9 Sept 20 Garand Picture of the Day

[Mark in Rochester]

Marines oil ammunition aboard ship prior to Tarawa.

Information

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[Daan Kemp]

Some doubt about the oiling of ammunition. Looks like loading BAR magazines. Cleaning rod, rags and oil can is incidental to loading the magazines.

[CINDERS]

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.

[ssgross]

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.

[Sarge1998]

Not often you see the leather tool case for the BAR in a pic.

[browningautorifle]

Not often you see the leather tool case for the BAR in a pic.

Holdovers from WW1. Marines got all the old gear...

Oiling ammo, pretty funny. Not very likely.

[Mark in Rochester]

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.

[browningautorifle]

Our above caption is most likely the caption writer not knowing what he is talking about.

Agreed, it raises pressures radically...

---------- Post added at 02:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:08 PM ----------

there were thoughts of lubricating cases with wax also the experimental m1924 Garand rifle had a internal oiling pad.

I remember those stories too, and the practices all went by the wayside.

[ssgross]

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.

I made the mistake once of not patching out dry before I shot. Although I didn't notice anything whilst shooting, It took me forever to get the bore to look clean - like burnt grease on a frying pan that doesn't come up no matter how hard or what you scrub it with. After a week I finally discovered JB bore paste.
I would imagine oiling bullets has a similar effect of burnt oil.

[Surpmil]

I think I have one or two of those oil cans around here. Often wondered about their ancestry as no markings.