AUTOMATIC PISTOL, CAL..45, M1911 AND M1911A1 2. The sighting bar is used in the first sighting exercise because with it small errors can be easily seen and explained to the pupil. 3. The eyepiece requires the pupil to place his eye in such position that he sees the sights in exactly the same alignments as seen by the coach. 4. There is no eyepiece on the pistol, but the pupil learns by use of the sighting bar how to align the sights properly when using the pistol. 5. The removable target attached to the end of the sighting bar is a simple method of readily aligning the sights on a bull’s eye. (b) The instructor explains the open sight to the assem- bled group, showing each man the illustration of a correct sight alignments (fig. 9). (c) The instructor, using the open sight, adjusts the sights of the sighting bar with target removed to illustrate a correct alignment of the sights. He has each man of the assembled group look through the eyepiece at each of the sight adjust° ments. (d) The instructor adjusts the sights of the sighting bar with various small errors in sight alignment and has each man of the assembled group endeavor to detect the errors. (e) The instructor describes a correct aim, again showing the illustration to each man (fig. 9). He explains that the top of the front sight is seen through the middle of the open sight and is raised to a height so that its top is level with the outside edges of the open sight and just touches the bottom of the bull’s-eye so that all of the bull’s eye can be clearly seen.
AUTOMATIC PISTOL, CAL..45, M1911 AND M1911A1 (3) Aiming disks.-(a) For each sighting bar and each pistol rest a small disk (3 inches in diameter) is made of white cardboard or of tin with white paper pasted on it and with a small bull’s-eye In the center. In the exact center of the bull’s-eye is a small hole just large enough to admit the point of a pencil For indoor or close-range work the bull’s-eye should not be larger than a 50-cent piece. (b) There should be one 5-inch aiming disk for each squad for shot-group exercise at 25 yards. The large disk should be of tin, painted black, with a handle 4 or 5 feet long and of the same color as the paper on which the shot groups are to be made. b. Sighting exercises.-(1) First exercise.—(a) The squad leader or instructor shows a sighting bar to his squad or group and points out the front and rear sights, the eyepiece, and the removable target. He explains the use of the sighting bar as follows: 2. The front and rear sights on the sighting bar represent enlarged pistol sights.
One sighting bar. One pistol rest. Two small aiming disks. One 5-Inch aiming disk. Two small boxes, with paper tacked on one side. One piece of paper at least 2 feet square and tacked on a wall or frame. NOTE.-Men who have once been instructed in the aiming ex- excises, either in preparation for rifle or for pistol firing, will require very little instruction in aiming during subsequent sea- sons. They will, however, go through the aiming exercises at least once to verify their knowledge of this subject and to assign them a mark in the proper column on the blank form shown in c below. AUTOMATIC PISTOL, CAL..45, M1911 AND M1911A1 (1) Sighting bar.-(a) The sighting bar is illustrated in figure 7. (b) Carefully blacken all pieces of tin or cardboard and the top of the bar. Nail the bar to a box about 1 foot high and place the box on the ground, table, or other suitable place. (c) The sighting bar is used in instruction for two reasons, the sights are larger than on the pistol and errors in aim- ing can be seen more easily and pointed out to the beginner, and the eyepiece of the sighting bar forces the man under instruction to place his eye so that he sees the sights in proper alinement and thus he learns how to aline properly the sights of the pistol. Without an eyepiece the instructor cannot know whether or not the recruit has his eye in proper position. (2) Pistol rests(a) To construct a sighting rest for the pistol (fig. 8) use a piece of wood about 10 inches long, 1 1/4 inches wide .and 9/16 inch thick Shape one end so that it will fit snugly in the handle of the pistol when the magazine has been removed. Screw or nail this stick to the top of a post or other object at such an angle that the pistol when placed on the stick will have its barrel approximately hori- zontal. A suitable sighting rest for the pistol may be easily improvised by cutting an additional notch to hold the pistol in one end of the box used as a rifle rest. (b) Having first learned the principles of aiming by means of the sighting bar, the soldier is taught to apply them to the pistol on its rest.
