FUNDAMENTALS OF MARKSMANSHIP

I. Course Code: DTACS 4

II. Course Name: FUNDAMENTALS OF MARKSMANSHIP

III. Course Description: The course covers the fundamental of marksmanship,

the proper handling and procedure of marksmanship specifically its safety
and know the different firing stance and arm style in firing a weapon/gun.
It includes the relevant law on firearms and their related special laws, and
awareness in carrying firearms outside residence based on RA 10591 for
prosecution of cases.

IV. Course Learning Outcomes:

V. CLO1: Demonstrate competence and broad understanding in providing

important knowledge with regard to the firearms safety, necessary in law
enforcement administration, public safety.

CLO2: Collaborate effectively and independently in multi-disciplinary and

multi-cultural teams about firearms safety.

CLO3: Engage in lifelong learning and understanding of different

techniques in effectively adapting in their own the importance of the theory
of the group, understanding the theory of small arms fire and the
importance of the application of marksmanship and combat shooting.

CLO4: Apply professional, social, and ethical standards in the practice of

marksmanship.

VI. Requirements: Comply and pass all academic requirements

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 CHAPTER 1
HISTORY OF MARKSMANSHIP

The History of Marksmanship

By Gary Anderson, DCME

The name of this CMP publication, On the Mark, comes from early
American frontier target shooting contests that are depicted in this 18 th century
painting titled Shooting at the Mark . Participants in a prize shoot for a prize of
a young steer (on left) are shooting to see who came closes to hitting a mark
inscribed on a slab of wood (far right) and win the prize.
Marksmanship is the human quest to “hit the mark” while using projectile
arms. World history is embellished with records, both legendary and factual, of great
feats and pivotal events involving marksmanship. This On the Mark “history of
marksmanship” celebrates the events and people who hit their marks while
performing great acts of human skill with projectile arms; they are people who are
remembered, revered and celebrated in the culture and history of their nations.
These marksmanship history stories constitute an especially meaningful
heritage for modern sport shooting that can make participation in it even more
meaningful.

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By learning about these great events in marksmanship, we gain a better
appreciation for why sport shooting inspires such passion in its participants today.

The human quest to “hit the mark” is an endless challenge for perfection in
aiming and controlling a gun while overcoming the fear of missing the mark. Hitting
the mark is a cause for joy and triumph whether the marksman is a first-time junior
who just shot his first ten or an Olympic athlete who fired a 10.9 on her last shot to
win an Olympic gold medal.

This On the Mark article presents a selected series of significant events to

show how hitting the mark has always been a human pursuit and how
marksmanship traditions have become such important parts of the culture and social
structure of nations all over the world.

500,000 BCE -- Man’s First Projectile Weapons

A statue erected at the Enrique Borbonet Gomez shooting range near

Havanna, Cuba depicts the evolution of man’s projectile weapons from primitive
stone throwing to modern firearms.
Man’s marksmanship attempts quite possibly began when pre--‐historic people
invented a game of throwing stones at a mark on a tree or the ground to see who
could come the closest to the mark. Archaeological evidence shows that the spear,
one of the most important tools invented by humans, came into use around 400,000
BCE. The human desire to demonstrate skill in using this new weapon probably also
led to throwing contests to hit the mark with spears.

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10,000 BCE – Advanced Projectile Weapons

A diorama in Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum depicts a Cro- Magnon man

using a spear-thrower.

Around 10,000 BCE, slings and spear throwers were invented to throw
projectiles with greater velocity and range. It is possible that the Cro--‐Magnons, who
lived in western and southern Europe and probably used these advanced weapons to
practice and engage in marksmanship skill contests by using them to try to hit more
distant targets. One of the oldest marksmanship accolades involves the skilled use
of the sling and appears in the book of Judges (20:16) in the Hebrew Bible: “Among
all of these people there were seven hundred elite men who were left--handed, each
of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.”

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1,500 BCE – The First Records of Target Shooting

This tracing made of an engraved gold leaf in the Egyptian National Museum
depicts Egyptian King Aye shooting his bow from a moving chariot with amazing
accuracy at a cylinder target being held by two slaves (lower right). King Aye was
the successor to the famed King Tutankhamen and the father of Nefertiti. He died
around 1320 BC.

The world’s first pictorial records of actual target shooting come from ancient
Egypt. Several kings who ruled during the 18th dynasty (1543-1292 BCE), including
King Ay, left tomb or other inscriptions depicting them shooting bows from moving
chariots at targets.
Their targets typically hold arrows from several previous shots, all in tight
groups that confirm their skills as marksmen, charioteers and warriors and
therefore their fitness to rule.
The oldest record of target shooting actually portrays a woman, Queen
Hatshepsut. A stone relief carving of the Regent Queen shows her shooting arrows
from a moving chariot at a cylindrical target that is held by two slaves. The Queen
apparently was sufficiently skilled at hitting the target that the safety of the slave
target holders was not a concern.

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1,400 BCE – The First Marksmanship Instruction

This Theban tomb painting portrays the world’s oldest known record of
marksmanship instruction. This remarkable artwork shows two students being
mentored by instructors while learning to shoot bows and arrows at targets.
Ancient Egypt’s 18th Dynasty was a great military state that ruled over the
entire known world. Achieving world dominance required a huge army of trained
warriors. This scene from a Theban tomb painting depicts military marksmanship
training that emphasized the critical role instructors play in teaching marksmanship
skills and the high esteem that these ancient peoples had for accuracy in hitting the
middle of the target.

1,000 BCE – David and Goliath

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 The Biblical story of David and Goliath is a well-known, legendary account of
accuracy with a projectile weapon. David, a young shepherd and future King of
Israel, accepted the challenge of Goliath, a giant Philistine warrior, to an epic duel
between the champions of the two armies to decide which army would become subject
to the other. David chose a simple sling and stone as his weapon. In their high stakes
combat, David hurled his stone with such force and accuracy that it struck Goliath
on his forehead and killed him, hitting the only vulnerable part of his body not
protected by armor. David’s marksmanship feat embraced the essence of competition
marksmanship, extreme skill and precision performed under the psychological
pressure of knowing the consequences of missing the mark.

750 BCE – Marksmanship in Greek Mythology

The Illiad, written by the Ancient Greek poet Homer, presents the first known
literary record of a marksmanship contest. Book 23 of the Illiad describes funeral
games held by Achilles to honor the fallen hero Patroclus. Greek funeral games
featured sports competitions that many scholars see as the origin of the Ancient
Olympics. One of Achilles’ funeral games contests was an archery competition where
the winner would be the first contestant to hit a dove tied to the top of a tall pole.
Teucer drew lots to shoot first and missed the dove, but his arrow cut the cord
that tied the dove to the pole. The dove flew up toward the clouds, but Meriones
pledged a suitable sacrifice to the gods and felled the flying dove with his arrow to
win the prize. Similar competitions to see who could shoot a bird tied to a tall pole
with an arrow or crossbow bolt became popular marksmanship contests in many
countries during the Middle Ages.
1200 AD – The First Shooting Clubs

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The official program for a 1551 prize shoot in Germany. The first prize was a
pair of oxen (lower right).
City councils and the territorial nobles in Medieval German cities placed great
value on having their citizens well practiced in using crossbows. They recognized
that this strengthened their ability to defend their cities. Shooting ranges were
erected to encourage crossbow practice, usually just outside the city wall. When the
citizens realized how much they enjoyed the camaraderie of their shooting practice
sessions, they decided to form shooting clubs. Their shooting clubs soon began to
organize shooting festivals or competitions where they invited shooters from other
cities to participate.
The oldest shooting clubs were founded in the 11th and 12th centuries and
most of those clubs are still active today.

1307 – William Tell and Swiss Independence

One of the world’s best known marksmanship sagas features the legendary
Swiss hero, William Tell. Tell’s skill and exploits as an expert crossbow marksman
are part of the story of the Swiss struggle for independence and the establishment of
the Swiss Confederation in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. According to the
Tell legend, a tyrannical Austrian Habsburg bailiff ordered Swiss citizens to pay
homage to his hat that he hung in a town square. Tell refused, and as punishment,
the bailiff forced him to shoot an apple off his son’s head. Tell hit the mark, but he
was then taken captive by the bailiff. Tell later escaped, shot the bailiff from ambush
and went on to help organize the Swiss forces that expelled the Austrians from
Switzerland.

A portrait of William Tell and his son with the apple where Tell “hit the mark.” Tell
Museum, Bürglen, Switzerland.

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1500 – A Patron Saint for Shooters
The growth of shooting clubs and the active roles shooters played in the social,
cultural and religious lives of their cities led to the designation of a Patron Saint for
shooters. St. Sebastian was a 3rd century Christian martyr who is commonly
depicted in art as having been tied to a tree and shot with arrows. An early 16th
century altar painting by Hans Holbein memorialized St. Sebastian’s martyrdom,
but it also illuminates marksmanship practices of that era. The crossbowmen in the
painting are performing three phases of crossbow shooting as it was practiced in the
early 1500s: cocking (lower left), loading (upper right) and shooting (upper left).

The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian, from an altar painting by Hans Holbein, Alte
Pinakotek, Munich, Germany.

1504 – A Swiss Crossbow Shooting Tournament

The Great Shooting Festival at Zurich, Switzerland in 1504 may have been
the biggest international competition of the 16th century. The competition lasted six
weeks and included crossbow marksmen from several different cities as far away as
Cologne in Germany and Venice in Italy. The illustration provides many details
about target shooting competitions in the 15th and 16th centuries. The competitors
(upper left), sat on stools and shot their crossbows, in turn, at a round wooden target
(on right). A target marker worked from a small hut below the target and used a

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paddle to show the locations of each shot. These contests typically attracted many
spectators who are shown watching the competition from the sides of the range.

The shooting range for the Great Shooting Festival in Zurich, Switzerland, 1504.

1824 – The First Swiss Federal Shooting Festival

The official print of the 1st Swiss Federal Shooting Festival in Aarau shows the
City of Aarau on the right and the shooting range (right center) that was built
for this occasion. The cannon signaled the start and stop of each day’s

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 The first Swiss Federal Shooting Festival (Eidgenössisches Schützenfest) was
organized in Aarau, Switzerland in 1824, the year of the founding of the Swiss
National Shooting Federation. Competitors shot percussion rifles in unsupported
positions at targets that were 540 shoe lengths (“Schuh Berner Mass”) away. There
were seven events where 10,000 Francs in cash prizes as well as silver and other
prizes were awarded. This competition started a tradition that continues to the
present day. Huge Swiss Federal Shooting Festivals are organized in different cities
every five years. The 1969 Eidgenössisches, for example, attracted over 90,000
competitors.

1848 – The First Marksmanship Instruction in the USA

Organized target shooting began to emerge as a sport in the young nation of
the United States of America in the early 1800s. The USA’s first marksmanship
instruction publication appeared in 1848 when a civil engineer and sport shooting
enthusiast named John Ratcliffe Chapman published Instructions to Young
Marksman, with a sub-title that read: “in all that relates to the general construction,
practical manipulation, causes and liability to error in making accurate
performances, and the theoretic principles upon which such accurate performances
are founded.” Chapman’s book expounded on the techniques of shooting rifles from
benches while striving for accuracy as well as the skills of accurate standing position
shooting.

The standing position taught in the USA’s first marksmanship instruction

publication

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1800s – German Shooting Festivals
A liberal idealist, Prince Ernst II of Saxe, Coburg and Gotha spearheaded the
founding of the German Shooting Federation (Deutscher Schützenbund) in 1861.
Prince Ernst II wanted to unify the divided German states into one nation and
envisioned the forming of national organizations of singers, gymnasts and shooters
as a way to accomplish his political goal. Unification was achieved in 1871 when
Wilhelm I became the leader of the German Empire, but forming a national
organization of German shooters was a step towards German unification.
The new German shooting federation was comprised of thousands of clubs in
virtually every city in Germany. These clubs played a prominent role in the cultural
and social life of their cities and were active in organizing shooting competitions and
festivals. 19th century German shooting festivals attracted massive participation in
rifle standing position prize shoots where winners were decided according to the best
center shots.
These popular festivals also featured lots of eating, drinking, dancing and
conviviality. The Schützenliesl (shooters’ maiden), who served the shooters, was a
respected participant in these festivals.

