GENERAL COURSE OF INSTRUCTION. 1. His course of musketry drill and practice. 2. No. 3. Because the rifle is placed in the soldier's hands for the destruction of his enemy, and his own safety depends upon his efficient use of it 4. That every man who has no defect in his sight may be made a good shot; also that no degree of perfection, he may have attained in the other parts of his drill, can, upon service, remedy any want of proficiency in this. 5. They do no more than teach him how to take advantage of the ground, and place him in the best situation for using his weapon with effect. 6. No; on the contrary, he is considered an encumbrance to the battalion. 7. Two; "Preliminary Drill," and "Practice." 8. Eight; viz., Cleaning arms, Theoretical principles, Aiming drill, Position drill, Snapping caps, Blank firing, Judging distance drill, and Manufacture of cartridges. 9. No; they omit Snapping caps, Blank firing, and Manufacture of cartridges. 10. Firing singly, Firing by files, Firing in volleys, Firing in skirmishing order, Judging distance practice, and Firing without using the back-sight. CLEANING ARMS. 1. The names of the different parts of the lock and rifle, and the rules for cleaning and keeping them in proper order. 2. Eight. 3. Because it is impossible to produce accurate shooting with a foul rifle. FIRST LESSON. 1. The names of the limbs of the lock and the other principal parts of the rifle, also the mode of dismounting a lock. 2. Eight. 3. In the order in which they are removed; viz., mainspring, sear-spring, sear, bridle, hammer, tumbler, swivel, lock-plate. 4. The stock, and barrel. 5. Nose-cap, bands (upper, middle, lower), swell, projections, lock-side, head, small, trigger-guard, triggerplate, trigger, breech-nail, side-nails, butt (toe, heel), heel-plate. 6. Muzzle, fore-sight, back-sight (consisting of flanges, flap, slider, spring, bed), nipple-lump, nipple (consisting of cone, square, shoulder, touch-hole), breech, breechpin (face, tang, breech-nail-hole). 7. Unscrew and remove tumbler pin. 8. Put the lock at full-cock; then place the cramp on the mainspring, and, after letting the hammer down, remove the spring. 9. The sear-spring, which is removed thus; first, partly unscrew the sear-spring pin, then, inserting the edge of the turnscrew between the bend of the sear-spring and the lock-plate, raise the stud of the former out of its stud hole; after which, unscrew the sear-spring pin and remove the limb. 10. The sear, which is removed merely by unscrewing the sear-pin; the bridle also is now removed by unscrewing the bridle-pin. 11. In the hollow of the hand; the hammer is to be removed by a few smart taps given, as near the lock-plate as possible, with something softer than itself, otherwise it is liable to become notched and indented. 12. The tumbler. 13. Detach the swivel from the tumbler. SECOND LESSON. 1. The names of the various parts of the limbs of the lock. 2. Catch, return, stud, bend, spring, claws. 3. Eye, return, stud, bend, spring, toe. 4. Arm, body, eye, neck, nose. 5. Stud, foot, bridle-pin hole, tumbler pivot hole, searpin hole. 6 Mouth, head, comb, neck, body, hole for square of tumbler. 7. Pivot, bearer, shaft, swivel pivot holes, half-bent, full-bent, axle, squares, tumbler-pin hole. 8. Body, pivots. 9. Front side nail hole, mainspring-stud hole, forestud, bridle-stud hole, bridle-pin hole, hind-stud, hind side nail hole, sear-spring pin hole, sear-spring-stud hole, sear-pin hole, tumbler axle hole. 10. On the return. 11. It is shorter in the mainspring, and longer in the sear-spring. 12. The lock-plate has most, and the swivel, least. THIRD LESSON. 1. It embraces instructions to clean the lock and rifle, and to keep them in proper order. 2. That it should be dismounted. 3. They are first to be wiped with an oiled rag, and afterwards with another quite dry. 4. The tumbler axle hole. 5. Always with an oiled rag. 6. Yes; very much sooner. 7. Because it would remove the case-hardening from those parts which are not steel, and thus render them liable to rust. 8. A surface covering of steel, formed on the iron by an artificial process. 9. Those which are not steel; viz., the bridle, hammer, and lock-plate. (The bridle-pin and side nails are also case-hardened.) 10. The threads of the several pins, and the frictional parts. 11 The pivot and axle of tumbler, the pivots of the swivel, the nose of the sear, and the toe of the searspring. 12. "Rangoon Oil," which is an earth oil; this is found to be the best for preventing oxidation. 13. In small quantities, with the point of a pricker. 14. No; this would tend to clog it. 15. Place the rifle at full-cock, and draw the ramrod. 16. A piece of rag, (woollen is preferable), or tow, and twist it round the head so as to cover it. 17. In order to prevent the jag from injuring the grooves. 18. It is to be held barrel downwards in the left hand at the full extent of the arm, with the forefinger and thumb in a line with, and round, the muzzle, and the heel of the butt resting on the ground to the rear. 19. About a quarter of a pint. 20. Warm water removes the greasy fouling sooner and better than cold. 21. That none of it gets between the stock and barrel, or into the lock-plate through the tumbler axle hole. 22. You sponge the ramrod carefully up and down the barrel to remove the fouling, forcing the water through the nipple to clear the touch-hole. 23. Until the barrel is quite clean. 24. By the water that issues from the nipple being colorless. 25. By sponging it well with a dry rag, or tow, round the head of the ramrod. 26. Yes; wipe the barrel out with an oiled rag. 27. The muzzle-stopper is to be put in the barrel, and the snap-cap on the nipple. 28. The following morning, and on every occasion before using the rifle. 29. Neither a sharp instrument, water, nor a damp rag. 30. Yes; as it would be liable to get into the lock through the trigger slit in the trigger plate. 31. The liability of the barrel to become rusty; also the frequent necessity for removing it from the stock is obviated. |