Inistructions in Learning Accurate Pistol Shooting By GV 1175 .T5 Copy 1 SY. SGT. JOHN M. THOMAS U. S. MARINE CORPS Tlie Proper Grip «>f an AiitoinaHc Pt«i«1 Instructions in Learning Accurate Pistol Shooting By GY. SGT. JOHN M. THOMAS W U. S. MARINE CORPS BOSTON SAMUEL USHKR OII|r IFiirt l^ill }Irriui 1922 G. ^&' Copyrighted 1922. By JOHN M. THOMAS This Pamphlet adopted by the U.S. Marine Corps, 1922. SEP -^ m2 6^CU681750 '^s /- > V FOREWORD. It is the primary duty of every soldier to be able to shoot accurately; in fact he is little value as a soldier unless he can hit what he aims at. If men pass through their target practice without obtain- ing a satisfactory qualification, the fault is not theirs, but should be laid to faulty coaching. Men that do not care to become good shots are few and far between. As a sport, pistol shooting is different, and may some day prove to be a very useful accomplishment. It is one sport that retains its interest in solitary shooting as well as where more than one are firing. Ofificers should become expert in shooting the pistol for two reasons: First, the pistol will alw^ays be considered his fighting arm; second, every officer should be capable of in- structing men in accurate pistol shooting, and the higher his qualification, the more weight it will add to his words of instructions. JOHN M. THOMAS, Gy. Sgt., U. S. Marine Corps. The following are some of the more important winnings of the Author. First Place, N. R. A. Individual Pistol Match, National Matches of 1920. Record score 282 x 300. First Place, National Individual Pistol Match, National Matches of 1920. Score 279x300. Shooting Principal of U. S. Marine Corps Team No. 1 winning first place in The National Pistol Team Match, National Matches of 1920. Individual score 286 x 300 (record score). Shooting Principal of U. S. Marine Corps Team winning first place in The N. R. A. Pistol Team Match, National Matches of 1920. First Place, Southeastern Divisional Pistol Match, Parris Island, S. C, Matches of 1921. Record score of 1565 x 1680, for Army com- petition course. First Place U. S. Marine Corps Pistol Match, Quantico, Va., Matches of 1921. Winner of the Lauchheimer Trophy, and the shooting champion of the Marine Corps (rifle and pistol) 1921. Second Place, at the International Pistol Matches of 1921. Indi- vidual score high of the United States Team. Team winning Third Place. First place National Individual Pistol Match, National Matches of 1921. Score 281 x 300. Shooting Principal of U. S. Marine Corps Team No. 1, winning First Place in The National Pistol Team Match, National Matches of 1921. First Place, Southeastern Divisional Pistol Match, Parris Island, S. C, Matches of 1922. First Place, U. S. Marine Corps Pistol Match, Quantico, Va., Matches of 1922. Winner of the Lauchheimer Trophy, and the shooting championship of the U. S. Marine Corps (rifle and pistol) matches of 1922. [4 INSTRUCTIONS IN LEARNING ACCURATE PISTOL SHOOTING Physical condition. To obtain the best results, a person should be in good physical condition. Any bodily ailment will have a marked effect on the nervous system. One of the delusions that the layman has of pistol shooters is that they train the same as athletes, and that is just what they don't do. A man can do his best shooting in his every- day condition; if he trains he is liable to make a mess of it. He should take enough exercise to keep the digestive organs in good working order, but he should avoid excess exercise that will make the muscles or joints stiff or sore. The shooter is not at his best when the muscles or joints are in this condi- tion. When practice is taken in either the shooting position or in actual firing, the shooter should stop as soon as he be- comes unsteady. To go beyond this period the shooter is very liable to develop a habit of flinching. If you smoke or use tobacco in any form, do so when you go on the range or enter a pistol match. Of course smoking to excess will react on the nervous system, the same as eating to excess will affect the digestion and that in turn will affect the nervous system. There are many fine pistol shots that have smoked for years. On the other hand there are probably just as many that have never used tobacco at all. To sum up: eat as you ordinarily would, keep up your normal habits, sleep regular hours, and try to avoid an amount of exercise or practice that would make the muscles or joints the least bit stiff or sore. Anyone can become a fine pistol shot. Fine pistol shoot- ing is merely a matter of doing several things well and the better a person does these things, the better results that per- son will obtain. A fine pistol shot might be defined as follows: a shooter who takes infinite pains in doing the things mentioned below as near perfect as he can. These points are: [5] (a) Getting in the proper shooting position. (b) Gripping the gun properly. (c) Aiming the gun correctly. (d) Developing a good trigger squeeze. The first three of these are comparatively easy, but the last is more difficult, in that it requires a steady increase of pressure on the trigger. The time consumed in squeezing the trigger is regulated in accordance with the rapidity of fire desired, but always in such a manner that the firer will not know the exact instant that the discharge of the gun is to be. All of these points are covered in other paragraphs. A man is not born a fine pistol shot; he learns it; but some learn it quicker than others, due to the fact that they realize the im- portance of the points mentioned above sooner than those who are by nature slower to learn; and the beginner's progress in pistol shooting depends entirely upon his ability to master the points mentioned above. Excuses given for poor shooting. Any man who passes the physical examination that he must pass to enlist in the Marine Corps, has no excuse for not being able to learn to do, not only good shooting, but fine pistol shooting. Of all the accomplishments that the Marine should have, fine shooting stands out as far more important than all the rest. Nervousness. Some men say that they are too nervous to do good pistol shooting. As a matter of fact this nervous- ness of the hand and arm does not aflfect the point of impact of the bullet but very slightly, due to the fact that the whole arm, hand, and gun are shaking but the barrel remains nearly parallel to the line of sight, and therefore the muzzle is being deflected but very little. However, this nervousness may be eliminated in a short time by going through the following exercise: take the shooting position as explained in that para- graph, and squeeze the trigger in such a manner that it will not be known when the hammer is going to fall. By continu- ing the aim until after the hammer has fallen any deflection of the muzzle caused by a faulty trigger squeeze can be seen. This exercise will also indicate where the hit should have been; this is known as calling the shot. Care should be taken in going through this exercise that you grip the gun and do every- [6] ' thing else as you would in actual firing. Ten to fifteen minutes of this exercise daily will soon eliminate nervousness of the hand and arm^ and will also greatly improve your trigger squeeze. ^ Strong eyesight is not necessary. Some men say that their eyesight is not strong enough to do fine pistol shooting. Strong eyesight is not necessary, some of the best pistol shots in the world are men whose eyesight is far below normal, and who are compelled to wear glasses for defective sight. The ''L" target has a bull's-eye five inches in diameter; a man's eyes must be indeed weak if he has trouble in seeing this bull's-eye at the extreme range of fifty yards. Shell-shoc^k. The favorite alibi for poor shooting for some of those who were over-seas is ''shell-shock." In nearly all of these cases it is nothing but a faulty trigger squeeze which can be overcome by careful practice. Some men say that they cannot learn it. The reason why is because they have never given it their best effort. It is not nearly as hard to learn as the driving of an automobile. A man that is in tHe service should remember that as a soldier it is his primary duty to learn to shoot straight; there is no telling when his. life may depend on his ability to shoot ac- curately. The disadvantage of shooting left handed. The left handed shooters are only handicapping themselves. The caliber .45 automatic pistol is made for a right handed shooter. The rule in the qualification course, and in all rapid and quick fire matches, is that the gun must be held at the raise pistol with the safety lock on, and the finger out of the trigger-guard until the target starts to move. The safety lock being on the left side, the right handed shooter can unlock the gun by a slight movement of the thumb as the gun