The Schützenliesl (shooter’s maiden), a famous painting by Fritz von Kaulbach. The
original painting is in the HSG shooting club, Munich, Germany.

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1870s – International Long-Range Rifle Matches

Back positions used by 1870s long-range rifle shooters

Rifle shooting in British Empire nations focused on rifle shooting at 800, 900
and 1000 yards in variations of the prone position. Slings were not yet in use in the
19th century so the back position was often preferred. An Irish team, which won the
Elcho Shield as British Empire champions in 1873, challenged a USA team to a great
international team match between the two countries.
The new National Rifle Association of America, which had been founded in
1861, formed the USA team. USA team members, who shot Remington and Sharps
breechloaders, defeated the Irish team, which shot Rigby percussion muzzle-loaders,
in 1874 at Creedmoor, Long Island, New York and again at Dollymount, Ireland in
1875.
These matches were the origin of today’s international long-range rifle
competitions that culminate in Palma Trophy Team Matches that are contested every
fourth year.

1884 – USA Distinguished Badge Program

By 1880, various U. S. Army Departments were conducting rifle competitions
with M1873 Trapdoor Spring fields over courses of fire that featured shooting at 200,
300 and 600 yards. All-Army Matches were conducted every two years for the top
riflemen from each Army Department. General Order 12, issued in 1884 by Army
Commander in Chief General Phil Sheridan, created a “Distinguished Class of
Marksmen” to recognize the most consistently outstanding Army marksmen in these
competitions.
These marksmen became the first Distinguished Riflemen. To this day,
Distinguished Badges are the most important individual marksmanship awards
authorized by the U. S. Government. Today the Distinguished Badge program is
administered by the CMP and the respective Armed Services. It awards
Distinguished International, Rifle, Pistol, 22 Rim fire Pistol and Junior Air Rifle

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Badges. Earning these prestigious badges continues to be a primary goal of hundreds
of America’s best rifle and pistol shooters.

The first Distinguished Badges featured an elliptical bulls-eye.

1896 – The Modern Olympic Games and Shooting

Pierre de Coubertin, a visionary French nobleman, formed the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894 with a goal of reviving the Olympic Games as a
means of fostering world peace through sports competitions. When the IOC
established the 1st Modern Olympic Games in 1896, Shooting was selected as one of
the sports in the program.
There were three pistol and two rifle events. de Coubertin, who had been a 7-
time French pistol champion, played a key role in those decisions. Shooting has been
on the programs of every Olympic Games since 1896, except 1904 and 1928. Even in
1896, Shooting had achieved recognition as one of the great sports of the world.

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Gastinne-Renette target dueling pistols owned by Pierre de Coubertin. These pistols
are now displayed at the German Shooting Museum, Coburg, Germany.

1897 – The World Shooting Championships Begin

The 1st World Shooting Championship was a 300-meter rifle competition in
Lyon, France among five European nations. This 300-meter championship became an
annual competition. A 50-meter pistol event was added in 1900 and many additional
rifle, pistol and shotgun events were added in the years that followed. Swiss
marksman Konrad Stähli won 21 World Champion titles in rifle and one in pistol
between 1898 and 1914.
Two World Shooting Championships were actually staged at Camp Perry,
Ohio, in 1913 and 1923. The 51st World Championship was held in Granada, Spain
in 2014 with over 2,000 athletes from 92 nations competing in 51 events.

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Switzerland’s Konrad Stähli was the world’s greatest shooter during the pre-WWI
era.

1903 – The USA National Matches and CMP

A competitor in the first National Matches in 1903 shooting a U. S. Krag rifle in the
prone position.

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 Shortly after the turn of the century, NRA leaders decided that government
funding and support were needed to achieve their goals for a national marksmanship
program in the USA. They began to lobby Congress to adopt their proposal to
establish a “National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice” within the
Department of War and to create annual “National Matches.” President Theodore
Roosevelt and Secretary of War Elihu Root were enthusiastic supporters of their
proposal. It became law in February 1903 and the first National Matches were held
at Sea Girt, New Jersey in September 1903.
The new law provided funds to transport military and National Guard
personnel to the matches as well as money to purchase a “National Trophy.” This
momentous law created a unified National Matches; it is also regarded as the origin
of today’s Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP).

1980 – The Modern Era in the ISSF Begins

When Olegario Vázquez Raña, a former air rifle world record holder and
successful businessman from Mexico, became the 6th President of the International
Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) in 1980, the world governing body for Shooting
changed from a European-dominated organization to a true international
organization. President Vázquez Raña and his leadership team instituted several
revolutionary changes that transformed Shooting into a modern Olympic sport.
Those changes included separate Olympic events for women, adding air gun
events to the Olympic program, accepting Olympic participation quotas, introducing
electronic targets, staging “finals” to conclude Olympic events and providing live
television productions. These changes promoted tremendous worldwide growth in
Shooting and changed it into a spectator sport.

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2016 – Shooting in the Modern Olympic Games

The sport of target shooting that emerged in the Middle Ages has now evolved
from wooden targets and crossbows, through matchlock, flintlock, percussion and
cartridge firearms to modern air guns and electronic targets. Today target shooting
with rifles, pistols and shotguns has become one of the biggest and most popular
Olympic sports as well as one of the most widely practiced participation sports in the
world with 75 to 100 million shooters of all ages. Shooting is a sport that truly inspires
the passion of its participants whether they are an Olympic Games’ first gold medal
winner (Il Siling, China, London 2012) or a young junior shooter firing her first shots
at a target.
(http://thecmp.org/wp-content/uploads/OTM_History-of-Marksmanship_web.pdf)

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 CHAPTER 2
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MARKSMANSHIP COURSE

It is designed to give the shooter that has not been formally trained, a set of
solid handgun fundamentals. Every course instructed at Sierra Element begins with
the proper mindset. The course concentrates on the seven elements of marksmanship,
balancing speed and accuracy.
Instruction covered but not limited to:

Five (5) Elements of marksmanship

1. Magazine drills - A magnetic drill, mag drill for short, is a drill used to cut
metal. You can use a wide variety of tooling with mag drills including annular
cutters, twist drills, taps, reamers, and counter sinks. The convenience of a
magnetic drill can't be overstated.

2. Malfunction drills - When malfunctions happen in a match, like in this

photo, malfunction drills allow the shooter to clear the gun and get it back into
the game without going into a panic.

3. Drawing from the holster - When drawing from the hip, that means pulling it
in to your waist as you grip the gun in the holster and leaving it there until the
muzzle is pointed down range. That should be as automatic as keeping your finger
off the trigger until ready to fire.

4. Bulls-eye target drills - is a category of shooting sport disciplines where the

objective is to score points with carefully placed precision fire by hitting
a target as close to its center as possible. this type of shooting competition is
referred to as Range-Shooting

5. Time.drill…The time required in rotary drilling for the bit to penetrate a spec
ified thick-ness (usually 1 foot) of rock. The actual time the drill is operating.

Equipment Needed:

 Pistol at least 9mm in caliber

 Magazine pouch
 Three pistol magazines
 Nylon or leather belt that fits through your pants belt loop
 Eye and ear protection
 Pistol cleaning gear/lube

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  250 rounds of factory ammunition
 Baseball hat or boonie style cover
 Water and snacks
 BDU style pants (NO shorts please)

MARKSMANSHIP - Learn basic defensive handgun marksmanship, safe weapon

manipulation, malfunction clearing, magazine changes/reloading, post-incident
communications with first responders, and more.

A fair amount of knowledge, skill, and experience is required to become a

successful hunter. One of the essential skills is good marksmanship, which is
accurately and consistently hitting the target where planned. When hunting,
accuracy is critical for a clean kill. Good marksmanship is built on three
fundamentals:

 Proper sight adjustment or patterning - your gun teaches you your maximum range, and
identifies choke-load combinations that make it easier to hit birds and kill them
cleanly. Patterns have their quirks, oddities, and mysteries
.
 Proper shooting technique - is the act or process of discharging
a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as
a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot or blowpipe). Even the acts of
launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets and guided
missiles can be considered acts of shooting. When using a firearm, the act of
shooting is often called firing as it involves initiating
a combustion (deflagration) of chemical propellants.

 Practice - the actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method, as opposed

to theories relating to it. The ability to perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill)
repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one's proficiency.

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 Four Fundamentals of Marksmanship
The soldier must understand and apply the four key fundamentals before he
approaches the firing line. He must establish a steady position allowing observation
of the target. He must aim the rifle at the target by aligning the sight system and
fire the rifle without disturbing this alignment by improper breathing or during
trigger squeeze. These skills are known collectively as the four fundamentals.
Applying these four fundamentals rapidly and consistently is the integrated act of
firing.

1. Steady Position. When the soldier approaches the firing line, he should assume
a comfortable, steady firing position. The time and supervision each soldier has
on the firing line are limited. He must learn how to establish a steady position
during integrated act of dry-fire training. The firer is the best judge of the
quality of his position. If he can hold the front sight post steady through the fall
of the hammer, he has a good position. The steady position elements are as
follows.

 Non-firing Handgrip - The rifle hand guard rests on the heel of the hand in
the V formed by the thumb and fingers. The grip of the non-firing hand is
light.

 Rifle Butt Position - The butt of the rifle is placed in the pocket of the firing
shoulder. This reduces the effect of recoil and helps ensure a steady position.

 Firing Handgrip - The firing hand grasps the pistol grip so it fits the V formed
by the thumb and forefinger. The forefinger is placed on the trigger so the lay
of the rifle is not disturbed when the trigger is squeezed. A slight rearward
pressure is exerted by the remaining three fingers to ensure that the butt of
the stock remains in the pocket of the shoulder, minimizing the effect of
recoil.

 Firing Elbow Placement - The firing elbow is important in providing balance.

Its exact location depends on the firing/fighting position used. Placement
should allow shoulders to remain level.

 Non-firing Elbow - The non-firing elbow is positioned firmly under the rifle

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 to allow a comfortable and stable position. When the soldier engages a wide
sector of fire, moving targets, and targets at various elevations, his non-firing
elbow should remain free from support.

 Cheek to Stock Weld - The stock weld should provide a natural line of sight
through the center of the rear sight aperture to the front sight post and on to
the target. The firer’s neck should be relaxed, allowing his cheek to fall
naturally onto the stock. Through dry-fire training, the soldier practices this
position until he assumes the same cheek-to-stock weld each time he assumes
a given position, which provides consistency in aiming. Proper eye relief is
obtained when a soldier establishes a good cheek-to-stock weld.

A small change in eye relief normally occurs each time that the firer assumes a
different firing position. The soldier should begin by trying to touch the charging
handle with his nose when assuming a firing position. This will aid the soldier in
maintaining the same cheek-to-stock weld hold each time the weapon is aimed. The
soldier should be mindful of how the nose touches the charging handle and should
be consistent when doing so.

This should be critiqued and reinforced during dry-fire training.

 Support - When artificial support (sandbags, logs, stumps) is available, it

should be used to steady the position and support the rifle. If it is not
available, then the bones, not the muscles, in the firer’s upper body must
support the rifle.

 Muscle Relaxation - If support is used properly, the soldier should be able to

relax most of his muscles. Using artificial support or bones in the upper body
as support allows him to relax and settle into position. Using muscles to
support the rifle can cause it to move due to muscle fatigue.

 Natural Point of Aim - When the soldier first assumes his firing position, he
orients his rifle in the general direction of his target. Then he adjusts his
body to bring the rifle and sights exactly in line with the desired aiming point.

