Figure 2-24.--Disengaging the connector assembly.
To separate the operating rod and connector group
from the barrel and receiver group, proceed as follows:
1. Depress the rear sight to the lowest position and
turn the barrel and receiver group on its side with the
connector assembly upward.
Figure 2-26.--Component parts of the operating rod and
2. If the rifle has a selector, press in and turn the
connector group.
selector until the face marked A is toward the rear of the
sight knob and the projection forward is at an angle of
1. With the barrel and receiver group upside down,
about 35 degrees. Then, remove the connector
pull forward on the operating rod spring, relieving
assembly as indicated in steps 3 and 4 below.
pressure on the connector lock pin. Pull the lock
3. If the rifle has a selector shaft lock, press
outward to disconnect the operating rod spring guide.
forward on the rear of the connector assembly with your
2. Remove the operating rod spring guide and the
right thumb, as shown in figure 2-24, until you can lift
operating rod spring. Turn the barrel and receiver group
the front end off the connector lock.
right side up.
4. Rotate the connector assembly about 35 degrees
3. Retract the operating rod until the key on its
clockwise until the slot at the rear is aligned with the
lower surface coincides with the notch in the receiver.
elongated stud on the sear release (fig. 2-25); then lower
Lift the operating rod free and pull it to the rear,
the front end of the connector assembly and lift it off the
disengaging it from the operating rod guide.
sear release.
4. To remove the bolt, after removing the operating
The next step is to remove the operating rod spring
rod, grasp the bolt roller that engages with the operating
guide, the operating rod spring, and the operating rod.
rod and slide it forward. Lift the bolt upward and
These parts are identified as 2, 3, and 4 respectively in
outward to the right with a slight rotating motion and
figure 2-26. The correct step-by-step procedure is as
remove it from the receiver. The weapon is now field-
follows:
stripped for cleaning.
Reassembly of this weapon is basically the reverse
of disassembly. A step-by-step procedure for
reassembly and other maintenance procedures is
covered in the U.S. Army FM 23-8.
SHOTGUNS
Shotguns used by the armed forces are military
versions of civilian models made to military
specifications. The Remington model 870 (M870) and
the Mossberg model 500 (M500) are the Navy's
standard issue riot-type shotguns. In this section we
will describe the Remington M870 (fig. 2-27) in detail,
then note how the Mossberg 500 differs. The Mossberg
500 is very similar to the Remington 870 in construction
and operation.
Figure 2-25.--Removing the connector assembly.
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