Thursday, June 18, 2009

Qualifications

I qualified on the pistol today. Didn't fire the shotgun, nor the rifle. The instructor wanted to get everyone through the pistol course before the day was over. We shot practice drill for a while this morning, then ran through the POST course just before lunch.

The current POST course takes 60 rounds of ammo. Best possible score is 120, minimum to qualify is 96 (80%). We use the Louisiana P1 target. This target has only one scoring ring, center mass of the target. Anything on the inside of the ring counts 2 points. Anything outside the ring on the silhouette counts one point. I shot my standard 106. I blame it on the new trigger pull I'm having to learn.

Trigger squeeze on the M&P is a lot different from the trigger squeeze on a 1911, and again totally unlike the trigger squeeze on a double-action revolver. It's one long pull from the rest position to the firing break with no discernible stacking as you get to the point where the sear should release. The instructor tells me that it'll get smoother as the gun breaks-in, but with only 160 rounds through it to this point, I'm not there yet. I'm not thrilled with a score of 106, but it's certainly respectable.

I had to run 500 rounds through the Kimber before it broke-in. I'm sure that more firing is the key to learning the trigger. I've got plenty of primers, although Bullseye powder might be problematic.

In addition, one small problem with aging eyes manifested itself. I can't see the front sight with my glasses. I can focus perfectly on the front sight with my uncorrected eyes, but my nearsighted eyes show the target as a blur. A huge blur. I shot that 106 score without glasses, focusing purely on the front sight and making sure that the shots were aligned with the center mass of the target. Not the best of solutions, but the one I can live with until I talk with my optometrist.

I have been assured by three levels of supervisors that I am on the list for the next patrol rifle course, as soon as ammunition becomes available. The ammo shortage is impacting training all across law enforcement.

Tomorrow is CPR/First aid and Tazer updates. Then, the training week will be over.

4 comments:

Old NFO said...

You qual'ed that's what counts. And trigger time will bring the sear in.

Buffboy said...

At least you had 45acp so that's good, at my last qualifying I had to use my own ammo because my state can't get it. At least they let me do it with my cast 230gr reload not my $1+ a round Hydrashok(own pocket) like last time. My Sheriff had to use his own 9mm too. All they had available was 40S&W and 223. I got qualified with my carbine but there was no shotgun ammo(either buck or slug) so we couldn't re qualify with shotgun(didn't have our own with us).

Hopefully it gets better after the new contracts are awarded in July.

Rivrdog said...

Most everyone has plenty of .22

Why doesn't your Dept trade a couple of ARs (I'm guessing they have ARs as Patrol Rifles) for ARs which shoot .22LR?

If this BYOA program extends into the future, which it could, for the next year anyway, most people have a few bricks of .22LR ratholed.

There might even be some DAO .22LR training pistols out there in your Dept, PawPaw. Perhaps the Sheriff could have his Training Sgt look into going to .22LR training as a means of keeping up frequency of training, which is the most important aspect of training, anyway.

Pawpaw said...

Suprisingly, Rivrdog, I can't find .22LR locally. There hasn't been any at Wal-Mart for the past several months. We're going through a local .22 shortage.