I found this linked to another gun forum and thought I would pass it along: More weapons approved for annual quals - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times
I learned a long time ago that there better be a well trained cadre when the expansion has to happen. Not so sure Panetta is awake.
Optics on the qualification range ?? Really ?? I qualified expert every year with iron sights.. I can see adding a new portion to the scoring... Maybe a rapid fire with optics, or longer distance ( 600+ yards ? ) Although to be fair, I guess technically I had optics too.. BCD's for those of you who know what those are...
Optics for initial qualification? Disgusting. As a retired Marine, former Primary Marksmanship Instructor and current RSO I have seen a shift from basic marksmanship to combat stooting over the past 15 years or so. The trouble is that as range to the target increases that basic marksmanship training becomes more essential. Makes no difference if the target is paper or enemy. Optics are wonderful, but without solid basic marksmanship skills they'll just make it easier to see that you're missing the target. HD
Couldnt help but smile at the the mention of the M45 Close Quarters Battle Pistol. that puppy is not your daddy's .45...
Dunno, but in my mind, you can't be one without a good understanding of irons. There's no substitute for co-witnessing the irons with the glass. I never had to qualify with a rifle where I was, and that may have been a good thing knowing what I know about my eyes. These days, I can still hit what I'm aiming at if I have the chance to get the sights set the way I want them. One course of fire I ran a couple years ago, the red dot fell off. Finished the course with irons, didn't lose a point on that run.
