forward until it engages the bolt catch, and return the
charging handle to its forward position.
4. Inspect the receiver and chamber of the weapon
by looking through the ejection port to ensure these
spaces contain no ammunition.
5. Check the selector lever to ensure it points
toward SAFE; then allow the bolt to go forward by
depressing the upper portion of the bolt catch.
CAUTION
The selector must be on SAFE to prevent
damage to the automatic sear during assembly
and disassembly.
FIELD-STRIPPING THE RIFLE
Before you can field-strip a rifle, you must be
qualified to do so. You will use instructions when you
actually field-strip a rifle. Follow the procedures in
the instruction that deals with the weapon that you are
field stripping.
LOADING THE MAGAZINE
A magazine can come in either a 20- or 30-round
capacity and may be loaded with any amount up to that
capacity. The magazine follower has a raised portion
generally resembling the outline of a cartridge.
Cartridges are loaded into the magazine so the tips of
the bullets point in the same direction as the raised
portion of the follower (fig. 11-12).
CAUTION
Do not load or attempt to load more rounds
than what the magazine was designed for.
Overloading deforms the lips of the magazine
and can cause malfunctions.
UNLOADING THE MAGAZINE
To prevent damage to the lips of the magazine, you
should remove the ammunition in the following manner:
1. Hold the magazine in your left hand with the
open end away from your body and with the nose of the
cartridge down (fig. 11-13, view A).
2. Depress the center of the second round in the
magazine using the nose of the cartridge, allowing the
first round to drop out of the magazine (fig. 11-13, view
B). Repeat this procedure until you remove all the
rounds from the magazine except the last one.
3. Use the nose of the cartridge to depress the
follower to remove the last round, allowing the last
round to drop out of the magazine (fig. 11-13, view C).
LOADING THE RIFLE
With the hammer cocked, place the selector lever on
SAFE. (Refer to figure 11-8, view A.) Notice that you
can’t place the selector lever on SAFE unless the rifle is
cocked. You may insert the magazine with the bolt and
bolt carrier open or closed; however, you should learn to
load with the bolt open. Loading with the bolt open
reduces the possibility of first round stoppage and saves
the time needed to pull the charging handle to the rear.
Hold the stock of the rifle under your right arm with
your right hand. Grasp the pistol grip; then point the
11-7
Student Notes:
Figure 11-12.—Loading cartridges into the magazine,
20 -round capacity.
Figure 11-11.—Locking the bolt open.
