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WITH NOTES ON THE .300 (AMERICAN) LEWII GUN THE COMPLETE GU:NNER ~ .H,GEsT Wm. Dawson Subscription Service Ltd. HEAD OFFICE 70 KING STR EET EAST - TORONTO "Anu book or periodical can be procured through us" GtiLE Cs POlDEN LTD . BOOKS SPECIALLY RECOMMENDED *Fieldcraft, Sniping and Intelligence. By Major Nevill Armstrong, s. d. O.B.E., F.R.G.S., late Chief Reconnaissance Officer, Canadian Army 6 0 By Post 6 6 *Notes on Individual Fieldcraft. Contains practical and up-to- date methods for both day and night operations. Fully illustrated THE COMPLETE with half-tone places 0 By Post 2 Small Arms Anti-Aircraft Training. Arranged by Maror T. J. Edwards. M.B.E .. F.R.Hist.Soc. 3 LEWIS GUNNER Reproduced from S.A.T ., Vol. I, Pamphlets Nos. 1. 6 ond 20. By Post 6 by permission o( the Controller of H.M. Stationery Office. The Complete Lewis Gunner. A practical sequence of instruc tion, in simple language and as few technicalities as is compatible with efficiency. With comparable notes and fully illustrated with plates and diagrams 2 0 , ~~ 2 3 ewis Gun Mechanism Made Easy. By Major C. H. B. Pridham. The Duke of Wellington's Regt. (lace Officer Instructor, School of Musketry, Hythe). In handy book form with large folding Coloured Plate. (Revised eo date. ) With comparable notes on the American weapon .. each 6 By Pose 8 BY 8ren Light Machine Gun. Folder In cover. of handy pocket size. Printed in colours 0 AN INSTRUCTOR By Post I The Thompson Submachine Gun Mechanism Made Easy. Fully illustrated ... .. .. ... ... ... 6 1 - By Post 8 The Browning Heavy Machine Gun Mechanism Made Easy (.300 Calibre Model 1917 Water Cooled}. Fully Illustrated ... 6 By Post 8 *\The Mechanism of the Browning Automatic Rifle in pocket form. Illustrated with plates and diagrams .. .. 0 By Post I *JlOO Vickers Machine Gun Mechanism Made Easy. Fully illustrated with half-tone plates .. 6 By Post 8 CONTENTS.-General Description-Mechanism-Stripping-Servicing the Gun -Repair and Adjustme nt-Sights-Tripod Mounting-Firing the Gun-Kinds of Fire-Firing-Useful Notes-Stoppages. ALDERSHOT: Log Book and History Sheet for Automatic Weapons. Size, GALE & POLDEN LIMITED 7i" x 6", in bag container to keep the book clean ... ... each 0 9 per doz. 8 0 Extra History Sheets, per doz. 3 0 Drill in Threes and Elementary Drill I 3 Wm. Dawson Subscription Service Ltd. By Post I 6 HEAD OFFICE General Instructions for Drilling Recruits-Squad Drill Without Arms 70 KING STREET EAST TORONTO Squad Drill With Arms-Platoon and Company Drill. "An11 book or periodical can he procured throuoh us" Reproduced from Training Pomphfet No. 18, and Manual of Elementary Drill (All Arms), 1935, by permission of n.e Controller of H.M. Stotionery Office. *Lantern Slides for Lecture Purposes in Black and White of any of the illustrations in these books can be supplied at each 2 6 First Published 1918 FOREWORD BY THE AUTHOR THE sequence of instruction set out in this book has been found by experience to be very practical and to give good results. The author claims that it is natural and rational, and the methods followed are the crystallized results of some ten years' experience as an instructor. The book opens with a General Introduction to the gun. A man's interest is aroused, he is taught the immense possibilities of the weapon, and is straightway shown how the gun is loaded, fed, fired, cooled, and operated. With his attention thus riveted by a good PRINTE D IN GRE:AT BRITAIN BY general knowledge, he is now keen and ready to go GALE & POLDEN LTD. into technical details. A book which commences with ALDERSHOT 1941 a catalogued description of the parts misses the mark, and resembles too much the old history primer, which at the outset handed out that long list of dates, which was the bane of our schooldays. Tactics have been ~itte<}L'an ounce of practice is worth a ton of theory. The language used/ is simple, and contains as few technicalities as is compatible with efficiency. With a sincere desire to help instructors, the author, with all humility, wishes to offer a few suggestions. He strongly recommends the method of "MuTUAL INSTRUCTION. " The last ten minutes of each hour might well be set apart for this purpose. A man's knowledge is tested, any misconceptions he may have are cleared up, and he gains confidence. The in structor should frequently question his men, and above all DEMONSTRATE AND ILL USTRATE, and "make haste slowly." P -875 1 iv FOREWORD FOREWORD V He should not talk too much, but try and make them The mechanism has been thoroughly and logically think. Men love to