Policy Statement on Pistol Shooting

Pointing any type of firearm (which includes paintball and lasers) at any individual is unacceptable. However, law enforcement departments and agencies using firearms in standard officer/agent training may use their training agenda when accompanied with appropriate safety equipment in the Law Enforcement Exploring program.

Pistol Shooting Program

Purpose. The purpose of the shooting program is threefold:

1. Teach respect for firearms.
2. Provide training and exposure to the basics of pistol shooting.
3. Promote firearms safety.

Types of Shooting. The following conditions are in effect for participation by Law Enforcement Explorers involved in a shooting program:

1. For the purpose of safety training, and exposure to the latest in law enforcement equipment, both revolver-type and semiautomatic handheld weapons are approved for regular post program (range) activity, incorporating required safety procedures and range masters. The carrying of any type of offensive or defensive weapon by Explorers is strictly prohibited.
2. Handheld automatic weapons are prohibited in post or conference competitions.
3. Training and competition are permitted for timed, slow, and rapid fire.
4. All firing is to be conducted at a distance of 25 yards.
5. Only bull's-eye targets are to be used (the B-13 target is preferred).
6. One- or two-handed shooting in training and competition is optional.

Guidelines for Use of Handguns.

1. Combat-style or PPC (police practical courses) shooting is not condoned. Neither the National Rifle Association (NRA) nor Learning for Life encourages, promotes, or sanctions participation or training in this mode of shooting.
2. Handgun use is limited to the Explorer program only.
3. All training and shooting activities must be under the supervision of an NRA-certified instructor or the firearms instructor of a local, state, or federal agency.
4. All participants must complete a basic pistol marksmanship course before range firing. The NRA Basic Pistol Marksmanship course or an equivalent training course conducted by a law enforcement agency, a civilian gun club, or a U.S. military department is acceptable.
5. The "Explorer Handgun Shooting—Range Operation Outline" must be used in conjunction with the basic pistol marksmanship training.
6. With the approval of the local Learning for Life office, handgun shooting may be conducted on local Learning for Life camp ranges, provided that the shooting is done under the auspices of an NRA-certified instructor or a firearms instructor of a local, state, or federal agency.
7. Care must be taken to comply with federal, state, and local laws.
8. Reference "Handgun Policy" and "Unauthorized Activities" in Safety First - Learning for Life Guidelines, found on this Web site.
9. See the new NRA Marksmanship Programs for Law Enforcement Explorers.

Explorer Handgun Shooting—Range Operation Outline

Developed in cooperation with the National Rifle Association of America, Washington, D.C.

I. Introduction

Instructors must keep in mind that this is not, and cannot be, treated as formal competitive firing. The shooters must first be taught safety; then, second, the fundamental marksmanship skills. The handgun in the hands of inexperienced students can be more of a safety problem than a rifle in the hands of an inexperienced student because of the fact that the handgun is held and aimed with one hand. A turning of the wrist to one side or the other can cause the pistol to be pointed easily in an unsafe direction. It must be taken into consideration that most of the shooters will be inexperienced young people who are unaccustomed to handgun shooting and will require constant supervision. Therefore, the instructor should control and issue all ammunition before each firing exercise.

II. Range Safety Rules

The instructor should thoroughly explain the following safety rules before any range exercises are conducted.

1. Observe all standard rules pertaining to pistols. The cardinal rules are:
   1. Treat all guns as though they are loaded.
   2. Never point a gun at anyone.
2. Keep the finger off the trigger until the pistol is pointed toward the target.
3. Specific rules pertaining to your handgun and this range:
   1. All safety precautions will be adhered to and enforced at all times.
   2. Strictest discipline will be maintained. Carelessness and thoughtlessness cannot and will not be tolerated during handgun training.
   3. Immediately, on picking up a pistol, you should open the action and check to see that it is unloaded—always check it again.
   4. When handgun is given to or accepted from anyone, the action is to be open.
   5. Always keep the action open when the handgun is on the shooting bench or stand, not actually being fired.
   6. Load only after position is taken at the firing point and command to load has been given.
   7. Unload when and as instructed.
   8. Keep the pistol pointed downrange at all times.
   9. Keep the trigger finger outside of the trigger guard when handling the pistol.
   10. No smoking on the firing line.
   11. No talking on the firing line, except by the coach or instructor.
   12. When using a revolver, never let the hammer down on a live cartridge without placing the thumb in front of hammer and releasing the trigger. (Instructor should again explain and demonstrate this safety grip.)
   13. In case of a misfire with a firearm (not air gun), keep the pistol pointed downrange at least 10 seconds, call out "hang-fire," and keep the firearm pointed downrange before opening the action. This is necessary should a hang-fire occur. (A hang-fire is a delayed firing of a cartridge.)
   14. In double-action revolver shooting, misfires are generally caused by a light blow of the hammer.
   15. Never fire a succeeding shot after a malfunction without first unloading and checking the barrel for obstructions. (If any obstruction is in the barrel, ask for assistance from the instructor.)
   16. Never leave the firing point without first unloading your handgun.
   17. Do not go in front of the firing line until the firing line has been cleared and the command is given to go forward.
   18. You cannot dry fire on the range except under supervision of the instructor or coach.
   19. Pay strict attention to the instructor and coach. They will instruct you exactly what to do during the range exercise.

III. Coaching

The position of the coach is beside and on the open side of the shooter.

For a right-handed person, the coach would stand to the left of the shooter. For a left-handed person, the coach would stand to the right of the shooter. The coach's position permits him or her to observe the shooter for the basic fundamentals of marksmanship and for safety. Also, the coach is in the best possible position to prevent the shooter from pointing the pistol at another person.

