D-1. General fired at subzero temperatures, the temperature
a. In cold areas many climatic conditions of the barrel and gun will rapidly rise to be- will greatly affect the operation and employ- tween 200° and 750°, depending upon the ment of infantry weapons. All individuals number of rounds fired. This again reduces must be well aware of these conditions in the temper and, because the parts are working, order that they may properly handle and care breakages will occur early in the firing while for their weapons under adverse circum- the weapon is warming up. Many malfunctions stances. also occur during this period due to the pres- ence of ice or snow in the weapon or freezing b. As a safety measure, extreme care must of working parts. The weapons should first be be exercised in touching cold weapons with fired at a slow rate of fire. Once the parts bare flesh because the flesh may freeze to the have warmed up, the rate of fire may be in- metal. Gloves or the trigger finger mitten creased to the cyclic rate. One of the main should always be worn when handling weapons problems is to insure that snow and ice do not during periods of extreme cold. get into the working parts, sights, or barrel. The weapon must be carefully handled during D-2. Factors Affecting Weapons movement through the snow-covered woods, and especially under combat conditions in a. Sluggishness. A common problem is the deep snow. sluggishness of the operation of the weapons in extreme cold. Normal lubricants thicken in c. Condensation. Condensation forms on low temperature and stoppage or sluggish ac- weapons when they are taken from the ex- tion of firearms results. During the winter, treme cold into any type of heated shelter. weapons must be stripped completely and This condensation is often referred to as cleaned with a drycleaning solvent to remove “sweating.” When the weapon is taken out in- all lubricants and rust prevention compounds. to the cold air, the film of condensation The prescribed application of lubrication oil, freezes, especially in the internal parts, and weapons (LOW) should then be made. These stoppages and malfunctions result. When lubricants will provide proper lubrication dur- weapons are taken into heated shelter for ing the winter and help minimize snow and cleaning purposes, “sweating” may continue ice from freezing on the weapons. for as long as 1 hour. Therefore, when time is available, wait 1 hour, remove all condensa- b. Breakages and Malfunctions. Another tion, and then clean the weapon. problem that faces the soldier in the areas of severe cold is a higher rate of breakage and d. Visibility. A problem of visibility close malfunctions. These can also be attributed pri- to the ground occurs when a weapon with ex- marily to the cold, although snow in a weapon cessive muzzle blast is fired in temperatures may cause stoppage and malfunctions. The below – 37° F. As the round leaves the weapon, tempered metal of automatic weapons, for ex- the water vapor in the air is crystallized, ample, will cool to a point where it cannot be creating minute ice particles which produce touched by human flesh. This extreme cold ice fog. This fog will hang over the weapon makes the metal brittle. When the weapon is and follow the path of the projectile, obscur- AGO 8641A 165 ing the gunner’s vision along his line of fire. caused by snow or ice plugged maga- If the air is still, the ice fog will remain for zines. Wingnuts on bipeds tend to many minutes and hover in one place. There- freeze in position. To avoid this fore, the weapon will have to be displaced to problem, apply LOW on parts con- the right or left to again secure use of its sights cerned. if firing is to be continued. (3) Machineguns. These weapons nor- e. Emplacement. Most crew-served infantry mally should be well lubricated with weapons need a natural “base” or gun plat- LOW because of their many moving form so it may be fired accurately. In summer parts. If LOW is not available, these the ground provides a solid base and yet has weapons, when fired cold and dry, enough resilience to act as a shock absorber. will have fewer malfunctions if fired In winter the soft snow gives under the recoil at a slow rate of fire. Once the parts of the gun. If the weapon is emplaced on the have warmed up, temperate zone solid frozen ground, there is no “give” and all lubricants can be applied and the the shock of firing is absorbed by the weapon rate of fire gradually increased. How- itself, resulting in breakage (para 6-7). Also ever, if temperate zone lubricants are the slippery surface of the frozen ground may used the gun must be kept warm. If allow the weapon to slide. If the snow is not it is allowed to become cold it will too deep, and if time is available, tripods and fail to operate upon resumption of baseplates should be dug into the ground or firing. The gun should therefore be solidly positioned by expedient means to keep cleaned and fired dry and cold until them from moving. it again warms up. MG’s have a high rate of