Wartime No5 Cleaning kit brush?

[Flying10uk]

The No4 rifle had/had provision for an oil bottle and pull-through stored in the butt.

My understanding was that the cleaning kit, in the tin, was originally intended for the No5 rifle because there was no provision in the butt of the No5 rifle for storing the oil bottle and pull-through.

So are we saying that the cleaning kit in the tobacco style tin was originally intended for the No4 rifle, not the No5 rifle?

[mrclark303]

It does seem like pointless
(and expensive) duplication of effort though F10, someone must know the chapter and verse on this?

[Peter Laidler]

There was no insect repellent in the known universe that would keep Aussie based midges amd mossies based around the Caungra area/Shoalwater bay away from me. They made an automatic beeline for me.

The trouble with the old, quaint notion of a pullthrough and oil bottle in the butt was a farce. Oil bottle and pullthgrough, yes but where do you keep the gauze and other bits? Yep....., in the Bren wallet. So just keep the rest of the section cleaning kit there - or if you haven't got a Bren section, the tin tucked into your pouches. One per man, problem solved

[Flying10uk]

It does seem like pointless
(and expensive) duplication of effort though F10, someone must know the chapter and verse on this?

I think that we are referring to the same thing, just by a different name.

Interestingly, one of the cleaning kit tins that I have is dated 1973, has a NSN on the base but still has a holder for gauze on the inside of the lid.

[muffett.2008]

I'd hazard a guess at 1958/59, they seemed to arrive with the L1A1

[browningautorifle]

The No4 rifle had/had provision for an oil bottle and pull-through stored in the butt

Good point, no such provision for the #5. I think, if it was me...I'd just hand the pullthrough and oil bottle to the troop along with sling, bayonet and tell him to move on. Not find some sort of tobacco can to put it in for him.

they seemed to arrive with the L1A1

That was my thought, the little brushes are related to FN, from the Belgians...

[Flying10uk]

Here are 2 of what I refer to as "No5 rifle cleaning kits" because they both have provision for storage of steel gauze in the holder attached to the inside of the lid. My assumption is that the first one dates to WW2 because it appears to have a wartime dispersal code of M617 printed on the base, on the inside. The second tin, last 2 pics, still has the same gauze holder but is dated 1973 and has a NSN stamped on the outside of the base. I have not seen a newer (dated) tin of this style (tabasco) that still has the gauze holder attached to the inside lid. The 2nd tin has apparently been used with the SLR, one would assume, because of the combination tool. I have left the contents of this kit as it came to me.

The similar tins that were made with no provision for gauze storage and also the tins that have had the gauze storage removed, I refer to SLR cleaning kit tins. That is unless the tin is marked, on the outside of the lid, "SMG" and in these instances, I refer to the cleaning kit tin as a "SMG cleaning kit", for obvious reasons.

[Mk VII]

You needed to differentiate between the tins so that someone didn't end up with a 303/SMG pullthrough, which won't work in an SLR, also they would deficient of the tool. So they would often be marked on the outside.

The crooks-and-nannies brush was overwhelmingly nylon by the 1980s but you still found the odd wooden one - I've got one here which somebody dropped on the range 30 years ago (gear adrift, must be a gift ...)

[mrclark303]

The steel brush in the SLR kit is a fantastic bit of kit for the initial clean of heavily corroded barrels, used in conjunction with gun oil, it really engages with the grooves and shifts the crap a treat...

Thanks for posting the three kits F10, good to have all three kits clearly photographed.

[Flying10uk]

I will start a separate thread specifically on SLR cleaning kits soon when I have photographed some examples.