US Army Technical Manual, TM 9-270, US Rifle Cal 30 M1903A4 Snipers Characteristics and Operation and Use of Telescopic Sight

US Army Technical Manual, TM 9-270, US Rifle Cal 30 M1903A4 Snipers Characteristics and Operation and Use of Telescopic Sight

General ..........................•..•..-•-•.••••
Operation of the rifle............ .....
Individual safety precautions
5. GENERAL.
a. The operation, care, maintenance, disassembly, and assembly
of the M1903A4 (Sniper's) Rifle is identical with that of the M1903
and M1903A1 Rifles covered in FM 23-10 with the following ex
ceptions :
(1) The lower band assembly is removed and reinstalled as
described for the M1903A3 Rifle in FM 23-10.
(2) The magazine spring and follower should be removed and
reinstalled as described in paragraph 2 e (5). When removing and
reinstalling these parts the telescopic sight should be removed from
the mount base as described in paragraph 9 h. (The mount base is
alined at manufacture and the screws staked in, and should not be re
moved by using arms.)
(3) The telescopic sight is removed from, and reinstalled on
the mount base as described in paragraph 9.
It. This rifle can be operated as a single loader by placing one
cartridge directly into the chamber, or the magazine can be filled by
removing the five cartridges from the clip and loading them sepa
rately into the magazine. Operation of this rifle is the same as for the
M1903 and M1903A1 Rifles covered in FM 23-10. For convenience,
operation as applied to this rifle is given in paragraph 6.
6. OPERATION OF THE RIFLE.
a. Loading. To load the magazine, turn the cut-off up, showing
"ON;" draw the bolt fully to the rear; then insert the cartridges
singly from the hand, pressing the cartridges down with the thumb
into the magazine until caught by the edges of the receiver. To place
a round in the chamber, close the bolt. As the bolt is closed, the top
cartridge in the magazine is pushed forward into the chamber.
When the rifle is used as a single loader, cartridges are inserted
directly into the chamber with the hand, the cut-off being turned
down.