alternate in coaching each other. This method gives each man the necessary physical rest without halting the prog- ress of his instruction. He is learning while watching another man and attempting to correct his mistakes. (14) A great deal of preparatory practice is necessary in order to strengthen the muscles of the hand and arm and to fix the habit of correct trigger squeeze. The periods of exer- cise should not ordinarily be of long duration. Three or four 10-minute periods per day for a month will produce good results on the range. These periods of instruction can often be held during waits when troops are on maneuvers or field exercises. Some kind of a mark can always be found that will serve as an aiming point. (15) It is a good plan to have full-sized pistol targets placed in the vicinity of the barracks to encourage the men to spend part of their time in preparatory practice. (16) The preparatory exercises should be held out of doors with full-sized pistol targets, but during inclement weather they can be held indoors, using miniature targets, with good results. c. Scope of preparatory instruction.m(1) Each man’s pis- tol is closely examined for defects before the beginning of the preparatory instruction. (2) Every man who is to fire on the range should be put through the preparatory course. Part of the preparatory instruction may have escaped the men the previous year and part of it has certainly been forgotten: in any case it will be beneficial to go over it anew and refresh the mind on the subject. (3) In peace noncommissioned officers should be put through a rigid test before the period of preparatory in- struction for the organization begins This is also desirable in war when time is available. 46. FIRST STEP; Aiming.-a. Apparatus required–The ap- paratus required for a set of equipment is listed below. When an entire squad is engaged in this work there should be two sets of this equipment in order that a number of the men do not remain idle. The work of the squad can then be carried on as in rifle marksmanship.
AUTOMATIC PISTOL, CAL..45, M1911 AND M1911A1 (8) In peacetime training and in war, when time is avail- able for a complete course of instruction and practice, the blank form shown in paragraph 460 (which should be ex- plained in the first talk) must be kept by each squad leader and by each platoon leader independently. This blank form shows at a glance Just how much each man knows about each feature of training and permits concentration of instruction where most needed. (9) Interest and enthusiasm must be sustained and every- thing possible should be done to stimulate them. If the exercises are carried out in a manner approximately correct and as a routine piece of work, results will be very disappointing. (10) It is of utmost importance that the trigger squeeze be explained in such a manner as to give the soldier a clear understanding of how it should be executed. (11) All authorities on shooting agree that the trigger must be squeezed with a steady increase of pressure. If a man knows when his pistol will go off it is because he sud- denly gives the trigger all the pressure necessary. Con- versely, if the increase of pressure is steady the man cannot know when the piston will be discharged. Hence, he is instructed to squeeze the trigger in such a wag as not to know just when the hammer will fall. This does not mean that the process is necessarily a slow one and that it will take a comparatively long time to fire a shot. Through training, a man can reduce the time used in pressing the trigger to as brief a period as 1 second and still press it in such a manner that he does not know just what part of the second the discharge will take place. When the soldier has ac- quired the ability to squeeze the trigger properly, even though it be very slowly, he soon learns to shorten the time without changing the process. (12) Whenever a man is in a firing position, whether it be a preparatory instruction or during practice firing, he must have a coach beside him to watch him and point out his errors. (13) None of the preparatory exercises are executed by command or in unison by a group of men. Instruction is individual at all times. The men are placed in pairs and
AUTOMATIC PISTOL, CAL..45, M1911 AND M1911A1 In the preparatory instruction the soldier learns practically all the principles of good shooting. In range firing he culti- vates the will power to apply these principles when using ball ammunition until proper, fixed habits have been acquired. (2) The principles of good shooting are simple and easy to learn except the trigger squeeze, which is difficult to apply to a loaded pistol. To this important item most of the instruc- tor’s time will be devoted during the period of range practice. (3) The six distinct steps In the preparatory Instruction are- (a) Aiming exercises. (b) Position exercises. (c) Trigger-squeeze exercises. (d) Rapid-fire exercises. (e) Quick-fire exercises. (f) Examination on preparatory work. (4) The steps are progressive and must always be taught in proper sequence. (5) Each of the first five steps begins with a talk by the instructor and a demonstration by a squad which the in- structor puts through the exercises that are to constitute the day’s work. He shows how the corporal organizes the work in the squad so that no men are idle and how the members of each pair coach one another when they are not under in- struction by an officer or a noncommissioned officer. He shows exactly how to execute each of the exercises about to be taken up and explains its purpose and application in pistol shooting. (6) The instructor who gives these very essential talks and demonstrations may be the organization commander, or he may be a specially qualified officer who has been detailed as instructor. But the actual application of the demonstrated exercises to the men of the command must be by the officers and noncommissioned officers of the organization undergoing instruction (7) Instruction must be thorough and must be individual. General instruction of groups of men is not enough. The in- structors must see that each man understands each and every point and can apply it.