When using proper support and consistent cheek to stock weld the soldier
should have his rifle and sights aligned naturally on the target. When correct

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 body-rifle-target alignment is achieved, the front sight post must be held on
target, using muscular support and effort. As the rifle fires, muscles tend to
relax, causing the front sight to move away from the target toward the
natural point of aim. Adjusting this point to the desired point of aim
eliminates this movement. When multiple target exposures are expected (or
a sector of fire must be covered), the soldier adjusts his natural point of aim
to the center of the expected target exposure area (or center of sector).

2. Aiming - Having mastered the task of holding the rifle steady, the soldier must
align the
rifle with the target in exactly the same way for each firing. The firer is the
final judge as to where his eye is focused. The instructor or trainer emphasizes
this point by having the firer focus on the target and then focus back on the
front sight post. He checks the
position of the firing eye to ensure it is in line with the rear sight aperture.
Aiming is classified as the following:

 Rifle Sight Alignment - Alignment of the rifle with the target is critical. It
involves
placing the tip of the front sight post in the center of the rear sight aperture.
Any alignment error between the front and rear sights repeats itself for every
1/2 meter the bullet travels. For example, at the 25-meter line, any error in
rifle alignment is multiplied 50 times. If the bullet is misaligned by 1/10 inch,
it causes a target at 300
meters to be missed by 5 feet.

 Focus of the Eye - A proper firing position places the eye directly in line with
the center of the rear sight aperture. When the eye is focused on the front
sight post, the natural ability of the eye to center objects in a circle and to
seek the point of greatest light (center of the aperture) aid in providing
correct sight alignment. For the
average soldier firing at combat-type targets, the natural ability of the eye
can accurately align the sights. Therefore, the firer can place the tip of the
front sight post on the aiming point, but the eye must be focused on the tip
of the front sight post.

This causes the target to appear blurry, while the front sight post is seen clearly.

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Two reasons for focusing on the front sight post are:

Only a minor aiming error should occur since the error reflects only as much as the
soldier
fails to determine the target center. A greater aiming error can result if the front
sight post is blurry due to focusing on the target or other objects. Focusing on the
tip of the front sight post aids the firer in maintaining proper sight alignment.

 Sight Picture - Once the soldier can correctly align his sights, he can obtain
a sight picture. A correct sight picture has the target, front sight post, and
rear sight aligned. The sight picture includes two basic elements: sight
alignment and placement of the aiming point. Placement of the aiming point
varies, depending on the engagement range. For example, the figure
below shows a silhouette at 300 meters where the aiming point is the center
of mass, and the sights are aligned for a correct
sight picture.

A technique to obtain a good sight picture is the side aiming technique. It involves
positioning
the front sight post to the side of the target in line with the vertical center of mass,
keeping the
sights aligned. The front sight post is moved horizontally until the target is directly
centered on the front sight post.

 Side Aiming Technique - The side grip is a technique for shooting a handgun
in which the weapon is rotated about ninety degrees and held horizontally
instead of vertically (as is normally done).

- Front Sight - The front sight post is vital to proper firing and should be replaced
when
damaged. The post should be blackened anytime it is shiny since precise
focusing on the tip of the front sight post cannot be done otherwise.

- Aiming Practice - Aiming practice is conducted before firing live rounds. During
day
firing, the soldier should practice sight alignment and placement of the aiming
point. Using training aids such as the M15A1 aiming card can do this.

3. Breath Control. As the firer’s skills improve and as timed or multiple targets

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 are presented, he must learn to control his breath at any part of the breathing
cycle. Two types of breath control techniques are practiced during dry fire. The
coach/trainer ensures that the firer uses two breathing techniques and
understands them by instructing him to exaggerate his breathing. The firer
must be aware of the rifle’s movement (while sighted
on a target) as a result of breathing.

The first technique is used during zeroing (and when time is available to fire a
shot). There is a moment of natural respiratory pause while breathing when most
of the air has been exhaled from the lungs and before inhaling. Breathing should
stop after most of the air has been exhaled during the normal breathing cycle. The
shot must be fired before the soldier feels any discomfort.

* Breath Control for Engaging Single Targets - The second breath control
technique is employed during rapid fire (short-exposure targets). Using this
technique, the soldier stops his breath when he is about to squeeze the trigger.

* Breath Control while Engagement of Short-Exposure Targets

4. Trigger Squeeze. A novice firer can learn to place the rifle in a steady position
and to correctly aim at the target if he follows the basic principles. If the trigger
is not properly squeezed, the rifle will be misaligned with the target at the
moment of firing.

 Rifle Movement - Trigger squeeze is important for two reasons: First, any
sudden
movement of the finger on the trigger can disturb the lay of the rifle and
cause the shot to miss the target. Second, the precise instant of firing should
be a surprise to the soldier.

The soldier’s natural reflex to compensate for the noise and slight punch in the
shoulder can cause him to miss the target if he knows the exact instant the rifle
will fire. The
soldier usually tenses his shoulders when expecting the rifle to fire. It is difficult
to detect since he does not realize he is flinching. When the hammer drops on a
dummy round and does not fire, the soldier’s natural reflexes demonstrate that he

25
is improperly squeezing the trigger.

 Trigger Finger - The trigger finger (index finger on the firing hand) is placed
on the trigger between the first joint and the tip of the finger (not the extreme
end) and adjusted depending on hand size, grip, and so on.

The trigger finger must squeeze the trigger to the rear so the hammer falls
without disturbing the lay of the rifle. When a live round is fired, it is difficult
to see what effect trigger pull had on the lay of the rifle. It is important to
experiment with many finger positions during dry-fire training to ensure the
hammer is falling with little disturbance to the aiming process.

As the firer’s skills increase with practice, he needs less time spent on trigger
squeeze.
Novice firers can take five seconds to perform an adequate trigger squeeze, but, as
skills improve, he can squeeze the trigger in a second or less.

The proper trigger squeeze should start with slight pressure on the trigger during
the initial
aiming process. The firer applies more pressure after the front sight post is steady
on the target and he is holding his breath.

The coach/trainer observes the trigger squeeze, emphasizes the correct procedure,
and
checks the firer’s applied pressure. He places his finger on the trigger and has the
firer squeeze the trigger by applying pressure to the coach/trainer’s finger.

The coach/trainer ensures that the firer squeezes straight to the rear on the trigger
avoiding a left or right twisting movement. The coach/trainer observes that the
firer follows through and holds the trigger to the rear for approximately one second
after the round has been fired. A steady position reduces disturbance of the rifle
during trigger squeeze.

Wobble area is the movement of the front sight around the aiming point when the
rifle is in the steadiest position. From an unsupported position, the firer
experiences a greater wobble area than from a supported position. If the front sight
strays from the target during the firing process, pressure on the trigger should be
held constant and resumed as soon as sighting is corrected.

26
The position must provide for the smallest possible wobble area. From a supported
position, there should be minimal wobble area and little reason to detect
movement. If movement of the rifle causes the front sight to leave the target, more
practice is needed.

The firer should never try to quickly squeeze the trigger while the sight is on the
target. The best firing performance results when the trigger is squeezed
continuously, and the rifle is fired without disturbing its lay.

(https://www.armystudyguide.com/content/army_board_study_guide_topics/m16a2/f
our-fundamentals-of-mark.shtml)

MARKSMAN

- The word mark is from the Middle English word for “target,” so a marksman is a
man (or woman) who has excellent aim and shoots a target. Women can
be marksmen, too, but if the name bugs you, call them sharpshooters.

- A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision shooting using projectile

weapons (in modern days most commonly an accurate scoped long gun such as
designated marksman rifle or a sniper rifle) to shoot at high-value targets at
longer-than-usual ranges.
Marksmanship Principles
- The shooting position and hold must be firm enough to support the rifle*.
- The rifle must point naturally at the target without any undue physical effort.
- Sight alignment and sight picture must be correct.
- The shot must be released and followed through without undue disturbance to
the position.

Factors affecting marksmanship

 Understand and be able to follow the basic marksmanship principles

summarized by position, sight picture, breathing, trigger pressure and follow
through.
 Know your ability to group shots in different circumstances, in particular
when shooting after exertion, from different positions and at different ranges.
 Only take shots that are within your capability.

27
  Know at what distance your rifle is and where your shots will fall at other
distances.
 Estimate the range as accurately as possible. Use a range-finder or take advice
if available.
 Poor light, mist or snow all make accurate shooting more difficult; take
account of the effect of cross-wind on your bullet.
 Ensure that nothing will impede the bullet on its flight path. The view through
the telescopic sight may be clear, but because the muzzle is beneath the line
of sight, the path of the bullet may be obstructed by an unseen object such as
vegetation or a rock.
(https://www.bestpracticeguides.org.uk/firearms/marksmanship/)

28
 Five Firing Fundamentals

There are five fundamental elements of rifle firing—aiming, breath control,

movement control, trigger control, and follow-through. All of these elements work
together as one process and should be practiced together in this way.

 Aim: Align your sight with the target. Follow two guidelines when you aim.

o Keep both eyes open to ease focusing and reduce eye strain.

o Keep your aiming time brief. You can’t maintain the firing fundamentals
effectively for long periods

 Control Your Breathing: Your breathing can move the firearm just enough to
throw off your shot. These tips will help you to adopt the correct technique
more easily.

o When you’re ready to shoot, draw a deep breath and exhale about half
of it.

o Hold your breath as you squeeze the trigger.

o Bear in mind that if you hold your breath too long, your heart beats
faster, which increases your pulse and causes the firearm to move. If you
notice this happening, take another breath and start over.

o At times, the excitement of spotting game will make it more difficult to

control your breathing. Try to relax and follow the correct procedure.

 Hold Your Aim: Learning to hold the firearm steady is a challenge. Rather than
attempting to eliminate all movement, concentrate on two actions.

o Focus any necessary movement on the target.

o Minimize the area of movement.

 Squeeze the Trigger: Jerking the trigger or abruptly clenching the trigger hand
can move the gun enough to cause a miss. To avoid these motions, hold the gun
comfortably.

o Grasp the wrist of the stock firmly.

o Position your fingertip comfortably on the trigger. The trigger should

rest on the end of your finger—between the first joint and fingertip.

29
 o To squeeze the trigger without jarring the gun, simply apply slow,
steady pressure until the gun fires.

 Follow Through: After the bullet fires, be sure to continue the squeeze or
follow-through to avoid jerking the gun before the bullet leaves the barrel.

B.R.A.S.S.
One commonly used shooting technique for muzzleloaders is the B.R.A.S.S.
technique. It stands for:

- Breathe

- Relax

- Aim

- Squeeze the trigger

- Squeeze more (for follow-through)

(https://www.hunter-ed.com/muzzleloader/studyGuide/Rifle-Firing-Techniques-
Practicing-the-Five-Fundamentals/222099_88875/)

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 CHAPTER 3
WHAT IS FIREARMS

A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual.
The term is legally defined further in different countries. (Wikipedia)

Definition of fire arms in its legal term:

Section 877 of the Revised Administrative Code

"Firearm" defined. — "Firearm," or "arm," as herein used, includes rifles, muskets,

carbines, shotguns, revolvers, pistols, and all other deadly weapons from which a
bullet, ball, shot, shell, or other missile may be discharged by means of gunpowder or
other explosive. The term also includes air rifles except such as being of small caliber
and limited range are used as toys. The barrel of any firearm shall be considered a
complete firearm for all the purposes hereof.

(http://source.gosupra.com/docs/statute/465)

Definition of fire arms in its technical term:

A fire arms is an instrument used for the propulsion of the projectiles by the
expansive force of gasses coming from a burning gunpowder.

Classifications of firearms

All firearms, whether military assault rifles or civilian pistols, are classified into
three broad categories: fully automatic, semiautomatic and other. The groupings are
based on how the weapon fires and loads bullets into its chamber for the next firing.

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 FIRE ARMS TERMINOLOGIES

Action - The part of a firearm that loads fires, and ejects a cartridge. Includes lever
action, pump action, bolt action, and semi-automatic. The first three are found in
weapons that fire a single shot. Firearms that can shoot multiple rounds ("repeaters")
include all these types of actions, but only the semiautomatic does not require manual
operation between rounds. A truly "automatic" action is found on a machine gun.

