2.2. Safety precautions
2.2.1. To carry out training in disassembly and assembly of the
rifle use blank rifles only. Training with service rifles is allowed
only in exceptional cases keeping particular care when handling
parts and mechanisms.
2.2.2. Prior to preparing the rifle for firing and also prior to its
cleaning and lubricating be sure that it is not loaded. During firing
practice with the loaded rifle never direct the rifle to people or domestic animals.
Firing practice is carried out in the closed shooting gallery only
when the suction-and-exhaust ventilation is provided there, because
powder gases, liberated when shooting, are toxic. On finishing the
fire unload the rifle and set it at safe.
2.3. Preparing of sniper rifle and optical sight for firing
2.3.1. Preparation of the sniper rifle and the sight for firing is
accomplished with a view to ensure their trouble-free operation during
firing.
To prepare the rifle and the sight for firing, proceed as follows:
a) clean the rifle;
b) inspect the disassembled rifle and lubricate it;
c) inspect the assembled rifle and sight;
d) check the rifle mechanisms and parts for proper interaction;
e) check the illuminating system and reticle illuminating set for
sound condition;
f) check the sight angle and deflection correction mechanisms
for proper operation;
g) check the screen of the sight PSO-1 for switching in and off;
h) activate the sight PSO-1 screen.
Directly before firing, wipe dry the barrel bore (the rifled portion
and the cartridge chamber), inspect the cartridges and load the
magazine with them.
For the process of activating set the screen switching lever into
position along the sight axis, put the sight in such a position in
which the whole surface of the light filter is exposed to the light
source, radiating ultraviolet rays.
The reactivating time, when the screen is lit with daily scattered
light, will be equal to 15 minutes, when lit with straight sun rays
or with rays irradiated by an electric lamp (100 200W) at a distance
of 20 cm, it will be within 7 10 minutes. Reactivation of the
screen for a more longer period of time than indicated one does not
increase its sensibility. Useful life of a reactivated screen is 6 - 7
days, after this period reactivation should be repeated. One reactivation
is sufficient for the sight operation during 3 days (at
8-hours operation in a day).
2.4. Zeroing of rifle and procedure of optical sight operation
2.4.1. The sniper rifle being in the service of a subunit should be
zeroed. The necessity of rifle zeroing is determined by test-firing.
Rifles are subjected to test-firing:
a) on reception of the rifle by the subunit;
b) after the rifle parts repair or replacement, which may affect
the rifle fire accuracy;
c) in case of excessive deviation of the mean point of impact
(MPI), or bullet dispersion, which does not meet the accuracy requirements.
Under combat conditions the rifle accuracy should be tested
periodically whenever the situation permits.
2.4.2. The sniper rifle is test-fired by four shots, aiming thoroughly
and uniformly with the aid of the open sight. Fire is conducted
at the black rectangle, 20 cm wide and 30 cm high, secured
on a white board, 1 m high and 0.5 m wide. The point of aim is
the middle of the black rectangle bottom edge. During firing when
the open sight is used the normal position of the MPI is marked
with chalk or a coloured pencil by the plimb line, 16 cm above
the point of aim. This point serves as the check point (CP).
The range is 100 m, the sight is set at 3. Firing is conducted
from the prone position with support. To test-fire and zero a rifle,
use should be made of cartridges with ordinary bullets having a
steel core. Fire is conducted with knife bayonet removed. Upon
firing the shots, examine the target and arrangement of hits,
determine accuracy of fire and position of the MPI. The sniper rifle
fire accuracy is considered normal, if all the four hits are arranged
within the circle, 8 mm in diameter.
If the shot group does not meet the requirements, test-firing is
repeated.
If the second test results are unsatisfactory, the sniper rifle
should be sent to the repair shop.
If the shot group is found normal, determine the MPI and its
position relative to the check point.
Determination of the mean point of impact is shown in Fig. 12.
The sniper rifle fire accuracy is considered normal, if the mean
point of impact coincides with the check point or deviates from it
in any direction by no more than 5 cm.
2.4.3. If during test-firing the MPI deviates by more than 5 cm
from the CP in any direction, the position of the front sight (as to
its height) or that of its body (as to side position) should be
changed accordingly. If the mean point of impact is below the
check point, the front sight should be screwed in, if it is above the
check point, the front sight should be screwed out.
If the MPI is to the left of the CP, the front sight body should
be shifted to the left, if to the right, shift the body to the right.
The front sight body displacement by 1 mm to the side and one
complete revolution of the front sight (when screwed in or out)
will change the position of the mean point of impact by 16 cm
when fire is delivered at a range of 100 m.
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2.5. Technical condition inspection, troubles and remedies
2.5.1. To check the rifle for good condition, as well at to set its
further ready-for-use condition periodically inspect the rifle.
During inspection make sure that all the rifle parts are present
and the external parts are free of rust, dirt, dents, scratches, nicks,
chipping and other damage, since they may interfere with the normal
operation of the rifle mechanisms and the optical sight.
Besides, check condition of the lubricant on the rifle parts visible
without disassembling the rifle. Make sure that the magazines,
the knife bayonet, the accessories, the slip cover for the
optical sight, the carrier for the optical sight and magazines, as
well as the bag for SPTA are not missed, make sure that there is
no foreign matter in the barrel bore.
