M240B Machine Gun: Don’t Forget the Scraper Tool
By | Sept. 13, 2023
Cleaning the M240B machine gun’s gas system is an important part of maintaining your weapon. Clean the whole gas system to keep your weapon firing. Keep reading to get the whole story…...
M240 Machine Gun: Dry Firing Can Crack the Receiver
By | June 9, 2023
When handling the M240, it’s important to never dry fire the weapon. When the locking bar strikes the guide rails, the force can cause it to crack. This will take your M240 out of the fight. Keep reading to find out more…...
M2A1 Machine Gun: Enhance Training with Visual User Guide
By | March 6, 2023
The visual user guide (VUG) is a great resource to train soldiers on the M2A1 machine gun. It was issued when the weapon was fielded but if you need a copy, we have the link. There's also a headspace and timing VUG for the...
Small Arms: Does Your Weapon Need LAW Instead of CLP?
By | Dec. 7, 2022
When operating your weapon in extremely cold weather environments, CLP may not be the right lubricant. Keep reading to find out how to determine if you need to use lubricating oil arctic weapons (LAW)…...
M249 Machine Gun: Ejection Port Covers Working Loose
By | June 27, 2022
After operators fire their M249 machine guns, they should take a minute and check the ejection port cover pin to see if it’s coming loose. If unchecked, the pin will work its way out. Read on to learn what to do if this...
M242 Automatic Gun: Safety Handle Trouble? Read MA 22-032!
By | April 25, 2022
Operators and maintainers, the M242 automatic gun safety pawl, NSN 3040-01-167-8326, may not be to standard because hundreds were made using outdated drawings and specifications. Here's how to deal with this issue...
M2/M2A1 Machine Guns: Ammo for Training on Short Range
By | March 21, 2022
Don’t let limited space to fire the M2/M2A1 machine gun stop your unit from training. With an impact area of only 700 meters, short-range training ammunition (SRTA) is an available solution. You can order SRTA under DODICs...
M249 Machine Gun: Is Your Buttstock Coming Loose?
By | Dec. 1, 2021
Dear Editor, we work at TACOM FMX and have noticed the adjustable buttstock on M249 machine guns is coming loose from the back plate. This can be fixed by tightening the buttstock. Here's how...
MK 19 Grenade Machine Gun: Always Lock the Sear in Place
By | Nov. 29, 2021
Dear Editor, when Soldiers disassemble the MK 19 grenade machine gun, they should make sure after removing the sear plate assembly from the receiver that their priority is putting the sear safety lock on. Read on to discover...
M2/M2A1 Machine Guns: Are There Mandatory Replacement Parts?
By | Nov. 3, 2021
There was an article on Page 41 of PS 767 (Oct 16) that said the M2A1 machine gun’s mandatory replacement parts had been eliminated. Has there been any change to this statement? The M2A1’s -23&P TM still shows these parts...
M249 Machine Gun: Don’t Clog the Gas Port
By | Sept. 22, 2021
Dear Editor, in our weapons shop, we’ve noticed some Soldiers have cleaned their M249 gas piston assembly and left cleaning patches or other cleaning material behind inside the weapon. Here's what we recommend doing to avoid...
M249 Machine Gun: Won't Fire? Check Piston Pin
By | Aug. 12, 2021
This article initially appeared in PS 758 (May 16), p. 42. Dear Editor, Recently I was trying to repair an M249 that wouldn’t fire. It would chamber rounds and extract them with no problem...
UH-60M: How to Get an M240 Ammo Can
By | July 20, 2021
Dear Half-Mast, I’m trying to find information on the M240 ammo can used in the UH-60M Black Hawk. What’s the ammo can’s NSN and which TM should I use to learn more about it? SFC V.C...
M249 Machine Gun: Dimple Usually Not a Problem
By | July 14, 2021
This article initially appeared in PS 788 (Jul 18), p. 42. When M885A1 rounds are fired through an M249 machine gun, a small dimple is often created in the feed throat of the barrel...
M2A1 Machine Gun: When Is the Flat Spring Needed?
By | Nov. 12, 2020
Don’t know if your M2A1 machine gun requires the flat spring, PN 5140428? Here’s some help. The flat spring, NSN 1005-00-514-0428, PN 5140428, on the bottom of the M2A1 machine gun’s receiver...