is thrust to the shooting position. This movement of the thumb does not necessarily interfere with the grip of the gun. But the left hahded shooter must do one of two things: use the other hand to unlock the gun, which will consume valuable time in getting that hand back into position; or worse still he will have to loosen up the grip of the shooting hand to unlock with it. It requires the use of both hands to seat the gun properly in the • [7] shooting hand, consequently the left handed shooter in un- locking the gun in that manner does not regain the proper grip. It is no harder for the left handed man to learn to shoot right handed, and only takes a little practice for the man who has already learned, to shift over and shoot as well right handed as he did left handed. A man armed with the pistol is liable to fumble his gun in drawing it with the left hand, should an emergency arise requiring its use quickly. The benefit of prone shooting. Prone pistol shooting is advantageous to the beginner, in that it allows a more steady hold and a better aim while the trigger squeeze is being learned. Another benefit of prone shooting is that it gives a higher standard of hold, aim, and trigger squeeze, to try and come up to in the more unsteady off-hand position. Where the beginner tries to learn the trigger squeeze in the more unsteady off-hand position, he is liable to ''snap-shoot" when the sights look like they are aligned the best. The most comfortable prone position is as follows: lie straight towards the target, chest fiat on the ground, arms extended to the front and the elbows close together, hold the gun in accordance with the paragraph on the proper grip of an automatic pistol, except that the left hand grips the right hand as follows: the muscular part of the left thumb back of the muscular part of the right thumb, the end of the left thumb to the left of the right thumb, the fingers of the left hand over- lapping and gripping the fingers of the right hand. Care must be taken to so place the left thumb that it will not be hit by the slide in its rearward movement. The amount to face the target for the standing position. For the average man this will be so that he is shooting to the right front. For those whose physical conformation will per- mit, it will be to the right, while the man with the short or stiff neck will find that he must face the target more in order to maintain a comfortable position. Choose a position where you are shooting as near to the right as possible and still retain a comfortable position. Where the firer shoots directly to the right the line of recoil is in alignment with the arm, which is advantageous. Whereas if the firer shoots to the front the line of recoil is thrown out of alignment with the arm just the [81 l' J fcj a^ — »-i rs (D J^ s^ (L) ^5 » 1 O a; 4-) 5-i U( 'o-' ^ = ■3 C .2§ o +J ^ Oj .- '7n gc O |J 4-> O 0) o; o J3 ^ +-> cn — . biO «-^ D CD o 2!^ ^ en U)c« o (DXJ ^ -C C CTJ -t-J C^ d-^ C o a; .2 +j j:: oj +-> ^-M en ^ C/3 a CD 4-> bX) c .» c c« ^ 05-^ o Ss o * . 3 +j ^ £^& 'XI o; ^jB c o a; ■*-' ^, 1-1 JS CJ Cu -^^ +-> ■M _, u cti C-.cr £^ ^ o-u Ur ^5 S3 o 0) :/) > ^ d S k5 0) ^_) ^.bJO 4_) C^ • ^ Ui BUi distance from the eye, to a point over the shoulder. This is a disadvantage in that the recoil will throw the gun up and to the left, w^hich gives the wrist a painful twist, and the sights are harder to bring into alignment for the next shot if you are firing rapid or quick fire. Care must be taken to face the target the same foj* every shot, as this will keep the sights the same distance from the eye on all shots. It will also aid you in lining the sights up quickly in rapid and quick fire. The correct shooting position* Having determined the amount to face the target, choose a level place on which to stand, the feet about fifteen to twenty inches apart and turned out equally, the weight equal on both legs, the weight of the upper part of the body equal on the hips, shoulders on a line with the feet, head erect and turned towards the target, the arm extended to its full length, the muscles of the hand and wrist held rigid, but these are the only muscles so held, and outside of the muscles of the forearm, j^hich grips the gun, the flexor and extensor muscles of the arm are at rest; the gun, hand, and arm being supported by the heavy muscles of the shoulder. The distance the feet should be apart will vary according to the length of the legs and also to the direction and velocity of the wind. However, the feet should never be less than fifteen and not more than twenty inches apart. They should be turned out equally so that the firer will be well braced. Beginners are liable to do one of two things with the weight which will put them in an uncomfortable position: shift the weight of the upper part of the body to the right hip and the right leg; or they will go to the other extreme and crook the spine to the left, which gives them the appearance of holding up a heavy weight rather than a pistol the weight of which is less than three pounds. The left hand should be in the pocket, for then the shoulder droops down and to the front. If the hand is placed on the hip the shoulder is raised and thrown back causing the chest to be arched, and with the chest arched the firer is liable to make the mistake of getting too much air in the lungs while aiming. During the aim the lungs should be only half full of air. flOl In holding the breath, draw into the lungs a deep breath and let about half of it out, holding the rest by closing the throat and mouth, and not by a muscular effort of the dia- phragm. In rapid and quick fire, the inhahng and partial exhaling must be begun as soon as the target starts to move, and done quickly. Plate 2. Oblique view of firer in correct shooting position. Note the most advantageous position of the coach for slow and rapid fire. In turning the head to the right, be careful not to turn the shoulders also. This twisting of the spine, while it may not be noticed by the firer, will cause him to be under an unneces- sary strain that will have a good bit of effect on his steadiness of hold. 1 11 1 Plate 3. Front view showing firer in correct shooting position and the coach in the best position for observing the flight of the bullet. In keeping the head erect, your eye is the same distance from the sights for each shot, which gives you greater uni- formity of aim than could be obtained if the head was leaned forward for one shot and erect or back for the next. The straight arm position is the only way in which you can place the sights the same distance from the eye for each shot. Where the sights are not the same distance for each shot, the firer will unconsciously shoot with slight errors of aim that would be noticed and avoided if this distance was the same at all times. The straight arm position is the only one that enables the firer to get the line of recoil in alignment with the arm, and this is important in firing heavy calibered guns for two reasons: first, the wrist can best resist the recoil and align the sights for the next shot where the gun is thrown up by the force of the recoil; second, that where the line of recoil is not in alignment with the arm, the wrist is bent at a more acute angle and consequently the recoil will force the gun more to the left, thereby giving the wrist a bad twist that is painful, and will soon get the firer to flinching. The straight arm position can be assumed quickly by simply thrusting the arm out to its full length, whereas the crooked arm position requires more time and thought to assume. The arm is never bent the same on all shots, and this will change the distance from the eye to the sights, it will also cause the wrist to be bent more when the crook of the arm is greatest thereby changing the flip of the gun. From a stand point of comfort there is no question of the straight arm being the best, due to the fact that, outside of the muscles used in gripping the gun, the extensor and flexor muscles are at rest, the heavy shoulder muscles supporting the gun, hand, and arm. With the crooked arm position the extensor muscles are the only ones at rest. Accurate shooting requires the coordination of all the muscles in use, therefore the fewer muscles you bring into play the better coordination you will have. The proper grip of an automatic pistol. Force the gun well down into the hand with the barrel in direct prolongation of the fore-arm, then let the trigger finger come where it will on the trigger. If it comes on the joint so much the better, but do not twist the gun in the hand to make the joint of the finger come on the trigger. It is of primary importance that the barrel be straight with the fore-arm, in order that the line of recoil will be in alignment with the arm. This is necessary with all heavy