Check the parts and mechanisms for proper operation. When
checking the operation of the rifle parts and mechanisms, release
safety lock, retract the bolt support by the reloading handle all the
way back and release it; the bolt support should be stopped in the
rear position by the bolt catch.
Detach the magazine, slightly retract the bolt support by the
handle and release it; the bolt support should energetically return
to the front position. Set the rifle at safe and press the trigger; the
trigger should not move rearward completely, and the hammer
should remain cocked.
Release safety lock and press the trigger; a click should be heard,
which is indicative of the energetic blow delivered by the
hammer against the firing pin.
Set the rifle at safe again and attach the magazine; the bolt
support should not move backward, the safety lock should be
reliably retained in the required position.
Check the feed of cartridges into the cartridge chamber, extraction
and ejection of fired cases (cartridges). Fill the magazine
with dummy cartridges, attach it to the rifle, and without pressing
the magazine latch, try to detach the magazine with the effort of
the hand, the magazine should freely enter the opening of the receiver
and should be securely retained by the magazine latch.
Reload the rifle several times, the dummy cartridges should be
fed, without any delay, from the magazine into the cartridge chamber
and rushly extracted from the receiver outward.
When checking the condition of the optical sight, make sure
that the objective and eyepiece lenses are not broken. Check to see
that the knobs rotate smoothly and are reliably fixed in the required
position, they are free of play; the sight is free of play and the
clamping screw reliably secures the sight on the rifle; the reticle
illuminating set is in sound condition; to this end, fit the cap onto
the objective, switch on the tumbler switch and look into the
eyepiece (if the illuminating set is in good repair, the reticle
is seen distinctly; if the reticle is not seen, replace the cell or the
electric lamp).
If the sight is not free of play or the handle guiding lug does
not enter the recess in the bracket, with the sight reliably secured
on the rifle, adjust the clamping screw.
To this end, detach the sight from the rifle, press the slide to
the handle (compress the spring) and screw the clamping screw
adjusting nut in or out.
Inspect cartridges before firing. When inspecting the cartridges,
make sure that the cartridge cases are not bent and free of rust,
the bullet does not play in the cartridge case mouth; the primer is
free of verdigris and cracks, no setback of the primer occurs; are
there some dummy cartridges among live cartridges or not. All the
defective cartridges are to be transferred to the depot.
2.5.2. All defects of the rifle, the optical sight, magazines and
accessories should be immediately eliminated. If there is no opportunity
to eliminate the troubles in the subunit, transfer the rifle
(the optical sight, magazines, accessories) to the repair shop.
2.5.3. Careful handling the rifle and proper care of it provide
reliable, trouble-free operation and long service life of sniper rifle
parts and mechanisms. However, in case of clogging and wear of
rifle parts and mechanisms and in case of careless handling the
rifle or in case of cartridges damage, stoppages in fire may occur.
If during firing stoppages occur, reload the rifle, for which
purpose energetically retract the bolt support by the handle, release
it and proceed with firing.
If the stoppage is not eliminated, determine the cause of the
trouble and eliminate the stoppage as instructed in the Table No. 2.
| Trouble | Cause | Remedy |
|---|---|---|
| Cartridge not fed into chamber. Bolt in front position, but no shot fired (no cartridge in cartridgechamber) | Dirty or faulty magazine. Faulty magazine latch | Reload the rifle and proceed with firing. Replace
the magazine, if stoppage is repeated. Transfer the rifle to the repair shop, if the magazine latch is faulty |
| Misalignment of cartridge. Cartridge with its bullet rests on barrel breech face, moving parts stop in middle position | Bent guiding lugs of magazine side walls | Holding the bolt support reloading handle, remove the misaligned cartridge and proceed with firing. If the stoppage is repeated, replace the magazine. |
| Misfire. Bolt in front position, cartridge in cartridge chamber, hammer released, no shot fired | Faulty cartridge. Faulty firing pin or firing and trigger mechanism, dirty or thick lubricant | Reload the rifle and proceed with firing. If stoppage is repeated, inspect and clean the firing pin and the firing and trigger mechanism; if they are broken or worn, transfer the rifle to the repair shop |
|
Fired case fails to be extracted. Fired case in cartridge chamber, the next cartridge with its bullet rests on fired case, moving parts are in middle position | Dirty cartridge or dirty cartridge chamber. Dirty or faulty extractor or its spring | Retract the bolt support
reloading handle, and holding it in the rear position, detach the magazine
and remove the misaligned cartridge. Extract the fired case by the bolt or by the cleaning rod and proceed with firing. If the stoppage is repeated, clean the cartridge chamber. Inspect and clean the extractor, then proceed with firing. If the extractor is faulty, transfer the rifle to the repair shop |
|
Fired case stuck or fails to be ejected. Fired case is not ejected from receiver, it is in the receiver, in front of bolt or rammed by the bolt into cartridge chamber again | Dirty friction parts, gas passages or cartridge chamber Dirty or faulty extractor | Retract the bolt support reloading handle, remove the fired case and proceed
with firing. If the stoppage is repeated, clean the gas passages, the friction parts and the cartridge chamber. If the extractor is unserviceable, transfer the rifle to the repair shop |
