AUTOMATIC PISTOL, CAL..45, M1911 AND M1911A1 shoulder, inserting the right forefinger in the trigger guard during the movement and holding the breath. To bring the pistol through the arc of a circle to the aiming position is an unnecessary loss of valuable time. (4) For succeeding shots the sights should be held as nearly on the mark as possible and the breath held throughout the score. The recoil after each shot will throw the sights out of alignment, but they should be brought back immediately to the mark by the shortest route. The recoil should cause a vertical movement of the firing arm upward, the hand moving only 6 to 8 inches. There should be no snapping or bending of the wrist or elbow. The sights will then come back auto- matically on the mark after each shot. To give the pistol a flourish between shots is a useless loss of time. (5) To simulate the self-loading action of the automatic pistol take a strong cord about 4 feet long and tie one end to the thumbpiece of the hammer, the knot on top. Take a few turns of the other end of the cord around the thumb or fingers of the left hand. The cord should be long enough to permit the left hand to hang naturally at the side while aim- ing the pistol with the right hand, right arm fully extended. (6) Each time the hammer falls a quick backward jerk of the left hand re-cocks the pistol and at the same time jerks the sights out of alignment with the bull’s-eye. This derange- ment of the alignment corresponds very closely to the jump of the pistol when actually firing. (7) If the knot is underneath the hammer or if a very thick cord is used the hammer will not remain cocked when jerked back. b. Rapid-fire exercise.-(1) Required for this exercise: A piece of strong cord 4 1/2 feet long for each man; a row of L targets or a row of aiming bull’s-eyes. (2) Give the command: I. INSPECTION 2. PISTOL, and verify the fact that all pistols are unloaded. (3) Explain to the assembled command that the trigger squeeze is the same in rapid fire as in slow fire. (4) Demonstrate the correct method of bringing the pistol by the shortest route to the aiming position. Show how this is done from raise pistol and in drawing the pistol from the holster in an emergency.

AUTOMATIC PISTOL, CAL..45, M1911 AND M1911A1 2. Take the correct grip. 3. Take the correct position. 4. Aline the sights on the target and start the squeeze. Close the eyes and continue to squeeze until the hammer falls. 5. When the hammer falls, open the eyes and check the aim to see if it has been deranged. Note.-The firer should be able to keep on the target. If he is off persistently he should check on his grip and position to see that they are correct. (c) The duties of the coach in this exercise are the same as in the first trigger-squeeze exercise. (3) Third exercise.–In learning to fire the pistol, the av- erage man has a tendency to push or punch forward with the arm or shoulder to meet the force of recoil of the piece. To assist the firer in overcoming this tendency the follow- ing exercise is prescribed: By command, verify the fact that all pistols are unloaded. The firer cocks and locks the piece, takes his firing position, alines the sights under the bull’s- eye, and squeezes the trigger. The coach stands in front of the firer, facing him, and strikes the muzzle of the piece with the palm of his hand. At irregular intervals his hand misses the muzzle. The firer should hold the piece on the target and make no forward punching movement to meet the shock of the blow. If he does push forward with the arm or shoulder it will be apparent when the coach misses the muzzle • 49. Fourth STEP; RAPID fire.-a. Training for rapid fire.-(1) Training for rapid fire is taken up after the trigger- squeeze exercise has been practiced sufficiently to be under- stood thoroughly, but the trigger-squeeze exercise practice in slow fire should be resumed and continued during the entire period of preparatory training. (2) The time consumed in pressing the trigger must neces- sarily be shorter in rapid fire than in slow fire, but the process is the same. (3) To fire the first shot, the pistol should be brought from the position of raise PISTOL by the shortest route to the aiming position with the sights alined on the mark. This is done by a smooth, rapid extension of the right arm straight from the

AUTOMATIC PISTOL, CAL..45, M1911 AND M1911A1 correctly in range practice he did not press the trigger properly and consequently did not know where the sights were pointed when the hammer fell. 0. Trigger-squeeze exercises.-(1) First exercise.-(a) Re- quired for this exercise: A line of L targets with a firing point at 25 yards. (b) Give the command: 1. INSPECTION. 2. PISTOL, and verify the fact that all pistols are unloaded. (c) The squad leader explains to his squad the details of this exercise which are— 1. Cock and lock the piece. 2. Take the correct grip. 3. Take the correct position. 4. Aline the sights on the target and start the squeeze, gradually increasing the pressure on the trigger until all the strength of the hand is employed. 5. Rest the hand. 6. Repeat the above operation with the piece unlocked. 7. Call the shot. (d) The squad leader assures himself that all the men understand the details of this exercise. The work is then carried on by pairs working together, coach and pupil Members of the squad should change over frequently to avoid tiring the muscles of the arm. Extended trigger- squeeze exercise is necessary and the periods should be short but frequent. (e) The duties of the coach are to– 1. See that the firer takes the correct grip. 2. See that the firer takes a correct position. 3. Watch the hand of the firer to see that he is grad- ually increasing the pressure on the trigger. 4. See that the firer rests his shooting hand after having unlocked the piece. 5. See that the firer calls the shot when the exercise is repeated with the piece unlocked. (2) Second exercise.-(a) Give the command: 1. INSPEC- TION, 2. PISTOL, and verify the fact that all pistols are unloaded. (b) The squad leader explains tO his squad the details of this exercise, which are— 1. Cock the piece.