calibered guns, otherwise the recoil will give the Plate 4. A close up view of the proper grip of an automatic pistol. wrist a bad twist that will soon cause the firer to develop a habit of flinching. (See test of grip.) Put the side of the joint of the thumb against the gun so that a pressure of the thumb will work against the pressure of the fore-finger on the opposite side of the gun; the face of thumb should be towards the target at all times. The thumb if pointed down will have a bad effect on the flip of the pistol when it recoils. All men when first learning to shoot the pistol have difficulty in keep- ing the thumb up. They are inclined to grip the gun with the f 141 face of the thumb, and to drop it down to where it will touch the end of the second finger. With this position of the thumb it interferes with the grip of the pistol, and there is no pressure working against that of the fore-finger. It is important that this pressure be exerted on a level with, and straight across to the fore-finger. This pressure is, in amount, just enough to counteract the pressure of the fore-finger. It is not a part of the grip that holds the gun. The grip that holds the gun is on the left diagonal when the gun is held in the shooting posi- tion. Or in other words, from the left front of the gun to the right rear when held in the shooting position. The grip that holds th€ gun is just tight enough, so that when the pistol is fired the recoil will not change the position of the pistol in the hand, and that the gun can be held with the same grip and the same amount of pressure from the first shot to the last with- out^renewing the grip during the entire string. A good bit of time in rapid and quick fire can be lost by having to shift the gun back into position after each shot, as would be the case in a grip that was too loose. The muscles of the hand and wrist should be held rigid. These are the only muscles so held. For those whose hand is inclined to be short and well muscled, the following is a good test that the proper grip of the gun has been taken: 'The hammer will slightly pinch the hand against the horn of the pistol when the slide is in its rear-most position. However this pinching is so slight that it will not be noticed in shooting unless the hand is exceptionally well muscled, in which case a leather glove with the thumb and fingers cut out should be worn while firing." The grip of a revolver. The grip of a revolver is the same as that mentioned in the last paragraph except the pressure that holds the gun is from the left (when held in the shooting position) working against an equal amount of pressure from the right, and partly by the muscular part of the thumb exerting a pressure against an equal amount of pressure from the right front of the gun. The correct aim. The caliber .45 automatic pistol is sighted in so that at fifteen yards the point of aim is at the bottom of the bull's-eye, at twenty-five yards two inches of fl5 1 white line on the target is visible between the tops of the sights and the bottom of the bull's-eye, at fifty yards four inches and at seventy-five yards back up against the bottom of the bull's-eye. The foregoing will give some idea of the flatness of the trajectory. The tops of the front and rear sights are as near even as the eye can align them. The two strips of daylight on each side of the front sight must remain of uniform width. A poorly instructed pistol shooter will, when groups high or low are being obtained, try to correct for it by seeing more or less front sight; the amount of front sight cannot be accu- rately judged in this manner. The correct thing to do would be to keep the tops of the sights even, and aim at a lower or higher point as the case may be. Some men unconsciously fall into the habit of aiming over one side of the front sight. When the sun is to the right or left of the firer, some men will divide the amount of light instead of the amount of space on each side of the front sight. The focusing of the eye. The eye will only focus on one distance at a time, and as the front and rear sights on the pistol are in line of view when you look at the bull's-eye, your eye should at all tiines be focused on the bull's-eye. This will cause the sights to appear sHghtly blurred, but will give the shooter a clear definition of the bull's-eye at all times. Shooting with both eyes open. If a person intends to follow the shooting game, it is better to learn to shoot with both eyes open as this will reduce the strain on the eye. To learn this: start the aim by closing the eye that is not to be used, and while you are aiming gradually open the eye not being used. At first you will find that when you open the eye not being used you cannot continue the aim, but a little practice and it will come easily. After you have practiced this for awhile you will be able to start and continue the aim without closing either eye. What you have really done is to concen- trate the vision on the aiming eye, and you do not see anything with the other. Aiming with the wrong eye. In shooting a pistol the arm and the pistol barrel should be as near in alignment as they can be brought. If a person is shooting right handed and aim- [161 ing with the left eye, or vice versa, he must bring the gun farther over to the left, thereby bringing the recoil more out of alignment with the arm, the difficulties of which have been fully explained in the paragraph on the amount to face the target, and also in the sub-paragraph on the proper grip of an automatic pistol. Eye troubles. When a person is not used to aiming, the eye waters a good deal, which can be partly overcome by daily practice in aiming. A wind from the direction of the targets blows the powder gases back into the eye, which causes a blur. Shooting with glasses in a wind of this sort is advantageous. Never rub the eye when it blurs, as this will only make matters worse. One good eye specialist has written that the eye should only be rubbed with the elbow. Some blurs are caused by an excess amount of oil on the gun, and the gun when fired throws the oil into the eye where it forms a film over the eye. If you are shooting slow fire when the eye blurs, discontinue the aim for a short time, but keep looking at the target until the vision clears; then continue the aim. If the eye is closed to clear a blur, it will not be accustomed to the light when it is opened again, and only regains normal vision after it has been opened for a few seconds. If you are shooting in rapid or quick fire, one must of course shoot as well as possible through the blur. A good eye conditioner is to put a drop of ten. per cent solution of argyral in the eye, followed about an hour later by the application to the eye of an eye-cup contain- ing a five per cent solution of boric acid. When the cup is placed over the eye, the eye should be open so that the solu- tion can easily reach all parts of the eye. When the shot group is not centered. This does not necessarily mean that the sights need adjustment. Several things may be the matter. Shot groups that are off to the side may be caused by the following: when the shadow of the front sight is to the side, the firer is liable to divide the amount of light instead of the amount of space on each side of the front sight; or by the firer aiming over one side of the front sight and disregarding the other side; and by the shooter trying to rush the trigger squeeze so as to fire the gun while the sights look like they are aligned the best. In this error, which is the I 171 most common, the aim is not at fault, but the muzzle is de- flected by the faulty trigger squeeze, due to the fact that in rush- ing the trigger squeeze in this manner the firer knows the exact instant that the discharge of the gun is to be, and knowing this he flinches, thereby deflecting the muzzle. Shot groups that are off center up and down are caused by the following: in shooting towards the sun, the light reflects back from the front sight, causing it to be so poorly outlined that the shooter is liable to unconsciously fire with errors of aim that would be plainly noticed and avoided if he were shooting away from the sun ; and also by the firer trying to rush the trigger squeeze as mentioned above. Trigger squeeze. A man in learning to shoot the pistol goes through three distinct periods of trigger squeeze before he becomes a fine pistol shot. It has been said that there is more misconception of pistol shooting than any other sport, and the greatest delusion of the novice is the trigger squeeze. The first period is the layman's idea of squeezing the trigger. It requires good coaching or a long period of experience for a man to pass from the first to the second period ; but when the firer has mastered the second period he will unconsciously acquire the third