RULES FOR DISMOUNTING THE RIFLE MUSKET
Model of 1863

NOTE: There are some modifications from the Park Service but in the main the information is good. However, when cleaning dissamble the minimum amount necessary as it is hard on the piece causing excessive wear on the piece. Do not remove the breech plug unless absolutely necessary to avoid thread wear and damage. In the field do not even remove the cone as it is easily lost when cleaning. Clean it when you get home. Do not over oil or the oil will foul the powder and prevent the first shot from going off.

1st Unfix the bayonet (15).

2d. Put the tompion (44) into the muzzle of the barrel.

3d. Draw the ramrod (5).

4th. Turn out the tang-screw (3).

5th. Take off the lock (16); to do this, first put the hammer at half cock, then unscrew partially the side-screws (19 a, b), and, with a slight tap on the head of each screw with a wooden instrument, loosen the lock from its bed in the stock, then turn out the side-screws and remove the lock with the left hand.

6th. Remove the side-screws (19 a,b) taking care not to disturb the washers, (41).

7^th. Take off the upper band (38) by first loosening the screw (e).

8^th. Take off the middle band (39) in the same manner.

9^th. Take off the lower band (40) in the same manner.

NOTE: The letter U on the bands is to indicate the upper or lock-plate, side in assembling.

10^th. Take out the barrel (1). In doing this, turn the musket horizontally, with the barrel downward, holding the barrel loosely with the left hand below the rear sight (6), the right hand grasping the stock by the handle; and if it does not leave the stock, tap the tompion in the muzzle gently against the ground or floor, which will loosen the breech end from the stock. This is preferable to lifting the barrel out by the muzzle, because if the tang of the breech-screw (2) should bind in the wood, the head of the stock (29 d)would be liable to be split by raising the muzzle first.

The foregoing parts are all that should usually be taken off or dismounted. The soldier should never dismount the guard, side-screw, washers, butt-plate, rear-sight, and cone, except when an officer (the person in the park responsible for the care and repair of weapons) considers it necessary. The breech-screw should be taken out only by an armorer, and never in ordinary cleaning. The lock should not be taken apart, nor the bayonet clasp taken off, except when absolutely necessary in the opinion of an officer. If proper and regular care be taken of the arm, this will be very seldom necessary.

The musket being thus taken to pieces, proceed--

TO CLEAN THE BARREL

1st. Stop the hole in the cone (4 e) with a peg of soft wood; pour 4 oz. of warm soapy water into the muzzle; let it stand a short time to soften the deposit of the powder; put a plug of soft wood into the muzzle and shake the water up and down the barrel well; pour this out and repeat the washing until the water comes out clear; rinse once with clear warm water; take out the peg from the cone and stand the barrel, muzzle downwards, to drain for a few moments.

2nd. Screw the wiper (44 J) onto the end of the ramrod (5 d) and put a piece of dry cloth or tow round it, sufficient to prevent it from chafing the grooves of the barrel; wipe the barrel quite dry, changing or drying the cloth two or three times. If two or three patches continue to come out dirty, pass a bronze bore-brush (20 gauge for .58 cal., 12 gauge for .69 cal.) through the bore once or twice. Then repeat steps one and two. Do this until the patches come out clean.

3^rd. Put no oil into the vent (4 e) as it will clog the passage, and cause the cap to misfire: but, with a slightly oiled rag on the wiper, rub the bore of the barrel and the face of the breech-screw (2 e).

4th. To clean the exterior of the barrel, lay it flat on a bench or a board to avoid bending it. The practice of supporting the barrel at each end and a rubbing it with strap or buff-stick, or with a ramrod, or any other instrument to burnish it is pernicious, and should be strictly forbidden.

5th. After firing, the barrel should always be washed as soon as practicable; when the water comes off clear, wipe the barrel dry and pass into a rag moistened with oil. Fine emory cloth is the best article to clean the exterior of the barrel.

To CLEAN THE LOCK

If loose dirt occurs inside the lock, wipe it off with a dry cloth or a small soft brush. Oil lightly.

TO CLEAN THE MOUNTINGS

For the mountings, and all of the iron and steel parts, use fine emery cloth moistened with oil. For brass, use any brass polish that does not have too high a content of solid abrasives. Use the tip of the finger or a soft cloth to apply. Buff with a soft cloth.

