MiracleWhip
New Member
When was the last time youve been on the pistol range?
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Pistol and Rifle Qual
- Thread starter Wickle
- Start date
If you want to shoot as part of your job don't be a pilot. If you want to be a pilot and enjoy shooting buy a gun and go to a local range on your off time.
Pags is correct, but coincidentally, I shot off the back of the carrier a few weeks ago. Perks of being on CAG Staff.
I haven't shot at the rifle range since TBS.
I shot at the pistol range for the second time(ever) as part of our pre-deployment work-ups last year.
Probably won't go back to the pistol range until it's time for deployment next year and I have no plans on going back to the rifle range.
I shot at the pistol range for the second time(ever) as part of our pre-deployment work-ups last year.
Probably won't go back to the pistol range until it's time for deployment next year and I have no plans on going back to the rifle range.
I don't know why, but my subconscious brain insisted on trying to interpret "shot off" as a catapult shot in an aircraft, not a firearms qual. And was thus thoroughly confused for half a second at what the hell you claimed to be doing on the rounddown, until my intellect caught up and smacked my subconscious brain upside the head.
For a frame of reference:
On deployment, we carry both M9 and M4 but our primary weapon is the M9 (as a pilot). Now, we are primary on both M9 and M4, which means qualifying on both every year.
Yesterday was our annual ARNG range day/drill weekend. It was our first one since returning form deployment. Instead of getting our well cared for weapons back for qual yesterday, we got "reset" weapons. The M9s are always mediocre in quality, but it's fairly easy to qual on M9 unless your weapon malfunctions. It's no big deal.
The M4 I got back had electrical tape holding the adjustable stock in place. The CCO vertical adjustment knob cap had been stripped from overtightening. Evidently someone before me didn't realize you had to remove the cap to make the actual CCO adjustments. The cap had been tightened down to the CCO adjustment housing so that removing the cap resulted in the entire adjustment assembly coming out of the CCO. My iron rear sight had been set 3/4 of the way to left, and the front sight about 6 clicks above flush (mechanical zero). Bottom line is I spent WAY more time getting my weapon usable than I did qualifying. At the beginning of the day, my scary black semi-automatic rifle I have at home was a more effective weapon than the fully automatic POS I started with at the range.
On deployment, we carry both M9 and M4 but our primary weapon is the M9 (as a pilot). Now, we are primary on both M9 and M4, which means qualifying on both every year.
Yesterday was our annual ARNG range day/drill weekend. It was our first one since returning form deployment. Instead of getting our well cared for weapons back for qual yesterday, we got "reset" weapons. The M9s are always mediocre in quality, but it's fairly easy to qual on M9 unless your weapon malfunctions. It's no big deal.
The M4 I got back had electrical tape holding the adjustable stock in place. The CCO vertical adjustment knob cap had been stripped from overtightening. Evidently someone before me didn't realize you had to remove the cap to make the actual CCO adjustments. The cap had been tightened down to the CCO adjustment housing so that removing the cap resulted in the entire adjustment assembly coming out of the CCO. My iron rear sight had been set 3/4 of the way to left, and the front sight about 6 clicks above flush (mechanical zero). Bottom line is I spent WAY more time getting my weapon usable than I did qualifying. At the beginning of the day, my scary black semi-automatic rifle I have at home was a more effective weapon than the fully automatic POS I started with at the range.
The only experience I had with the Army-style qual was at Narmy training at Fort Jackson . . . and F that range right off. They cut it out of the woods, and left trees between the lanes. So you have green targets with stripey tree shadows falling on them from the morning sun, making them blend right into the foliage. I couldn't see shit beyond 150 meters. I had saved rounds at the end of the string where what I thought were single targets were the double targets, and ended up getting freaking marksman. But it was over the minimum, so no retrys. What a shitty range day that was.
We shot at a range like that this weekend. Lots of tree shadows and faded green targets. 200+ meter targets took too long to find. By the time I finally located the target, the best I could do was a quick squeeze of the trigger hoping the round would make it downrange before the target dropped. The icing on the cake was driving past an unused range on the way to/from our range. It had well mowed grass, no trees, and bright blue and orange targets. I've used that range before. It's a no brainer, even for night and NBC quals.
MiracleWhip
New Member
It seems pilots don't go back often. Is it by choice or due to the nature of the job? If wanted, can a pilot qual yearly?
In the Navy, at least, it's because shooting is not your job. Flying your aircraft and leading troops is. You requal before you have to deploy so you can carry a weapon over a combat zone if so required. You can't just decide you want to go requal. When the squadron has the ammunition alloted, and the front office decides, you'll go to the range and requal with the squadron.
A little bit of both. Going to the range takes you away from the squadron for a week and your command may not want to pause your progression if you are in a syllabus or they may need you doing your ground-job. More importantly, there are a limited number of range spots and the spots are normally prioritized to the enlisted Marines because Rifle/Pistol scores matter more for their promotions.
You are a Naval Aviator, your weapon is your aircraft. We carry rifles and pistols in combat, but they are a last resort for when things go really bad.
samb
Active Member
Wow your armorer sucks! I was a one man show in our arms room but I did my best to keep our weapons/optics in good shape. We got the M4 mod about a year before I left, man was I pissed when we did a spur ride and my troop ran the rifle lane. All of our M4s came back with sandbag plastic and dirt stuck to the brand new barrels from soldiers resting them on the bags.
Yes. Those who want to re-qual every year can sniff out ways to do it. those who want to get into competitive Navy shooting (Fleet and All-Navy matches) will sniff out those who know and figure it out on their own. But no one is going to lead you by the hand to do these things.
MiracleWhip
New Member
I'm a Marine, and was just curious how it worked on the Corps side of the house!
Even though I was an air contract at TBS, I put out the best I can and will graduate at the top third of my class here in a couple weeks. I know it doesn't matter as an aspiring aviator and "chest candy" doesn't matter, but its one of those OCD things I want to have a go at again! I am glad to hear pilots will qualify on the pistol. Thanks gentlemen!
Even though I was an air contract at TBS, I put out the best I can and will graduate at the top third of my class here in a couple weeks. I know it doesn't matter as an aspiring aviator and "chest candy" doesn't matter, but its one of those OCD things I want to have a go at again! I am glad to hear pilots will qualify on the pistol. Thanks gentlemen!