Combat Pistol: Marines vs Army: Comparison?

Bottom line, the Marines spend a large amount of time on the range honing up their skills with their rifles and pistols. Basically at least one or two days per month while the Army only goes on the range a couple times per year and once per year to qualify. The Army spends the rest of their time honing up on the other common tasks skills they need to be proficient in.
I agree that this is a big mistake with the Army. They need to spend more time on the range.
I spent several years in a NG unit and we went down range at the Wyoming training area 10 to 12 months every year to do weapons training and also our common skills training. So I would have put our unit up against any unit Marine or Army for shooting skills.

1SG Patrick Sims - One of my college roommates was a 1LT in Nam, and issued a .45. He wisely obtained an AK-47 as his "main battery".
On a patrol, they walked into an ambush, with a crossfire from two Cong bunkers. My friend was shot in the leg, went down spinning, and the AK-47 went flying into tall grass out of sight. He crawled out of the fire into the only cover available, one of the Cong bunkers. He drew his .45 and pushed in one end of the bunker, killing two Cong who couldn't get their rifles out of the firing ports fast enough to shoot him. A third Cong abandoned his rifle and escaped out the opposite end of the bunker.
A sidearm is there as ever-present back-up to your rifle, and has distinct advantages in many combat circumstances.

In Vietnam I carried a M79 for 8 months and was never issued a pistol to go with it, I was lucky to not have needed it but knew if I did I was screwed ! Peace of mind has value

Agreed MSG. "If you are in combat and going to your pistol...well I am praying for you already".

PFC (Join to see) - I hate to break this to you, but 1985 is in the '80s.

The Marines have the best handgun course.

Uh-huh. LOL

I got the Army pistol expert badge and M16. Not that hard if you follow instructions..

Personally, having been a Security Force Marine in the 90's, this looks like the watered down version they give to those who don't carry a rifle as part of their primary kit, Marines are riflemen first, not pistoleros(however that is spelled). But they do all those rediculous repetitive movements to try and produce good habits of awareness of weapon, ammo, threats, potential threats; and calling this "combat pistol" course....looks like an introduction, not even close to what I was taught in Chesapeake. Could have found a better vid for this.

Cpl James Smith - Agree that it looks like these Marines are being instructed to do it slow and methodical to allow them to focus on the movements to create muscle memory. No one would draw his or her weapon this slow in combat.

There’s range and then there is realty

Eye on target...all the time... 1,500 reps... putting gun in holster without looking. Use weak hand to find holster while eyes on target... Shooting from the hip at 50 yard line? No...shooting from the hip at 1-7 meters? yes. Prone position for anything at the 50...kneeling or modified kneeling at 25...some standing... all standing 15 meters and closer.. hands in front at the 50? WTF For? Hands in front are for hand to hand combat and at less than 50 to 25 yards your hands need to be on your gun...aiming...pulling the trigger until the target stops. At 1 meter...weak hand up to deflect hand to hand combat, while you rock and pin your gun hand to your hip and pull the trigger twice...(unless your left handed using a right handed ejection you need to modify where you pin the firearm to avoid hot brass)... off hand drill- weak arm/hand firearm out at low ready-nothing chambered... two rounds center mass... take your weak foot- muzzle on boot HEEL... force the weapon to chamber a round without use of strong hand...engage the target. Balloons on a string 5 balloons per two shooters, wind a must...load mags with two after a round is chambered(start with 3)...reloading drill... only two rounds per magazine, if you run dry, reload two in the empty and continue... start is all from a snapped holster, between reloads, no snap but weapon is holstered as shooter reloads two to a mag. first shooter to bust the middle balloon moves to next round. teaches speed... teaches reloading under stress, teaches shooter to anticipate targets next location. and middle balloon needs to be smaller than two outside balloons. Alternatively... steel knock down targets... 5 per 2 shooters on the line... as targets are knocked down, shooter moves to next until middle target is engaged... winner moves to next round.. teaches stress management, teaches speed, teaches accuracy, encourages competition. Total rounds available for course of fire? Whatever the standard one day supply is. You run out of ammo? Your out of the shooting event for the day. Qualification score? You figure that one out what you feel is appropriate. This is combat hand gunning... What they are doing in this video is what is called marksmanship training. This is not combat real world situation i saw in the entire event. ( I stopped viewing about halfway through-boring...). Clearing left and right? Correct... looking for next target. Looking behind you? In Combat? Where is your buddy at? recall...I said eyes on target even after you capped it. bad guys can recover and still kill you. Learn TUNNEL VISION for You react the way your are taught. Combining speed with accuracy insures a win win for you as a shooter in combat. i.e. I can put two from the belt to the neck on target, hunt the head and knock the lights out forever of the target. multiple wound channels insures more bleed out, faster bleed out which equals the CNS shutting down.. No CNS, no movement. Central Nervous System... or "Can-Not-Shit"... Can Not Shit... can not move, can not threaten my life or my partner's life anymore. You can cover a lot of areas, looking back as a priority to clear behind you is lower on my list, and only after I've cleared what the threat is in front and to the sides of me... Just my Opinion tho..