breakages and malfunctions D-3. Cold Effects on Various Types of because of the cold weather. Parts Weapons especially affected are the sear and bolt. Extra parts of this type must be a. Small Arms. carried by gun crews. One common (1) Pistols. Pistols cannot be fired while malfunction, occurring early in firing wearing the arctic mitten set. The is called short recoil (bolt does not firer must remove his mittens or use recoil fully to the rear). Prescribed the lighter weight trigger finger immediate action for the particular mitten. The only other difficulty that weapon should be applied. As the may be encountered is the breakage metal warms, the problem will dimin- of moving parts in extreme cold. ish. A second malfunction is caused by freezing and hardening of buffers. (2) Rifles. Firing rifles will also necessi- This in turn causes great shock and tate the use of trigger finger mittens. rapid recoil, thereby increasing the This means that the firer cannot op- cyclic rate. When this happens and erate the weapon over a sustained pe- the gun continues to fire, something riod of time in extreme cold. All has to give, and generally parts will rifles will create ice fog. However, break. Condensation will cause the since the firer can readily move his freezing of parts as on most other position, this poses no serious prob- weapons. Ice fog greatly impairs ac- lem. The main problem is that more curate firing, therefore, 2 to 3 alter- malfunctions and breakages are nate gun positions must be prepared. caused in firing because of the cold or because of fouling of the weapon b. Recoilless Rifle. with ice or snow. Parts most subject (1) Propellants will tend to burn slower to breakage are sears, firing pins, and in the cold. Therefore, the firing data operating rods-parts that are mov- for temperate climates cannot be ing or affected by recoil. Malfunc- used and the weapon must be zeroed tions in automatic rifles may be for the temperature in which it is 166 AGO 8641A being fired. Once zeroed the weapons must be aware of this and must know are again highly accurate. The rate how to correct it. The gunner should of fire will be slower because of slow not rely entirely on the firing tables burning propellants. This is because in low temperatures, but should cor- after the round leaves the muzzle, rect the data based upon experience burning gases remain in the barrel and the best available data currently and the weapon cannot be reloaded at hand. until they burn out. The phenomenon c. Rocket Launchers. The main problem with is known as “afterburn.” Gunners rocket launchers is in the ammunition. The must exercise care to avoid prema- rocket has a burning propellant which moves ture explosion of the round in the it toward the target. This propellant because weapon. A period of at least 60 sec- of the effect of the blast and its slow burning onds must elapse between firing and qualities in cold weather can be extremely reloading. dangerous in low temperatures. The gunner (2) One of the major problems in the and loader can be burned and lacerated by firing of recoilless rifles is the formu- particles of the burning propellant as the lation of ice fog. This will require fre- rocket leaves the muzzle of the launcher. The quent displacement of the weapon so firing of these weapons (peacetime training) that the gunner can regain visibility is normally restricted to temperatures above and also to avoid detection by the 20° F, but extreme caution should be exercised enemy. when firing at any temperature below freezing. (3) Applicable training manuals for the Operating personnel must be equipped with recoilless rifle prescribe back blast face masks and gloves. Like the recoilless rifle, danger areas for temperate zone fir- the back blast danger area must be tripled. The ing. The danger areas must be tripled launchers have no emplacement problem, but for safe operations in cold areas. will create ice fog and will have to be moved (4) The Spotter-Tracer Rifle on the 106- when the fog persists. The range is reduced mm Rifle creates problems because its because of slow burning propellants. The gun- trajectory and that of the recoilless ner will have to make his own firing tables round do not coincide. Metal parts of and will probably have to sight high, espe- the spotter rifle are also subject to cially at longer ranges. breakage. As in other weapons it is d. Grenades. lubricated with LOW or fired dry. (1) Handgrenades. No particular prob- (5) Another phenomenon that occurs in lems exist in the use of handgrenades extreme cold is deformity of the bar- in extreme low temperatures with rel because of solar radiation. This the exception that they lose much of will happen if the weapon is fore- their effectiveness when detonated sighted, for example, prior to sunrise. under snow. The following are pre- If the sight reticle and the bore have cautions necessary for throwing been placed on the same target in the handgrenades by personnel wearing early morning hours, after the sun arctic