# 11 yo girl dis/reassembles machine gun. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 16, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775 "2008-09-16T01:26:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/1 "2008-09-16T01:26:45Z")
> **[An Eleven Year old Girl and her Weapon](https://johncwright.livejournal.com/183732.html)** > > Surely it is written: it is more difficult for Achmed to put a damsel in a burka when she is armed with an AR 15. Semper Fi! From funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor . If Robert Heinlein were still around, maybe he could write a story... Disturbing or wonderful? I vote wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/2 "2008-09-16T01:29:04Z")
It’s not a machine gun. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/3 "2008-09-16T01:35:11Z")
Always a good day when it starts off with a video for the lolicon gun nut in you. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/4 "2008-09-16T01:36:54Z")
It’s an AR15…it’s not like it’s **hard**. They’re designed to be simple to strip. Not that I’m unimpressed. That’s one lucky little girl, and I’m sure she will never find a man worthy of her. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/5 "2008-09-16T01:37:51Z")
As said before, it is not a machine gun, it is an AR-15, the semiautomatic (civilian) version of the M-16. My son has been practicing on mine ever since he saw this video. He hasn’t come close to her time yet. Taking the bolt apart trips him up. That little girl would have put a lot of my fellow soldiers to shame when I was in the Army. I say good thing. ---
**Author:** ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/6 "2008-09-16T01:49:02Z")
It’s awesome. I especially love the girl’s gleeful grin at the end of the video. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/7 "2008-09-16T01:52:51Z")
It is really just a mechanical puzzle just like the kind that lots of kids get good at. The end result of what it becomes has no bearing on anything. It is cool trick but has little real-world purpose. She could demonstrate how fast you can take apart and put back together plenty of things. Let me be the first to point out that Forrest Gump would kick her ass at this demonstration and he is an imbecile. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/8 "2008-09-16T01:55:17Z")
Certainly not wonderful, but I’m not sold on it being disturbing either. How did she come into possesion of said machine gun? Is she being taught gun safety? Context is everything. I’ve got a 3 year old niece who wants nothing more than to be like Daddy in everything. Daddy’s not interested in guns, so niece isn’t either. (And yes, 3 year olds and 11 year olds are worlds apart). But if the 11 year old has a mentor who will teach her responsible gun use, I’m reluctant to condemn that mentor just because I’d be happier in a world with fewer guns. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/9 "2008-09-16T01:57:10Z")
Is that safe? I don’t really know from guns…could she accidentally blow off her head? ---
**Author:** ![Erasmus\_Darwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@Erasmus\_Darwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erasmus_Darwin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/10 "2008-09-16T02:02:47Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Is that safe? I don’t really know from guns…could she accidentally blow off her head? Watch the video again, and this time pay close attention to the direction the barrel faces at all times. She never points it at herself, and she never points it at the camera man. That, in addition to the gun being unloaded, makes it pretty safe. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/11 "2008-09-16T02:05:50Z")
The way she checked for function at the end of the tape makes me trust this girl a lot more than most people I know to not do something stupid. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/12 "2008-09-16T02:09:20Z")
I’ve seen that little girl on youtube before. I can’t find the video that I saw before, but here’s the same video as the OP’s link, except that it is on youtube. There’s a bunch of other videos of her shooting in the related links. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/13 "2008-09-16T02:10:13Z")
This is remarkable for an 11-year-old? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/14 "2008-09-16T02:10:41Z")
It’s nice to have a hobby, but those things are designed to be incredibly simple to take apart and put back together. Believe me, some of the guys in my basic training unit would have been lucky to have the brains & coordination of an eleven-year-old. It’s really just a relatively simple toy. ---
**Author:** ![Pollux\_Oil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/858c86/32.png) [@Pollux\_Oil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pollux_Oil)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/15 "2008-09-16T02:15:51Z")
Tell you one thing: when that girl gets into the dating world her father won’t have to talk to any suitors about hurting his little girl. Instead, he’ll just show them the video and say “She did this at 11. Imagine what she can do now.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/16 "2008-09-16T02:15:53Z")
Why couldn’t I know a girl like her when I was that age? Damn! ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/17 "2008-09-16T02:16:09Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > It is cool trick but has little real-world purpose. When your AR-15 jams up as a horde of zombies close in on you, I’m sure you will change your tune. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/18 "2008-09-16T02:19:43Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > When your AR-15 jams up as a horde of zombies close in on you, I’m sure you will change your tune. Well, she took it apart and put it back together, but I didn’t see her clear a jam while being chased by zombies. You can clean the damn thing later! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/19 "2008-09-16T02:19:52Z")
> [@Eureka](#): > > Is she being taught gun safety? From the videos I’ve seen, she seems to know a lot more about gun safety than a lot of the adults I know who shoot. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775/20 "2008-09-16T02:28:43Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Is that safe? I don’t really know from guns…could she accidentally blow off her head? I see no indication of any live ammo anywhere in the camera shot. She’s obviously under knowledgeable adult supervision by the cameraman. Gun barrel is pointed away from all known locations of humans–ie, herself and the cameraman. I’d say that’s about as safe as it is possible to be. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-yo-girl-dis-reassembles-machine-gun/463775.md?page=2)