Army Pistol Training

Army pistol training is conducted using a Beretta M9.

Army pistol training is conducted according to the guidelines outlined in Army Field Manual (FM) 3-23.35. Results are recorded on a Department of the Army (DA) form 88 and included in soldiers' personnel records.

Preparation

M9 pistols fire 9 millimeter ball ammunition or 9 millimeter dummy rounds.

Soldiers are taught to clean, maintain, disassemble and reassemble their M9 prior to firing. Non commissioned officers are responsible for teaching range safety techniques. They make sure all soldiers know how to properly handle M9 pistols, before issuing live ammunition to them. Live demonstrations are given by experienced non commissioned officers on the safe handling of all weapon systems used by the Army.

Range

Weapon ranges are supervised from a safety tower by qualified non commissioned officers.

Army pistol training is conducted at live-fire ranges. Targets are placed at various distances between 10 and 31 meters from the shooter. Some ranges feature pop-up targets that retract when hit, while others only have paper targets. Both types of targets are acceptable for qualification. Trainees are given as little as two seconds to aim and fire at close single targets and as much as 20 seconds to shoot at multiple long-distance targets.

Qualification

Soldiers must fire at 30 targets to earn qualification to handle an M9 pistol.

All soldiers issued an M9 must qualify as a Marksman, Sharpshooter or Expert. Soldiers must fire at 30 targets during qualification. Soldiers able to shoot between 16 and 20 targets are considered Marksmen and awarded the Army Marksman (Pistol) badge. Soldiers able to shoot 21 to 25 targets are considered Sharpshooters and awarded the Army Sharpshooter (Pistol) badge. Soldiers shooting between 26 and 30 targets are considered Experts and are awarded the Army Expert (Pistol) badge.

References

• Army Field Manual 3-23.35
• Army Service Pistol Team: Firing in the Prone Unsupported Position
• Headquarters, Department of the Army: Laser Sight Request
• Army Study Guide: M9 Pistol

Resources

• U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit
• U.S. Army Service Pistol Team
• Army Times: New Qualification Tables
• Army Study Guide: M9 FAQ