may be used. This is easily applied and easily removed, but has
not sufficient body to hold its surface for more than a few days.
If rifles are to be prepared for storage or shipment, a heavier
oil, such as cosmic, must be used.

(i) In preparing arms for storage or shipment they should be
cleaned with particular care, using the metal-fouling solution
as described above. Care should be taken, insured by careful
inspection on succeeding day or days, that the cleaning is properly
done and all traces of ammonia solution removed. The bore is then
ready to be coated with cosmic. At ordinary temperatures cosmic
is not fluid. In order, therefore, to insure that every part of
the surface is coated with a film of oil the cosmic should be
warmed. Apply the cosmic first with a brush; then, with the breech
plugged, fill the barrel to the muzzle, pour out the surplus,
remove the breechblock, and allow to drain. It is believed that
more rifles are ruined by improper preparation for storage than
from any other cause. If the bore is not clean when oiled--that
is, if powder fouling is present or rust has started--a half
inch of cosmic on the outside will not stop its action, and the
barrel will be ruined. Remember that the surface must be perfectly
cleaned before the heavy oil is applied. If the instructions
as given above are carefully followed, arms may be stored for
years without harm.

(j) Preparation of solutions:

_Soda_solution_--This should be a saturated solution or sal
soda (bicarbonate of soda). A strength of at least 20 per cent
is necessary. The spoon referred to in the following directions