A dozen of us in the room, seated at tables forming a huge square. On the tables are strewn the parts of a dozen matching assault rifles, all in different stages of disassembly. The air is rich with the scent of solvent.

The instructor draws our attention to the small screw near the front of the weapon. Explaining it needs to be turned opposite to the barrel, otherwise the exhaust gases won't be diverted into the tube that automatically loads the next round.

"Well, why do they even have that?" someone asks.

"Turn it the other way, and that's how you launch grenades," the instructor answers.

And from the back of the room, in dead-pan seriousness, a fellow complains...

"I didn't get any grenades with mine."