the breech for filling, one underneath near the muzzle for drawing off the water, and the third for allowing the steam, but not the water, to escape. The first two are closed with screwed plugs; the last is open and connected with the steam tube, and carries the condenser nipple.

A cork plug is provided which can be inserted in the steam escape hole when the gun is travelling, in order to prevent waste of water from jolting. The plug should always be taken out before commencing to fire, and put in again before the gun changes position, unless the condenser is attached to the barrel casing and can be conveniently moved with the gun.

To prevent the escape of water, there is at the forward end of the barrel casing asbestos packing, which is held in position round the barrel by the packing gland. At the rear end of the barrel there is a cannelure, also filled with asbestos packing, which prevents the escape of water when the gun is working, and a gunmetal valve immediately in front of the barrel block, which prevents the escape of water when the gun is not firing and the barrel home.

The steam tube consists of a fixed tube and an outer tube, termed the slide valve, so arranged as to slide freely along the fixed tube. In the fixed tube there is a hole near each end, and a third hole in the threaded portion in front, to connect with the steam escape hole which is bored in the solid part of the front end of the barrel casing. This tube is fixed into the solid end of the barrel casing, and is retained in position by a screw which, being kept in adjustment by a keeper screw, ensures that the third hole coincides with the steam escape hole. At the breech end it fits into a recess.

If the gun is fired with elevation, the valve slides backwards, and, closing up the hole at the rear end of the tube, prevents the water entering; at the same time it leaves the front hole uncovered, which, being above the water level, allows the steam to enter the tube and escape through the steam escape hole in the barrel casing. Similarly, if the gun is fired with depression, the valve slides forward and allows the steam, but not the water, to escape through the rear hole.

In the lower part of the barrel casing is the ejector tube through which the empty cartridge cases are ejected from the gun. The tube is fitted with a spring, which prevents the cases falling backwards into the gun.

The breech casing consists of two outside plates, a bottom plate which is riveted to them, and the rear cross piece, the whole being closed by a cover.

The outside plates are dovetailed into the barrel casing, and, together with the cover, are secured by means of a cover joint pin.

On the outside of the right hand plate there are the following fittings:-- a socket and stud for securing and supporting the buffer spring; the resistance piece, and the stud for the check lever. On the outside of the left hand plate are three studs for holding the fusee spring box, the rear one being on the slide mentioned below; there are also two other studs on this plate for fixing a shoulder piece to the gun if required. In both plates are slots partly closed by slides, in which the crank bearings move, and on the inside of both plates are solid cams which control the path of the extractor. Below these, and supporting the side plates, are rests, along which the recoiling portion travels.

Along the bottom plate lies the trigger bar, and underneath is a bracket to which the elevating gear is attached by means of the elevating joint pin.

The outside plates are connected at the rear end by the rear cross piece, into which they both dovetail; this piece is fitted with hollow handles, which are also used for carrying oil, and are closed by milled heads, fitted with camel-hair brushes; a firing lever and spring, the lower end of which fits into the trigger bar, while the upper end is provided with a double button for firing; an automatic double-handed safety catch, which is so arranged that unless it is held up the firing lever cannot be pressed forward; and a pivoted shutter, which, when moved to the right or left, uncovers an aperture through which the barrel can be inspected or cleaned from the rear.

The cover is fitted with springs to ensure the extractor dropping on recoil; a gunmetal block to keep the lock down when back, and at the rear end, a lock to fasten it. On the upper surface is the tangent sight, consisting of a stem, a graduated plate and slide. Running through the centre of the slide is a pinion, the teeth of which work in the rack on the stem. A pawl is secured to the pinion by a fixing pin. On the under side of one end of the pawl are teeth, which engage in the circular rack on the slide.