AFTE - Association of Firearms and Tool Mark Examiners

Ammunition - One or more loaded cartridges consisting of a primed case, propellant,

and projectile(s). Three main types are rimfire, centerfire, and shotshell.

Barrel - The metal tube through which a projectile or shot charge is fired. May be
rifled or smooth.

Base - 1. That portion of a cartridge case which contains the primer, usually called
the head. 2. The rear portion of the bullet.

Ballistics - The study of a projectile in motion. Often confused with Firearms

Identification, there are three types of ballistics:

 Interior – within the firearm

 Exterior - after the projectile leaves the barrel
 Terminal – impact on a target.

Black Powder - The old form of gunpowder invented over a thousand years ago and
consisting of nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur.

Bolt - The locking and cartridge head supporting mechanism of some firearm designs
that contains the firing pin, extractor, and sometimes the ejector.

Bore - The inside of the barrel. "Smoothbore" weapons (typically shotguns) have no
rifling. Most handguns and rifles have "rifling".

Brass - A slang term sometimes used for fired cartridge cases.

Breech - The end of the barrel attached to the action.

Breech face - The area around the firing pin, which is against the head of the cartridge
or shotshell during firing.

Buckshot - Lead or steel pellets ranging in size from .20” to .36” diameter normally
loaded in shotshells.

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Bullet - The projectile. They are shaped or composed differently for a variety of
purposes.

 Round-nose - The end of the bullet is blunted.

 Hollow-point - There is a hole in the bullet that creates expansion when a
target is struck, creating more damage.
 Jacketed - The soft lead is surrounded by another metal, usually copper, that
allows the bullet to penetrate a target more easily.
 Wadcutter - The front of the bullet is flattened.
 Semi-wadcutter - Intermediate between round-nose and wadcutter.

Sometimes incorrectly called a slug or round.

Bullet wipe - The discolored area on the immediate periphery of a bullet hole, caused
by bullet lubricant, lead, smoke, bore debris, or possibly jacket material.

Butt or buttstock - The portion of the gun that is held or shouldered.

Caliber - In Firearms, the diameter of the bore measured from land to land, usually
expressed in hundredths of an inch (.22 cal) or in millimeters (9mm). In ammunition,
a naming system that indicates cartridge dimensions as well as bore diameters, and
can be the same as the Firearm caliber.

Cannelure - A groove (knurled or smooth) around the circumference of a bullet or

cartridge case. Three uses include crimping, lubrication, and identification.

Cartridge -A unit of ammunition, made up of a cartridge case, primer, powder, and

bullet. Also called a "round", or “load”. Sometimes incorrectly called a “bullet”.

Cartridge case - The container for all the other components that comprise a cartridge.
Sometimes incorrectly called a shell, shell casing, brass, or a hull.

33
Centerfire - The cartridge contains the primer in the center of the case head or base,
where it can be struck by the firing pin of the action.

Chamber - The portion of the "action" that holds the cartridge ready for firing.

Choke - An interior constriction of a shotgun bore at the muzzle for the purpose of
controlling the pattern of the fired shot.

Class Characteristics - Measurable features of a specimen which indicate a restricted

group source. They result from design features and are therefore determined prior to
manufacture.

Clip - A separate cartridge container used to rapidly reload the magazine of a firearm.
Also called a stripper clip.

Cock - Place a firing mechanism (i.e. hammer, or firing pin) under spring tension
prior to firing

Comparison Microscope - Essentially two microscopes connected to an optical bridge,

which allows two objects to be viewed simultaneously with the same magnification.

Cylinder - Part of a revolver that holds ammunition in individual chambers that are
rotated in turn into firing position.

Discharge - To cause a firearm to fire. Double-action: Pulling the trigger both cocks
the hammer and fires the firearm.

Double barrel - Two barrels side by side or one on top of the other, usually on a
shotgun.

Ejector - The mechanism on a firearm which ejects or expels a cartridge or cartridge

case from a firearm.

Extractor - The mechanism on a firearm that withdraws a cartridge or cartridge case

from the chamber of a firearm.

Firearm - An assembly of a barrel and action from which a projectile(s) is discharged

by means of a rapidly burning propellant. Also called a weapon, gun, handgun, long
gun, pistol, revolver, etc.

Firearms Identification - A discipline of Forensic Science which has as its primary

concern to determine if a bullet, cartridge case, or other ammunition component was
fired in a particular firearm to the exclusion of all others.

Firing Pin - That part of a firearm mechanism that strikes the primer of a cartridge
to initiate ignition. Also called a striker.

34
Firing Pin Impression - The indentation in the primer of a centerfire cartridge case
or in the rim of a rim fire cartridge case caused when it is struck by the firing pin.

Forensic Science - The scientific examination of physical evidence for a court of law.

Gauge - Refers to the diameter of the barrel on a shotgun in terms of the number of
lead balls the size of the bore it would take to weigh one pound (12 gauge is the
diameter of a lead ball weighing 1/12 of a pound.) ".410 gauge" really refers to caliber,
but is worded as such to refer to a shotgun.

Griess Test - A chemical test for the detection of nitrites. It is used to develop patterns
of gunpowder residues (nitrites) around bullet holes.

Grip - The handle of a handgun, the portion of the stock to the rear of the trigger on
a long gun.

Gunpowder - Any of various powders used in ammunition as a propellant charge.

Gunpowder Residues - Unburned gunpowder (nitrites), partially burned gunpowder,

and smoke from completely burned gunpowder.

Gunshot Residues - the total residues resulting from the discharge of a firearm;
including gunpowder (nitrite) and primer residues (lead vapor), metallic residues
from projectiles, fouling, etc.

Hammer - A device that strikes the firing pin or cartridge primer to detonate the
powder.

Hammer block - A safety device on some firearms which separates the firing pin from
the hammer except when the trigger is pulled.

Head stamp - Numerals, letters, and/or symbols stamped into the head of a cartridge
case or shot shell case to identify the manufacture, caliber, gauge, or give additional
information.

Individual Characteristics - A pattern of marks produced by the random

imperfections or irregularities of tool surfaces. These random imperfections or
irregularities are produced incidental to manufacture and/or caused by use, corrosion,
or damage. They are unique to that tool and distinguish it from all other tools.

Ignition - The way in which powder is ignited. Modern guns use "primers" that are
"rim fire" or "centerfire".

Lands and grooves - Rifling. Lands are the raised portions between the grooves inside
the barrel after the spiral grooves are cut to produce the rifling.

35
Magazine - This is a device for storing cartridges in a repeating firearm for loading
into the chamber. It has a spring and follower to feed those cartridges into the
chamber of a firearm. The magazine may be detachable or an integral part of the
firearm. Also referred to as a "clip"

Magnum - An improved version of a standard cartridge that uses the same caliber
and bullet, but has more powder (generally in a longer cartridge case), giving the fired
bullet more energy. Magnum shotgun loads, however, refer to an increased amount
of shot pellets in the shell.

Muzzle - The end of the barrel out of which the bullet comes.

Pellet - The small spherical projectiles loaded in shot shells. Also known as “shot”.

Pistol - Synonym for a handgun that does not have a revolving cylinder, the
chamber is part of the barrel.

Powder - Commonly used term for the propellant in a cartridge or shot shell. Modern
gun cartridges use "smokeless" powder that is relatively stable, of uniform quality,
and leaves little residue when ignited. For centuries, "black powder" was used and
was quite volatile (ignited at low temperature or shock), was composed of irregularly
sized grains, and left a heavy residue after ignition, requiring frequent cleaning of
the bore.

Primer - An explosive substance that ignites when struck to detonate the powder in
a cartridge. "Rim fire" cartridges have a primer mixture crimped inside the base,
while "centerfire" cartridges have a primer mixture in a ‘cup’ in the middle of the base
of the cartridge case.

36
Projectile - An object propelled by the force of gases produced by rapidly burning
gunpowder.

Pyrodex - The trade name of a black powder substitute with similar burning
characteristics, but safer and designed to produce less fouling in the firearm.

Recoil - The rearward movement of a firearm resulting from firing.

Reload - A cartridge or shot-shell that has been reassembled with a new primer,
powder, projectile(s), and/or other components.

Receiver - The basic unit of a firearm which houses the firing and breech mechanism
and to which the barrel and stock are assembled.

Revolver - Handgun that has a cylinder with holes to contain the cartridges. The
cylinder revolves to bring the cartridge into position to be fired. This is "single-action"
when the hammer must be cocked before the trigger can fire the weapon. It is "double-
action" when pulling the trigger both cocks and fires the gun.

Rifle - A firearm having rifling in the bore and designed to be fired from the shoulder.
Also called a long gun.

Rifling - The spiral grooves cut or swaged inside a gun barrel that gives the bullet a
spinning motion. The metal between the grooves is called a "land". The spiral can
have either a left or right twist.

Rim fire - The cartridge has the primer distributed around the periphery of the base.

Round - A military term for a cartridge.

37
Safety - A mechanism or device on an action to prevent firing of the gun and may be
manually operated or is a design feature intended to automatically prevent
inadvertent firings

Shotgun - A shoulder fired (long gun) with a smoothbore designed to fire shotshells
containing numerous pellets or sometimes a single projectile.

Shot shell - A cartridge containing projectile(s) designed to be fired in a shotgun. The

cartridge body is generally made of plastic with a metal base, but may be made of
paper or metal.

Sights - The device(s) on top of a barrel that allow the gun to be aimed.

Silencer - A device that fits over the muzzle of the barrel to muffle the sound of a
gunshot. Most work by baffling the escape of gases.

Single-action - The hammer must be manually cocked before the trigger can be pulled
to fire the gun.

Slug - A term applied to a single projectile loaded into a shot shell.

38
Smokeless powder - Refers to modern gunpowder, which is really not "powder" but
flakes of nitrocellulose and other substances. Not really "smokeless" but much less so
than black powder.

Sodium Rhodizonate Test - A chemical test to detect the presence of particulate lead
or lead vapor around a bullet hole.

Stock - A wood, metal, or plastic frame that holds the barrel and action and allows
the gun to be held firmly.

Striation - A set of parallel surface contours (scratches or scrapes) on an object caused

by a combination of force and motion.

Submachine gun - A short barreled automatic firearm, most commonly firing pistol
ammunition. It is intended for close-range combat.

Tool - An object used to gain mechanical advantage. Also thought of as the harder of
two objects which when brought into contact with each other, results in the softer one
being marked.

Toolmark Impressed - A tool is placed against an object and enough pressure is

applied to the tool so that it leaves an impression in the object. The shape of any
individual characteristics can be used to identify the tool with the mark left on the
object.

Toolmark Striated - A tool is placed against an object softer than itself and with
pressure applied the tool is moved across the object producing a scrape or series of
scratches. The parallel surface irregularities produced by this scraping action are
known as striations.

Trajectory - The curved path of a projectile from muzzle to target.

Trigger - That part of a firearm mechanism that is moved manually to cause the
firearm to discharge.

Wad - A cylindrical component(s) that is assembled into the head end of a shot-shell.

(http://www.tncourts.gov/sites/default/files/docs/firearmshandout_1.pdf)

Shoulder Firearm - Long (shoulder) firearms fall into two groups - rifles and
shotguns. As the name implies, these firearms are designed to be fired from the
shoulder using both hands. Although barrels can be shortened, the original design
determines whether it is a rifle or a shotgun.

39
 Shoulder-fired weapons with rifled barrels (lands and grooves) are rifles, and
those with smooth-bored barrels are shotguns. It should be noted that a number of
shotguns are manufactured with rifling in the barrel for use with slug loads. If the
caliber designation is stated as gauge, it is classified as a shotgun (one exception is
the 410 Bore designation).

Machine gun - A machine gun is a rapid-firing, rifled long-barrel auto-loading firearm

designed for sustained direct fire with full-powered cartridges.

