Naval Firearms Training

[twinbrook86]

i was wondering what kind of firearms training they teach in basic at the navy. if any one have some links or PERSONAL EXPERINCE , of what they learn about firearms in basic training for the navy that would be awesome

thanks in adavance

 

[yanici]

Small arms live fire was a joke at Navy boot camp in 1965. I think we shoot some 22 cal. rifle. On board ship was much, much better. We shot M1 Garands, M1 Carbines, Thompson 45s, Colt 1911s. I even shot some tripod mounted 30 cal. machine gun and when we had some Army guys on board some of the guys had a blast with grenade lauchers. Of course shooting the shipboard guns was the best, even though they were only dual 3"x50 cal. guns.

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

Despite being a Navy veteran, my father never fired a gun in his life. Of course that was more than 60 years ago.

 

[NavyRedneck]

In July of 1996 we shot M-16's converted to .22lr. I think they also had some kind of simulator for shooting guns but it was always broken for my division.

Along with that we received basic safety lessons.

Given the current threats, I would be very surprised if more training is not being given today at boot camp. Many sailors will be standing armed watch and many will be sent to Iraq/Afghanistan. Even a small amount of gun training during boot camp would really help weapons quals later. Very different attitudes towards guns today than existed when I joined in 1996.

 

[OnTheRoad]

At Great Lakes in the 40's my Dad (thinks) he shot 1903's in ungodly heat with Marines barking out the commands.

At RTC Orlando in '83 we had 1911's chambered down to .22 - they were so out of whack I swear the rounds went off at 45 degree angles. No rifles.

Now aboard ship, heaving trash over the fantail and lighting it up with MG's, that was more entertaining.

 

[wahsben]

In the 70's at Great Lakes if I remember correctly there was a little bit with 22's and that was it. I ended up in the Seabee's though and got to fire the M-16, M-60 and a 106 recoiless. Some also got to fire mortars.

 

[Twigg]

When I went to Glakes in '74 we shot 10 rounds out of single shot .22's.

 

[Martlet]

Firing guns? In Navy bootcamp?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[Twigg]

In the 70's at Great Lakes if I remember correctly there was a little bit with 22's and that was it. I ended up in the Seabee's though and got to fire the M-16, M-60 and a 106 recoiless. Some also got to fire mortars.

NMCB-40, Alpha co here, outta Port Huneme '74 to '78.

I was a gunner on a 106 also.

What battallion were you in ?

 

[Mr Weebles]

At RTC Orlando in 1988 we shot 1911s converted to .22LR. You couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with those things.

Onboard ship we had to "qualify" with M14s, 1911s, .50 cal and 12 ga shotguns. I put "qualify" in quotes cause qualifying wasn't that hard. Basically, if you didn't shoot yourself or someone else you were passed.

I was lucky enough to be sent TAD to shipboard self-defense school and that was a blast. Much more intense weapons training and we got to shoot some full auto stuff and put a couple of rounds downrange with the M79. Good times.

 

[SemiAutoSam]

Back in boot camp 197? NTC/ RTC San Diego all that we saw from my perspective was the pictures in a few training manuals and in the blue jackets manual and then as far as hands on were the few 3 inch guns on main base and the one on worm island that took 2 men one for elevation and the other for azimuth adjustments.

After a quick look with Google satellite pictures and a few others it looks like the guns are all gone.

Drat those guns would have been a nice add to the small collection.

Navy Boot Camp San Diego Anchor Book
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAP8tUp68nE

Some pics of the old barracks here.
http://forums.military.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/297192721/m/6960018491001

I think this was one of the guns.

 

[vellnueve]

You probably won't have to do anything until shipboard qualifications.

 

[dfritz]

I recently left boot camp 2 years ago

before we started live fire we went thru and used this nifty laser system but I was kinda out of it since we were graduating in a week and didnt really remember exacts on it

Next

We Fam fired the Mossber 500 I believe 3 rounds

We qualed on the M9 to Navy standards and that determined what ribbon we got marksman, sharpshooter, expert

http://safetycenter.navy.mil/bestpractices/afloat/downloads/MOMSENINST3591-2A.pdf


After which I went to Field Medic Service School In Camp Lejuene (after a short stay at Navy Hospital Corpsman School) and was the first group thru to be qualified on the M4 to receive the navy qual ribbon

By Navy standards I shot expert but since we were on a Marine range I qual'd as a Sharpshooter

Now I am with Bravo company 1/25 4 MAR Div

 

[JimB]

G Lakes

we fired the M1 Garand...


JimB

 

[crjs51]

I think we got to look at a 45 ,thompson sub and m-1 , we shot 22 rifles
kinda like the arcade
1966-67 boot camp
When you get to your duty station usualy the marine det will give you some training if you request it.

 

[Martlet]

At RTC Orlando in 1988 we shot 1911s converted to .22LR. You couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with those things.