M2 and M2A1 Machine Guns: Not All Parts Are Interchangeable
By | July 27, 2020
Although the M2 and M2A1 .50-cal machine guns look alike, they aren’t. So when units swap parts from one model to the other, they risk damaging the weapon and injuring Soldiers. If your unit has both machine guns, keep the...
M2A1 Machine Gun: How to Install the Barrel Correctly
By | May 14, 2020
Here at PS, we like to remind Soldiers and other readers of the importance of doing things right. History has shown that some Soldiers install the M2A1 barrel incorrectly. As a result, the barrel’s alignment pin shears off...
M48 Machine Gun: Replacing Missing Solenoid Parts
By | April 7, 2020
Dear Editor, When adjusting the timing on the solenoid of an M48 machine gun mounted on the M1117 ASV, sometimes the locking screw and washer get lost. Our search in both the M48 and M1117 TMs showed no replacements for the...
M240 Machine Gun: Not All Buffers Are the Same
By | March 30, 2020
The story on the top of Page 39 in PS 801 (Aug 19) pointed out that units are seeing cracks in the M240 gun’s channels where the buffer assembly and buttstock slide in. Cracks mean the M240 must be replaced...
M240 Machine Gun: Front Mounting Bushing Can Spin
By | March 20, 2020
Soldiers, we have an update on the M240 machine gun’s front mounting bushing. If it spins, that doesn’t deadline the weapon. On Page 41 of PS 788 (Jul 18), we said if there was any movement of the front mounting bushing, the...
M249 and M240 Machine Guns: Tag the Barrels
By | Jan. 24, 2020
Soldiers, your M240 and M249 machine guns have two or more barrels. As you probably know, the barrel has to be gaged to the weapon. So make sure they’re marked with the weapon serial number. Otherwise, confusion can occur...
M2A1 Machine Gun: Feed Tray Pin PM
By | Jan. 13, 2020
Some Soldiers aren’t using the right pin on their M2A1 machine gun’s feed tray and that’s an accident waiting to happen...
M2A1 Machine Gun: Marking the Gage
By | Jan. 13, 2020
Marking the M2A1 gage with a serial number is required. But care must be taken not to mark it in a critical area. Instead, Soldiers should attach a dog tag marked with the serial number...
M2A1 Machine Gun: Install the M19 BFA the Right Way
By | Jan. 7, 2020
Some Soldiers out there are just doing it wrong! They're trying to install the M19 blank firing attachment (BFA) over the flash suppressor of the M2A1 machine gun. Spoiler alert: it won't fit!...
MK19: Property Book Serial Number Confusion Cleared
By | Dec. 19, 2019
Dear Editor, some units with MK19 grenade machine guns (Mods 3 and 4) have incorrect serial numbers listed on the property book. That's because the weapon is etched/engraved with both a serial number and the month/year of...
M240 Machine Gun: Clean Your Weapon After Firing It
By | Dec. 17, 2019
Soldiers, it’s important to clean your weapon every time you fire it! A maintenance facility reported receiving M240 machine guns with barrels stuck in the receiver. The cause of the problem was the weapons didn’t get cleaned...
M240L Machine Gun: BFA Correction
By | Nov. 18, 2019
On Page 31 of PS 797 (Apr 19), we said to use the M24 BFA, NSN 1005-01-480-0289, with the M240L machine gun. But with the application of MWO 9-1005-313-23-4, the M240L changed from the standard barrel to a short barrel...
M2/M2A1 Machine Gun: How To Stop M2/M2A1 Damage
By | Oct. 16, 2019
Too many M2s and M2A1s are being damaged because Soldiers aren’t thoroughly trained on how to fire and maintain them. Here’s What units need to do to stop that damage...
M2A1 Machine Gun: How Much Bolt Erosion is Too Much?
By | Sept. 30, 2019
Dear Half-Mast, WP 0018 00-3 in the M2A1 machine gun’s TM 9-1005-347-23&P (Jul 11) says to inspect the bolt face for pits and/or eroded areas up to .062 inches long or wide, .031 inches deep in scattered or random patterns,...