Firearms parts and components

In addition to understanding the classification of firearms, the typology and

basic visual identification, your students will need to explore the nomenclature of
firearms to understand the parts and how they operate.

Under the Firearms Protocol, the parts that are considered as essential to the
operation of a firearm include (but are not limited to):
' any element or replacement element specifically designed for a firearm and essential
to its operation, including a barrel, frame or receiver, slide or cylinder, bolt or breech
block, and any device designed or adapted to diminish the sound caused by firing a
firearm.

There is a common view that also the Program of Action on small arms and its
International Tracing Instrument acknowledges, which is the importance of
regulating and controlling parts and components. Some instruments use different
terms but, basically, they refer to the same parts and components.

For example, the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons,
their Ammunition and Other Related Materials, refers to parts and components as
other related materials that include:
'All components, parts or spare parts for small arms or light weapons or ammunition
necessary for its functioning; or any chemical substance serving as active material
used as propelling or explosive agent.'

40
Main components of a firearm

For the practitioner, key aspects of a firearm identification include the major
components, including the working mechanism both external and internal.

Firearms can comprise hundreds of parts and components. The more common
parts include the barrel, magazine, hand guard, pistol grip, trigger and the trigger
guard. All firearms have a receiver, which is comprised of springs, levers and pistons.
It is important to differentiate between the key components of a firearm, and
the other parts and components. The key components of a firearm are those that are
essential for the proper functioning and identification of a firearm. Since replacement
of these components can impact the proper identification of a firearm, their trading
shall also be regulated.

A key part of any firearm is the barrel. The projectile or bullet (ordinary
terminology) travels through the barrel by way of an explosive charge (propellant).
The barrel is linked to a receiver, which houses the operable parts of the firearm,
including a magazine which holds the ammunition. For example, changing of a
firearm barrel will make impossible the identification of a bullet fired with the same
weapon since the markings of the new barrel are different from the markings of the
original barrel. Also, the new barrel may have a different serial number or no serial
at all, this creating difficulty in the physical identification of the firearm.

By having access to various parts and components of firearms, criminals can

build their own firearms by assembling the components, or they can use these
components to modify or reactivate legally purchased firearms. Therefore, producing
and trading of firearms parts and components shall fall under similar regulations as
the firearms trading and production.

Below the description of the main firearms components is provided followed by

general anatomies of firearms where these components can be identified and
localized.

41
Summary of a firearm's parts and components

42
Table 1. Source: UNODC Global Firearms Programme

General anatomy of a revolver

Figure 14. Source: Firearms Reference Table (RCMP-GRC / Interpol)

General anatomy of a semiautomatic-pistol

43
Figure 15. Source: Firearms Reference Table (RCMP-GRC / Interpol)

General composition of a rifle

Figure 16. Source: Firearms Reference Table (RCMP-GRC / Interpol)

General composition of a sub-machine gun

44
Figure 17. Source: Firearms Reference Table (RCMP-GRC / Interpol)

Additional physical properties are usually necessary to identify a firearm or its

parts. A serial number is usually indelibly stamped on the firearm, although these
are sometimes removed to hide the provenance of the firearm.

Other identifying features are the name of the manufacturer, branding and
additional markings added during production, import or acquisition. Detailed aspects
of the physical design of the rearm are also important. In general, identification
requires a combination of all the physical characteristics of a firearm, and not just
the serial number (UNODC 2015)

To assist lecturers with verification of a firearm's provenance and to aid in

their understanding of the physical properties of a firearm, the Small Arms Survey
has produced a set of cards which assist both law enforcement and all interested
parties, entitled ' Marking, Record-keeping, and Tracing Implementation Support
Cards'.

Firearms tracing

The International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a

Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons defines tracing
as being "the systematic tracking of illicit small arms and light weapons found or
seized on the territory of a State from the point of manufacture or the point of
importation through the lines of supply to the point at which they became illicit."

In other words, tracing is the effective backwards following of the route of a

firearm from the end user to its producer. Firearms tracing will help revealing the
means, the persons and the methods involved in trafficking of a specific firearm, with
an emphasis on the when and how the firearms was diverted from the licit market
into the illicit market. This will help institutional actors detect and investigate illicit
manufacturing and trading and, based on these findings, propose appropriate
legislative, strategic and operational measures.

Unfortunately, firearms tracing is not used at its real potential, mostly because
of the reactive approach of law enforcement and judicial actors. They are often
focused on solving the main crime and seizing the weapon but neglect the firearm

45
tracing. The initial case is closed but the firearms flow continues to supply firearms
that may be used in future similar crimes.

UNODC is proposing a proactive approach, focusing the investigation both on

the main crime as well as onto the firearm tracing. In this case, successful tracing
can lead to a new investigation of firearms trafficking that can actually stop the
firearms flow and prevent firearms distribution that may be used for committing new
crimes.

UNODC – United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes

(https://www.unodc.org/e4j/en/firearms/module-2/key-issues/firearms-parts-and-
components.html)

46
 CHAPTER 4
DIFFERENT POSITIONS IN SHOOTING

Three Major Positions are conducted with an equal number of shots fired from
the Prone, the Standing and the Kneeling positions, always in that order. Each of
the three positions shot during the match has a fixed time limit that the shooter
is able to shoot unlimited numbers of sighting shots and 10 or 20 shots for record.
In qualification rounds, shots are scored as integers, so each shot scores from 0-10
with no decimal points, while in finals shots are sacred as decimal values (i.e. 9.8
instead of what would have been a 9 under integer scoring.

The center of the bullseye is commonly the 10 and the score drops points as it
distances from the center. It is up to the organization's discretion to score using
outside ring or inside ring scoring. Outside ring scoring measures what ring the
hole breaks and measures accordingly. Inside ring scoring scores by determining
whether the hole breaks the inside line of the bullseye.

47
The kneeling, prone and standing positions all are equally as important when
shooting a three position match. Each count for the same number of points and have
specific guidelines for each position.

STANDING

- With no support other than muscle strength, this is the most difficult position for
accurate shooting. It is the least effective for long distances and should only be
used for short range shots.

- This is the quickest position to adopt and affords the greatest visibility of the
target, especially in dense cover. You should stand perpendicular to the target
with your feet roughly shoulder width apart. For a right handed shooter, the left
hand holds the fore stock, elbow pointing down.

48
- The right hand holds the grip, elbow pointing out, but not exaggerated. The butt
of the rifle should be snug against your shoulder. Remember to keep your finger
off the trigger until ready to fire.

- This position is the hardest to master in most cases. Most competitors have a
standing stand that they rest the rifle on then pick up to aim down range. The
standing position is a freestanding position. For more stability it is common for
shooters to place a fist or grip the rifle near or under the trigger guard and place their
forearm against their body.

Natural point of aim is especially crucial in this position. Natural point of aim is
where your body is naturally aiming at while aiming downrange. If shooters fight
their natural point of aim it is very difficult to stay stable and make a good shot.
There are many tricks for finding a shooters natural point of aim and can be very
difficult to teach to new shooters.

KNEELING

49
- For the kneeling position, the rear knee is placed on the ground; the other leg
supports the elbow of the forward arm. The elbow should not be placed on the
kneecap, bone to bone, as this will cause you to wobble. The elbow should be
placed on muscle, usually the quadriceps. Many hunters use this position in
waist-high cover.
- Shooters generally use a kneeling roll and place it under the rear foot while
aiming downrange. They sit on their rear foot and the other foot is pointed
downrange.
- Shooters are allowed to use a sling just like the prone position. This sling is
extremely important for creating a stable position. For many shooters kneeling
begins as a struggle. With practice each shooter finds different keys for their
position to make the most comfortable and stable position. There is a great
fluctuation in scores and often depends on the stability and comfort of the
shooters position.

PRONE

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- The prone position is the most accurate of the four; however, the low angle may
limit your view of the target if there is tall grass or brush in-between.

- It also takes more time than the other positions to assume. Pay special attention
to the muzzle of your rifle as there is greater risk that it will contact the ground
and may become lodged with dirt or mud. Do not attempt to stand up while
holding the rifle. Before rising, place it on the ground, stand, then pick up the
rifle, again paying special attention to the muzzle.

- The prone position is the easiest to master and is often is easy to sight in rifles
using this position due to its stability. The added stability that this position gives
the shooter makes this position, in most cases, the easiest to learn and typically
is the highest scoring string of the match. Shooters are able to use a “sling” to
support the rifle. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_positions)

51
SHOOTING SUPPORT

Having a support for your rifle can be crucial to making an accurate shot,
maximizing the potential for a clean kill. There are several accessories available to
help support your rifle.

 BIPODS - Bipods are two legs that attach to the rifle for support. Some have
telescoping legs and can be used in the sitting or kneeling positions. They are
very stable but do add weight that you must carry.

 SHOOTING STICK- a simple straight support that collapses for easy carrying.
Sometimes an appropriate shooting stick can be found in nature.

 SLING - The sling is a belt like device that goes around the non-shooting bicep
and wraps around the wrist and attaches to the hand to stop of the rifle. This
gives support so the sling holds up the weight instead of your arms.

(https://tpwd.texas.gov/education/hunter-education/online-course/shooting-
skills/rifle-positions)

52
 CHAPTER 5
WHAT IS REPUBLCI ACT 10591

Fifteenth Congress
Third Regular Session

Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-third day of July, two
thousand twelve.

REPUBLIC ACT No. 10591

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE LAW ON FIREARMS AND

AMMUNITION AND PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS THEREOF

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in

Congress assembled:

ARTICLE I
TITLE, DECLARATION OF POLICY AND DEFINITION OF TERMS

Section 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the "Comprehensive Firearms
and Ammunition Regulation Act".

Section 2. Declaration of State Policy. – It is the policy of the State to maintain peace
and order and protect the people against violence. The State also recognizes the right
of its qualified citizens to self-defense through, when it is the reasonable means to
repel the unlawful aggression under the circumstances, the use of firearms. Towards
this end, the State shall provide for a comprehensive law regulating the ownership,
possession, carrying, manufacture, dealing in and importation of firearms,
ammunition, or parts thereof, in order to provide legal support to law enforcement
agencies in their campaign against crime, stop the proliferation of illegal firearms or
weapons and the illegal manufacture of firearms or weapons, ammunition and parts
thereof.

Section 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act:

(a) Accessories refer to parts of a firearm which may enhance or increase the
operational efficiency or accuracy of a firearm but will not constitute any of the

53
major or minor internal parts thereof such as, hut not limited to, laser scope,
telescopic sight and sound suppressor or silencer.

(b) Ammunition refers to a complete unfixed unit consisting of a bullet,

gunpowder, cartridge case and primer or loaded shell for use in any firearm.

(c) Antique firearm refers to any: (1) firearm which was manufactured at least
seventy-five (75) years prior to the current date but not including replicas; (2)
firearm which is certified by the National Museum of the Philippines to be
curio or relic of museum interest; and (3) any other firearm which derives a
substantial part of its monetary value from the fact that it is novel, rare,
bizarre or because of its association with some historical figure, period or event.

(d) Arms smuggling refers to the import, export, acquisition, sale, delivery,
movement or transfer of firearms, their parts and components and
ammunition, from or across the territory of one country to that of another
country which has not been authorized in accordance with domestic law in
either or both country/countries.

(e) Authority to import refers to a document issued by the Chief of the

Philippine National Police (PNP) authorizing the importation of firearms, or
their parts, ammunition and other components.

(f) Authorized dealer refers to any person, legal entity, corporation,

partnership or business entity duly licensed by the Firearms and Explosive
Office (FEO) of the PNP to engage in the business of buying and selling
ammunition, firearms or parte thereof, at wholesale or retail basis.

(g) Authorized importer refers to any person, legal entity, corporation,

partnership or business duly licensed by the FEO of the PNP to engage in the
business of importing ammunition and firearms, or parts thereof into the
territory of the Republic of the Philippines for purposes of sale or distribution
under the provisions of this Act.