AUTOMATIC PISTOL, CAL..45, M1911 AND M1911A1 (e) Only a few hours in all should be devoted to the position exercises, as all of its details are included in the trigger-squeeze exercise. • 48. Third STEP; trigger squeeze.-a. Importance of cor- rect trigger squeeze,—(1) The recruit can readily learn to aim and hold the aim either on the bull’s-eye or very close to it for at least 10 seconds. When he has learned to press the trigger in such a manner as not to spoil his hold he becomes a good shot. All men flinch in firing the pistol if they know the exact instant at which the discharge is to take place. This is an involuntary action which cannot be controlled. A sudden pressure of the trigger may derange the aim slightly but the extreme inaccuracy of a shot fired in this way is due mainly to the flinch; that is, the thrusting forward of the hand to meet the shock of recoil. Any man who holds the sights of the pistol as nearly on the bull’s-eye as possible and continues to press on the trigger with a uniformly increasing pressure until the pistol goes off is a good shot. Any man who has learned to increase the pres- sure on the trigger only when the sights are in alignment with the bull’s-eye, who holds the pressure when the muzzle swerves, and who continues with the pressure when the sights are again in line with the bull’s-eye is an excellent shot. Any man who tries to “catch his sights” as they touch the bull’s-eye and to set the pistol off at that instant is a very bad shot. (2) The apparent unsteadiness of the pistol while being held on the bull’s-eye does not cause much variation in the striking place of the bullet clue to the fact that the move- ment is of the whole extended arm and pistol. But the sudden pressure of the trigger which always accompanies the flinch deflects the muzzle of the pistol and causes the bullet to strike far from the mark. In squeezing the trigger the pressure must be straight to the rear. There is a tend- ency on the part of some men to press the trigger also to the left. b. Calling the shot.-To call the shot is to state where the sights were pointed at the instant the hammer fell; thus, “high,” “a little low,” “to the left,” “slightly to the right,” “bull’s-eye,” etc. If the soldier cannot call his shot

AUTOMATIC PISTOL, CAL..45, M1911 AND M1911A1 (6) Demonstrate the correct position of the whole body when firing, explaining in detail the position of the feet, legs, body muscles, arms, and head. (7) Require each man to assume the correct firing position. The officers and noncommissioned officers of the organization correct individuals who are at fault. (8) The above exercises having been completed, instruc- tion becomes individual under a coach. The men are placed in pairs opposite L targets or opposite small aiming bull’s- eyes and take turns coaching each other. (9) The details of the position exercises are- (a) Grasp the stock with the correct grip. • (b) Face target, then face half left. (c) Separate the feet 12 to 18 inches. (d) Align the sights on the bottom edge of the bull’s-eye, arm extended. (e) Hold the breath. (f) As soon as the arm becomes tired or the aim becomes unsteady, assume the position of raise PISTOL. (g) The pistol should be removed from the right hand and the muscles of the hand, arm, and shoulder relaxed and exercised before resuming the grip. This should also be done between shots in slow fire. (10) After the firer has completed the position exercise he may repeat it with a weight, such as a pair of field glasses in a case suspended from the right arm. The weight is sus- pended first between shoulder and elbow, then from the fore- arm, then from the wrist, and finally from the barrel of the pistol, interspersed with short rests. The value of this exer- cise lies in developing the muscles of the shoulder and arm. (11) (a) The hammer is not raised during the position exercises and the trigger is grasped very lightly with the finger. (b) After a short rest repeat the exercise. (c) The man acting as coach watches carefully and corrects all errors. (d) The man under instruction and the coach change places as the officer in charge of the instruction desires. This should be every 3 to 5 minutes.

AUTOMATIC PISTOL, CAL..45, M1911 AND M1911A1 the pistol on the target by muscular effort for each shot. Any unnecessary tensing of any of the muscles of the hand, arm, or body will cause tremors and should therefore be avoided. b. Position exercise.-(1) Required for this exercise: A line of L targets with firing points at 15 and 25 yards, or a line of small aiming bull’s-eyes placed at the height of the shoulder. (2) The men, armed with the pistol, are placed in one line at 1-pace intervals. Give the command: 1. INSPECTION, 2. PISTOL, and verify the fact that all pistols are unloaded. FIGURE 12.—Position of the body. (3) Demonstrate the position of the hand in gripping the stock and describe the grip in detail. (4) Require each man to grip the stock of his pistol in the prescribed manner, using the free hand to grasp the barrel and set the stock well back in the pistol hand between the thumb and the first finger. (5) Describe the correct method of holding the breath while aiming and require each man to practice it a few times.