CHAPTER 3 MARKSMANSHIP KNOWN-DISTANCE TARGETS, DISMOUNTED SECTION L Preparatory training II. Courses to be fired. HI. Conduct of range practice. IV. Known-distance targets and ranges; range precautions V. Small-bore practice SECTION I PREPARATORY TRAINING • 45. INSTRUCTION AND PRACTICE.-a Relative value.-(1) Pistol firing is a purely mechanical operation that any man who is physically and mentally fit to be a soldier can learn to do well if properly instructed. The methods of instruction must be the sane as are used in teaching any mechanical opera- tion. The soldier must be taught the various steps in their proper order and must be carefully watched and corrected whenever he makes a mistake. (2) Good shooting is more the result of careful instruction than of mere practice. Unless properly instructed, men in- stinctively do the wrong thing in firing the pistol. They in- stinctively jerk the trigger which is the cause of flinching. Hence, mere practice fixes the instinctive bad habits. (3) If, however, a man has been first thoroughly instructed in the mechanism of correct shooting and is then carefully and properly coached when he begins firing, correct shooting habits rapidly become fixed. (4) The ultimate object of the training is to develop the ability to fire one or more accurate shots quickly, but training must begin with carefully coached slow fire to attain accuracy and be followed by practice that will gradually shorten the time without sacrificing the accuracy. b. Methods of instruction.-(1) Pistol instruction is divided into two phases, preparatory instruction and range firing.
42. To load PISTOL–The commands are: 1. LOAD, 2. PISTOL. At the command pistol lower the pistol into the bridle hand. If a loaded magazine is not already in the pistol, insert one. Grasp the stock with the right hand, back of the hand down, and thrust upward and to the left front; release the slide and engage the safety lock. • 43. To UNLOAD PISTOL–The commands are: 1. UNLOAD, 2. PISTOL. At the command pistol, withdraw the magazine. Open the chamber. Glance at the chamber to verify that it is empty. Close the chamber. Take the position of raise PISTOL and squeeze the trigger. Then insert an empty magazine. • 44. To INSPECT PISTOL–The commands are: 1. INSPECTION, 2. PISTOL. (The pistol is inspected mounted only at mounted guard mounting. The magazine is not withdrawn.) At the command PISTOL, take the position of raise PISTOL. After the pistol has been inspected, or on command it is returned. 25
AUTOMATIC PISTOL, CAL..45, M1911 AND M1911A1 • 36. To return PISTOL–The commands are: 1. return, 2. PISTOL. At the command PISTOL, lower the pistol to the hoister, reversing it, muzzle down, back of the hand to the right; raise the flap of the holster with the right thumb; insert the pistol in the hoister and thrust it home; button the flap of the holster with the right hand. • 3″/. To fire the pistol.-fully LOADED with ball am- munition.-squeeze the trigger for each shot. When the last cartridge has been fired the slide will remain in the rear position with the chamber open. SECTION III MOUNTED • 38. GENERAL rules.-The following movements are exe- cuted as when dismounted: raise PISTOL, RETURN PISTOL, CLOSE CHAMBER, TO FIRE THE PISTOL. The mounted movements may be practiced when dismounted by first cautioning, “Mounted position.” The right foot is then carried 20 inches to the right and the left hand to the position of the bridle hand. Whenever the pistol is lowered into the bridle hand, the movement is executed by rotating the barrel to the right. Grasp the slide in the full grip of the left hand, thumb ex- tending along the slide, back of the hand down, barrel down and pointing upward and to the left front. • 39. To withdraw the magazine.-lower the pistol into the bridle hand. Press the magazine catch with the forefinger of the right hand, palm of the hand over the base of the magazine to prevent it from springing out; withdraw the magazine and place it in the belt or pocket. • 40. To open the chamber.-Withdraw the magazine. Grasp the stock with the right hand, back of the hand down, thrust forward and upward with the right hand, and engage the slide stop by pressure of the right thumb. • 41. To insert a magazine.-Lower the pistol into the bridle hand. Extra magazines should be carried in the belt with the projection on the base pointing to the left. Grasp the magazine with the tip of the right forefinger on the projection, withdraw it from the belt, and insert it In the pistol. Press it fully home.
