TheFederalistWeasel
member
Qualification Day came and went
Wednesday of this past week we all dutifully reported to the training center for weapons qualifications, a four-day event, which will culminate on this Monday with shotgun quals.
Wed was all classroom, the usual for us is basics first, a quick module over gun components and various types of ammo we can carry. Next they jump into safety, general gun safety first then a 30-minute tirade as to what our range master will do to you and your career if you violate any of the 30 or so range rules, also known as the range safety briefing. Next we dove head first into the law, first legal updates from the previous year, then, a review of GA law 16-3-21 and 17-4-20, (Use Of Force), next was policy and procedure, the post shooting investigation and disciplinary actions.
All of this will be covered on a written test Tuesday morning, which we must pass with an 80% or higher.
Wed afternoon we were in the bay area with full duty gear positioned in a circle all facing outward away from each other, instructor in the middle as we practiced drawing techniques and reloading drills (Weapon empty). During the reloading drills the object is to NOT have in your hand an empty gun and an empty mag, so you, logically drop the mag free from the gun, let it fall to the ground and come up with a loaded mag in your free hand. Instructor insured us the mags would be okay… famous last words.
Well the guy next to me, using a Glock 22 dropped a mag free (a brand new mag) it fell the four or so feet to the floor and shattered into an untold number of pieces, spring went sailing over my head and into the inside of our big circle.
Thursday morning we reported to the training center for the conclusion of classroom and a review for the written test.
Lunch
Thursday afternoon we gathered at the range at 1300 for drills and two practice rounds.
The guns were mostly Glock .40’s (both the 22 and 23) we had four maybe five S%W 9mm third gen. Autoloaders and two Sig 229 .40’s and myself a Sig 226 ST 9mm.
In all there were 37 folks, male and female eager to get this evolution under the belt as the state requires two passing scores of 80% or higher fired on the GA Double Action Course (GADAC), one (70%) passing score fired at night, a minimum of one hour after sunset with no ambient artificial light or illumination devices (flashlights) and the completion of 80% of all the drills (graded pass/fail) to keep your weapon.
Started with drills, simple at first, a 8x10 piece of paper divided into four equal sections all numbered 1 thru 4, standing at the 7 yard line the instructor would yell “ONE!!!†you would draw and fire two rounds into the number one block in two seconds, “THREE!!†you would draw and fire two rounds into the number three block in two seconds… etc.
Sigs worked flawlessly while the Glocks I saw lost rounds due to jams that had to be cleared and one guy’s gun, (a new G23) the mag would fall out after two or three rounds, even with the instructors test firing the gun, gun was taken out of service and replaced. S&W’s worked fine except one which was taken out of service to a visible problem with the extractor.
Pass/fail
Next we worked on the popup plates, they were hidden from view, about the size of a large dinner plate some painted white some painted red, they would pop them up one at the time.
Red, you had to draw and knock it down with two shots in three seconds from seven yards.
White, don’t even touch your gun.
Sigs were smooth here; Glocks had similar problems as above, one local PD lady crack a mag while dropping free during a reload.
Pass/fail
Next we shot one practice round on the GA Double Action Course (GADAC).
By now it’s night and we have to engage a low light silhouette from 3, 7, 15 and 25 yards, firing a total of 50 rounds.
Passing score 70%
Friday morning we all reported and shot one more practice round on the GADAC and then the fun began.
We were broken into four relays and prepared our targets; names in top left-hand corners, mags loaded 6 rounds each with the remaining rounds in your pockets.
When you were called you reported to the target hard stops and stapled up your own targets, two of them, your right hand target was your primary target and your left hand was your secondary target. You then went to the 3-yard line and awaited the call to charge and holster.
We were shooting on the pneumatic turning target system, which is computer controlled for precise timing, all times are exact.
From the three yard line you fired into your right hand target only, draw and fire two shots in three seconds and cover, then two shots in two seconds and cover, two in two, reload and holster then so the evolution over again for a total of 12 rounds.
Move to the 25-yard line, here when the target turned and faced you, you fired 6 rounds into your left hand target in 30 seconds.
Up to the seven yard line where you would draw and fire two shots into your right hand target and two into the left hand target and cover in four seconds. Then one in the right and one in the left in two seconds then reload and holster.
Next you fired two shots into your right hand target and two into the left hand target and cover in four seconds, then you fired one in the right and one in the left, reloaded with two firing one in the right and one in the left in 15 seconds.
Then back to the 15 yards line where you had 60 seconds to fire 18 rounds, while reloading twice, mags loaded six, six and six. You started out standing, fired three in the right hand target and three left, reloaded went to a kneeling position and fired three in the right hand target and three left, reloaded and fired three in the right hand target and three left for a total of fifty rounds, 28 rounds in your right hand target and 22 in the left.
Each round could count 5 points for a total of 250-points; your score is then multiplied by .4.
You had to shoot this course three times and get two passing scores of 80% or higher.
I shot a 94.8 a 98.8 and a 94.8 again for an average of 96.1, the 226 shot flawlessly even using mags that had been dropped in the dirt and using crappy state issued training ammo which was causing the Glocks to jam left and right.