handgear during extreme cold rises the bore may be pointing at one conditions. target and the sight reticle at the original one. The barrel has been ac- (a) Handgear must be completely dry. tually bent because of the increase in Handling of snow and ice may re- temperature and thus the zero has sult in grenades freezing to the been lost. After the weapon has been wet handgear. fired for several rounds, it is again (b) Grenades must be held near the boresighted and retains its accuracy. neck of the fuze to avoid slipping This condition concerns itself with or turning of the grenades when gaining first round hits; the crew safety pins are removed. AGO 8641A 167 (c) Right hand throwers must place also the problem of snow particles being the grenade so that the safety lever blown up in front of the sights by the muzzle rests on the first knuckle of the blast and obscuring the visibility of the thumb to insure a sensitive feeling gunner. of the safety lever. (d) Left handed throwers must place f. Mortars. The matter of breakage in mor- the grenade so that the safety lever tars is a minor one since there are few parts. rests between the first and second However, firing pins often get brittle and knuckles of the fingers, to insure a break. The baseplate must be solidly positioned sensitive feeling of the safety lever to prevent sliding. It may be necessary to dig and good access to the safety pin into the ground to accomplish this. When the ring. weapon is emplaced on frozen ground, the combination of the cold making the metal (2) Grenade launcher. No particular brittle and the tremendous shock that the base- problems exist in the operation of the plate receives when a round is fired, occasion- 40mm grenade launcher at extreme ally may cause the baseplate to crack. Frozen low temperatures; however, like the ground has no resiliency, and the baseplate and handgrenade, the grenade itself will other bracing parts of the weapons absorb the lose much of its effectiveness when entire shock of firing. detonated under snow and a higher proportion of duds will result. The (1) One field expedient that will reduce launcher should be fired dry or lubri- the possibility of a cracked baseplate cated lightly with LAW. is to place a brush matting under the baseplate. The matting should be e. Tank Main Armament. These weapons thick enough to act as a shock ab- have many of the problems of recoilless rifles. sorber, but not so thick as to cause Breakage and malfunctions are few. The two the baseplate to bounce out of its dug primary problems are the formation of ice fog in position. Another method of posi- when the weapon is fired and distortion of the tioning the weapon is to place bags tube caused by solar radiation. The problems of dry sand or snow beneath the of lubrication and breakage are greatly dimin- baseplate. The sandbags will provide ished because of the fact that most of the work- the weapon with a solid, yet resilient, ing parts of the weapon are inclosed in a shock absorbing base. An additional warmed turret. The major problem is the ef - problem with the mortars is that they feet of temperature changes on the ammuni- cannot be handled without touching tion. Ammunition stored inside the turret will bare metal as can other infantry be warm and have the same general ballistic weapons with wooden or plastic han- characteristics of ammunition fired in temper- dles and stock. The crew must keep ate climates. The weapon is generally zeroed their gloves or mittens on and avoid with this warm ammunition. Other ammuni- touching the metal surface with bare tion is stored outside the tank where the flesh. There are practically no lubri- temperature is extremely cold. When this am- cation or ice fog problems with the munition is fired, the powder will burn slowly mortars. Malfunctions are also quite and it will have completely different ballistic infrequent. characteristics, thus rendering the initial zero useless. If possible, the ammunition brought in (2) The ammunition is affected by the from the outside should be heated in the turret cold in the same manner as the other before firing. In a combat situation this is not types of ammunition. Firing tables practical because the ammunition may have to may be utilized provided the proper be used immediately. The gunner must have range K’s are established through his own data for cold ammunition or be ready experience. Applicable field manuals to hastily rezero the weapon. In either case he should be consulted for charge re- will have to make sight adjustments. There is strictions at low temperatures. The 168 AGO 8641A VT-fuze type ammunition is consid- ness is lost and dissipated in the ered the most effective mortar am- snow. A greater frequency of short munition in the northern latitudes in rounds, as much as 1,000 to 1,400 the winter. Contact-detonated ammu- meters short, (1,000 to 1,400 yds) nition will penetrate the snow before may be experienced at low tempera- exploding and much of its effective- tures from the 4.2-inch mortar.