Hey Rich
 

Here's a picture to test your knowledge. What is it?
Andy

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r...44_cropped.jpg

Obviously a cleaning kit of some sort, but beyond that, beats me... :shrug01:

Just came across it today for the first time in a long time. It's all that remains of the honest to God, Government issued, cleaning rod that I had for my M-14 in Vietnam. Brought it back with me and used it on my 30-06 as well as my Super Blackhawk. I think it had 4 extension pieces, but over the course of years all but 1 have disappeared. The hex opening on the left was for removing the gas cylinder plug, while the far left end is the tool used to disassemble the bolt for cleaning. The right end with the holes was also used for something, but I can't remember what. I had forgotten all about it, and ran across it while looking for something else. Damn.....43 years goes by FAST!
Andy :wavey:

M-14 were our arms for drill and ceremony at the point. So they are still issued today to the 1st Bn of the 1st Infantry Regiment. I had one of those in my barracks room. You posted the answer before I saw it. The cleaning kit for the M-16 was a little different.

I used that particular cleaning rod more times than I care to count! Guard duty came up about every 2 weeks, and if you got picked as the "supernumerary" you got out of that night's guard duty. We had a machine that we used to degrease teletypes and typewriters in our shop, and would put all of the M-14 metal parts into the machine and let it run for awhile to get every bit of grease and gunk off before reassembling the weapon for guard duty. Couldn't get the barrel and receiver in the machine, so we had to use the cleaning rod and elbow grease for that part, and getting all of the residue out of the rifling took a LOT of elbow grease! Someone from our maintenance shop usually was selected as the supernumerary, so the machine and the elbow grease must have worked! Hated guard duty.........LOVED that M-14! Never failed to fire the entire time I had it!
Andy :wavey:

Actually I wouldn't use a steel cleaning rod in any of my guns. Too much chance of it buggering the rifling or damaging the crown.

I used to have two National Match M1As but I sold them when I was cutting back the collection. They were very nice rifles.