(h) Authorized manufacturer refers to any person, legal entity, corporation, or

partnership duly licensed by the FEO of the PNP to engage in the business of
manufacturing firearms, and ammunition or parts thereof for purposes of sale
or distribution.1âwphi1

54
(i) Confiscated firearm refers to a firearm that is taken into custody by the
PNP, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine Drug Enforcement
Agency (PDEA), and all other law enforcement agencies by reason of their
mandate and must be necessarily reported or turned over to the PEO of the
PNP.

(j) Demilitarized firearm refers to a firearm deliberately made incapable of

performing its main purpose of firing a projectile.

(k) Duty detail order refers to a document issued by the juridical entity or
employer wherein the details of the disposition of firearm is spelled-out, thus
indicating the name of the employee, the firearm information, the specific
duration and location of posting or assignment and the authorized bonded
firearm custodian for the juridical entity to whom such firearm is turned over
after the lapse of the order.

(l) Firearm refers to any handheld or portable weapon, whether a small arm or
light weapon, that expels or is designed to expel a bullet, shot, slug, missile or
any projectile, which is discharged by means of expansive force of gases from
burning gunpowder or other form of combustion or any similar instrument or
implement. For purposes of this Act, the barrel, frame or receiver is considered
a firearm.

(m) Firearms Information Management System (FIMS) refers to the

compilation of all data and information on firearms ownership and disposition
for record purposes.

(n) Forfeited firearm refers to a firearm that is subject to forfeiture by reason

of court order as accessory penalty or for the disposition by the FEO of the PNP
of firearms considered as abandoned, surrendered, confiscated or revoked in
compliance with existing rules and regulations.

(o) Gun club refers to an organization duly registered with and accredited in
good standing by the FEO of the PNP which is established for the purpose of
propagating responsible and safe gun ownership, proper appreciation and use
of firearms by its members, for the purpose of sports and shooting competition,
self-defense and collection purposes.

(p) Gunsmith refers to any person, legal entity, corporation, partnership or

business duly licensed by the FEO of the PNP to engage in the business of

55
repairing firearms and other weapons or constructing or assembling firearms
and weapons from finished or manufactured parts thereof on a per order basis
and not in commercial quantities or of making minor parts for the purpose of
repairing or assembling said firearms or weapons.

(q) Imitation firearm refers to a replica of a firearm, or other device that is so

substantially similar in coloration and overall appearance to an existing
firearm as to lead a reasonable person to believe that such imitation firearm is
a real firearm.

(r) Licensed citizen refers to any Filipino who complies with the qualifications
set forth in this Act and duly issued with a license to possess or to carry
firearms outside of the residence in accordance with this Act.

(s) Licensed, juridical entity refers to corporations, organizations, businesses

including security agencies and local government units (LGUs) which are
licensed to own and possess firearms in accordance with this Act.

(t) Light weapons are: Class-A Light weapons which refer to self-loading
pistols, rifles and carbines, submachine guns, assault rifles and light machine
guns not exceeding caliber 7.62MM which have fully automatic mode; and
Class-B Light weapons which refer to weapons designed for use by two (2) or
more persons serving as a crew, or rifles and machine guns exceeding caliber
7.62MM such as heavy machine guns, handheld underbarrel and mounted
grenade launchers, portable anti-aircraft guns, portable anti-tank guns,
recoilless rifles, portable launchers of anti-tank missile and rocket systems,
portable launchers of anti-aircraft missile systems, and mortars of a caliber of
less than 100MM.

(u) Long certificate of registration refers to licenses issued to government

agencies or offices or government-owned or -controlled corporations for
firearms to be used by their officials and employees who are qualified to possess
firearms as provider in this Act, excluding security guards.

(v) Loose firearm refers to an unregistered firearm, an obliterated or altered

firearm, firearm which has been lost or stolen, illegally manufactured firearms,
registered firearms in the possession of an individual other than the licensee
and those with revoked licenses in accordance with the rules and regulations.

56
(w) Major part or components of a firearm refers to the barrel, slide, frame,
receiver, cylinder or the bolt assembly. The term also includes any part or kit
designed and intended for use in converting a semi-automatic burst to a full
automatic firearm.

(x) Minor parts of a firearm refers to the parts of the firearm other than the
major parts which are necessary to effect and complete the action of expelling
a projectile by way of combustion, except those classified as accessories.

(y) Permit to carry firearm outside of residence refers to a written authority

issued to a licensed citizen by the Chief of the PNP which entitles such person
to carry his/her registered or lawfully issued firearm outside of the residence
for the duration and purpose specified in the authority.

(z) Permit to transport firearm refers to a written authority issued to a licensed

citizen or entity by the Chief of the PNP or by a PNP Regional Director which
entitles such person or entity to transport a particular firearm from and to a
specific location within the duration and purpose in the authority.

(aa) Residence refers to the place or places of abode of the licensed citizen as
indicated in his/her license.

(bb) Shooting range refers to a facility established for the purpose of firearms
training and skills development, firearm testing, as well as for sports and
competition shooting either for the exclusive use of its members or open to the
general public, duly registered with and accredited in good standing by the
FEO of the PNP.

(cc) Short certificate of registration refers to a certificate issued by the FEO of

the PNP for a government official or employee who was issued by his/her
employer department, agency or government-owned or -controlled corporation
a firearm covered by the long certificate of registration.

(dd) Small arms refer to firearms intended to be or primarily designed for

individual use or that which is generally considered to mean a weapon
intended to be fired from the hand or shoulder, which are not capable of fully
automatic bursts of discharge, such as:

(1) Handgun which is a firearm intended to be fired from the hand,

which includes:

57
 (i) A pistol which is a hand-operated firearm having a chamber
integral with or permanently aligned with the bore which may be
self-loading; and

(ii) Revolver which is a hand-operated firearm with a revolving

cylinder containing chambers for individual cartridges.

(2) Rifle which is a shoulder firearm or designed to be fired from the

shoulder that can discharge a bullet through a rifled barrel by different
actions of loading, which may be classified as lever, bolt, or self-loading;
and

(3) Shotgun which is a weapon designed, made and intended to fire a

number of ball shots or a single projectile through a smooth bore by the
action or energy from burning gunpowder.

(ee) Sports shooting competition refers to a defensive, precision or practical

sport shooting competition duly authorized by the FEO of the PNP.

(ff) Tampered, obliterated or altered firearm refers to any firearm whose serial
number or other identification or ballistics characteristics have been
intentionally tampered with, obliterated or altered without authority or in
order to conceal its source, identity or ownership.

(gg) Thermal weapon sight refers to a battery operated, uncooled thermal

imaging device which amplifies available thermal signatures so that the
viewed scene becomes clear to the operator which is used to locate and engage
targets during daylight and from low light to total darkness and operates in
adverse conditions such as light rain, light snow, and dry smoke or in
conjunction with other optical and red dot sights.

ARTICLE II
OWNERSHIP AND POSSESSION OF FIREARMS

Section 4. Standards and Requisites for Issuance of and Obtaining a License to Own
and Possess Firearms. – In order to qualify and acquire a license to own and possess
a firearm or firearms and ammunition, the applicant must be a Filipino citizen, at
least twenty-one (21) years old and has gainful work, occupation or business or has
filed an Income Tax Return (ITR) for the preceding year as proof of income,
profession, business or occupation.

58
In addition, the applicant shall submit the following certification issued by
appropriate authorities attesting the following:

(a) The applicant has not been convicted of any crime involving moral
turpitude;

(b) The applicant has passed the psychiatric test administered by a PNP-
accredited psychologist or psychiatrist;

(c) The applicant has passed the drug test conducted by an accredited and
authorized drug testing laboratory or clinic;

(d) The applicant has passed a gun safety seminar which is administered by
the PNP or a registered and authorized gun club;

(e) The applicant has filed in writing the application to possess a registered
firearm which shall state the personal circumstances of the applicant;

(f) The applicant must present a police clearance from the city or municipality
police office; and

(g) The applicant has not been convicted or is currently an accused in a pending
criminal case before any court of law for a crime that is punishable with a
penalty of more than two (2) years.

For purposes of this Act, an acquittal or permanent dismissal of a criminal case before
the courts of law shall qualify the accused thereof to qualify and acquire a license.

The applicant shall pay the reasonable licensing fees as may be provided in the
implementing rules and regulations of this Act.

An applicant who intends to possess a firearm owned by a juridical entity shall submit
his/her duty detail order to the FEO of the PNP.

Section 5. Ownership of Firearms and Ammunition by a Juridical Entity. – A

juridical person maintaining its own security force may be issued a regular license to
own and possess firearms and ammunition under the following conditions:

(a) It must be Filipino-owned and duly registered with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC);

59
 (b) It is current, operational and a continuing concern;

(c) It has completed and submitted all its reportorial requirements to the SEC;
and

(d) It has paid all its income taxes for the year, as duly certified by the Bureau
of Internal Revenue.

The application shall be made in the name of the juridical person represented by its
President or any of its officers mentioned below as duly authorized in a board
resolution to that effect: Provided, That the officer applying for the juridical entity,
shall possess all the qualifications required of a citizen applying for a license to
possess firearms.

Other corporate officers eligible to represent the juridical person are: the vice
president, treasurer, and board secretary.

Security agencies and LGUs shall be included in this category of licensed holders but
shall be subject to additional requirements as may be required by the Chief of the
PNP.

Section 6. Ownership of Firearms by the National Government. – All firearms owned

by the National Government shall be registered with the FEO of the PNP in the name
of the Republic of the Philippines. Such registration shall be exempt from all duties
and taxes that may otherwise be levied on other authorized owners of firearms. For
reason of national security, firearms of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),
Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies shall only be reported to the FEO
of the PNP.

Section 7. Carrying of Firearms Outside of Residence or Place of Business. – A permit

to carry firearms outside of residence shall be issued by the Chief of the PNP or
his/her duly authorized representative to any qualified person whose life is under
actual threat or his/her life is in imminent danger due to the nature of his/her
profession, occupation or business.

It shall be the burden of the applicant to prove that his/her life is under actual threat
by submitting a threat assessment certificate from the PNP.

For purposes of this Act, the following professionals are considered to be in imminent
danger due to the nature of their profession, occupation or business:

60
 (a) Members of the Philippine Bar;

(b) Certified Public Accountants;

(c) Accredited Media Practitioners;

(d) Cashiers, Bank Tellers;

(e) Priests, Ministers, Rabbi, Imams;

(f) Physicians and Nurses;

(g) Engineers; and

(h) Businessmen, who by the nature of their business or undertaking, are

exposed to high risk of being targets of criminal elements.

ARTICLE III
REGISTRATION AND LICENSING

Section 8. Authority to Issue License. – The Chief of the PNP, through the FEO of the
PNP, shall issue licenses to qualified individuals and to cause the registration of
firearms.

Section 9. Licenses Issued to Individuals. – Subject to the requirements set forth in

this Act and payment of required fees to be determined by the Chief of the PNP, a
qualified individual may be issued the appropriate license under the following
categories;

Type 1 license – allows a citizen to own and possess a maximum of two (2)
registered firearms;

Type 2 license – allows a citizen to own and possess a maximum of five (5)
registered firearms;

Type 3 license – allows a citizen to own and possess a maximum of ten (10)
registered firearms;

Type 4 license – allows a citizen to own and possess a maximum of fifteen (15)
registered firearms; and

61
 Type 5 license – allows a citizen, who is a certified gun collector, to own and
possess more than fifteen (15) registered firearms.

For Types 1 to 5 licenses, a vault or a container secured by lock and key or other
security measures for the safekeeping of firearms shall be required.

For Types 3 to 5 licenses, the citizen must comply with the inspection and bond
requirements.

Section 10. Firearms That May Be Registered. – Only small arms may be registered
by licensed citizens or licensed juridical entities for ownership, possession and
concealed carry. A light weapon shall be lawfully acquired or possessed exclusively
by the AFP, the PNP and other law enforcement agencies authorized by the President
in the performance of their duties: Provided, That private individuals who already
have licenses to possess Class-A light weapons upon the effectivity of this Act shall
not be deprived of the privilege to continue possessing the same and renewing the
licenses therefor, for the sole reason that these firearms are Class "A" light weapons,
and shall be required to comply with other applicable provisions of this Act.