period of trigger squeeze. First period of trigger squeeze: The novice thinks that all expert pistol shots w^ait until the sights are lined up perfectly, and that they then give the trigger the added pressure to fire the shot, and that the added pressure should be given in such a manner that the firer will know the exact instant that the gun is going off. The man who does not break away from this kind of trigger squeeze will always remain a poor pistol shot. The giving of the added pressure in the above mentioned manner will deflect the muzzle enough to make the shot go wild, but the greatest deflection of the muzzle comes when the muscles of the arm are stiffened and the arm thrust forward to meet the force of the recoil. This involuntary action of the muscles of the arm and shoulder can only be controlled in one way, and that is done by firing the shot in such a manner that the firer does not know the exact instant that the discharge of the gun is to take place. f 181 Second period of trigger squeeze: When the firer has learned that the nervousness of the arm does not affect his good shooting but very Httle, because the natural un- steadiness of the arm moves the whole pistol, and the barrel remains nearly parallel to the line of sight ; and that if he holds the gun as near the correct aim as he can, let- ting the gun weave back and forth and up and down, but squeezing the trigger all of the time with a steady increase of pressure, and in such a manner that he will not know when the discharge of the gun is to take place. He must avoid trying to squeeze the trigger faster when the sights are in perfect alignment than he does when the sights are slightly out of alignment. The man who has learned this second period of trigger squeeze can shoot well enough to qualify as expert pistol shot. Third period of trigger squeeze: To squeeze the trigger only when the sights are in perfect alignment, and when they get out of alignment to hold what has been squeezed on the trigger until the sights are again lined up perfectly, then to again squeeze the trigger with the same steady increase of pressure, and to continue this until the gun goes off in such a manner that the firer does not know the exact instant that the discharge of the gun is to be. This is not so hard to do in slow fire, but in rapid and quick fire the time limit on firing a string of shots makes it far more difficult to acquire. Where rapidity of fire is called for, the shooter should do some things quickly in order to have more time to spend on the trigger squeeze, that is: he should practice thrusting the gun from the raise pistol to the shooting position, and during this thrust of the pistol the safety lock should be thrown off. Accuracy in thrusting the pistol to the shooting position is important, for then you do not have to move the sights so far in aligning them. The grip of the pistol should be uniform, for then when the recoil comes the gun flips to the same place every time, which makes the sights easier to bring into alignment for the next shot. The firer vshoukl ac- quire the habit of doing these things instinctively. The [191 man who has learned this period of trigger squeeze and can apply it correctly in all classes of fire is the shooter who is found at the top in a pistol competition. Different from the rifle trigger squeeze. The pistol trig- ger squeeze is different from the rifle trigger squeeze, in that with the pistol you do not squeeze with the whole hand. The movement of the trigger finger must not molest the grip of the hand by causing the other fingers to tighten or loosen their grip. Finger exercises that will give better control to the muscles of the hand are beneficial. Method of learning the trigger squeeze. To learn to squeeze the trigger properly, the firer should start off with prone pistol shooting, or firing from a muzzle and elbow rest, in order that the difficulties of learning it will not be increased by an unsteady hold and a poor aim. Where the firer uses a rest he is able to hold the gun much steadier, and maintain a far better aim than could be hoped for in the off-hand posi- tion. After the method of squeezing the trigger has been learned, the off-hand position should be used. The method of squeezing the trigger in slow, rapid, and quick fire, is the same except that where time is an element in the firing of a string of shots the squeeze is done faster, but still in such a manner that the shooter does not know the exact instant that the discharge of the gun is to be. When the shooter can get good scores in slow fire, he should advance to the more difficult classes of fire, which are: rapid and quick fire. When to use the second and third periods of trigger squeeze. A man who has started his pistol training with prone or muzzle rest shooting, can apply the third period of trigger squeeze in slow fire, but when he comes to the more unsteady off-hand position, he will have to resort to the second period of trigger squeeze until the nervousness of the arm has been overcome by practice. The trigger squeeze can be learned in the off-hand position, but it requires a longer period of practice, and the flinching habit in some cases is liable to become set before they have time and practice enough to acquire it, due to the unsteady position. In rapid and quick fire the second period of trigger squeeze should be used; and in these two [20] classes of fire the passing from the second to the third period of trigger squeeze will be acquired unconsciously. The most frequent errors of the new shooter. Failure to throw the safety lock off for the first shot in rapid and quick fire. Sometimes the shooter does not fill the magazine with the correct number of cartridges. Not shoving the magazine all the way up when it is inserted, therefore, in the act of loading, when the slide goes forward it does not strip the first cartridge out of the magazine and into the barrel. In rapid and quick fire forgetting to release the trigger after each shot is fired. Too much loss of time in aligning the sights in rapid and quick fire by giving the pistol a flourish over the shoulder after each shot is fired. Relaxing and theii tightening the grip of the pistol in rapid and quick fire, which causes an unneces- sary loss of time that could have been used to advantage in squeezing the trigger. Hip shooting as compared to aiming. While it is a fact that the tales of hip shooting should not be taken too seriously, it is not entirely a delusion; a person can become proficient enough in this class of fire to group all of his shots in a twenty inch circle at fifteen yards, but a shooter with the same amount of practice, shooting in the ordinary way, can maintain a shot group of two inches in diameter at the same distance. [21 EXTRACT FROM PISTOL MARKSMANSHIP MANUAL (Paragraghs 81-90; 119) Chapter 11 INSTRUCTION PRACTICE 81. Tabulation. The following tables prescribe the firing in instruction practice in the order followed by the individual soldier. Target ''L" is used in much of the practice, as the bull's-eye makes competition keener and shows up errors as no other target can. 82. Slow fire.— Table 1.— Slow fire — Target ''L". Range Time Scores, minimum 15 yards No time limit 2 25 yards No time limit 2 20 yards No time limit 1 Unlimited time is permitted in slow fire in order to permit proper explanation of the causes of errors and indication of corresponding remedies. It is intended to be the elementary phase of instruction in the proper manipulation of the weapon and for determining and correcting the personal errors of the firer. 83. Rapid fire. — Table 2.— Rapid fire — Target "L". Range - Time Scores, minimum 15 yards 1 score 30 seconds and 1 score in 15 seconds 2 25 yards 1 score 30 seconds and 1 score in 20 seconds 2 Time is taken at the firing point. The target being up, the soldier stands with weapon at ''Raise pistol", loaded and locked. The command ''Commence firing" is given and the soldier must fire seven shots within the prescribed limit of time, at the end of which the command "Cease firing" will be given. Intervals of time are measured from the last words of the command. [221 84. Quick fire. — Table 3. — Quick fire — Target "E" — Bobbing. Range Time Scores, minimum 15 yards 2 seconds per shot 2 25 yards 3 seconds per shot 2 The target is operated as a bobbing target. Three to five seconds after notice is received at the pit that all is ready at the firing point the target is alternately exposed to view and turned away from view of the firing point; exposures are of two or three seconds duration, depending upon the range, with an interval of three to five seconds between exposures. The soldier stands at the firing point at ''Raise pistol." The pistol is loaded and locked. Upon the first exposure of the target the soldier fires one shot at it before it disappears. He fires one shot at each reappearance until seven shots have been fired. The weapon is held between shots at ''Raise pistol." The value of a hit on this target is 1. 