When the slide is at rest the stud on the inside of the milled head bears on the stud on the pawl immediately over the teeth, being actuated by the slide spring, thus forcing the teeth into the circular rack. This keeps the slide stationary on the stem. On rotating the milled head, this stud is partly disengaged from the stud on the pawl, thus permitting a second stud on the milled head to press on one side of the V-shaped ramp at the other end of the pawl. This action releases the teeth sufficiently to permit the pawl being moved round the circular rack by the action of the stud bearing on one side of the V-shaped ramp on the pawl; this moves the slide along the stem. On releasing the milled head, the spring positions the cover, thus causing the stud on the pawl to become once more engaged with the stud on the milled head and force the teeth into the rack.

Recoiling Portion.

The recoiling portion consists of a barrel and two side plates which carry the lock and the crank.

The barrel is coated with copper to protect it from rust; the gunmetal valve referred to above, which prevents the escape of water to the rear, is fitted just in front of the breech end, which is formed in the shape of a block; this block has two studs, one on each side, called the barrel trunnions, by means of which the barrel is attached to the side plates.

The side plates are each provided with a hole to receive the barrel trunnions, and in the case of the ?303-in. gun, with hooks for engaging the recesses on the top of the barrel block; also guides in which the flanges of the lock move, which are enlarged at the rear end to act as crank stops; in addition each has a bearing, through which the crank passes, thus connecting the latter with the barrel; these bearings move in slots in the breech casing. The left side plate is fitted with a connecting rod spring to hold the connecting rod upright when the lock is removed, and the right side plate is fitted with a side plate spring near the barrel, to keep the extractor in its highest position when the lock is home. The left side plate is prolonged to the front, and has a recess in which the bottom lever of the feed block engages.

The crank is fitted with a connecting rod, which is free to rotate on the crank pin, and, outside the breech casing on the right, with a handle which has a curved projecting arm, and on the left with a fusee, to which is attached a chain.

On the left of the breech casing there is a strong spiral spring, called the fusee spring, the rear end of which is connected by the fusee chain and fusee with the crank; the front end is attached to the breech casing by means of the fusee spring box and adjusting screw, which passes through the front end of the fusee spring box, and through the nut at the front end of the spring.

The lock is attached to the connecting rod by the screwed head, and when in the firing position closes the breech. In this position it is held by the side levers, the crank , and the connecting rod, the joint being slightly above the horizontal, to prevent the breech being opened at the moment of firing. The lock has a reciprocating motion communicated to it by the rotation of the crank, and is kept in position during its backward and forward movements by means of flanges working in guides on the side plates, and, when at the end of its backward travel and clear of the guides, by the gunmetal block underneath the cover.

The extractor is moved upwards by means of the side and extractor levers, and when in its highest position, is retained there by means of the side plate spring; this ensures the hole for the firing pin being opposite the centre of the base of the cartridge when the lock is home. The upward and downward movements of the extractor are regulated by guide ribs and stops; the upper stop forms part of the lock casing, and the lower one is removable.

The feed block, which fits under the cover into a recess cut in the breech casing, is provided with a slide to which are attached two pawls with springs, for the purpose of moving the cartridges from right to left; the slide has a transverse motion given to it by means of two levers which are fitted together; the top lever has a slot which engages a stud on the slide, and on the bottom lever is a stud which engages in a recess in the left side plate; by this means the slide is connected with the recoiling portion. The feed block has also two stationary pawls, which engage under the belt and prevent it slipping backwards during firing. To facilitate the entrance of the cartridges, the feed block is provided with a band roller, and in addition has steel guides fitted above and below in the cartridge way, which ensure the cartridges coming to the exact position where they can be gripped by the extractor; they are prevented from being pushed too far through to the left by means of the cartridge and bullet stops, which are inside the feed block.

The gun is supplied with cartridges from a belt which passes from right to left through the feed block. This belt is formed by two pieces of webbing connected together by eyelets and brass strips of two lengths, the projecting strips showing how far the cartridges should be inserted; the belt is made thick at the edge next the bullets by being folded over a piece of cord, so that the cartridges may be kept parallel in passing through the feed block, and lie evenly in the ammunition belt boxes.

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