Will Eisner M-16 U.S. Army rifle maintenance booklet (1968)
Ethan Persoff scanned a US Army rifle maintenance booklet from 1968 that instructs soldiers to treat their rifles like a woman. Art by the incomparable WIll Eisner. Link
Ethan Persoff scanned a US Army rifle maintenance booklet from 1968 that instructs soldiers to treat their rifles like a woman. Art by the incomparable WIll Eisner. Link
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"Sir, the private's rifle's name is Charlene, sir!"
this is confusing because i already...nevermind
Your M16 is "your dearest next o'skin"? *Snort*
Also, step #2 should be tattooed on the inside of every gun owner's eyelids.
"a 1968 US Army rifle maintenance booklet from 1968"
Brought to you by:
Bob's Department of Redundancy Department and also Bob, Too.
Damned if that isn't one of the most gol-durned condescending manuals I have ever laid my eyes upon, I declare.
I know I always make sure to lock my girlfriend's bolt before I give her com pin a quarter turn.
"This is my weapon, this is my gun,
This is for killing, this is for fun"
This is the doggerel used in the British army to teach new recruits not to refer to their personal weapon (normally a rifle) as a 'gun'. I would have to say that I dont think I have ever heard guys (even soldiers) refer to their penis as a gun, but thats the army for you!
I prefer, uh, older women...like the M-14.
...Or the Grand Dame of battle, the M-1 Garand.
Still, I do own an AR-15 (i.e. the civilian semiauto model), so I appreciate this.
"Maybe you got bad round... Imperialist."
LOL
Some folks swear by the M-16, but look at all the moving parts and little retaining pins, without which it will not fire.
I'd take the M1A over the M16 any day.
Does this booklet have anything to do with how unreliable and dangerous to the soldiers holding them the first M16s were?
@TOXONIX - Well, the M16 was still fairly simple, and it could be manufactured cheaply and in great numbers. It could, in my experience, take quite a bit of punishment, and a ten year old girl could fire it. It was as user-friendly as a BB gun.
Will Eisner maybe wasn't a Robert Crumb, Frank Miller or Alan Moore, but god-dammit, when he was good he was goooooood!
#10 Blame McNamara
@ #12 Oskar: Frank Miller wishes he were Will Eisner. And Alan Moore long ago gave up any pretense that he was a visual artist; he openly homaged Eisner with Rick Vietch on their "Greyshirt" stories.
This series was blogged on here less than a month ago. Perhaps I'll scan the copy I've got. It'd be pretty sweet if the interest might compel the military into republishing these or releasing the rights to another publisher; I would imagine any potentially sensitive info contained therein is probably long defunct.
Is it odd to anyone else that the girl above is dressed like a Guantanamo "detainee"? I realize this was one-color printing, but it's still unsettling.
Wasn't it Joe Biden who said anyone who called his rifle "baby" needed to have his head examined?
But the army *told* him to do that!
When I joined the army, the sarge at base camp tol us 'say hi to your new girlfriend. for the next three year you'll be sleeping with her.' and so we did.
I served in the US Army in the mid 80's and while I never actually named my M-16 or my .45 cal sidearm, my sleeping bag was named "Laura"!
The M-16 was a horrible rifle beset by serious problems (both engineering and political) when first introduced. The official response to the in field jamming was that the rifle was not being maintained properly. Probably the reason for this pamphlet being produced. The real problem was not improper maintenance but faulty engineering which got a lot of soldiers killed before it was sorted out.
You can read one account of the travails of the M-16a1 here if you're so inclined.
@EDT 16
That was always my understanding. A few years ago, the military decided to keep the system rather than go for a more modern rifle, mostly because they'd finally gotten the bugs out.
But yeah, looking at this thing, I'm reminded why I don't own any guns (in the US--not allowed in Japan, usually). Most of my experience with them is how once a year my dad made use get them out of the safe and clean each damned one, even though they hadn't been shot for years. Taking them apart, oiling them up... And then when you finally do get to take them to the range, they throw green gun oil all over you and your reward is taking them back home and cleaning them again.
If you want to dissuade people from owning guns, just make them take care of them properly, like they do in the Army (where my dad learned). Unless you're going to be using them frequently or will be depending on them for your life, like, right now, they are just plain too much of a hassle.
Please tell me that's not a cameltoe she's sporting there? I had heard that animators like throwing things like that into their drawings for laughs...
@#19 Kyle
Hehe, interesting perspective. I was also taught by the Army how to meticulously maintain the M16a1 and have spent far too many hours sitting on my poncho cleaning the dang thing. I also spent three years as my school's rifle team captain. But that was over twenty years ago and oddly enough, I don't miss it too much... :-)
Now I find myself finding excuses not to go shooting as it's such a PITA to keep them clean. :-)
"This is my weapon, this is my gun,
This is for killing, this is for fun"
American doggerel, too, it's leaked down to the JROTC corps I'm in. The "G" word is met with barks of "I'm gonna see your face in the dirt in two seconds, cadet, or I'll put it there myself!"
Or at least back in our glory days. Now pushups are too harsh a punishment.
We have guides that are done in this style. I think they are pretty useful and informative. Beats flipping through a freaking TM.
Tenn-san
the dojo offers a similar fiery forge and anvil for the will. The difference is that you can walk out the door at any time you wish.
Which is the greater trial?
Taku-san;
I am not your -san!
If JROTC is a forge and anvil, it's an Easy-Bake model.
that you see this makes you equal
In one matter alone, perhaps. In the rest, still unequal.
Dear Tenn, my decrepitude is not an advantage. Rejoice in your youth and trust your instincts. They are good. Just continue to be kind.
Dear Takuan, hush. Your decrepitude is slipping and I can see your senility from here. I strive for kindness and knowledge but they're only budding things yet.