the-long-shadow-of-john-garand-by-marty-morgan-at-gca-convention

What a fantastic advance in weaponry this was, the impact it made on the war is immeasurable!

TSgt George Rodriguez - I had a n M1 thumb My first week learning about it while in company formation and going from instruction arms to order arms position. We were doing that as an entire company and I didn't yell or anything, got My thumb out of there and once my thumb was out let the bolt go the rest of the way forward. It hurt like H for sure but I didn't draw attention to myself but I learned and it never happened again !

TSgt George Rodriguez - BMI Cadets from the Rifle team on the indoor range with small bore rifles Qualification with the M1 was done at Fort Dix, New Jersey.

SMSgt Lawrence McCarter - Our indoor range in the basement was for small bore arms (22 Cal) and we had room for 3 shooters although we only had one firing at a time. Our target trap was a 45 degree concrete back stop, 50 feet from the firing line. I see from your picture all positions were there except the sitting position.

TSgt George Rodriguez - This picture going way back to 1913 of a BMI Rifle team and mention of championships after that .

TSgt David L. - No, I've never shot one with a scope either, I've used scopes but not on the 03. My Dad has a 22 rifle that has a scope and it had a long tubular magazine under the barrel that would hold 22 of the .22 shells which I have shot. Rifles tended to be pretty easy to shoot anyway with plenty of places to hold for support and keeping it still along with breath control. In a different sort of firing 12 gage Rifled slugs with shotguns actually were pretty easy to aim at distant targets, had no problem with them either. Unlike 00 buck it could actually be aimed a distance and not just spread only at things that were close.

SMSgt Lawrence McCarter - I have a few shotguns but I'm not a big fan. We needed them for gunsmithing school or I wouldn't have any. The Browning A5 I got is a keeper though. An old Belgium model, not the later Japanese version.

TSgt David L. - As a kid I used a .410 shotgun but with Police and Military the 12 gage and in both place the Remington 870 which I loved. Each time We went to the range to qualify with our handguns on the PD We also fired 25 shots of 12 gage with 15 of the 12 gage 00 buck and 10 with rifled slugs. In Military the Remington 870 was a lot nicer than the old M12 which didn't even have a rubber butt plate but just the wood end and also a bayonet stub on the end of the barrel. The small amount of rubber on the butt You might not think makes a difference but try firing the old M12 which didn't have it You did notice the difference.

SMSgt Lawrence McCarter - I have a Winchester Model 12. It just has a plastic end cap. No butt pad as you mentioned. It is a brute to shoot.