Section 410. Entry-level patrol rifle training and range qualification

A. Patrol rifle classroom training. Individual must first successfully complete security officer handgun training. The entry-level patrol rifle classroom instruction will emphasize but not be limited to:

1. Rifle handling techniques

a. Nomenclature and identification of rifle parts

b. Field striping and reassembling

c. Loading and unloading

d. Chambering

e. Reloading

f. Slings

(1) Traditional sling

(2) Single point sling

(3) 3-point sling

g. Transition from handgun to rifle and rifle to handgun

h. Malfunctions

i. Immediate actions procedures

j. Remedial action

k. Proper care and maintenance

l. Rifle retention

m. Ammunition management and identification

n. Range safety

o. Dim light/low light

2. Fundamentals of rifle marksmanship

a. Grip

b. Stance (position)

c. Sight alignment

d. Sight picture

e. Trigger control

f. Breathing

g. Follow through

3. Zeroing iron sights

a. Establishing mechanical zero

b. Zeroing process

4. Dim light shooting

a. Hours of darkness/dim light

b. Identification requirements

c. Unaided reduced light shooting techniques

d. Aided reduced light shooting techniques

5. Shooting positions

a. Fundamentals of shooting positions

b. Basic patrol positions

6. Use of force

7. Criminal and civil liability

8. Written comprehensive examination

Total hours (excluding examination) - 16 hours

B. Range qualification (no minimum hours). The purpose of the range firing course is to provide practical patrol rifle training and qualification to those individuals who carry or have immediate access to a patrol rifle in the performance of their duties with the sighting system that will be carried on duty.

C. Patrol rifle qualification course.

1. All rifle qualification will be done with a law-enforcement type and caliber rifle. A total of 60 rounds of ammunition will be fired for rifle qualification.

2. All rifle qualification firing will be done with iron sights. In addition, if an officer is using an optic while on duty, they must qualify with that optic.

3. All indoor rifle qualification firing will be done at a range that accommodates a distance of 25 yards between the shooter and the target. No variances of this distance are allowed. The indoor target system will contain two targets per shooter mounted side by side. The targets will be FBI Q-R, half-sized silhouette targets. Use of this target type will simulate shooting at 50 yards.

4. All outdoor rifle qualification firing will be done at 50 yards using the FBI Q silhouette full-sized targets. Two of these targets will be mounted side by side for each shooter.

5. FBI Q silhouette targets are used for rifle qualification, scoring will be all hits inside the bottle – value 5 points; outside the bottle – value 0 points. With these targets a maximum score of 300 points is possible. Minimum qualification is 85% or 255 points.

D. Patrol rifle course of fire.

1. Prior to qualification, all shooters are required to fire a minimum of 30 familiarization rounds which will include transition drills from handgun to rifle and rifle to handgun. Shooters will fire a minimum of 10 rounds with a handgun. This exercise is not scored and the distance is at the discretion of the instructor.

2. Stage 1: 50 yards/25 yards (indoors) – Shooters will load their rifle with a magazine of 20 rounds and place the selector on safe. From the standing position with the rifle in the sling carry position, on command the shooters will fire 5 rounds from the standing position, place the selector on safe, assume a kneeling position and fire 5 rounds, place the selector on safe; shooter will assume the prone position, the shooter will fire 10 rounds. All 20 rounds of this stage will be fired at the left hand target. (1 minute) When firing is complete shooters will place the selector on safe and await further command.

3. Stage 2: 25 yards – Shooters will load their rifle with a magazine of 15 rounds and place the selector on safe. From the standing position with the rifle in the sling carry position, on command the shooters will fire 5 rounds from the standing position, place the selector on safe, assume a kneeling position and fire 5 rounds, place the selector on safe; shooter will assume the prone position, the shooter will fire 5 rounds. All 15 rounds of this stage will be fired at the right hand target. (45 seconds) When firing is complete shooters will place the selector on safe and await further command.

4. Stage 3: 15 yards - On command shooters will assume the standing position and load rifle with a magazine of 10 rounds. On command shooters will fire 5 rounds at the right-hand target, place the selector on safe, assume the kneeling position and fire 5 rounds at the left-hand target in 15 seconds.

5. Stage 4: 7 yards - On command shooters will load rifle with a magazine of 20 rounds, selector in the safe position, and then place the rifle in the sling carry position. On command shooters will fire 2 rounds into the right target with a 2 second time limit. Upon completion of firing, shooters will place the selector on safe and the rifle in the sling carry position. This exercise will be fired 5 times with a total of 10 rounds expended.

6. Stage 5: 5 yards - On command shooters will load rifle with a magazine of 5 rounds, selector in the safe position, and then place the rifle in the sling carry position. On command shooters will fire 1 round into the left target head with a 2 second time limit. Upon completion of firing, shooters will place the selector on safe and the rifle in the sling carry position. This exercise will be fired 5 times with a total of 5 rounds expended.

E. Low light/dim light qualification course of fire.

7 yards - Under low-light conditions, on command shooters will fire 5 rounds at the left target, place the selector in the safe position, assume the kneeling position and fire 5 rounds at the right target. A time limit of 1 minute is allowed for this stage.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 31, Issue 25, eff. September 9, 2015.

Statutory Authority

§ 9.1-141 of the Code of Virginia.