2010 US ARMY REVISION OF THE STANDARD BRM-FM FOR M16A2/ M16A4/ M4 CARBINE SHOOTING METHODS

Presented by 946th FST. SGT Kyle Carpenter Major Aaron Gopp

OLD STYLE PRONE POSITION

Body canted at 45 degrees, barrel/receiver resting on sand bag. This position requires resetting rifle position after each shot, and puts upward pressure on barrel of the gun, resulting in shots landing higher on target.
THIS POSITION IS STILL APPROPRIATE FOR LONG RIFLES WITH SOLID STOCKS

OLD STYLE KNEELING POSITION

AGAIN, HAND POSITION SWITCHED FROM PRONE. ( NO REPEATABILITY) LEAD HAND IS PUTTING UPWARD PRESSURE ON BARREL/RECIEVER. MAGAZINE IS WEDGED INTO THE SOLDIERS LEFT FOREARM. RESULT: SHOT HITS LOWER

NEW HAND GRIP

Due to the design of the M16-A2 and M14 assault rifles, using traditional long rifle holds on this system has proven noncompatible. The upper receiver is connected to the lower unit with two sliding pins. The bonus and problem to this system is it allows the upper receiver and barrel to be one free floated unit, also allowing it to move in various directions if touched by the shooters hand or pulled by the sling. The Marksmanship unit identified this issue and therefore the new technique involves holding the rifle in such a way as to hold it firmly from shot to shot without moving the upper receiver through various shooting positions or situations.

PRONE SUPPORTED AND UNSUPPORTED LEG POSITION

Due to the force of recoil and subsequent body reaction , the most accurate follow-up shots result when the shooters body is as close to the ground as possible, creating a skeletal lock on the rifle, relieving any muscle tension that would other wise hold the shooter and rifle steady. Elbows are at 90 degrees and adjustments should are made for shorter length of pulls. The body is placed in line with the weapon for more stability with the new hold technique. With IOTV armor and ACU helmet , the system becomes very stable and much easier to shoot. Tucking the rifle butt into the inner collar liner in the armor will allow the shooter to simply lie their head forward and look up. This will naturally place the dominant eye in line with the sight system, without unnecessary movement. This eliminates muscle fatigue. Eye and neck muscles will naturally assume new position, no longer is craning the neck to get a standard cheek weld required. This lengthens the sight radius, drastically reducing sight plane error.

MAGAZINE WELL HAND POSITION

Left right hand is placed around the magazine with the thumb either tucked in or in the upright free position. For left hand firing, the right thumb is placed under the dust cover to avoid burns. The non-dominant hand is to have a firm rearward grip to stabilize the fore-end of the rifle and maintain constant pressure on the rifle. Avoid touching the upper receiver in any fashion.

PISTOL GRIP HAND POSITION

The new firing hand position eliminates unwanted movement and allows the shooter to hold the weapon firmly throughout its recoil and reset. The ring finger is placed above the grip notch, and the middle finger is placed between the guard and ring finger. This gives a higher hold and firmer grip. The trigger finger is inserted completely into the trigger well and is used as a vise to control the 6.5+ pound pull required to shoot

Initial Set Up for Firing

The first object to this form in shooting the rifle is getting it lower to the ground. If an object is available close by or shooting out of a drainage ditch or simply off flat ground it is best to have the magazine pushed forward against a stable object. In this picture the Sergeant is placing the rifle so it will require less muscle to control it, pinning it between his shoulder and the sand bag. *REMEMBER: for every shot make a conscious effort to position the body, and the rifle the same exact way, although he did not fire the weapon with his left thumb pushing the top receiver. This is a good example of a common problem.

Initial Body Alignment and Rifle Positioning

Body is aligned horizontally with the rifle, the rifles magazine is placed against the sand bag and the stock is firmly against the shooters collar bone, or shoulder. This allows the shooter to relax all of the muscles in the body while the rifle is remains upright and steady.

CORRECT BODY POSITION AND HAND POSITION FOR PRONE

The rifle is positioned very firmly on the ground and pressed into the shooters shoulder and head. Magazine is wedged against sand bag. Elbows are firmly planted and set at ninety degrees, resulting in optimal consistency.

PRONE UNSUPPORTED POSITION

NOTE HAND POSITION HAS NOT CHANGED. BARREL/RECEIVER POSITION HAS NOT CHANGED. TRIGGER GRIP HAS NOT CHANGED. LEFT ARM IS PINNED AGAINST EDGE OF SANDBAG, STABILIZING WEAPON. (MAGAZINE IS ACTUALLY CLEAR OF THE SANDBAG)

KNEELING/SITTING
This is one of the more difficult positions to shoot from, mainly because natural sway in the human body is far more noticeable the higher the rifle is from the ground. While keeping the hands in the same position, find the position that bests fits your body type. In this photo, Sgt Carpenter is firmly seated on his right foot, left foot is firmly tucked into the crook of his right ankle and the left elbow rests on the non dominant knee. This results in a very stable platform that requires very little muscle use, i.e. skeletal support. This position requires a lot of flexibility, several variations can be used with the same outcomeStability.

TEST SUBJECT- FIRST TRY

NOTE: SAME HAND POSITION AS PRONE. DUE TO THE VARIATIONS IN BODY COMPOSITION IT WAS BEST FOR THE SOLDIER TO REST THE RIFLE ON HIS KNEE. THIS IS PART OF GOOD MARKSMANSHIP. TAKE YOUR TIME AND FIND WHAT EXACT BODY POSITION GIVES YOU THE MOST SKELETAL SUPPORT WITHOUT EXCESS MUSCLE CONTROL.

RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

LOWER GROUP SHOT 1ST USING OLD METHOD. UPPER GROUP SHOT LAST UTILIZING NEW METHOD FOR THE 1ST TIME. (10 SHOTS PRONE, 5 SHOTS KNEELING) Required sight adjustment to the Right

SECOND TEST SUBJECT: 1ST TRY

PHYSICIAN: SCORED 40/40 OF NOTE: SOLDIER IS SHOOTING LEFT HANDED FOR 1ST TIME..PREVIOUSLY TRAINED RIGHT HANDED, THOUGH LEFT EYE DOMINANT

WHATS HE DOING RIGHT?

EVERYTHING!!!! AT FIRST SOLDIER HAD THE MAGAZINE RESTING ON HIS KNEE BUT THROUGH SHOOTING AND GETTING MORE COMFORTABLE AND LEARNING THAT STABILITY WAS MOST IMPORTANT THROUGH LONG DURATIONS THIS WAS HIS FINAL SHOOTING POSITION AT KNEELING. SCORE=40/40.. NEVER SCORED HIGHER THAN 32/40 PREVIOUSLY

WHATS THIS SOLDIER DOING WRONG?

VERY SUBTLE: HE IS LEANING BACKWARD. THIS MINIMIZES SHOT TO SHOT REPEATABILITY. OTHERWISE EXCELLENT HAND/RIFLE POSITION. Score 1st try 39/40never previously scored higher than 34.

All Credit for this shooting technique belongs to the USAR Marksmanship Team in RC East, Ft. Dix. The soldiers of the 946th Forward Surgical received their instruction in October 2010, Sgt. Carpenter, Kyle B. carried this knowledge to Afghanistan where he carried many groups to fire at the range under this new style of shooting. All improved shot placement, qualifying scores, and understanding of the M16/ M4 Carbine Combat Rifles. This new technique is a breakthrough for the Soldier and should be taught with patients and understanding. Haste is our worst enemy when training the Combat Soldier. Ranges should be held often. Although the names their names are unknown, many thanks go to the USAR Marksmanship Team in Ft. Dix.