Section 11. Registration of Firearms. – The licensed citizen or licensed juridical entity
shall register his/her/its firearms so purchased with the FEO of the PNP in
accordance with the type of license such licensed citizen or licensed juridical entity
possesses. A certificate of registration of the firearm shall be issued upon payment of
reasonable fees.

For purposes of this Act, registration refers to the application, approval, record-
keeping and monitoring of firearms with the FEO of the PNP in accordance with the
type of license issued to any person under Section 9 of this Act.

Section 12. License to Possess Ammunition Necessarily Included. – The licenses

granted to qualified citizens or juridical entities as provided in Section 9 of this Act
shall include the license to possess ammunition with a maximum of fifty (50) rounds
for each registered firearm: Provided; That the FEO of the PNP may allow more
ammunition to be possessed by licensed sports shooters.

Section 13. Issuance of License to Manufacture or Deal In Firearms and

Ammunition. – Any person desiring to manufacture or deal in firearms, parts of
firearms or ammunition thereof, or instruments and implements used or intended to
be used in the manufacture of firearms, parts of firearms or ammunition, shall make
an application to:

62
 (a) The Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government
(DILG) in the case of an application for a license to manufacture; and

(b) The Chief of the PNP in the case of a license to deal in firearms and firearms
parts, ammunition and gun repair.

The applicant shall state the amount of capitalization for manufacture or cost of the
purchase and sale of said articles intended to be transacted by such applicant; and
the types of firms, ammunition or implements which the applicant intends to
manufacture or purchase and sell under the license applied for; and such additional
information as may be especially requested by the Secretary of the DILG or the Chief
of the PNP.

The Secretary of the DILG or the Chief of the PNP may approve or disapprove such
application based on the prescribed guidelines. In the case of approval, the Secretary
of the DILG or the Chief of the PNP shall indicate the amount of the bond to be
executed by the applicant before the issuance of the license and the period of time by
which said license shall be effective, unless sooner revoked by their authority.

Upon approval of the license to manufacture or otherwise deal in firearms by the

Secretary of the DILG or the Chief of the PNP as the case may be, the same shall be
transmitted to the FEO of the PNP which shall issue the license in accordance with
the approved terms and conditions, upon the execution and delivery by the applicant
of the required bond conditioned upon the faithful compliance on the part of the
licensee to the laws and regulations relative to the business licensed.

Section 14. Scope of License to Manufacture Firearms and Ammunition. – The scope
of the License to Manufacture firearms and ammunition shall also include the
following:

(a) The authority to manufacture and assemble firearms, ammunition, spare

parts and accessories, ammunition components, and reloading of
ammunitions, within sites, areas, and factories stated therein. The Secretary
of the DILG shall approve such license;

(b) The license to deal in or sell all the items covered by the License to
Manufacture, such as parts, firearms or ammunition and components;

(c) The authority to subcontract the manufacturing of parts and accessories

necessary for the firearms which the manufacturer is licensed to

63
 manufacture: Provided, That the subcontractor of major parts or major
components is also licensed to manufacture firearms and ammunition; and

(d) The authority to import machinery, equipment, and firearm parts and
ammunition components for the manufacture thereof. Firearm parts and
ammunition components to be imported shall, however, be limited to those
authorized to be manufactured as reflected in the approved License to
Manufacture. The Import Permit shall be under the administration of the PNP.

A licensed manufacturer of ammunition is also entitled to import various reference

firearms needed to test the ammunition manufactured under the License to
Manufacture. A licensed manufacturer of firearms, on the other hand, is entitled to
import various firearms for reference, test and evaluation for manufacture of similar,
types of firearms covered by the License to Manufacture.

An export permit shall, however, be necessary to export manufactured parts or

finished products of firearms and ammunition. The Export Permit of firearms and
ammunition shall be under the administration of the PNP.

Section 15. Registration of Locally Manufactured and Imported Firearms. – Local

manufacturers and importers of firearms and major parts thereof shall register the
same as follows:

(a) For locally manufactured firearms and major parts thereof, the initial
registration shall be done at the manufacturing facility: Provided, That
firearms intended for export shall no longer be subjected to ballistic
identification procedures; and

(b) For imported firearms and major parts thereof, the registration shall be
done upon arrival at the FEO of the PNP storage facility.

Section 16. License and Scope of License to Deal. – The License to Deal authorizes
the purchase, sale and general business in handling firearms and ammunition, major
and minor parts of firearms, accessories, spare parts, components, and reloading
machines, which shall be issued by the Chief of the PNP.

Section 17. License and Scope of License for Gunsmiths. – The license for gunsmiths
shall allow the grantee to repair registered firearms. The license shall include
customization of firearms from finished or manufactured parts thereof on per order
basis and not in commercial quantities and making the minor parts thereof, i.e. pins,

64
triggers, trigger bows, sights and the like only for the purpose of repairing the
registered firearm. The license for gunsmiths shall be issued by the Chief of the PNP.

Section 18. Firearms for Use in Sports and Competitions. – A qualified individual
shall apply for a permit to transport his/her registered firearm/s from his/her
residence to the firing range/s and competition sites as may be warranted.

Section 19. Renewal of Licenses and Registration. – All types of licenses to possess a
firearm shall be renewed every two (2) years. Failure to renew the license on or before
the date of its expiration shall cause the revocation of the license and of the
registration of the firearm/s under said licensee.

The registration of the firearm shall be renewed every four (4) years. Failure to renew
the registration of the firearm on or before the date of expiration shall cause the
revocation of the license of the firearm. The said firearm shall be confiscated or
forfeited in favor of the government after due process.

The failure to renew a license or registration within the periods stated above on two
(2) occasions shall cause the holder of the firearm to be perpetually disqualified from
applying for any firearm license. The application for the renewal of the license or
registration may be submitted to the FEO of the PNP, within six (6) months before
the date of the expiration of such license or registration.

Section 20. Inspection and Inventory. – The Chief of the PNP or his/her authorized
representative shall require the submission of reports, inspect or examine the
inventory and records of a licensed manufacturer, dealer or importer of firearms and
ammunition during reasonable hours.

ARTICLE IV
ACQUISITION, DEPOSIT OF FIREARMS, ABANDONED, DEMILITARIZED
AND ANTIQUE FIREARMS

Section 21. Acquisition or Purchase and Sale of Firearms and Ammunition. –

Firearms and ammunition may only be acquired or purchased from authorized
dealers, importers or local manufacturers and may be transferred or sold only from a
licensed citizen or licensed juridical entity to another licensed citizen or licensed
juridical entity: Provided, That, during election periods, the sale and registration of
firearms and ammunition and the issuance of the corresponding licenses to citizens

65
shall be allowed on the condition that the transport or delivery thereof shall strictly
comply with the issuances, resolutions, rules and regulations promulgated by the
Commission on Elections.

Section 22. Deposit of Firearms by Persons Arriving From Abroad. – A person

arriving in the Philippines who is legally in possession of any firearm or ammunition
in his/her country of origin and who has declared the existence of the firearm upon
embarkation and disembarkation but whose firearm is not registered in the
Philippines in accordance with this Act shall deposit the same upon written receipt
with the Collector of Customs for delivery to the FEO of the PNP for safekeeping, or
for the issuance of a permit to transport if the person is a competitor in a sports
shooting competition. If the importation of the same is allowed and the party in
question desires to obtain a domestic firearm license, the same should be undertaken
in accordance with the provisions of this Act. If no license is desired or leave to import
is not granted, the firearm or ammunition in question shall remain in the custody of
the FEO of the PNP until otherwise disposed of in-accordance with law.

Section 23. Return of Firearms to Owner upon Departure from the Philippines. –
Upon the departure from the Philippines of any person whose firearm or ammunition
is in the custody of the FEO of the PNP, the same shall, upon timely request, be
delivered to the person through the Collector of Customs. In the case of a participant
in a local sports shooting competition, the firearm must be presented to the Collector
of Customs before the same is allowed to be loaded on board the carrier on which the
person is to board.

Section 24. Safekeeping of Firearms and Ammunition. – Any licensee may deposit a
registered firearm to the FEO of the PNP, or any Police Regional Office for
safekeeping. Reasonable fees for storage shall be imposed.

Section 25. Abandoned Firearms and Ammunition. – Any firearm or ammunition

deposited in the custody of the FEO of the PNP pursuant to the provisions of this Act,
shall be deemed to have been abandoned by the owner or his/her authorized
representative if he/she failed to reclaim the same within five (5) years or failed to
advise the FEO of the PNP of the disposition to be made thereof. Thereafter, the FEO
of the PNP may dispose of the same after compliance with established procedures.

Section 26. Death or Disability of Licensee. – Upon the death or legal disability of the
holder of a firearm license, it shall be the duty of his/her next of kin, nearest relative,
legal representative, or other person who shall knowingly come into possession of

66
such firearm or ammunition, to deliver the same to the FEO of the PNP or Police
Regional Office, and such firearm or ammunition shall be retained by the police
custodian pending the issuance of a license and its registration in accordance, with
this Act. The failure to deliver the firearm or ammunition within six (6) months after
the death or legal disability of the licensee shall render the possessor liable for illegal
possession of the firearm.

Section 27. Antique Firearm. – Any person who possesses an antique firearm shall
register the same and secure a collector’s license from the FEO of the PNP. Proper
storage of antique firearm shall be strictly imposed. Noncompliance of this provision
shall be considered as illegal possession of the firearm as penalized in this Act.

ARTICLE V
PENAL PROVISIONS

Section 28. Unlawful Acquisition, or Possession of Firearms and Ammunition. – The

unlawful acquisition, possession of firearms and ammunition shall be penalized as
follows:

(a) The penalty of prision mayor in its medium period shall be imposed upon
any person who shall unlawfully acquire or possess a small arm;

(b) The penalty of reclusion temporal to reclusion perpetua shall be imposed if

three (3) or more small arms or Class-A light weapons are unlawfully acquired
or possessed by any person;

(c) The penalty of prision mayor in its maximum period shall be imposed upon
any person who shall unlawfully acquire or possess a Class-A light weapon;

(d) The penalty of reclusion perpetua shall be imposed upon any person who
shall, unlawfully acquire or possess a Class-B light weapon;

(e) The penalty of one (1) degree higher than that provided in paragraphs (a)
to (c) in this section shall be imposed upon any person who shall unlawfully
possess any firearm under any or combination of the following conditions:

(1) Loaded with ammunition or inserted with a loaded magazine;

(2) Fitted or mounted with laser or any gadget used to guide the shooter
to hit the target such as thermal weapon sight (TWS) and the like;

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 (3) Fitted or mounted with sniper scopes, firearm muffler or firearm
silencer;

(4) Accompanied with an extra barrel; and

(5) Converted to be capable of firing full automatic bursts.

(f) The penalty of prision mayor in its minimum period shall be imposed upon
any person who shall unlawfully acquire or possess a major part of a small
arm;

(g) The penalty of prision mayor in its minimum period shall be imposed upon
any person who shall unlawfully acquire or possess ammunition for a small
arm or Class-A light weapon. If the violation of this paragraph is committed
by the same person charged with the unlawful acquisition or possession of a
small arm, the former violation shall be absorbed by the latter;

(h) The penalty of prision mayor in its medium period shall be imposed upon
any person who shall unlawfully acquire or possess a major part of a Class-A
light weapon;

(i) The penalty of prision mayor in its medium period shall be imposed upon
any person who shall unlawfully acquire or possess ammunition for a Class-A
light weapon. If the violation of this paragraph is committed by the same
person charged with the unlawful acquisition or possession of a Class-A light
weapon, the former violation shall be absorbed by the latter;

(j) The penalty of prision mayor in its maximum period shall be imposed upon
any person who shall unlawfully acquire or possess a major part of a Class-B
light weapon; and

(k) The penalty of prision mayor in its maximum period shall be imposed upon
any person who shall unlawfully acquire or possess ammunition for a Class-B
light weapon. If the violation of this paragraph is committed by the same
person charged with the unlawful acquisition or possession of a Class-B light
weapon, the former violation shall be absorbed by the latter.

