[wingnutx]

Here's an exerpt from the Washington Times, regarding that convoy that got lost & clobbered in Iraq:

Mrs. Walters said the Army report's claim that during the ambush members of the 507th Maintenance Company had difficulty defending themselves because their guns jammed is no more than an attempt by military officials to "cover their tracks."

"Don't tell me those soldiers did not properly take care of their guns. I don't want to hear that," she said, adding that her son had asked her to send sticks of uncooked spaghetti to clean his rifle and thick balloons to put on the end of the rifle to keep it clean.



Spaghetti? ***? Anyone here ever clean their rifle with pasta?


http://dynamic.washtimes.com/print_story.cfm?StoryID=20030709-110110-2728r

[cookhj]

i don't know about using pasta, but a condom and a rubber band work well to keep dirt out of your muzzle.

[Art Eatman]

I ain't never seen no spaghetti that's long enough--for starters...

I hate to blow her bubble, but M16s "run" when they're clean. I grant it might be difficult to keep them clean during a sandstorm, but if it's my happy buns at risk, I'll think of something.

M-16s still got that little flap-doodle over the ejection port? If it's closed, how does blowing sand/dust get in, in sufficient quantities to cause a jam? I've owned AR-15s, and I live in an area where there are regular sand/dust storms...

???, Art

[cordex]

Maybe he uses 'em to scrape gunk out of crevices?

Seems like a bad, bad idea to me. Too likely to leave bits of pasta everywhere.

I think he just was tired of MREs.

[wingnutx]

Yes, they still have the cover over the ejector port.

IMO, they just didn't clean their rifles, no matter what she wants to believe.

The spaghetti thing just struck me as bizzarre. I can see asking for q-tips from home, maybe.

We use unsweetened bug juice to clean a lot of stuff, if we can steal some, but I never used it on a weapon.

[Sisco]

We use unsweetened bug juice to clean a lot of stuff
We used it to clean deckplates in the engineering spaces, sure wouldn't put it on my gun! :what:

[ShaiVong]

Pasta to clean a gun?! Har har har har har har har!

Tell me another one! :neener:

[OEF_VET]

Hmmm, 8 years of carrying M-16's and just about every other U.S.G.I. small arms system, and I've never heard of ANYONE using pasta to clean a weapon. If they wanted to get gunk out of small crevices, the one item that is almost universally used in the Army is a set of dental picks. They're indespensible! Another item we used for keeping dust at bay was a barbers brush, the kind you'd apply lather with.

Art, the ejection port cover helps, but in the Middle East, dust still gets into everything. It finds it's way in through the opening around the trigger, through the space between upper and lower recievers, and even under the gap between ejection port and cover. Damn stuff is relentless! No matter what you do, it will find it's way into your weapon. The best way to combat it is good PMCS (Preventative Maintenance Checks and Services). You'd think a REMF unit like Lynch's would know better, IIRC they were a maintenance unit. Heck, I've still got boots and other equipment that I doubt will ever be 100% free of Afghanisand. :D

Frank

[RKCheung]

Ditto what OEF said. Short of putting the entire thing in a hermetically sealed bag, there is no way to prevent sand and dust from getting into the weapon. Frequent cleaning is the only remedy.

[Jim K]

I wonder if we are back (again) to inadequate supply of cleaning equipment. In VN the "pipe cleaner" was not issued at first because the army was told by Colt that the gas tube was self-cleaning. As it turned out, the method of powder manufacture caused clogged tubes (and the army blamed the troops).

The gas tube is the only part of the M16 I can think of that spaghetti would even remotely be considered for cleaning, and that would be a pretty desperate use. Maybe the GI asked for some kind of long thin rod and his mother decided that spaghetti fit the description. (Is she Italian?)

Jim

[boing]

Maybe he just wanted some spaghetti?

[4v50 Gary]

I'm sure something's lost in the translation. The pasta is for the Beretta M-9. You know, Italian gun, Italian food. Hmmmm...

Aha! He probably wants to toss it over the desert so he can hear the camels sneaking up on him.

[Okiecruffler]

Everyone knows the M16 calls for fettucini. Preferably with a light clam sauce.

[George Hill]

Fettucini is for the M249. The M-16s, you use RAMEN on them.
Everyone knows that.

[OEF_VET]

Maybe he wanted to make spaghetti carbonara.

Ok, I'll quit making jokes now.

Frank

[Okiecruffler]

"Maybe he wanted to make spaghetti carbonara."


I don't get it?!?



:neener: :evil: :neener:

[mete]

Okiecruffler ,you are slow. Carbon deposits in the gun -- spaghetti carbonara !! I did come across a shotgun that wouldn't work. He swore that his kids didn't have access to the gun --then how did the peanut butter sandwich get stuffed into the gun ?

[DAL]

Maybe spaghetti is slang for pipe cleaners?
DAL

[gun-fucious]

there are reports of jammed 50's from Iraq

if you can jam up a M-2
what chance does a M-16 have?

[BDM]

Being Italian I would say an alfredo sauce for the M16,make sure to simmer your bolt/carrier for at least 15 minutes ,clp can be substituted for olive oil or LSA if you cant get extra virgin,and never fettucini with a clam sauce it has to be linguini and thats perfect for the M249,and dont forget guys friday is lent,so no meat in the sauce and no wine ,we are operating in the middle east no alcohol,unless you filter brake fluid through the garlic bread.:D

[sm]

I understand our troops wanting finger cots, condoms, chapstick, and baby wipes. I don't understand spaghetti.

I must be wired right--right? ;)

Spagehetti--I still throw it against the 'fridge--if it sticks--it's done. This trick work on a HV ?