Lessons Learned

It is possible to lubricate an M-16 too much. I just found up the hard way. I never knew, I just assumed that lots of silicone lube would, like in the civilian firearms I've used, keep the rifle working smoothly and reduce fouling.

WELL... M-16s can do something called grease lock when excess lube rides into the chamber. When the round detonates, it forms a near perfect seal somehow and will not come out after firing is complete.

I was merrily shooting some control drills when I heard the gun make an odd sound. It was the sound that usually means that the bolt did not make it all the way and that a spent case is now all I have in chamber. Only thing was, I felt the rifle cycle. I went through the good old SPORTS drill and got no farther than O. I Observed that there was a case stuck in the chamber. It would not come out for anything, so the gun had to go to the Undergound Armory of Death where dark rituals had to be performed to remove the stuck case.

Here's the funny thing: I used the large ammount of lube because certain people that I need to listen to had been on me to keep my rifle cleaner. Clean apparently means not just no dirt, but THIN coats of lube. I have learned.

Even though I was the best shooter on that line (by a narrow margin, but best is still best), it did no good since my rifle went down because of me halfway through the exercise.