Section 29. Use of Loose Firearm in the Commission of a Crime. – The use of a loose
firearm, when inherent in the commission of a crime punishable under the Revised
Penal Code or other special laws, shall be considered as an aggravating

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circumstance: Provided, That if the crime committed with the use of a loose firearm
is penalized by the law with a maximum penalty which is lower than that prescribed
in the preceding section for illegal possession of firearm, the penalty for illegal
possession of firearm shall be imposed in lieu of the penalty for the crime
charged: Provided, further, That if the crime committed with the use of a loose
firearm is penalized by the law with a maximum penalty which is equal to that
imposed under the preceding section for illegal possession of firearms, the penalty
of prision mayor in its minimum period shall be imposed in addition to the penalty
for the crime punishable under the Revised Penal Code or other special laws of which
he/she is found guilty.

If the violation of this Act is in furtherance of, or incident to, or in connection with
the crime of rebellion of insurrection, or attempted coup d’ etat, such violation shall
be absorbed as an element of the crime of rebellion or insurrection, or attempted coup
d’ etat.

If the crime is committed by the person without using the loose firearm, the violation
of this Act shall be considered as a distinct and separate offense.

Section 30. Liability of Juridical Person. – The penalty of prision mayor in its
minimum to prision mayor in its medium period shall be imposed upon the owner,
president, manager, director or other responsible officer of/any public or private firm,
company, corporation or entity who shall willfully or knowingly allow any of the
firearms owned by such firm, company, corporation or entity to be used by any person
or persons found guilty of violating the provisions of the preceding section, or willfully
or knowingly allow any of them to use unregistered firearm or firearms without any
legal authority to be carried outside of their residence in the course of their
employment.

Section 31. Absence of Permit to Carry Outside of Residence. – The penalty of prision
correccional and a fine of Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) shall be imposed upon any
person who is licensed to own a firearm but who shall carry the registered firearm
outside his/her residence without any legal authority therefor.

Section 32. Unlawful Manufacture, Importation, Sale or Disposition of Firearms or

Ammunition or Parts Thereof, Machinery, Tool or Instrument Used or Intended to be
Used in the Manufacture of Firearms, Ammunition or Parts Thereof. – The penalty
of reclusion temporal to reclusion perpetua shall be imposed upon any person who
shall unlawfully engage in the manufacture, importation, sale or disposition of a

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firearm or ammunition, or a major part of a firearm or ammunition, or machinery,
tool or instrument used or intended to be used by the same person in the manufacture
of a firearm, ammunition, or a major part thereof.

The possession of any machinery, tool or instrument used directly in the manufacture
of firearms, ammunition, or major parts thereof by any person whose business,
employment or activity does not lawfully deal with the possession of such article, shall
be prima facie evidence that such article is intended to be used in the unlawful or
illegal manufacture of firearms, ammunition or parts thereof.

The penalty of prision mayor in its minimum period to prision mayor in its medium
period shall be imposed upon any laborer, worker or employee of a licensed firearms
dealer who shall unlawfully take, sell or otherwise dispose of parts of firearms or
ammunition which the company manufactures and sells, and other materials used by
the company in the manufacture or sale of firearms or ammunition. The buyer or
possessor of such stolen part or material, who is aware that such part or material was
stolen, shall suffer the same penalty as the laborer, worker or employee.

If the violation or offense is committed by a corporation, partnership, association or

other juridical entity, the penalty provided for in this section shall be imposed upon
the directors, officers, employees or other officials or persons therein who knowingly
and willingly participated in the unlawful act.

Section 33. Arms Smuggling. – The penalty of reclusion perpetua shall be imposed
upon any person who shall engage or participate in arms smuggling as defined in this
Act.

Section 34. Tampering, Obliteration or Alteration of Firearms Identification. – The

penalty of prision correccional to prision mayor in its minimum period shall be
imposed upon any person who shall tamper, obliterate or alter without authority the
barrel, slide, frame, receiver, cylinder, or bolt assembly, including the name of the
maker, model, or serial number of any firearm, or who shall replace without authority
the barrel, slide, frame, receiver, cylinder, or bolt assembly, including its individual
or peculiar identifying characteristics essential in forensic examination of a firearm
or light weapon.

The PNP shall place this information, including its individual or peculiar identifying
characteristics into the database of integrated firearms identification system of the
PNP Crime Laboratory for future use and identification of a particular firearm.

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Section 35. Use of an Imitation Firearm. – An imitation firearm used in the
commission of a crime shall be considered a real firearm as defined in this Act and
the person who committed the crime shall be punished in accordance with this
Act: Provided, That injuries caused on the occasion of the conduct of competitions,
sports, games, or any recreation activities involving imitation firearms shall not be
punishable under this Act.

Section 36. In Custodia Legis. – During the pendency of any case filed in violation of
this Act, seized firearm, ammunition, or parts thereof, machinery, tools or
instruments shall remain in the custody of the court. If the court decides that it has
no adequate means to safely keep the same, the court shall issue an order to turn
over to the PNP Crime Laboratory such firearm, ammunition, or parts thereof,
machinery, tools or instruments in its custody during the pendency of the case and to
produce the same to the court when so ordered. No bond shall be admitted for the
release of the firearm, ammunition or parts thereof, machinery, tool or instrument.
Any violation of this paragraph shall be punishable by prision mayor in its minimum
period to prision mayor in its medium period.

Section 37. Confiscation and Forfeiture. – The imposition of penalty for any violation
of this Act shall carry with it the accessory penalty of confiscation and forfeiture of
the firearm, ammunition, or parts thereof, machinery, tool or instrument in favor of
the government which shall be disposed of in accordance with law.

Section 38. Liability for Planting Evidence. – The penalty of prision mayor in its
maximum period shall be imposed upon any person who shall willfully and
maliciously insert; place, and/or attach, directly or indirectly, through any overt or
covert act, any firearm, or ammunition, or parts thereof in the person, house, effects,
or in the immediate vicinity of an innocent individual for the purpose of implicating
or incriminating the person, or imputing the commission of any violation of the
provisions of this Act to said individual. If the person found guilty under this
paragraph is a public officer or employee, such person shall suffer the penalty
of reclusion perpetua.

Section 39. Grounds for Revocation, Cancellation or Suspension of License or

Permit. – The Chief of the PNP or his/her authorized representative may revoke,
cancel or suspend a license or permit on the following grounds:

(a) Commission of a crime or offense involving the firearm, ammunition, of

major parts thereof;

71
 (b) Conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude or any offense where the
penalty carries an imprisonment of more than six (6) years;

(c) Loss of the firearm, ammunition, or any parts thereof through negligence;

(d) Carrying of the firearm, ammunition, or major parts thereof outside of

residence or workplace without, the proper permit to carry the same;

(e) Carrying of the firearm, ammunition, or major parts thereof in prohibited

places;

(f) Dismissal for cause from the service in case of government official and
employee;

(g) Commission of any of the acts penalized under Republic Act No. 9165,
otherwise known as the "Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002″;

(h) Submission of falsified documents or misrepresentation in the application

to obtain a license or permit;

(i) Noncompliance of reportorial requirements; and

(j) By virtue of a court order.

Section 40. Failure to Notify Lost or Stolen Firearm or Light Weapon. – A fine of Ten
thousand pesos (P10,000.00) shall be imposed upon any licensed firearm holder who
fails to report to the FEO of the PNP that the subject firearm has been lost or stolen
within a period of thirty (30) days from the date of discovery.

Likewise, a fine of Five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) shall be imposed upon any person
holding a valid firearm license who changes residence or office address other than
that indicated in the license card and fails within a period of thirty (30) days from
said transfer to notify the FEO of the PNP of such change of address.

Section 41. Illegal Transfer/Registration of Firearms. – It shall be unlawful to

transfer possession of any firearm to any person who has not yet obtained or secured
the necessary license or permit thereof.

The penalty of prision correccional shall be imposed upon any person who shall
violate the provision of the preceding paragraph. In addition, he/she shall be
disqualified to apply for a license to possess other firearms and all his/her existing
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firearms licenses whether for purposes of commerce or possession, shall be revoked.
If government-issued firearms, ammunition or major parts of firearms or light
weapons are unlawfully disposed, sold or transferred by any law enforcement agent
or public officer to private individuals, the penalty of reclusion temporal shall be
imposed.

Any public officer or employee or any person who shall facilitate the registration of a
firearm through fraud, deceit, misrepresentation or submission of falsified documents
shall suffer the penalty of prision correccional.

ARTICLE VI
FINAL PROVISIONS

Section 42. Firearms Repository. – The FEO of the PNP shall be the sole repository
of all firearms records to include imported and locally manufactured firearms and
ammunition. Within one (1) year upon approval of this Act, all military and law
enforcement agencies, government agencies, LGUs and government-owned or -
controlled corporations shall submit an inventory of all their firearms and
ammunition to the PNP.

Section 43. Final Amnesty. – Persons in possession of unregistered firearms and

holders of expired license or unregistered firearms shall register and renew the same
through the Final General Amnesty within six (6) months from the promulgation of
the implementing rules and regulations of this Act. During the interim period of six
(6) months, no person applying for license shall be charged of any delinquent payment
accruing to the firearm subject for registration. The PNP shall conduct an intensive
nationwide campaign to ensure that the general public is properly informed of the
provisions of this Act.

Section 44. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within one hundred twenty (120)
days from the effectivity of this Act, the Chief of the PNP, after public hearings and
consultation with concerned sectors of society shall formulate the necessary rules and
regulations for the effective implementation of this Act to be published in at least two
(2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Section 45. Repealing Clause. – This Act repeals Sections 1, 2, 5 and 7 of Presidential
Decree No. 1866, as amended, and Section 6 of Republic Act No. 8294 and all other

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laws, executive orders, letters of instruction, issuances, circulars, administrative
orders, rules or regulations that are inconsistent herewith.

Section 46. Separability Clause. – If any provision of this Act or any part hereof is
held invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not
otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

Section 47. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days from its
publication in a newspaper of nationwide circulation.

Approved,

(Sgd.) JUAN PONCE ENRILE (Sgd.) FELICIANO BELMONTE JR.

President of the Senate Speaker of the House of
Representatives

This Act which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 3397 and House Bill No. 5484
was finally passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on February 4,
2013 and February 5, 2013, respectively.

(Sgd.) EDWIN B. BELLEN (Sgd.) MARILYN B. BARUA-YAP

Acting Senate Secretary Secretary General
House of Representatives
Approved: May 29, 2013

(Sgd.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III

President of the Philippines

(https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2013/ra_10591_2013.html#:~:text=(l)%20Fire
arm%20refers%20to%20any,or%20any%20similar%20instrument%20or)

74
 REFFERENCES
INTERNET SOURCE:
- (http://thecmp.org/wp-content/uploads/OTM_History-of-
Marksmanship_web.pdf)

- (https://www.armystudyguide.com/content/army_board_study_guide_topics/m16
a2/four-fundamentals-of-mark.shtml)

- (https://www.bestpracticeguides.org.uk/firearms/marksmanship/)

- (https://www.hunter-ed.com/muzzleloader/studyGuide/Rifle-Firing-Techniques-
Practicing-the-Five-Fundamentals/222099_88875/)

- (http://www.tncourts.gov/sites/default/files/docs/firearmshandout_1.pdf)

- (https://www.unodc.org/e4j/en/firearms/module-2/key-issues/firearms-parts-and-
components.html)

- (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_positions)

- (https://tpwd.texas.gov/education/hunter-education/online-course/shooting-
skills/rifle-positions)

- (https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2013/ra_10591_2013.html#:~:text=(l)%20
Firearm%20refers%20to%20any,or%20any%20similar%20instrument%20or)

75