Dec 17 2007
Firearms maintenance with children
Yesterday, during the massive snow-dump I decided I would break the Norinco M14 out of the gun cabinet and give it a routine cleaning. This is a perilous exercise while Jilly is awake and moving, as she ALWAYS wants to help Daddy when he cleans guns. I had hoped to give the M14, SMLE and the M1 a going over, but gave up after a semi-complete cleaning of the M14.
Here’s why:
Jilly: Daddy clean guns?
Me: Yes Jilly, this is a rifle. Can you say Rifle?
Jilly: Wy-full. I help you? I fix?
Me: Sure sweetie.
-anxiously looking around for a non-critical part, ah the stock…I was going to repaint that anyway-
Me: You fix the stock for Daddy, ok?
Jilly: Ok, I fix this for you. (grabbing the gas cylinder wrench out of my cleaning kit)
Me: Uh…ok.
-The sound of metal slamming into the Harris bipod echoes through the house for a minute-
Me: Jilly, why don’t you help me over here.
Jilly: OK!
Me: No Jilly, don’t put the trigger group into your mouth.
Me: No Jilly, please don’t eat the grease.
Me: Jilly, please take the op-rod spring out of your mouth.
Me: Jilly, please bring the bolt back here.
-rifle re-assembled in seconds-
Me: You know what, we’re all done. Thanks sweetheart!
You’d have think I’d have learned by now. Firearms get cleaned early in the morning or late at night. Never, never when our little munchkin is running around the house.
Just a thought, but how about an “Airsoft” or like minded replica that Jilly can call her own?
For the last year or so we’ve been looking at “The Cricket”, it was going to be “The loaner rifle of shame” for range trips with the “I’ve never shot but I play allot of Halo 3 crowd”.
It was going to be purchased in hot pink ofcourse.
It would also work as a little girls first gun.
http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/newsnow/2007/11/sjPINK_GUNS02.jpg
Oh I forgot…Best of all, they make one inch rings for it.
Just to add insult to injury I was going to throw one of those NC-star
“Sniper” scopes on it….HA
Ouch, Piet. Just… ouch.
That reminds me I missed my monthly cleaning/assembly refresher course…
There might not be as many questions, but just as fun cleaning your gun with five cats. Because that most important spirng also makes a perfect toy to be batted around, thus the door is closed and the cats kicked out of the gun room once cleaning begins.
Plastic toy wrench - $3 with toy kit.
AEG AK on clearance at Sports Authority - $39
Jilly not putting Break Free in her mouth - priceless.