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Marines oil ammunition aboard ship prior to Tarawa.
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https://digitalarchive.pacificwarmus...ighlightTerms=
Marines oil ammunition aboard ship prior to Tarawa.
Some doubt about the oiling of ammunition. Looks like loading BAR magazines. Cleaning rod, rags and oil can is incidental to loading the magazines.
Maybe left overs from cleaning their weapons and will pack them after charging mags, I for one would not be oiling rounds going to a sandy environment landing flat on the beach on a 2 way rifle range would fill those mags up so they won't function one iota.
So I am counting nine mags with 20 rounds a piece thats a lot of weight & the BAR what was the combat load for a BAR gunner.
BAR = 20.84 lbs (loaded)
12 x 20-rd mags = 18.36 lbs (in cartridge belt)
miscellaneous few pounds for cleaning kit, sling, belt.
+ grenades, knife, and the equipment only the BAR gunner carried.
Found this at http://www.45thdivision.org/Pictures...combatload.htm
sources listed on the site above. 98.6 lbs is the reported total combat load for the BAR gunner.
Not often you see the leather tool case for the BAR in a pic.
I think I have one or two of those oil cans around here. Often wondered about their ancestry as no markings.
Holdovers from WW1. Marines got all the old gear...Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarge1998
Oiling ammo, pretty funny. Not very likely.
I recall reading for a short time at the national matches(1903 rifle) they were dipping the tips of bullets into oil, concept similar to molly coated bullets. This devolved into soldiers dipping the whole 5 round clip in oil. Brass cases failed to grip the chamber walls , bolt lugs cracked and people were injured which ended the practice. Our above caption is most likely the caption writer not knowing what he is talking about.
In early development of the garand there were thoughts of lubricating cases with wax also the experimental m1924 Garand rifle had a internal oiling pad. see page 64 of Canfield's garand book. Bob S. can expand on this further.
Agreed, it raises pressures radically...Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark in Rochester
---------- Post added at 02:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:08 PM ----------
I remember those stories too, and the practices all went by the wayside.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark in Rochester
Early BAR as the early cut-down
fore-end with cut checkering is visible plus the trigger housing has the magazine guides attached, rebuilt BAR from pre war period
ammo for the BAR comes in 20 rd boxes or five round stripper clips (there is a magazine loader for clipped cartridges).
I have seen M1 rifle ciips unloaded to load BAR magazines with 16 rds per magazine when boxed or clipped ammo was not available