AUTOMATIC PISTOL, CAL..45, M1911 AND M1911A1 (c) The muscles of the arm are firm without being rigid. There should be no bending of the arm at the elbow when the pistol is fired. On the other hand, the arm should not be locked at the elbow. When the firer is shooting prop- erly, after recoil the pistol arm should automatically carry the pistol back to the position shown in figure 12. (2) How to bold the breath.-(a) The proper method of holding the breath is important because without instruction many men hold the breath in the wrong way or do not hold it at all. (b) To hold the breath, draw into the lungs a little more air than an ordinary breath, let a little of the air out and stop the rest by closing the throat. Do not hold the breath FIGURE 11.-How to grasp the pistol. with the throat open or by the muscular effort of the diaphragm. (3) Position of the body (fig. 12).-(a) The position of the body is a little more than half faced to the left, the feet 12 or 18 inches apart, depending on the man, the head erect, and the body perfectly balanced when the pistol is held in the shooting position. (b) The whole position should be natural and comfortable. Upon assuming the position there is some point to which the pistol points naturally and without effort. If this point is not the center of the target the whole body must be shifted so as to bring the target into proper alinement. Otherwise the firer will be firing under a strain because he will be pulling

AUTOMATIC PISTOL, CAL..45, M1911 AND M1911A1 to know how to aim, how to grasp the pistol, how to hold the breath properly, and the correct position of the body with relation to the target. (1) How to grasp the pistol.-(a) To take the grip, hold the pistol in the left hand and force the grip safety device down and back into the crotch formed between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand. The thumb is carried parallel with or slightly higher than the forefinger; it should FIGURE 10.-Sighting exercise. never be lower. Close the three lower fingers on the stock firmly but not with a tense grip (fig. 11). (b) The thumb and forefinger squeeze the frame of the pistol, but the ball of the thumb does not always touch the pistol, depending on the conformation of the man’s hand. By this pressure movement to the right or left is controlled, and the trigger squeeze can be better applied and coordinated.

AUTOMATIC PISTOL, CAL..45, M1911 AND M1911A1 in the center of the bull’s-eye. Repeat the operation until three marks have been made. The instructor looks at the aim each time, but he says nothing to the man until all three marks have been made and Joined together so as to make a shot group. The faults, if any, are then pointed out. The size and shape of the shot group are discussed and the exercise is repeated several times. At 30 feet, using the small bull’s- eye, the shot group should be small enough to be covered by a dime. c. Blank form.-This form is used during the period of pre- paratory instruction. Its object is to show at all times the state of instruction of each man and to insure his thorough instruction In all necessary points before range practice begins. • 47. Second Step; POSITION.-a. Essentials of proper posi- tion.-To assume the proper position for firing it is necessary

AUTOMATIC PISTOL, CAL..45, M1911 AND M1911A1 (1) The instructor explains that the eye should be focused on the bull’s-eye in aiming, and he assures himself by ques- tioning the pupils that each man understands what ls meant by focusing the eye on the bull’s-eye. (g) The instructor adjusts the sights of the sighting bar and the removable target so as to illustrate a correct aim and has each man of the group look through the eyepiece to observe this correct aim. (h) The instructor adjusts the sights and the removable target of the sighting bar so as to illustrate various small errors and has each man in the group attempt to detect the error. (i) The exercise described above having been completed by the squad leader or other instructor, the men are placed in pairs and the exercise Is repeated by the coach-and-pupil method. (2) Second exercise.-(a) With the pistol on the pistol rest and the sights pointing at a blank sheet of paper on a board or on the wall, stand with the head in the same relative 10o- sition as in firing the pistol and look through the sights (fig. 10). Then by signal or by word have the disk moved until the bottom edge of the bull’s-eye is in exact alinement with the sights. Then command HOLD and move away from the pistol and let the man undergoing instruction look through the sights to see the proper aim. (b) Have the man under instruction look through the sights while he directs the disk to be moved until the sights are alined on the bottom of the bull’s-eye. The instructor then looks through the sights to see if any error has been made. (c) Have the sights adjusted on the bull’s-eye with various very slight errors and see if the man under instruction can detect them readily. (3) Third exercise.-Using the sighting rest for the pistol, require the man under instruction to direct the marker to move the disk until the sights are aimed at the bottom edge of the bull’s-eye and to command HOLD. The instructor then looks at the aim, and after noticing whether the aim is right or wrong commands: MARK. The marker, without moving the disk, makes a pencil mark on the paper through the hole