find out things for themselves; analysed, and the method of setting it out will be they should always be encouraged to do this, and to found to be superior to most other stereotyped descrip ask questions. tions. A good method of illustrating the mechanism The General Description, which calls for little com is to remove the Barrel Group, and to use the assembled ment, is divided into three parts :- · parts of the Body Group. These can easily be held in I. Stationary Parts in Front of the Body Locking any position, as they are so light, and the various Pin. 1t actions can clearly be seen. 2. Stationary Parts Behind the Body Locking-Pin. " Stoppages " are dealt with in Chapter VIII ; some 3· Moving Portions. additional notes are added in Chapter XII for those Men have very great difficulty in understanding the who wish to make themselves thoroughly conversant construction of the magazine. The author recommends with the subject. that a bent or worn magazine be stripped. The parts The importance of practice in the rectification of can be easily seen and understood, and the construction stoppages cannot be over-emphasized. made quite simple. The illustrations of the magazine at the end of the Chapter IX deals with Elementary Drill and Tests. book show the lines on which to work. In description Some of its movements should also be done wearing the best method to adopr is in that of reconstruction I respirator. from the parts. For this purpose a little plasticine will J be found extremely useful. E.g., if a little plasticine is The importance of Care and Cleaning is well known, placed under the ring and gentle pressure applied, when and the subject has been fully treated in Chapter X. in its correct position inside the pan, the two parts can Men should be taught to treat the gun with as much be easily fixed together. care as they would a motor-cycle of their own. If hat is done, stoppages are reduced to a minimum, as It will be seen that "Stripping and Assembling" go per cent. of the stoppages with the Lewis Gun are are dealt with before "Mechanism." caused through lack of care., This has been done with a purpose, as a man, in handling the gun, is instinctively and unconsciously It is hoped that tllis book will be found useful in all learning Mechanism. branches of the Service where the Lewis Gun is used. The " Order of Stripping and Assembling " has a l The author's purpose will then be amply justified and few new points. In stripping and assembling the Body his labours rewarded. Group the author has found by repeated experiments ~ and tests that better results are obtained by first of all T.J. dealing with the parts below the body cover (i.e., cocking-handle, piston-rod, bolt, pinion and pistol-grip). He has seen novices change the bolt in fifteen seconds by this method, and after only two or three trials. 1-' CONTENTS \. CHAPTER 1 PAGE GENERAL INTRODUCTION-THE EVOLUTION OF TilE LEWlS GUN: ITs ADVANTAGES AND CHARACTERISTICS CHAPTER II A BRIEF Ri:suhl~ oF THE GuN AND SEQUENCE oF INsTRUC 6 no:-~ CHAPTER III GENimAL DESCRIPTION: THE STATIONARY PARTS IN FRONT or- THF. BoDY LocKING- PIN ... 11 CHAPTER IV GENERAL DESCRIPTI0:-1-CO IItinued : THE STATION.IRY PARTS BEHIND THE BoDY LocKING-PIN . .. 18 CHAPTER V GENERAL DESCRIPTION-COIIIilllled: THE l\IOVING POR 30 TIONS CHAPTER VI 4 STRIPPING AND AssEMBLING:- (a) ORDER OF AND PRACTICE IN STRIPPING 40 (b) STRIPPING AND CHANGING VARIOUS COMPONENTS 42 CHAPTER VII MECHANISM:- (a) How TO LOAD, FIRE, AND UNLOAD 46 48 (b) THE BACKWARD ACTION (c) THE FoRWARD AcTION 52 "" viii CONTENTS CHAPTER VIII STOPPAGES s6 CHAPTER IX ELEME:\'TARY DRILL 62 CHAPTER X CARE AND CLEANING 66 THE CHAPTER XI COMPLETE LEWIS GUNNER POINTS BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER FIRING 70 CHAPTER XII • ADDITIONAL NOTES ON STOPPAGES, ETC. 73 APPE~DIX CHAPTER I. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN .300-INCH AND .303-lNCH 76 GENERAL INTRODUCTION- THE EVOLUTION OF THE LEWIS GUN : ITS AD VANT AGES AND CHARACTERISTICS I. lt enables you to bring o large volume of fire to bear on any target, with no loss of time. R ate of fire, 600-700 rounds per minute. 4 Time taken to load the g un is a matter of a few seconds (four seconds-compare with ri Ae) . Also compare with the fire orders, etc., that would have to be ~iven to a platoon, necessarily spread out. A Lewis Gun in the hands of good gunners wi ll work as much destruction a~ rfi fty average ri Ae men. ) " \ 2 3 2. Its Great "Moral" Effect. 'A Lewis Gun g ives a maximum volume of fire The " rat-tat-tat" of a Lewis Gun has a great from a minimum of front. " moral " effect.