Protecting FIREARMS From DETERIORATION

[45B40-95B40]

ABC’s OF HAND TOOLS (the movie, Part 1)


ABC’s OF HAND TOOLS (the movie, Part 2)


RALPH VAN BUREN
(45B40-95B40)

I was born and lived for twenty-two (22) years in Buffalo, New York – which is about one hundred fifty (150) miles northwest of the New Cumberland Army Depot. I completed my eight (8) weeks of Basic Combat Training at Fort Dix, New Jersey – which is about one hundred (100) miles east of the New Cumberland Army Depot. I completed my eight (8) weeks of Advanced Individual Training at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland – which is about sixty (60) miles southeast of the New Cumberland Army Depot. And, ever since 1973, I’ve lived in Watkins Glen, New York – which is about one hundred twenty-five (125) miles north of the New Cumberland Army Depot.

Thanks for explaining why I never encountered any cosmoline of any kind nor any small arms of any kind that were treated with any cosmoline of any kind during my service in the United States Army. Obviously, I never received any training at all – United States Military or other – on long term storage of small arms. If I remember correctly, as a Small Arms Repairman, I was trained to only perform “Organizational” Maintenance – the lowest level of military maintenance. So, the long term storage of small arms must be either be “Direct Support” Maintenance, “General Support” Maintenance, or “Depot” Maintenance.

Undoubtedly, the most important fundamental I learned during my eight (8) weeks of Small Arms Repairman training was: EVERY SMALL ARMS WEAPON I REPAIRED MUST FUNCTION WITH 100% RELIABILITY. I was required to sign the Department Of The Army Maintenance Document as the “Repairman” for every small arms weapon I repaired, and my supervisor – as you very well know – was required to sign the same Document as the “Inspector” of my repair work.

What you say about Military Technical Publications – “Army TMs (Technical Manuals) were written to an 8th grade level. And Air Force TOs (Technical Orders) were written to a 12th grade level” – is absolutely 100% correct. Unfortunately, as you probably know, many Americans have a difficult time reading those TMs and TOs because, in most American “Public” Schools, students receive far too little instruction on the fundamentals of reading technical materials. The ABC’s OF HAND TOOLS (which was copyrighted in 1945) was written on a sixth grade level, but the overwhelming majority of the more than three thousand (3000) seventh grade students whom I taught had a very difficult time reading it. Sadly, in most New York State “Public” Schools – and probably in most “Public” Schools in the rest of the United States, all too many students never really learn the fundamentals of reading, writing, and mathematics.

Since every unprotected (unplated, unpainted, etc.) surface of any ferrous item that the average seventh grade boy/girl handles will rust overnight, I successfully used 3-In-1 Oil ® exclusively to protect all of the otherwise unprotected surfaces of all of the ferrous equipment, machines, and tools in my Seventh Grade Shop.


ARMY STRONG

ARMY OF ONE

BE ALL YOU CAN BE

TODAY'S ARMY WANTS TO JOIN YOU

UNITED STATES ARMY