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Weapon Cleaning Kits
One of the most consistent activities for
modern soldiers, especially among front line combat troops, is weapons
maintenance. A variety of tools evolved in the 20th Century to help the
soldier achieve the aim of keeping their service weapons in working order.
Service Rifles/Pistols
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Artifacts
courtesy the Calgary Highlanders Museum |
A selection of Second World War
cleaning kit is shown above, including two pistol cleaning rods (with a slotted tip for
inserting a cleaning rag), metal oil bottles, two pull throughs (with a loop on one end
and a brass weight on another - the brass end was dropped through the barrel, and then
used to pull the looped end (with cleaning rag inserted) through the barrel after
it.) The items are resting on a khaki carrying bag with drawstring closure
| At right, a funnel, used during the Second World War for
pouring hot water down rifle barrels. |
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| Above, a rifle pull through - essential just a
length of cord with hole for cleaning rags, and a weighted brass end to drop down through
the barrel. The Lee Enfield rifle had a trapdoor on the end of the butt; the
pullthrough - as well as a bakelite or brass oil bottle - could be carried inside a
hollowed out portion of the buttstock. The FNC1
and C7/C7A1 rifles also had these trapdoors. |
Photo courtesy Ed Storey
The C7 cleaning kit - which could be folded and stored in the
buttstock - contains a three-piece cleaning rod (with folding handle at one end), a bore
brush, a slotted tip, and a bottle of "Break-Free" oil. The contents were
kept in a small olive-green nylon holdall.
The cleaning kit could also be stored in the C8 Cleaning Kit
Carrier as shown below. |
Support Weapons
Larger weapons required more extensive cleaning
and maintenance materials. Se the page on BREN GUNS under WEAPONS for a look at Bren
Gun associated equipment.
Cleaning rod for a Vickers Machine Gun.
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