85. Skirmish run. — Table 4.- — Skirmish run — Target ''E" — Bobbing. Range Time Shots 50 yards 5 seconds per shot 2 25 yards 3 seconds per shot 2 15 yards .......... 2 seconds per shot 3 This firing is to introduce the element of moving forward. The soldier halts to fire. Considerable loss of accuracy would result from firing while walking or running. Men to fire are formed in line at the 50-yard point, each opposite his own target, pistols loaded, locked, and held at ''Raise pistol." The targets are edge to the front. Four or five seconds after the pit is notified that all is ready at the firing point, targets are exposed twice for 5 seconds, with an interval of 2 to 5 seconds between exposures. The men fire one shot at each exposure. An interval of 10 seconds is then allowed, during which time the line advances at double time to the 25-yard point by command of the in- structor, alignment being mantained. 123 1 At the expiration of the 10-second interval the targets are exposed twice for 3 seconds, with an interval of 2 to 5 seconds between exposures. The men fire one shot at each exposure. An interval of 7 seconds is then allowed while the line advances as before at double time to the fifteen yard point. At the expiration of the 7 seconds the targets are exposed three times for 2 seconds, with an interval of 2 to 5 seconds between exposures. The men fire one shot at each exposure. Pistols are locked before moving forward and are held at ''Raise pistol" between shots. Visual signals should be used in the pit in order that the commands for exposing the targets may not be heard at the firing line. Chapter 12 RECORD PRACTICE 86. Tabulation. The following tables prescribe the firing in record practice in the order followed by the individual soldier. The procedure is as in instruction practice. 87. Slow fire.— Table 5.— Slow fire — Target "L". Range Time Scores 25 yards No time limit 1 50 yards No time limit 1 88. Rapid fire.— Table 6.— Rapid fire — Target 'T". Range Time Scores 15 yards 15 seconds per score 2 25 yards 20 seconds per score 2 89. Quick fire.— Table 7.— Quick fire — Target "E"— Bobbing. Range Time Scores 25 yards 3 seconds per shot 2 50 yards 5 seconds per shot 2 [24] 90. Qualification. The record course, as above prescribed, is the quaUfication course. No separate course is fired as an expert test. The scores for quaUfication are as prescribed in the following paragraph : 119. Requirements, dismounted course. The require- ments for qualification in the several grades of marksmanship, dismounted, are given in the following table: Classification, dismounted. Average Percentage in Slow, Rapid, Grade and Quick Fire Pistol expert At least 80 per cent Pistol sharpshooter At least 70 per cent Pistol marksman At least 60 per cent Unqualified Less than 60 per cent In applying the provisions of the above table the soldier's percentage is obtained as follows: Find the percentage of the total slow fire score ; find the percentage of the total rapid fire score; find the percentage of the total quick fire score; add these three percentages together and divide by three to give the final average percentage. Points on coaching men. The coach should never lay hands on the firer to correct his position, but should tell the shooter how to get into position, even though this method takes longer; it is embarrassing to the shooter to be shoved around into position. Make sure by questions, that the firer understands the proper shooting position; gripping the gun correctly; aiming the gun correctly; and how the trigger must be squeezed. Have the firer squeeze the trigger several times without aiming, and when he says that the hammer falls so that he cannot tell when it will fall, let him try aiming and squeezing the trigger until the coach believes by questioning the firer that he has mastered this, now load the gun and start prone shooting. If the shooter makes seventy-five per cent of the possible score at twenty-five yards, and fifty per cent of the possible score at fifty yards, advance him to the off-hand position. Do not advance the firer to the more difiicult classes of fire (rapid and quick fire), until he has mastered the trigger squeeze in slow fire. To advance the shooter too rapidly is [251 very liable to bring on flinching, and once the flinching habit has become set, it is hard to overcome. The position of the coach, while the firer is in the prone position, is: lying with his left side towards the target, and far enough forward that he can see the firer's aiming eye, and occasionally watch the movement of the trigger finger. The position of the coach in slow and rapid fire (off-hand position) is the same as mentioned for the prone position, except the coach is standing. In quick fire the position of the coach is back of the firer, and with his eye as near in alignment with the flight of the bullet as the shooter's head will permit; this position of the coach is for the purpose of watching the flight of the bullet, that he may caution the firer where each shot is going, and thereby correct his point of aim should the firer be consistently missing the target at any one point. The shooter will reflect the attitude of the coach, that is: if the coach is careless in his instructions on the shooting position, aiming, etc., the shooter will do these things in the same slip-shod manner; whereas if the coach had insisted on exactness, the shooter will have more confidence in the coach and will put forth a greater effort to learn. For the first eight or ten months that a man is in the service he will try harder to learn than he will later on, and this period should be taken advantage of. The poorest shots should be put under the best coaches and given additional practice. Classification and medals. Pistol marksmanship manual prescribes the method of obtaining the final percentage as follows : divide the total slow fire score made, by the possible score (140 possible score); divide the total rapid fire score made, by the possible score (280 possible score); divide the total quick fire score made, by the possible score (28 possible score) ; add these three percentages and divide by three, which gives the final percentage. Eighty per cent or better in record practice qualifies the shooter as an expert pistol shot; seventy and under eighty per cent, pistol sharpshooter; sixty and under seventy per cent, pistol marksman; all under sixty per cent are unqualified. The value of hits on the bull's-eye target run from a count of two to ten; while the value of a hit on the bobbing target (quick fire) has a count of one. 26 The classification as a distinguished pistol shot is perma« nent, and requires the winning of any three of the following medals : (a) The medals won in the Marine Corps Divisional, Marine Corps Pistol Match, Army Department, Depart- mental, combined Departmental, Corps area, Division,. Divisional, or Army pistol or revolver competitions. (b) The medals won in the National individual pistol match, and the members of medal winning teams in the National pistol team match regardless of whether the team represented the Marine Corps or not. A gold medal emblematical of this classification will be issued to the shooter winning any three of the above mentioned medals, which, if lost after being received by him, can be re- placed by purchase only; authority for such replacement must be obtained by Marines from Headquarters U. S. Marine Corps. The pistol qualification badge should not be worn on the uniform with this medal. Table of percentages. The following table of percentages is for the purpose of quickly and accurately determining the final percentage of the firer. In the first column locate the total score of twenty-five and fifty yards slow fire, or the total score of fifteen and twenty-five yards rapid fire, or the total score of twenty-five and fifty yards quick fire; directly opposite the score and under the proper heading will be found the per- centage of the score made. The three percentages thus obtained should be added together and then divided by three to determine the final percentage of the shooter. Slow, Rapid and Slow Fire Rapid Fire Quick Fire Quick Fire Score Percentage Percentage Percentage 1 •Vu Vm 3 Vm 2 1 Vl4 ■Vi4 7Vm 3 2 Vm 1 Vm 10>Vm 4 2'V.4 1 Vm 14 Vm 5 3 Vm 1'Vm 17>Vm 6 4Vm 2 Vm 21 Vu 7 5 2 Vm 25 8 5'Vm 2'Vu 28 Vm 9 6Vm 3Vm i2 Vm 127 Slow, Rapid and Quick Fire Score Slow Fire Percentage Rapid Fire Percentage Quick Fire Percentage 10 7Vl4 3 Vl4 35'Vi4 11 71VI4 31V14 39 V.4 12 8 Vl4 4 Vl4 42" Vl4 13 9Vh 4 Vl4 46 V.4 14 10 5 50 15 lO'Vu 5 Vl4 53 V.4 16 11 Vl4 51V14 57 V.4 17 12 Vl4 6 Vl4 