Wednesday of this past week we all dutifully reported to the training center for weapons qualifications, a four-day event, which will culminate on this Monday with shotgun quals.
Wed was all classroom, the usual for us is basics first, a quick module over gun components and various types of ammo we can carry. Next they jump into safety, general gun safety first then a 30-minute tirade as to what our range master will do to you and your career if you violate any of the 30 or so range rules, also known as the range safety briefing. Next we dove head first into the law, first legal updates from the previous year, then, a review of GA law 16-3-21 and 17-4-20, (Use Of Force), next was policy and procedure, the post shooting investigation and disciplinary actions.
All of this will be covered on a written test Tuesday morning, which we must pass with an 80% or higher.
Wed afternoon we were in the bay area with full duty gear positioned in a circle all facing outward away from each other, instructor in the middle as we practiced drawing techniques and reloading drills (Weapon empty). During the reloading drills the object is to NOT have in your hand an empty gun and an empty mag, so you, logically drop the mag free from the gun, let it fall to the ground and come up with a loaded mag in your free hand. Instructor insured us the mags would be okay… famous last words.
Well the guy next to me, using a Glock 22 dropped a mag free (a brand new mag) it fell the four or so feet to the floor and shattered into an untold number of pieces, spring went sailing over my head and into the inside of our big circle.
Thursday morning we reported to the training center for the conclusion of classroom and a review for the written test.
Lunch
Thursday afternoon we gathered at the range at 1300 for drills and two practice rounds.
The guns were mostly Glock .40’s (both the 22 and 23) we had four maybe five S%W 9mm third gen. Autoloaders and two Sig 229 .40’s and myself a Sig 226 ST 9mm.
In all there were 37 folks, male and female eager to get this evolution under the belt as the state requires two passing scores of 80% or higher fired on the GA Double Action Course (GADAC), one (70%) passing score fired at night, a minimum of one hour after sunset with no ambient artificial light or illumination devices (flashlights) and the completion of 80% of all the drills (graded pass/fail) to keep your weapon.
Started with drills, simple at first, a 8x10 piece of paper divided into four equal sections all numbered 1 thru 4, standing at the 7 yard line the instructor would yell “ONE!!!†you would draw and fire two rounds into the number one block in two seconds, “THREE!!†you would draw and fire two rounds into the number three block in two seconds… etc.
Sigs worked flawlessly while the Glocks I saw lost rounds due to jams that had to be cleared and one guy’s gun, (a new G23) the mag would fall out after two or three rounds, even with the instructors test firing the gun, gun was taken out of service and replaced. S&W’s worked fine except one which was taken out of service to a visible problem with the extractor.
Pass/fail
Next we worked on the popup plates, they were hidden from view, about the size of a large dinner plate some painted white some painted red, they would pop them up one at the time.
Red, you had to draw and knock it down with two shots in three seconds from seven yards.
White, don’t even touch your gun.
Sigs were smooth here; Glocks had similar problems as above, one local PD lady crack a mag while dropping free during a reload.
Pass/fail
Next we shot one practice round on the GA Double Action Course (GADAC).
By now it’s night and we have to engage a low light silhouette from 3, 7, 15 and 25 yards, firing a total of 50 rounds.
Passing score 70%
Friday morning we all reported and shot one more practice round on the GADAC and then the fun began.
We were broken into four relays and prepared our targets; names in top left-hand corners, mags loaded 6 rounds each with the remaining rounds in your pockets.
When you were called you reported to the target hard stops and stapled up your own targets, two of them, your right hand target was your primary target and your left hand was your secondary target. You then went to the 3-yard line and awaited the call to charge and holster.
We were shooting on the pneumatic turning target system, which is computer controlled for precise timing, all times are exact.
From the three yard line you fired into your right hand target only, draw and fire two shots in three seconds and cover, then two shots in two seconds and cover, two in two, reload and holster then so the evolution over again for a total of 12 rounds.
Move to the 25-yard line, here when the target turned and faced you, you fired 6 rounds into your left hand target in 30 seconds.
Up to the seven yard line where you would draw and fire two shots into your right hand target and two into the left hand target and cover in four seconds. Then one in the right and one in the left in two seconds then reload and holster.
Next you fired two shots into your right hand target and two into the left hand target and cover in four seconds, then you fired one in the right and one in the left, reloaded with two firing one in the right and one in the left in 15 seconds.
Then back to the 15 yards line where you had 60 seconds to fire 18 rounds, while reloading twice, mags loaded six, six and six. You started out standing, fired three in the right hand target and three left, reloaded went to a kneeling position and fired three in the right hand target and three left, reloaded and fired three in the right hand target and three left for a total of fifty rounds, 28 rounds in your right hand target and 22 in the left.
Each round could count 5 points for a total of 250-points; your score is then multiplied by .4.
You had to shoot this course three times and get two passing scores of 80% or higher.
I shot a 94.8 a 98.8 and a 94.8 again for an average of 96.1, the 226 shot flawlessly even using mags that had been dropped in the dirt and using crappy state issued training ammo which was causing the Glocks to jam left and right.