well a few might now but i am a machinist in the AF.  today the security forces dropped by work tonight and wanted to know if i could do them a favor.  i asked what it was and they wanted me to demill 100 or so M16's!  i damn near cried.  a mans got to do what a mans got to do.  they sat there and watched me plasma cut down the whole lenght of the rifle  10.5, 16, 20's.  also had to do 2 M60's and 1 M2.  and some people say the airforce does not have a hard job!

What was the stated reason for the demill?

This type of thing infuriates me.

I have "elected" people to insure that I'm never able to access weapons "equal" to the ones they have. This practically guarantees that we are under the total control of the government.

Is this really a nation of "free" people?

Quoted: What was the stated reason for the demill? This type of thing infuriates me. I have "elected" people to insure that I'm never able to access weapons "equal" to the ones they have. This practically guarantees that we are under the total control of the government. Is this really a nation of "free" people?

Freer than most but not as free as our Constitution and Founding Fathers would have it. We have failed to keep our Government in check and have paid a price for our lapse.

What do you think the solution is?

Quoted: Quoted: What was the stated reason for the demill? This type of thing infuriates me. I have "elected" people to insure that I'm never able to access weapons "equal" to the ones they have. This practically guarantees that we are under the total control of the government. Is this really a nation of "free" people? Freer than most but not as free as our Constitution and Founding Fathers would have it. We have failed to keep our Government in check and have paid a price for our lapse. What do you think the solution is?

That is what happens when only 50% of the eligible people register to vote.  And out of that, at best only 50%, and typically only 10-30% of them actually vote in any election.  So the amount of people who actually vote is 15%. And rarity out of rarity, only 1-2% of them actually run for office. A successfull republic-democracry requires that all eliible people to vote intelligently.

Your vote doesn't always matter, any one remember voting on the assault weapons ban? How about the 1986 gun control act? Me either. I agree, we have lapsed and let the country slip from the peoples hands, and in to the greedy hands of politicians who only do whats best for their pockets! What do we do?

Quoted: That is what happens when only 50% of the eligible people register to vote.  And out of that, at best only 50%, and typically only 10-30% of them actually vote in any election.  So the amount of people who actually vote is 15%. And rarity out of rarity, only 1-2% of them actually run for office. A successfull republic-democracry requires that all eligible people to vote intelligently.

Agreed.  I keep running into people who do not care about what the government does, at all.

I would have cried too.

The GOVT is sometimes so stupid, at least sell the parts. I would love a SP-1 barrel.

"steal" the lower and an auto sear, then sell them to Bill Klinton, tell him that it will improve his sex performance... he'll sure to want it! then report him to the BATF...

i tried to get a reason out of them.  they would not budge.  i had to sign for every part that i received.  a few parts might have fell on the floor though!

machinehead what base?  my best friend is Security Forces at Clear I can try to find out from him if he knows anything about it.
john

  It *sounds* like the SF people were following procedures.  It's been a while, but I recall a pamphlet called the Defense Disposal Manual which listed several methods of demilitarization before the item could be turned over to DRMO (formerly called PDO).  Each NSN had a code (forget if it was letter or number), and this manual specified exactly how to demil certain items. Many items (e.g. empty ammo boxes) did not require any demil.    
    I agree this sounds odd, as maybe another military unit elsewhere could have used these excess (not necessarily obsolete) items.  However, since this was Alaska, it's possible the cost of secure shipping and shortage of airlift made it more cost-effective to demil these on base.  I would guess this decision was made at a higher level (item manager at Hill AFB?) than the SFS.  
   Maybe Chuck or the Army Ord Guy can provide more current info on demil policy.    
   Machinehead, you DO have a hard job!  Maybe you could sign up for an Ophra Winfrey segment about severe mental anguish....  

   Here's the DRMS www site, and maybe someone with a lot of spare time can find the answer:

http://www.drms.dla.mil/index.html

That Sucks!!

Egads!!  I was an SP (did they change the name??) for 4yrs.  We had 1970's new M16's this was 87-91.  I remember unwrapping them and issuing for quals.  These were the old SP1 types without the forward assist, had triangle handguards, and three prong flash hiders.  Were the demill ones the same????   I think I would have found a way to save some parts.  The USAF never did much like small arms anyhow.  My M60 was vietnam era as well.