Onboard ship we had to "qualify" with M14s, 1911s, .50 cal and 12 ga shotguns. I put "qualify" in quotes cause qualifying wasn't that hard. Basically, if you didn't shoot yourself or someone else you were passed.

I was lucky enough to be sent TAD to shipboard self-defense school and that was a blast. Much more intense weapons training and we got to shoot some full auto stuff and put a couple of rounds downrange with the M79. Good times.

RTC Orlando 1988 we shot nothing.

 

[Exousia]

In 1965 my boot camp was abbreviated because they were ramping up for Viet Nam. We shot .22 rifles and 1911s. I don't think I held a Navy gun after that.

 

[Gonzo]

In late 2000, they were re-building the live fire range at Great Mistakes when I was there. We got to play laser tag with M16's, firing at a pie plate 25 feet away. That was our weapons fam. I didn't fire a weapon in the Navy again until I was deployed on the Roosevelt and we bribed the GM's at the .50 cal station on the catwalk outside our shop. We paid for their hotel rooms in Souda Bay, and they let a bunch of AE's put on red jerseys and blast away at the floating flares.

Remember kids, if you're going to bribe anyone in the Navy, make sure you keep the chief in the deal. And give him plausable deniability.

Good times.

 

[Scott342]

In boot camp at Orlando in 1978 we fired the 1911 .45. On board a Forrest Sherman class destroyer I was an ASROC rover. I carried the 1911. We also had M-14's and 12 gauge pump shotguns. We also had mounted .50 cal machine guns.

 

[Serapis]

Boot camp firearms training was kind of a joke in 1998. Once you got fleetside it got better. Here is my story on weapons training in the Navy:

I was a boatswains mate and on 9/11 I was ordered to put our boat and the water and provide around our ship at port until we could get underway. I went and picked up my M9 and my bowhook picked up his 12g. As I was leaving to get on the RHIB the gunersmate and OOD (officer of the deck) handed me a satchel with percussion grenades in it. I was very confused having never seen a grenade in my life and had no clue on how to use it. I was told to pull the pin and through in the water if I saw bubbles. And, poof, I was qualified.

 

[Exousia]

And, poof, I was qualified.

..

 

[Gonzo]

As I was leaving to get on the RHIB the gunersmate and OOD (officer of the deck) handed me a satchel with percussion grenades in it. I was very confused having never seen a grenade in my life and had no clue on how to use it. I was told to pull the pin and through in the water if I saw bubbles. And, poof, I was qualified.

Seriously, I loved this part of the Navy. They still have the ability to cut through all the beaurocratic BS and put some real trust in their members when it comes down to it.

My experience in the Air Guard so far has been a little lacking on that aspect. You'd need a year of training and a bunch of CBT's before you even get to see a dummy grenade.

 

[jobowker]

I was at the Naval Academy for a year and we got to fire M16A1's and 1911's, unless you flinched or exhibited any trouble with it, and then you got sent down to the other range to go fire 22's with the females. That was in the 80's. I'm assuming they're a little less sexist now - the Tailhook scandal seemed to get the ball rolling.

 

[Mr Weebles]

RTC Orlando 1988 we shot nothing.

Really? No kidding ...

I graduated in April 88 and we definitely shot the converted 1911s. In fact, we had one of those banners for shooting on our company flag.

Are you sure you didn't shoot at all? The CPOs in charge of our company went and stood in a small bulletproof booth while we were shooting. They said the did it "in case any of you stupid %^#*#s try to take a shot at us!"

 

[wahsben]

NMCB-40, Alpha co here, outta Port Huneme '74 to '78.

I was a gunner on a 106 also.

What battallion were you in ?

NMCB-62 Charlie Co. A school was in Port Huneme then stationed in Gulfport, MS. 73-77.

 

[usnma]

I left Great Lakes in 2004 and I remember very little live fire. I think we shot five shots at a piece of cardboard that was full of bullet holes. During Battle Stations we shot that laser training crap (this was before Battle Stations was moved to the indoor simulated ship). I got a lot more firearms training at A school and my first command.

 

[Bob J]

I was at the Naval Academy for a year and we got to fire M16A1's and 1911's, unless you flinched or exhibited any trouble with it, and then you got sent down to the other range to go fire 22's with the females. That was in the 80's. I'm assuming they're a little less sexist now - the Tailhook scandal seemed to get the ball rolling.

Plebe summer (1971) was my experience.... Had always (long as I can remember) shot with my dad in the clay pits of Florida with somewhat mixed success.....

During plebe summer the gunny running the range had us shoot the back (blank side) of the targets to teach us how to maintain a proper sight alignment focus.... After that lesson had no problem at all hitting what I aimed at.....

In the fleet I was gunnery officer for a 3 gun Sherman class destroyer (DD942).... Was lucky enough to have a captain that loved to shoot so we went through a lot of 5 inch 54 rounds..... Gunnery E for the squadron 3 years running... Our motto was "Happiness is a warm gun".....