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Out of the Country

I have been activated in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Your comments, questions and tips are still more then welcome; they will just take a little longer to post. Your continued support for this website is appreciated. Your continued support of the Marines and other servicemen and women serving in harms way is expected!

Semper Fi,

GySgt David Savage

The Known Distance Course, Marines Annual M16 Qualification

by David Savage

A standard by which Marines are measured in and out of the Corps is their ability to engage a target. Marines are legendary for their marksmanship skills, and the known distance course is the range where fundamentals are built and annually tested.

Marines Need a New M16 Qualification Course of Fire

by David Savage

We need a new KD range. We need a range that tests the Marines in such a way that we not only know that they can perform on a good day, but also teaches them the skills that will make them better at effectively engaging targets and keeping themselves alive during war.

The M1014, Joint Service Shotgun; Semi-auto Action for the Fleet
by David Savage

The Marine Corps has finally started replacing the hodge-podge of shotguns with a slick new version from Benelli that meets the needs of the fleet.

Comments

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Hello,

Just wanted to say I am seeing a pattern in the M-16 and it's a pile of junk. Other than the fact that it is very accurate, it has some problems where when getting a little dirty, it is jamming, this can not happen on a battle field. I read one marine's comment “it only takes a few hours to clean it, and that you have to keep it clean."

Not going to happen out there guys... you want to pick your riffle up out of the sand and be able to fire it. An AK-47 you can take the top cover off, throw a hand full of mud in there and it will still fire, unfortunately it is not very accurate. We need to meet in the middle.... of accuracy and durability. Lets face it, when it comes to durability, the M-16A2 stinks. We have lost solders to jamming riffles in both the Vietnam war and our ongoing operation. My opinion is to look at a different rifle!

Thank you for your time,

Alonzo Turner

Alonzo, way to sound off!!!

I agree about the versatility and simplicity of the AK, and would also love to see a meeting of the two ideas: M16 accuracy and range and AK47 durability and simplicity.

I read an article in the Marine Corps times about a weapon the Army is looking at, the XM8. (Marine Corps Times, 17 November 2003, Page 40, XM8 prototypes surpass M16, Army experts say). Perhaps with this and other weapon testing we can get something out in the field that really meets our needs. -David, Author, USMCWeapons.com

Related Links

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www.Defensereview.com

Article, reviews, comments and chat about military weapons. Very comprehensive, slash-dot style.

www.subic-history.org:

A web site for all those Sailors, Marines, Airmen and U.S. Civilians who were stationed at Subic Bay. Get registered and get connected to others who served there.

Snapshots of the Past

Quality reprints of the old Marine Corps recruiting posters.

Sgt's Grits' Marine Specialties

Marine Corps gear, catalogs, links and gossip.

The United States Marine Corps

The official site of the United States Marine Corps.

Reader Suggested Links:

www.leatherneck.com : From to shaffer01

A Marine Corps web site with discussion forms, e-mail, and plenty of information about the Corps

Questions and Answers

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Q: Does anyone remember what the scores (out of a possible 250) were for Marksman, Sharpshooter and Expert on the M-1 back in the 60's?

John Weaver

A: John,

The M1 is a little out of my sphere of knowledge; however, there are some Salty people out there who were able to answer your question.

Here is what I got back. Let me know f you have any additional questions:

_____________________________________________________

Hi, David,

I dug into the files and came up with this, from the 1943 & 1951 FM 23-5s:

1943/1951 Expert Marksman Sharpshooter

Course

A 180/185 165/160 140/135

B 180/185 165/160 140/135

C 172/175 160/150 130/125

D 132/132 125/125 101/99

The 1958 FM 23-5 uses different terminology; for the "Proficiency Course" (200 yards or 1000 inches):

Possible Superior Excellent Satisfactory

250 202 175 150

Very best regards,

Walt Kuleck

Fulton Armory

Author, "The AR-15 Complete Owner's Guide"

Author, "The AR-15 Complete Assembly Guide-Build your own AR-15!"

--available from http://www.fulton-armory.com/

_____________________________________________________

Reply: Thanks for taking the time to look into this matter for me. As it turns out, there were different scores for different courses and the different Marine Corps Recruit Depots.

I managed to find and get in touch with an old Marine Corps boot camp friend of mine who had kept his notebooks from Camp Mathews (i.e., the MCRD, San Diego range we used in 1960). For that facility, at that time, the scores were Marksman 190, Sharpshooter 210, Expert 220. This was all out of a possible 250. Your subject matter expert was looking at the 1940's and 50's at what were probably very different KD ranges. I had no idea I was asking such a complex question.

John Weaver

Q: Hello how is it decided what weapon, the M16 or M249, you will carry as a rifleman in the infantry?

A: Zachary,

The short answer is:

As you move up in rank in the Marine Corps Infantry, you are assigned different "billets" or positions. Each position comes with a slightly different responsibility and weapon.

A little background:

·         A Marine Corps infantry squad is comprised of 13 members.

·         Each squad is made up of four Fire Teams and a Squad Leader

·         Each Fire Team is made up of a Team Leader, an Automatic Rifleman, an Assistant Automatic Rifleman and a Rifleman

In order of seniority:

The Team Leader carries an M203 grenade launcher.

The Automatic Rifleman carries a M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW).

The Assistant Automatic Rifleman carries a M16A2 service rifle.

The Rifleman carries a M16A2 service rifle.

Typical rank associated with each position:

Team Leader: Corporal (CPL)

Automatic Rifleman: a senior Lance Corporal (LCPL)

Assistant Automatic Rifleman: the next senior Lance Corporal (LCPL)

Rifleman: Private First Class (PFC)

The Squad Leader is typically a senior CPL or Sergeant and carries a M16A2 service Rifle.

Thank you for your question. -David, Author, USMCWeapons.com

Tips From Readers

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"Regarding your M9 "standard" holster, you can remove the flap and replace it with a quick-release thumb snap system. Bianchi sells this item for about $10. www.bianchi-intl.com/product/military.html Second to last item on page.

GREAT! I WILL CHECK THAT OUT. I APPRECIATE THE COMMENT. -DAVID, AUTHOR USMCWeapons.com

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