[MicroBalrog]

Here's what they taught me:

1) Always clear a weapon while holding it at 60 degrees, each time you receive one from another soldier, start working on it, end working on it, or give it to a soldier.

2)Don't point guns at people.

3)Always secure springs when disassembling.

4)No ammunition may be allowed into an armoury.

5)Always wear military boots when working in an armoury.

6)Always clear up all oil patches on the floor.

7)Do not smoke in the armoury.

Anything else?

[4v50 Gary]

Safety glasses for when parts go airborne.

Good point about military boots and I've never seen it before. Considering how heavy the objects are that can fall on your foot, it's worthwhile.

BTW, I twice had chisels drop on the floor in the class I took two weeks ago. Glad they missed my foot (I had light leather tennis type shoes on) and that I had a rubber mat that prevent the blade from striking the concrete.

[MicroBalrog]

Safety glasses for when parts go airborne.


Methinks my own will do - wearing real safety glasses is inadvisable in an environment where nobody else does.

[4v50 Gary]

If you already have glasses, that's good enough for gubmint work. :) However, don't be afraid to be a trailblazer. Great men have been laughed at by their contemporaries as fools and later to be lauded as brilliant.

BTW, share some armourer stories with us sometime. Like, tough guns to work on or fix and how you overcame it (besides, "hey, sarge!").

Oh, it's a joke but as we use to say, Use a bigger hammer.

[Jim K]

I'll tell two armorer stories, both on me.

I once disassembled the buffer on a .50 M2 and let thing slip. The cap went through the arms room window, through the screen, and bounced off the side of Co. B's arms room, about 50 feet away. I am glad to say there was no one hit, including me. That gun may not be quite as dangerous at the back end as at the front, but I was impressed. I had quite a time explaining to the First Shirt why the broken window and torn screen.

Then there was the time I had a quart can of bore cleaner spring a leak. The can was less than a quarter full, so I decided to save what was left in a Coke bottle. Of course, I knew what was in that bottle. Sure I did. Until I reached for my Coke, got the wrong bottle and took a swig. Fortunately, I didn't swallow. So anyone who says I have a dirty mouth is wrong; my mouth was cleaned out very thoroughly. Gawd, what a taste!!

Jim