test care in order that a high degree of
accuracy may be obtained, and it should, therefore, be properly cared
for.

The proper care of the bore requires conscientious, careful work, but
it pays well in reduced labor of cleaning and in prolonged accuracy
life of the rifle, and better results in target practice.

=1323. How to clean the bore.= With the cleaning rod the bore must
always be cleaned from the breech--never from the muzzle. Cleaning
from the muzzle is liable to wear and otherwise injure the mouth of
the barrel, which is easily injured and thus the piece rendered
inaccurate.

First, remove the bolt from the rifle, place the muzzle on the floor,
a board, or piece of canvas, and do not remove it therefrom while the
cleaning rod is in the bore. Never place the muzzle on the bare
ground, lest dirt should get into it. (Note. Of course, if a rack is
provided for cleaning rifles, it should be used instead of placing the
muzzle on the floor.)

To clean the bore use patches of rag, preferably canton flannel,
cutting them into squares of such size that they may easily run
through the barrel.

=1324. What care of the bore consists of.= Briefly stated, the care of
the bore consists of removing the fouling resulting from firing to
obtain a chemically clean surface, and then coating this surface with
a film of oil to prevent rusting.

=1325. Kinds of fouling.= The fouling which results from firing is of
two kinds--the _powder fouling_, from the burning of the powder; and
the _metal fouling_, from the nickel scraped off the bullet as it
passes through the bore.

The _powder fouling_ is highly corrosive, that is, it causes rust and
eats into the metal, and it must, therefore, be removed as soon as
possible.

The _metal fouling_ itself will not cause rust, but it may cover the
powder fouling and thus prevent the cleaning material from getting at
the powder fouling, which, as stated before, will eat into the metal.
When metal fouling accumulates in noticeable quantities it reduces the
accuracy of the rifle.

=1326. How to remove powder fouling.= Powder fouling may be readily
removed by scrubbing the bore with the soda solution (hot) furnished
by the Ordnance Department, but this solution has no effect on the
metal fouling.

It is, therefore, necessary to remove all metal fouling before we are
sure that all powder fouling has been removed and that the bore may be
safely oiled.

Ordinarily, after firing a barrel