The following can be used as a coach's checklist.

1. Feet. Should be spread about 12 to 18 inches apart or shoulder width and the body approximately at a 30-degree to 45-degree angle from the target.
2. Legs. Should be straight but not stiff and weight evenly distributed on each foot.
3. Trunk of the body. Erect but relaxed. Shooter should not lean backward or side to side.
4. Neck. Should be straight with the head erect so the shooter can look straight out of one or both eyes at the front sight.
5. Arms. Shooting arm should be extended with the elbow and wrist locked. There should be no crook in the elbow. Nonshooting arm should be out of the way, preferably in the front pocket of the trousers.
6. Grip. Place gun in shooting hand with the other hand barrel in line with the forearm. Grip tight enough to control the pistol but not create a tremor. The thumb should be relaxed along the side of the handgun.
7. Breath control. Hold the breath while firing the shot.
8. Follow-through. For two or three seconds after the shot is fired, continue to do everything that was done at the time of the shot.
9. Call the shot. Shooter should call the shot (where he/she believes it is located on the target) even during dry firing.

IV. Instructional Exercises

The following instructional exercises are designed to be used by the instructor while range activities are being conducted. The various exercises are used so as to reinforce the fundamentals of marksmanship learned by the shooter. In addition, the instructor should encourage the shooter to constantly reuse exercises as a method of refining the fundamental marksmanship skills. It is important that the shooter obtain shot groups quickly; thus, it is suggested that initial shooting be conducted at the 15-yard line. All shooting exercises will be single action.

Note: During the initial firing exercise, the ammunition should be issued by the instructor to the one shooter under his/her control and in rotation until each has had an opportunity to fire. This method should be continued until each shooter has demonstrated the ability to safely handle and fire the handgun. At this point, the ammunition should be issued to the coach as the specific exercise requires. All ammunition not fired should be collected by the instructor at the end of the exercise.

Coach-Pupil Method. This is the pairing of two shooter trainees so that each may help the other to learn the fundamental marksmanship skills readily. One student or "pupil" is the shooter, while the other student will act as a "coach." The coach's job is to correct the "pupil's" (shooter's) mistakes by watching for safety, trigger squeeze, sighting, breathing, and position and/or other shooting fundamentals. If the "coach" does the job properly, the fundamental marksmanship skills are repeatedly stressed and safety observed. The "pupil's" job is to concentrate on shooting and calling the shots.

Rest Position. Because many students may not have sufficient strength to hold the handgun steady with one hand, the instructor sets the shooter in a chair, placing a sandbag or semicircular-type rest on the firing bench. The shooter grips the pistol and places his/her arms on the rest to aim and fire. The student can now focus his/her attention on the fundamental marksmanship skills, including sight alignment, trigger, pressure, and breathing.

Dry Firing Exercise. This exercise is helpful in that it allows the shooter to see what happens to the front sight when the hammer falls. Dry firing is shooting the pistol to learn to handle the handgun safely; it also reinforces the learning of marksmanship skills. Dry firing should be done with dummy or empty cases to prevent damage to rim fire pistols.

Ball and Dummy Exercises. This exercise helps the instructor or coach on the firing line to detect poor trigger squeeze. The principle value of the exercise is that it allows the pupil and coach to learn from their mistakes, which are usually quite apparent, when the gun does not actually fire. This exercise combines dry firing with live firing in that only a few rounds of live ammunition or empty cases are placed in the cylinder of the pistol.

It is important that the pupil turns his/her head away while the coach is loading the handgun with live and dummy ammunition.

If a semiautomatic or an airgun is used, the pupil turns his/her head away and the coach loads with either a dummy round or empty case or a live round and closes the action so the pupil won't know whether a round will be fired.

Blank Target Exercise. This exercise stresses the importance of sight alignment. The beginning shooter many times will shoot better groups by eliminating the point of aim and concentrating on sight alignment and trigger pressure. Targets are hung with the "bull" facing away from the firing line. The shooter then aligns the sights and holds for the center of the target paper. Three to five shots should be fired for a group. Instructors should stress not aiming at previously fired shot holes but concentrate on sight alignment.

Slow Fire Exercise. The shooter is usually authorized one minute per shot. This permits the shooter to take the time to concentrate on each shot, as well as the fundamental marksmanship skills.

Timed- and Rapid-Fire Exercises. No timed-fire or rapid-fire exercises should be conducted until the shooters are grouping well during slow-fire shooting. Timed-fire and rapid-fire are normally fired at half the distance of slow-fire. However, when both timed- and rapid-fire are shot at the same distance as slow-fire, the slow-fire target is reduced.

Timed- and rapid-fire dry firing exercises should be conducted before actual live f ire is begun.

Timed-fire consists of a five-shot string fired in 20 seconds. Rapid-fire consists of a five-shot string fired in 10 seconds.

Timed-fire exercises should be conducted first. The shooter should not proceed to rapid-fire until groups are fired in time-fire.

V. Qualifications

A minimum course of fire should be 30 shots, i.e., 10 slow-fire, 10 timed-fire, and 10 rapid-fire. A total of 65 percent or higher is required to qualify. The qualifying course of fire does not have to be limited to 30 shots. The course of fire could be 60 shots, i.e., 20 slow-fire, 20 timed-fire, and 20 rapid-fire. The course will be fired single action and in the standing position. The gun shall be held in one hand only, the other hand and arm being used in no way to support the gun; all portions of the shooter's clothing, body, and gun should be clear of artificial support.

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