6O1V.4 18 12iVi4 6 Vl4 64 V.4 19 13 Vl4 8^714 671V14 20 14 Vl4 7 Vl4 71 V.4 21 15 7 Vl4 75 22 15'Vl4 71V14 78 V.4 23 16 Vl4 8 Vl4 82. V.4 24 17 Vl4 8 Vl4 85' V.4 25 171VI4 8^ Vl4 89 Vl4 26 18 Vl4 9 Vl4 92' V.4 27 19 Vl4 9 Vl4 96 Vl4 28 20 10 ] 100 Slow and Rapid Fire Score Slow Fire Percentage Rapid Fire Percentage Slow and Rapid Fire Score Slow Fire Percentage Rapid Fire Percentage 29 20"/i4 10 Vl4 51 36 Vl4 18 V.4 30 21 Vl4 lO^Vu 52 37 Vl4 18 V.4 31 22 Vi4 11 Vl4 53 3712/14 18"V.4 32 22iVi4 11 Vl4 54 3S Vl4 19 V.4 33 23 Vi4 ll'Vl4 55 39 '/u 19 Vl4 34 24Vi4 12 Vl4 56 40 20 35 25 12 Vl4 57 4010/1^ 20 Vi4 36 25i»/i4 121V14 58 41 Vu 201V.4 37 26Vi4 13 Vl4 59 42 Vu 21 V.4 38 27 Vx4 13 Vl4 60 42^71^ 21 V.4 39 271V14 13iVh 61 43 Vu 21"/l4 40 28 Vi4 14 Vl4 62 44 Vu 22 V.4 41 29 V.4 14 Vl4 63 45 22 Vi4 42 30 15 64 4510/1^ 221V.4 43 30'0/u 15 Vl4 65 46 Vu 23 V.4 44 31 Vl4 151V14 66 47 Vu 23 Vi4 45 32 Vu 16 Vl4 67 4712/1^ 231V.4 46 3212/14 16 V.4 68 48 Vu 24 V.4 47 33 Vi4 16"/l4 69 49 Vu 24 V.4 48 34 Vu 17 Vl4 70 50 25 49 35 17 V.4 71 50' Vu 25 Vi4 50 35'Vi4 171V14 72 51 Vu 251V14 [28 Slow and Rapid Fire Score Slow Fire Percentage Rapid Fire Percentage Slow and Rapid Fire Score Slow Fire Percentage Rapid Fire Percentage 73 52 V.4 26 Vh 107 76 Vi4 38 V.4 74 52iVu 26 Vi4 108 77 V.4 38 V.4 75 53 Vi4 26>Vi4 109 771V.4 381V.4 76 54 Vi4 27 Vi4 110 78 V.4 39 v.* 77 55 27 Vi4 111 79 Vi4 39 V.4 78 55'Vi4 271V14 112 80 40 79 56 Vu 28 Vi4 113 80"/„ 40 V.4 80 57 Vu 28 Vi4 114 81 V.4 40'V.4 81 571V14 28iVi4 115 82 V.4 41 Vi* 82 58 Vi4 29 Vi4 116 82iVi4 41 V.4 S3 59 Vi4 29 V.4 117 83 Vi4 4PV.4 84 60 30 118 84 V.4 42 V.4 85 60W/14 30 V.4 119 85 42 V.4 86 61 Vl4 30"/.4 120 851V14 421V.4 87 62 Vh 31 Vl4 121 86 Vi4 43 v.* 88 62'Vu 31 V.4 122 87 V.4 43 V.4 89 63 Vi4 31"A4 123 871V.4 431V.4 90 64 V.4 32 V.4 124 88 Vi4 44 Vi4 91 65 32 V.4 125 89 V.4 44 V.4 92 651V14 321V.4 126 90 45 93 66 Vi4 33 V.4 127 90'V.4 45 V.4 94 67 Vi4 33 V.4 128 91 V.4 45'Vi4 95 671V14 331V.4 129 92 V.4 46 Vi4 96 68 Vi4 34 V.4 130 921V.4 46 V.4 ■ 97 69 Vi4 34 V.4 131 93 Vi4 461V.4 98 70 35 132 94 V.4 47 V.4 99 701V14 35 V.4 133 95 47 V.4 100 71 Vl4 351V.4 134 951V.4 47'V.4 101 72 Vu , 36 V.4 135 96 V.4 48 V.4 102 72iVh 36 Vi4 136 97 Vi4 48 V.4 103 73 Vi4 361V.4 137 971V.4 4813/,, 104 74 Vi4 37 V.4 138 98 V.4 49 V.4 105 75 37 V.4 139 99 V.4 49 V.4 106 75'Vi4 371V.4 140 100 50 29 Rapid Fire Score Rapid Fire Percentage Rapid Fire Score Rapid Fire Percentage Rapid Fire Score Rapid Fire Percentage 141 50 Vi4 188 67 V.4 235 831V14 142 501-/14 189 67 V.4 236 84 Vi4 143 51 Vu 190 67'Vi4 237 84 Vi4 144 51 V.4 191 68 Vi4 238 85 145 51'Vl4 192 68 Vi4 239 85 Vi4 146 52 Vi4 193 681V14 240 851V14 147 52 Vi4 194 69 Vi4 241 86 Vi4 148 52iVi4 195 69 Vi4 242 86 V.4 149 53 Vi4 196 70 243 86IV14 150 53 Vu 197 70 Vi4 244 87 Vi4 151 531V14 ■ 198 701V14 245 87 V.4 152 54 Vi4 199 71 Vl4 246 87>V.4 153 54 Vi4 200 71 Vl4 247 88 Vi4 154 55 201 711V14 248 88 Vi4 155 55 Vi4 202 72 Vi4 249 88'V.4 156 55"/i4 203 72 Vi4 250 89 Vi4 157 56 Vi4 204 72*Vi4 251 89 Vi4 158 56 V.4 205 73 Vi4 252 90 159 56iVu 206 ^ 73 Vi4 253 90 Vi4 160 57 Vi4 207 731V.4 254 90iVi4 . 161 57 Vi4 208 74 V.4 255 91 V.4 162 5712/14 209 74Vi4 256 91 V.4 163 58 Vu 210 75 257 9I1V14 164 58 Vi4 211 75 Vi4 258 92 Vi4 165 58iVi4 212 751V14 259 92 Vi4 166 59 Vi4 213 76 Vi4 260 921V14 167 59 Vi4 214 76 Vi4 261 93 V.4 168 60 215 76iVi4 262 93 Vi4 169 60 V.4 216 77 Vi4 263 931V14 170 6O1V14 217 77 V.4 264 94 Vi4 171 61 Vl4 218 771V14 265 94Vi4 172 61 V.4 219 78 Vi4 266 95 173 611V14 220 78 Vi4 267 95 V.4 174 62 Vi4 221 78iVi4 268 951V14 175 62 Vi4 222 79 Vi4 269 96 Vi4 176 62iVi4 223 79 Vi4 270 96 Vi4 177 63 Vi4 224 80 271 96"/,4 178 63 Vi4 225 80 Vi4 272 97 Vi4 179 631V14 226 8OIV.4 273 97 Vi4 180 64 Vi4 227 81 Vl4 274 971V14 181 64 Vi4 228 81 V.4 275 98 Vi4 182 65 229 8I1V.4 276 98 Vi4 183 65 Vi4 230 82 V.4 277 98>Vu 184 651V14 231 82 Vi4 278 99 Vi4 185 66 V.4 232 82'V.4 279 99 Vi4 186 66 V.4 233 83 Vi4 280 100 187 661V.4 234 83 Vi4 30 Description of the Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, Model of 1911 The automatic pistols, caliber .45, model of 1911, in the military service are marked on the right side, ''Model of 1911, U. S. Army"; on the left side, ''United States Property." They are also marked with the serial. number of the pistol. Component Parts Receiver. Barrel, Slide. Plunger tube. Slide-stop plunger. Plunger spring. Safety-lock plunger. Slide stop. Rear sight. Front sight. Link. Link pin. Barrel bushing. Recoil spring. Recoil-spring guide. Plug. Extractor. Ejector. Ejector pin. Firing pin. Firing-pin spring. Firing-pin stop. Hammer. Hammer pin. Hammer strut. Hammer-strut pin. Mainspring. Mainspring cap. Mainspring-cap pin. Sear. Sear spring. Sear pin. Disconnector. Trigger. Grip safety. Safety lock. Mainspring housing. Housing pin. Housing-pin retainer Lanyard loop. Lanyard-loop pin. Magazine tube. Magazine base. Magazine pins. (2) [ Magazine. Magazine loop. Magazine spring. Magazine follower. Magazine catch. Magazine-catch spring. Magazine-catch lock. Stocks, left and right. Stock screws (4). Stock-screw bushings (4) Detailed Description The three principal parts of the pistol are the receiver, barrel, and slide. The receiver has suitable guides for the reciprocating slide, and a hollow handle in which the magazine is inserted from below and locked in place by the magazine catch. The [31] magazine may be removed by pressure upon the checkered end of the magazine catch which projects from the left side of the receiver in a convenient position for operation by the thumb. The trigger is seated in front of the handle in the trigger guard. In rear and above the handle the firing mechanism is arranged, comprising the hammer, sear, (automatic) discon- nector, grip safety, and safety lock; also the mainspring and the sear spring. The mainspring is seated within the main- spring housing and held there by the mainspring cap pin. The mainspring housing also contains the mainspring cap and the housing pin retainer. The conical point of the latter protrudes slightly into the hole for the housing pin, engaging with the groove around the middle thereof, thereby holding the housing pin in place. The sear spring has a rib on its lower end which fits into a slot in the rear wall of the magazine seat and keeps the spring from moving vertically. The mainspring housing, bearing against the rear of the spring, locks it in position and gives to it the required tension. The hammer strut is attached to the hammer in rear of its pivot by means of the hammer strut pin. Its lower end rests in the mainspring cap. Above the handle on the left side are the slide stop plunger and safety lock plunger with their ends protruding from the front and rear, respectively, of the plunger tube. The plun- ger spring is seated between the plungers and within the plunger tube and yieldingly holds them in position. The ejector is seated at the top of the receiver near the rear and at the left side. It is held in place by the ejector pin. The top of the receiver forward of the trigger guard has a semi-tubular extension which forms the seat for the rear portion of the recoil spring. The barrel of the pistol is largest at the breech, and at the top has two transverse locking ribs, the forward edges of which, together with the forward edge of the breech portion, serve to positively interlock the barrel with the slide when in the firing position. At its rear is an extension which facilitates the entrance of the cartridge from the magazine into the [32] chamber. The rear end of the barrel is attached to the receiver by the link, link pin, and the pin of the slide stop, and swinging thereon can move a limited distance lengthwise and also in a vertical plane. The side walls of the slide overlap the sides of the receiver, and being provided with longitudinal ribs corresponding with similar grooves at the top of the receiver, the slide is free to move longitudinally. The slide has at its front end a strong tubular abutment which is in line with the forward portion of the receiver, and which permits the slide to move to the rear until the rear end of the abutment comes in contact with the shoulder in the receiver at its forward end, thereby positively limiting the rearward movement of the slide. The latter is therefore necessarily assembled to the receiver from the front, and is prevented from being thrown rearward from the receiver under any circumstances. In the abutment or front end of the slide are seated the forward portion of the recoil spring and the plug, w^hile the rear end of the recoil spring and the recoil spring guide are supported by the shoulder in the front end of the receiver. The barrel bushing fits into the front end of the slide, supports the muzzle end of the barrel, and holds the plug and recoil spring in place. When the slide and the barrel therein are mounted upon the receiver and the slide stop is in its place, so that the pin part of the slide stop locks the barrel to the receiver through the link, the slide is thereby positively locked in place upon the receiver. The firing pin, firing-pin spring, (shell) extractor are carried in the rear of the slide and locked by the firing-pin stop. By pressing the firing pin forward so as to clear the firing-pin stop, the latter is released and may be removed downwardly, leaving both firing pin and extractor free for removal. The slide stop consists of the pin part, which serves as a pivot and passes through the link, and a body, on which is a thumb piece, for releasing the sHde from the open position. 