Friday 11-2, 1917

Dear Marie,

I managed to get hold of a Colt instruction sheet and will try to give
you a clear explanation of it. (Seeing as how you are only a girl.)

I am going into detail so as to be sure you will know how to take good
care of it – you know how “fussy” I am about my “junk.”

Let’s know what the names of the main parts of the pistol are. On the
second page is a diagram showing:

No. 1. The receiver.

2. “ slide

3. “ barrel

21. “ Retractor spring guide.

20. The retractor spring.

7. “ Firing pin.

8. “ Mainspring.

9. “ Mainspring guide.

When the gun is taken apart you will have the loose parts shown on the
third page. The firing pin – 7, 8 and 9 – will not always fall out.

The end of the barrel where the cartridge is “seated” when fired is the
chamber. The other end is the muzzle end.

The magazine – No 23 – is the little box that holds the six cartridges.
It must never be in the gun (empty or not) when the gun is being taken
apart or put together.

1.  Remove the magazine.

2.  Pull back slide just as if you were going to shoot. This will throw
out a cartridge that may be in the chamber of the barrel.

3.  Remove all cartridges from magazine and replace it in gun. Then pull
the trigger – just as if you were shooting. When it snaps, the
“hammer” is “uncocked.”

4.  Remove magazine.

5.  Hold the pistol in left hand exactly as if you were going to shoot,
as shown on fourth page, except, keep your thumb down in normal
position and not on the slide. The instruction sheet says to hold
the slide back with the left thumb but your hands are too weak to do
it this way. Instead – (of right hand) put thumb and index finger on
the muzzle end of the slide so as to push it back instead of pulling
at the rear.

Push it back far enough so that the muzzle end of the barrel shows as in
picture on p. 4. Now, if you placed your thumb and finger right, you can
hold the slide back and at the same time turn the barrel to the right a
quarter turn, so that the 3 catches show, (as I have marked.)

Let the slide come forward and the gun will fall apart, exactly as
shown on p. 3.

Note position of

No. 21 and 21 in

No. 1 and 2. Also 7, 8, and, 9

In No. 2.

Now remove the barrel from the slide by turning the barrel a quarter
turn to the left and drawing it out to the rear.

Put the cleaning rod in the barrel with its ring end at the muzzle. Put
a small patch of soft cloth (no lint) in the slot and moisten it well
with “Hoppe’s Nitro Powder Solvent – No. 9.” Draw this thru the barrel
several times – always from the chamber toward the muzzle.

Now wipe dry and apply 3-1 oil in the same manner, leaving a thin coat
in the barrel. The first dope cleans only – 3-1 oil lubricates and
prevents rusting. <- PLEASE

Now before you put the gun together be sure there are no bits of lint or
threads in barrel or working parts. Read the above instructions Chinese
fashion and you will know how to put the pistol together. Put the
magazine – empty – in last and take the whole outfit to bed with you.

Always be careful to keep dirt out of the barrel so don’t put gun in a
dirty sweater pocket.

Don’t let anyone stand at your right hand where he may get hit in the
eye by the empty shell which is thrown out.

If the gun is ice-cold, warm it up before cleaning.

“””A gun is always loaded.””””

Do I get your goat at last?

Forrest.

See other letter.