M1 Buttstock Cleaning Kit

[baz]

New Garand owner here. Maybe some of you long time Garand owners can explain how to fit all the items from a buttstock "cleaning kit" in the buttstock. The kit I have has a long plastic tube that basically fills the shorter of the two holes in the buttstock. The cleaning rod parts and tip fit in either, but not if the M10 tool is included. Was the long plastic tube actually used? (Edit: was the M10 tool kept in the plastic tube?) One end has a small screwdriver...to apply grease? The M10 tool, the rods and tips, came in a green cloth case, but will not fit in the buttstock without removing them, with the rods in one hole, and the M10 tool in the other.

I'm just curious what GI's actually packed in the buttstock.

Then there is the M3A1 tool, said to fit in the buttstock, but it takes up a whole tube, not leaving nearly enough in the other tube for the standard kit. Did GI's actually ever carry the M3A1 tool in the buttstock?

Again, this is all just to satisfy my curiosity. These items all just add weight to an already heavy gun, so I don't plan to keep them in the buttstock routinely. But I'm just wondering what was routinely carried in the buttstock, and how.

 

[dfariswheel]

There's a number of methods, depending on the tools you have.

If you have the M10 cleaning kit, you put the 4 sections of the rod in the thin canvas sleeve.
You join the loop patch holder and a bore brush together by the threaded ends with a short section of clear-white plastic tubing and put that in the sleeve.
Put the sleeve in the upper hole in the stock and put the small plastic container of grease on top.
Put a couple of patches in to prevent rattling.

In the long nickel plated brass oiler or the later long amber plastic oiler, put oil in the front compartment.
In the rear compartment wrap the M10 cleaning rod handle/tool in a patch to prevent rattling and put it in the rear compartment of the tube.
Put the tube in the lower hole of the stock and pack patches on top to prevent rattling.

Optional: Put the M3-A1 Combination Tool in the lower hole and pack in patches to prevent rattling.

If you have the later M1/M14 short amber plastic tube, put oil in the front compartment, put grease in the rear compartment that has the short, bent spatula type applicator.
Put it in the lower hole.
Wrap the M10 handle/tool in patches and put it in the hole.
Pack patches on top to prevent rattling.

Usually the M3-A1 Combination tool, patches, and bore solvent were carried in a small canvas pouch in the field pack.

Here's a link to a picture of the M10 kit in the stock. Click on it to expand.
Note that the "spacer" shown in the upper hole is the short section of plastic tubing.

http://web.archive.org/web/20030606022540/http://jouster.com/lanestips/m1accessory.jpg