33 The safety lock consists of a thin plate, a projecting pin, a thumb piece, and a projecting stud. The pin part serves as a pivot for the safety lock and is at the same time a pivot for the grip safety. The upper corner of the plate has an angle which will fit into a correspondingly shaped recess in the slide. When the slide is in its forward position, and the ham- mer is full cocked, the safety lock may be pushed up manually, by means of the thumb piece, thereby positively locking the hammer and the slide. Whik the safety lock is being pushed up into the locking position the stud on the safety lock is being carried upward and it finally stands in rear of the lower arm of the sear, blocking the sear, and causing the locking of the hammer. If the safety lock is pressed down so as to re- lease the slide the projecting stud on the safety lock clears the sear, permitting the sear to be operated by the trigger, thereby causing the release of the hammer if the grip safety is pressed inward, as by the hand grasping the handle of the pistol, and the trigger is pulled. The grip safety is pivoted in the upper part of the re- ceiver. Its lower part projects from the rear face of the handle under pressure of the short leaf of the sear spring, thereby locking the trigger whenever the handle of the pistol is released. But when the handle is grasped, as in the firing position, the grip safety releases the trigger without requiring the attention or thought of the firer. The (automatic) disconnector is mounted in the receiver in rear of the magazine seat. In the underside of the slide and near its rear end, a recess is provided w^hich stands above the top of the disconnector when the slide is in the forward firing position. With the slide in this position the disconnector is raised to its operative position by the center leaf of the sear spring and it then will transmit the movement, of the trigger to the sear. The forw^ard surfaces of the recess of the slide and of the projecting end of the disconnector are inclining, so that the rearward movement of the slide depresses the dis- connector until the slide again returns to its forward position. In this depressed position of the disconnector the trigger is disconnected from the sear, allowing the sear to reengage the hammer. This arrangement automatically and positively [341 prevents the firing of the pistol except when all its parts are in the fully closed and locked firing position, and it also pre- vents more than one shot from following each pull of the trigger. To Dismount and Assemble the Pistol Remove the magazine by pressing the magazine catch. Press the plug inward and revolve the barrel bushing until the plug and the end of the recoil spring protrude from their seat, releasing the tension of the spring. Draw the slide rear- ward until the smaller rear recess in its lower left edge stands above the projection on the thumb piece of the slide stop; press gently against the end of the pin of the slide stop which protrudes from the right side of the receiver above the trigger guard and remove the slide stop. This releases the link, allowing the barrel, with the slide, to be drawn forward together from the receiver, carrying with them the barrel bushing, recoil spring, plug, and recoil spring guide. Remove these parts from the slide by withdrawing the recoil spring guide from the rear of the recoil spring, and drawing the plug and the recoil spring forward from the slide. Revolve the barrel bushing until it may be drawn forward from the slide. This releases the barrel which, with the link, may be drawn forward from the slide, and by pushing out the link pin the link is released from the barrel. Press the rear end of the firing pin forward until it clears the firing pin stop, which is then drawn downward from its seat in the slide; the firing pin, firing pin spring, and extractor are then removed from the rear of the slide. The safety lock is readily withdrawn from the receiver b\' cocking the hammer and pushing from the right on the pin part or pulling outward on the thumb piece of the safety lock when it is midway between its upper and lower position. The cocked hammer is then lowered and removed after re- moving the hammer pin from the left side of the receiver. The housing pin is then pushed out from either side of the receiver, which allows the mainspring housing to be withdrawn downward and the grip safety rearward from the handle. I «^5 I The sear spring may then be removed. By pushing out the sear pin from the right to the left side of the receiver, the sear and the disconnector are released. To remove the mainspring, mainspring cap, and housing pin retainer from the mainspring housing, compress the main- spring and push out the small mainspring cap pin. To remove the magazine catch from the receiver, its checkered left end must be pressed inward, when the right end of the magazine catch will project so far from the right side of the receiver that it may be rotated one-half turn. This move- ment will release the magazine catch lock from its seat in the receiver, when the magazine catch, the magazine catch lock, and the magazine catch spring may be removed. With the improved design of magazine catch lock the operation of dismounting the magazine catch is simplified in that when the magazine catch has been pressed inward the magazine catch lock is turned by means of a screw driver or the short leaf of the sear spring a quarter turn to the left when the magazine catch with its contents can be removed. The improved design will be recognized from the fact that the head of the magazine catch lock is slotted. The trigger can then be removed rearwardly from the receiver. The hammer strut or the long arm of the screw driver can- be used to push out all the pins except the mainspring cap pin, lanyard-loop pin, and ejector pin. To assemble the pistol, proceed in the reverse order. It should be noted that the disconnector and sear are assembled as follows: place the cylindrical part of the discon- nector in its hole in the receiver with the flat face of the lower part of the disconnector resting against the yoke of the trigger. Then place the sear, lugs downward, so that it straddles the disconnector. The sear pin is then inserted in place, so that it passes through both the disconnector and the sear. The sear, disconnector, and hammer being in place and the hammer down, to replace the sear spring, locate its lower end in the cut in the receiver, with the end of the long leaf resting on the sear; then insert the mainspring housing until its lower end projects below the frame about one-eighth of an [36] inch, replace the grip safety, cock the hammer, and replace the safety lock; then lower the cocked hammer, push the mainspring housing home and insert the housing pin. In assembling the safety lock to the receiver use the tip of the magazine follower or the screw driver to press the safety lock plunger home, thus allowing the seating of the safety lock. It should be remembered that w^hen assembling the safety lock the hammer must be cocked. When replacing the slide and barrel of the receiver, care must be taken that the link is tilted forward as far as possible and that the link pin is in place. Method of Operation A loaded magazine is placed in the handle and the slide drawn fully back and released, thus bringing the first cartridge into the chamber (if the slide is open, push down the slide stop to let the slide go forward) . The hammer is thus cocked and the pistol is ready for firing. If it is desired to make the pistol ready for instant use and for firing w^th the least possible delay the maximum number of shots, draw back the slide, insert a cartridge by hand into the chamber of the barrel, allow the slide to close, then lock the slide and the cocked hammer by pressing the safety lock up- ward and insert a loaded magazine. The slide and hammer being thus positively locked, the pistol may be carried safely at full cock, and it is only necessary to press down the safety lock (which is located wathin easy reach of the thumb) when raising the pistol to