I have found my favored weapon!

Isn’t she pretty?

After last week’s difficult M9 pistol training, I was concerned about my M4 training this week.  The M9 was awkward and unnatural in my hands, so I expected the M4 rifle to be more so as it is a significantly larger, heavier, and more complicated weapon.  I couldn’t have been more wrong!

Unlike M9 training, M4 training occurs over two days, with the first day taking place mostly in a classroom and the second day mostly on the firing range.  On day one, we “zeroed” our weapons, meaning we calibrated the sights for accurate shooting.

The primary and preferred sight is the M68 Close Combat Optic (different from a “scope” because it does not magnify the target) which shows a red dot inside it that you put on the target for aim.  The back-up sight consists of front and back iron sights, where you put the tip of the front bar in the center of the back circle to aim.

We began by zeroing our iron sights, which entails firing three shots at a time toward a target silhouette simulated to be 300 meters distant.  The combat arms instructors then inspect the targets and make adjustments to the sights until your shots land in the tiny target circle in the silhouette’s center of mass.

By pure, dumb luck, my iron sights just happened to already be in the perfect calibration for my stock length and shooting position.  So, I was able to hit the target circle with tight groupings every time starting from the first shot.  Let’s be clear, we were firing from the supported prone position which is absolutely the most stable firing position you can get, and we were allowed to take as much time as possible so time pressure was not a factor.  Still, after last week’s performance, looking like a superstar right from the beginning felt great and was a huge confidence-builder.

I wasn’t quite so lucky with the M68 sight, but I still got it zeroed pretty well and had some impressively holey-looking target circles by the time we wrapped up for the day.

The next morning, we took our zeroed weapons to the firing line for practice and qualification.  Unlike the M9 test where we had just a few firing positions, the M4 required many more firing positions using both the semi-automatic and three-round burst settings on the weapon.  We fired and tested from supported (supporting hand resting on a fixed object) and unsupported (supporting hand not resting on anything) prone positions, standing, moving left, moving right, moving forward left, moving forward left, barricaded, supported kneeling (elbow on knee), and standing-transition-to-kneeling positions.  We also did a few rounds wearing full-face chemical masks in addition to our flak vests and helmets.  And those are just the ones I can remember.

Supported prone is a luxury position.  Not only are both your elbows and your supporting hand planted on fixed objects, but because you are stable and so low to the ground there just isn’t anyplace for you to go to get out of position.  It’s very easy to achieve accuracy and keep it as you continue to shoot.  As soon as you start losing support points and moving into more upright positions, the magnitude of swaying and bobbing you experience is astonishing, even when you are trying to keep as steady as possible.

In spite of what seemed like wild movement, I fired surprisingly well throughout the practice and test rounds.  Bizarrely, I got better (tighter groupings) with distance from the target.  A friend told me after class that she’d heard people do better as targets get smaller because they focus better when they have a teeny target.  Evidently, this is true for me and I don’t mind a bit.

After several hours of timed firing drills, I’m delighted to say that I qualified easily on the M4.  My lessons learned from last week’s M9 qualification helped: I really toughened up my fingers and I was a lot more comfortable.  I am covered with sore spots and bruises of mystery origin, but success certainly takes the edge off the discomfort.  In fact, it feels good.  Also, not to gloat, but I was the only civilian in the training (and therefore the only person who had not had previous M4 training), older than the other students by at least 15 years, and a much better shot than at least half the class.  That feels good, too, even though I understand that this was not a competition.

Here are a few more tips in addition to the helpful hints from last week:

1. Long sleeves and helmets and ballistic goggles are not enough protection from hot shell casings being ejected from the weapon to your left.  Several people in the training got hit repeatedly in the face with hot brass and got minor burns.  Make sure your shirt has a collar you can turn up and that you bring a kerchief you can add to your ensemble for extra protection.
2. You spend a lot of time on your knees and elbows on concrete.  Wearing a heavy vest and helmet and holding a heavy weapon makes it that much harder on your joints.  Bring the tactical (of course!) knee and elbow pads you were issued with the rest of your gear and don’t be shy about using them.
3. The M4 weighs a little under five pounds without ammo, which is remarkably heavy when you are holding it up, unsupported, for hours.  Your supporting side is also your weak side, so work on your endurance by holding weighty objects out in front of you with that arm.  You’ll shoot better if you’re not fatigued so quickly.

I’d like to give a shout out to the Combat Arms Instructors at the Lackland AFB Medina Training Annex.  These guys were so professional and patient with everyone, even though I’m sure I looked like a bumbling moron plenty of times.  It was nerve-wracking trying to become comfortable and proficient on these weapons, and I very much appreciated that these instructors did not add to the pressure by showing any irritation or exasperation with anybody.  Thanks, guys!

MM