is roughened; also that a barrel which is
pitted fouls much more rapidly than one which is smooth. Every effort,
therefore, should be made to prevent the formation of pits, which are
merely enlarged rust spots, and which not only affect the accuracy of
the piece but also increase the labor of cleaning.

=If swabbing solution or standard metal fouling solution is not
available=, the barrel should be scrubbed as already described, with
the soda solution, dried, and oiled with a light oil. At the end of 24
hours it should again be cleaned, when it will usually be found to
have "sweated." Usually a second cleaning is sufficient, but to insure
safety it should be again examined at the end of a few days, before
final oiling.

Of course, the swabbing solution should always be used, if available,
for it must be remembered that =each "puff" when the bore "sweats" is
an incipient rust pit=.

What has just been said contemplates the use of the solutions
furnished by the Ordnance Department. However, the same result will be
obtained with less labor by using Hoppe's Nitro Powder Solvent No. 9,
which is sold by all post and camp exchanges, and which the Author, as
the result of experience, highly recommends.

=1330. How to oil a barrel.= The proper method of oiling a barrel is
as follows:

Wipe the cleaning rod dry; select a clean patch of cloth and smear it
well with sperm or warmed cosmic oil, being sure that the cosmic has
soaked into the patch well; scrub the bore with patch, finally drawing
the patch smoothly from the muzzle to the breech, allowing the
cleaning rod to turn with the rifling. The bore will be found now to
be smooth and bright so that any subsequent rust or "sweating" can be
easily detected by inspection. (By "sweating" is meant, rust having
formed under the coating of metal fouling where powder fouling was
present, the surface is puffed up.)

=1331. Care of the chamber.= The chamber of the rifle is often
neglected because it is not readily inspected. Care should be taken to
see that it is cleaned as thoroughly as the bore. A roughened chamber
delays greatly the rapidity of fire, and not infrequently causes
shells to stick.

=1332. The bolt.= To clean the bolt, remove; clean all parts
thoroughly with an oily rag; dry, and before assembling _lightly_ oil
the firing pin, the barrel of the sleeve, the striker, the well of the
bolt, and all cams.

=1333. The sights.= Both the front and rear sights should be