Answers To Comments About the Militia Proficiency Test
Thanks everybody for writing in, although no one volunteered a 40-round, 100-meter qual course.
Here are some answers to the questions I got.
Anonymous-1, et al: this is for any able-bodied law-abiding citizen, military or no. In fact, I'd like to see it taken and passed by someone who's had NO military or police service.
Freeman: Driver's license is not to prove good conduct, but to put a face alongside a name and address, against a voter's card and cert. of good conduct. He who has a voter's registration card is a citizen in good standing. The license is simply an enabler.
Scooby: Ten rounds is fine. Ten rounds is what they gave me at Quantico in 1989 (back in the Old Corps), and then we started firing for score. If you get a good three-round group you definitely start adjusting. And thank you for mentioning dry fire! We had shitloads of snapping-in at Quantico, and it is truly the key to marksmanship. This test rewards someone who has gotten the training and maintains proficiency on his own. In other words, has made sure he is "well-regulated."
BullNav: I hope it would encourage people to get to know their friendly neighborhood service rifle! As Jeff Cooper said, the M16 might not be much of a rifle, but it's the one we've got and so we all ought to be trained to its use. Good on him who joins a club and seeks out the knowledge. I didn't want to use personal weapons in order to establish a clean baseline where skill and proficiency come before gear. Thanks, BR. Now, what about a 40-round, 100-meter qual course?
PoshBoy: Good points, I'd like to see a similar program today with the CMP or whatever it's called. Nothing mandatory here, just a voluntary test to see who can assemble, check, zero, shoot, disassemble, and clean the service rifle. I'd loooove to see it be part of say, voter registration, like it is in Switzerland. :-)
Anonymous-2 and -3: Again, no qualification, although that would be interesting. Militias do matter, because we, The People, ARE the militia. We "get" guns because we possess that right, and for no other reason. No person, and no piece of paper, allows or grants us that right. And yes, WILLINGNESS is the key here! He who is willing to accept the challenge of seeking out the training, securing the weapons, and maintaining his skills with them will find this a straightforard test.
Again-- anyone have any ideas on the course of fire?
Here are some answers to the questions I got.
Anonymous-1, et al: this is for any able-bodied law-abiding citizen, military or no. In fact, I'd like to see it taken and passed by someone who's had NO military or police service.
Freeman: Driver's license is not to prove good conduct, but to put a face alongside a name and address, against a voter's card and cert. of good conduct. He who has a voter's registration card is a citizen in good standing. The license is simply an enabler.
Scooby: Ten rounds is fine. Ten rounds is what they gave me at Quantico in 1989 (back in the Old Corps), and then we started firing for score. If you get a good three-round group you definitely start adjusting. And thank you for mentioning dry fire! We had shitloads of snapping-in at Quantico, and it is truly the key to marksmanship. This test rewards someone who has gotten the training and maintains proficiency on his own. In other words, has made sure he is "well-regulated."
BullNav: I hope it would encourage people to get to know their friendly neighborhood service rifle! As Jeff Cooper said, the M16 might not be much of a rifle, but it's the one we've got and so we all ought to be trained to its use. Good on him who joins a club and seeks out the knowledge. I didn't want to use personal weapons in order to establish a clean baseline where skill and proficiency come before gear. Thanks, BR. Now, what about a 40-round, 100-meter qual course?
PoshBoy: Good points, I'd like to see a similar program today with the CMP or whatever it's called. Nothing mandatory here, just a voluntary test to see who can assemble, check, zero, shoot, disassemble, and clean the service rifle. I'd loooove to see it be part of say, voter registration, like it is in Switzerland. :-)
Anonymous-2 and -3: Again, no qualification, although that would be interesting. Militias do matter, because we, The People, ARE the militia. We "get" guns because we possess that right, and for no other reason. No person, and no piece of paper, allows or grants us that right. And yes, WILLINGNESS is the key here! He who is willing to accept the challenge of seeking out the training, securing the weapons, and maintaining his skills with them will find this a straightforard test.
Again-- anyone have any ideas on the course of fire?
posted by vmijpp at 8:23 PM
5 Comments:
OK, I'll start.
Bring your own center-fire rifle (or a borrowed one) and sixty rounds of compatable ammo. I'd like to say a minimum of .308 but since Uncle has declared that .223 is sufficient, OK.
Iron sights are to be used; shooters may wear prescription lenses.
Staff selects 50 rounds, keeping ten for alibi shots or post-qualification testing of ammo if needed.
Slow fire is ten rounds in five minutes. Rapid fire is ten rounds in thirty seconds. Reload time is included in the given time. Slow fire unless specified otherwise.
Target is a set of ten steel 6" diameter poppers, one shot at each.
A hit knocks down the popper; six hits are required to pass a stage.
10 rounds, standing offhand (without sling) at 100 meters.
10 rounds, standing offhand with sling at 100 meters.
10 rounds, kneeling, with or without sling, at 100 meters.
10 rounds, prone, with sling, at 300 meters.
10 rounds, offhand, without sling, rapid fire, at 100 meters.
Each of the five stages must be passed. Awards may be given for exceeding the minimums. Paper targets may be used instead of poppers; how to adjust the diameter I'm not sure.
-- htom
I'd like to amend that proposal.
Shooter may decide to stop shooting a stage once they've passed that stage (six hits), saving the remaining ammo for that stage for optional stages. Having passed the five stages (firing at least 30 rounds, they'd have at most 20 left.)
Sixth stage: sitting position, 100 meters.
Seventh stage: standing offhand, with sling, 300 meters.
Eighth stage: At most eight rounds, prone, 500 meters. Score is number of hits.
-- htom
Completely off topic, but, in the spirit of the British Alpine Rifles (who shoot pistols in Switzerland because of our benighted firearms legislation, and have a course of fire which is shot in evening dress and holding a glass of brandy...), I've always liked the idea of a "self sufficiency" course of fire: parachute into seawater with your weapon of choice, swim (say) a mile ashore, walk to the range (probably Sennybridge in Wales) for your 5 minute window. 2 rounds, no sighters. Challenging but fair.
Anonymous (x3?)... good posts, many thanks, sorry for delay in responding... i really like that self-sufficiency test! not sure i'm up to that standard though. jpp
I could go with your proposal. Still like the pop-ups, though...
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