the firing position. The grip safety is provided with an extending horn, which not only serves as a guard to prevent the hand of the shooter from slipping upward and being struck or injured by the ham- mer, but also aids in accurate shooting by keeping the hand in the same position for each shot; and, furthermore, permits the lowering of the cocked hammer with one hand by auto- matically pressing in the grip safety when the hammer is drawn slightly beyond the cocked position. In order to re- lease the hammer, the grip safety must be pressed in before the trigger is pulled. I 37 I Safety Devices It is impossible for the firing pin to discharge or even touch the primer, except on receiving the full blow of the hammer. The pistol is provided with two automatic safety devices ; (a) The (automatic) disconnector which positively pre- vents the release of the hammer unless the slide and barrel ar« in the forward position and safely interlocked: this device also controls the firing and prevents more than one shot from following each pull of the trigger. (b) The (automatic) grip safety at all times locks the trigger unless the handle is firmly grasped and the grip safety pressed in. The pistol is in addition provided with a safety lock by which the closed slide and the cocked hammer can be at will positively locked in position. Operation in Detail The magazine may be charged with any number of cartridges from one to seven. The charged magazine is inserted in the handle and the slide drawn once to the rear. This movement cocks the ham- mer, compresses the recoil spring and, when the slide reaches the rear position, the magazine follower raises the upper cartridge into the path of the slide. The slide is then released and, being forced forward by the recoil spring, carries the first cartridge into the chamber of the barrel. As the slide ap- proaches its forward position, it encounters the rear extension of the barrel and forces the barrel forward ; the rear end of the barrel swings upward on the link, turning on the muzzle end as on a fulcrum. When the slide and barrel reach their forward position they are positively locked together by the locking ribs on the barrel and their joint forward movement is arrested by the barrel lug encountering the pin on the slide stop. The pistol is then ready for firing. When the hammer is cocked, the hammer strut moves downward, compressing the mainspring, and the sear, under [38] action of the long leaf of the sear spring, engages its nose in the notch on the hammer. In order that the pistol may be fired the following condi- tions must exist; the grip safety must be pressed in, leaving the trigger free to move ; the slide must be in the forward posi- tion, properly interlocked with the barrel, so that the discon- nector is held in the recess on the under side of the slide under the action of the sear spring, transmitting in this position any movement of the trigger to the sear; the safety lock must be down, in the unlocked position, so that the sear will be un- blocked and free to release the hammer, and the slide will be free to move back. On pulling the trigger, the sear is moved and the released hammer strikes the firing pin which transmits the blow to the primer of the cartridge. The pressure of the gases generated in the barrel, by the explosion of the powder in the cartridge, is exerted in a forward direction against the bullet, driving it through the bore, and in a rearward direction against the face of the slide, driving the latter and the barrel to the rear together. The downward swinging movement of the barrel unlocks it from the slide, and the barrel is then stopped in its lowest position. The slide continues to move to the rear, opening the breech, cocking the hammer, extracting and ejecting the empty shell and compressing the recoil spring, until it (the slide) reaches its rearmost position, when another cartridge is raised in front of it and forced into the chamber of the barrel by the return movement of the slide under pressure of the recoil spring. The weight and consequently the inertia of the slide, augmented by those of the barrel, are so many times greater than the weight and inertia of the bullet that the latter has been given its maximum velocity and has been driven from the muzzle of the barrel before the slide and barrel have recoiled to the point where the barrel commences its unlocking move- ment. This construction, therefore, delays the opening of the breech of the barrel until after the bullet has left the muzzle and therefore practically prevents the escape of any of the powder gases to the rear after the breech has been opened. 39 This factor of safety is further increased by the tension of the recoil spring and the mainspring, both of which oppose the rearward movement of the slide. While the comparatively great weight of the slide of this pistol insures safety against premature opening of the breech, it also insures operation of the pistol, because at the point of rearward opening movement where the barrel is unlocked and stopped, the heavy slide has attained a momentum which is sufficient to carry it through its complete opening movenent and makes the pistol ready for another shot. When the magazine has been emptied, the pawl-shaped slide stop will be raised by the magazine follower under action of the magazine spring into the front recess on the lower left side of the slide, thereby locking the slide in the open position, and serving as an indicator to remind the shooter that the empty magazine must be replaced by a charged one before the firing can be continued. Pressure upon the magazine catch quickly releases the empty magazine from the handle and permits the insertion of a loaded magazine. To release the slide from the open position, it is only nec- essary to press upon the thumb piece of the slide stop when the slide will go forward to its closed position, carrying a cartridge from the previously inserted magazine into the barrel and making the pistol ready for firing again. Important Points Never place the trigger finger within the trigger guard until it is intended to fire, and the pistol is pointed towards the target. Do not carry the pistol in the holster with the hammer cocked and safety lock on, except in an emergency, and when so carried care must be exercised to see that the safety lock does not become disengaged during the removal of the pistol from the holster. The pistol must be kept clean, free from rust, and properly oiled. Excessive oil left in the mechanism will cause the parts [401 to gum and work stiffly; and when fired will throw oil in the shooter's face. Care must be exercised in inserting the magazine to in- sure its engaging with the magazine catch, otherwise in the act of loading the slide will not strip the first shell out of the magazine and into the barrel. Pressure must be entirely relieved from the trigger after each shot in order that the trigger may reengage with the sear. To remove cartridges not fired, disengage the magazine slightly and then extract the cartridge in the barrel by draw- ing back the slide. Care must be exercised to insure that the disconnector is properly assembled to the sear. The hammer should not be snapped when the pistol is partially disassembled. The stocks need never be removed, as the pistol can be dismounted and assembled without removing them, there being no mechanism under the stocks. Use no hammer, either in assembling or dismounting. Magazine: Reasonable care should be taken to see that the magazine is not dented or otherwise damaged. In filling the magazine care must be taken to insert the shell in such a manner that it will not touch the lips of the magazine until after it is in place in the magazine. Never insert the magazine and strike it smartly with the hand to force it home, as this may spring the base or the inturning lips at the top. It should be inserted by a con- tinuous pressure. Drift of Bullet The drift or deviation due to the rifling is — in this pistol — to the left. The drift is slight at short ranges and that for long ranges is immaterial, as the pistol is a short-range weapon. [41 Penetration L Range Yards White Pine Depth Inches 25 6.0 50 5.8 75 5.6 100 5.5 150 5.2 200 4.6 250 4.0 A penetration of one inch in white pine corresponds to a dangerous wound. The penetration in moist loam at 25 yards is 9.95 inches. The penetration in dry sand at 25 yards is 7.8 inches. Trajectory The maximum ordinate for the range of 250 yards is 4.28 feet at 126 yards from the muzzle. The trajectory is very flat up to 75 yards, at which range the pistol is accurate. With the angle of departure equal to 45 degrees, the range is approximately 1,955 yards, the maximum ordinate of the trajectory being 2,219 feet. 42 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 020 237 074 3