Remove dirt from the screw holes by screwing a piece of soft wood into them. Wipe clean with a soft cloth and oil lightly.

In cleaning the arms, great care should be observed to preserve the qualities essential to service rather than to obtain a bright polish.

Burnishing the barrel (or other parts) should be strictly avoided, as it tends to crook the barrel, and also to destroy the uniformity of the exterior finish of the arm.

It is not essential for the musket to be dismounted every time that it is cleaned. If there has been no chance for dampness to get between the barrel and the stock, clean as previously directed, being careful not to let water or solvent get between the barrel and stock.

TO REASSEMBLE THE MUSKET

The parts of the musket are put together in the inverse order of taking them apart, viz.:

1st. The barrel. Drop the barrel into its place in the stock and squeeze it down with the hand; the stock a gentle tap against the floor give the butt of to settle the breech end of the barrel against the head of the stock (29 d).

2nd. Put on the lower band with the letter U upward (lock-plate side), being careful to loosen the screw so as not to mar the stock or barrel in sliding it into its place; screw it on firmly.

3rd. Put on the middle, and

4th. The upper band in the same manner.

5th. The lock. First, half-cock the hammer; take the lock in the right hand, with the mainspring and sear toward you, holding the stock with the left hand by the swell, with the butt between the knees. Enter the lock fairly into the lock bed, taking care to keep the arm of the sear clear of the Trigger; press the plate well down into the wood, and then turn the musket over, holding the lock and stock together with the left hand.

6th. With the right hand, turn in the side screws, after having touched their screw-threads with oil. Observe that the point of the rear screw is flat, and should not project beyond the plate, to interfere with the hammer. The front screw has a round point.

7th. Turn in the tang-screw, after having oiled the screw thread. Be careful to see that each of these screws are turned firmly home, but not forced.

As rust and dirt are produced by exploding caps and primers, although no charge be fired, the parts of the barrel and cone exposed should be carefully wiped and oiled after such practice.

Besides all the precautions in dismounting, remounting, and cleaning, which have been pointed out in the foregoing pages, habitual care in handling the arms is necessary to keep them in good and serviceable condition.

In ordering arms on parade, let the butt be brought gently to the ground, especially when the exercises take place on pavements or hard ground. This will save the mechanism of the lock from shocks, which are very injurious to it, and which tend to loosen and mar the screws and split the stock.

Rifled arms should not have the ramrod sprung in the bore with unnecessary force. It batters the head of the rod and wears injuriously the grooves. The soldier should let the rod slide down gently, supported by the thumb and finger; and the inspecting officer can satisfy himself of the condition of the bottom of the bore by gently tapping with the rod. The face of the breech can be polished, after washing, by means of a cork fixed on the wiper or ball screw; the polished surface can be seen if the muzzle is turned to the light. In stacking arms, care should be taken not to injure the bayonets by forcibly straining the edges against each other. The stack can be as well secured without such force being used.

No cutting, marking, or scraping, in any way, the wood or iron should be allowed; and no part of the gun should be touched with a file. Take every possible care to prevent water from getting in between the, lock, or barrel, and stock. If any should get there, dismount the gun as soon as possible, clean and oil the parts as directed, and see that they are perfectly dry before reassembling them.


The model of 1863 corresponds with the model of 1861, except in the following particulars, viz.:

BARREL - The cone seat is reduced in length about two-tenths of an inch, fixing the center of the cone or vent on a line with the face of the barrel, and dispensing with the cone-seat screw. The end of the muzzle is rounded to prevent being bruised

HAMMER - The form of the hammer is changed to conform to that of the barrel, and otherwise improved.

RAMROD - The "swell" is omitted and the body made larger, with a ball-screw cut on the small end, and a brass cap to protect it from injury.

RAMROD-SPRING - Adopted instead of the swell to hold the rod in its place.

BANDS - Open bands fastened by screws instead of tight bands.

BAND-SPRINGS - Dispensed with as unnecessary.

LOCK - The lock is case-hardened in colors; the bands, swivels, and guard are blued in the same manner as the rear sight instead of being left bright.

APPENDAGES - The compound appendage for taking apart the arm is adopted in place of the spring-vise, ball-screw, tumbler, and hand-spring punch of model 1861.

NOTE: The rules for dismounting and reassembling the rifle-musket model 1855 will apply to the model of 1863 by omitting the band-springs and the parts of the lock that apply to the "Maynard primer."