The nice thing about a US GI Cleaning Kit is that it's always with you, stored right there, snug in the buttstock of your rifle. In addition to being useful for field emergencies, by adding 2/3 pound to the rifle's weight, it damps down the already-mild recoil of the M14/M1A even more.

These babies, like our "Vietnam" stocks, have been thru the mill. They are the Grade II used - which means a lot of use in the field. Figure the cleaning rod pouch ("finger pouch") will likely be throw-a-way; as will the bore brush and, maybe, the chamber brush. What will be eminently usable is the combo tool, the oiler, and the cleaning rod and tip (the cleaning rod tip may need straightening - they bent pretty easy in service use). The cleaning rods may or will have rust you'll need to knock off - but a polished cleaning rod - right down to the bare metal - is better than the original parkerized one, in terms of being better on your bore (but you really don't want to use a jointed rod for regular cleaning - only for emergency field use).

The GI cleaning kit consists of the following:

    The combination tool/cleaning rod handle; 4-piece sectional cleaning rod and patch holder tip; cloth pouch to keep the rod sections in, original used bore brush; chamber brush; two-compartment oiler.

    These will come well-used, just as the GIs left them in their buttstocks. The usable parts will be the combo tool/handle, rod sections, patch holder (may need to be unbent!), and oiler. The pouch will be worn and likely torn; the bore brush will likely be toast; the chamber brush may or may not be usable, but will be quite worn.

WARNING: These are original items from the 1960's - 50 years ago! The cloth rod pouch was never all that strong in the first place, and 50 years of exposure to oil and grease haven't made it stronger.

DO NOT PULL THE CLEANING ROD POUCH OUT BY THE TAB (if there is one - doubtful, in this grade!). The cleaning rods and pouch typically fit tightly in the stock. The pouch is at least 50 years old and can be fragile. Pull the pouch out by the tab at your own risk! Judging by the # of pouches I see without a tab, even when they were new, they were weak. Suggestion: Raise your rifle after opening the butttrap door, and gently tap the butt down on something wood to ease the pouch out.

                                                                                                 FRED