The actual training consists of firing designated courses with each type of gun. The practical pistol course consists of fifty shots, and is designed to cover as many situations as possible under which the agent may have to shoot. For this course, a Colt silhouette target and the Colt .38 Official Police Revolver are used. The first ten shots are fired from hip level at a distance of seven yards from the target. Upon command, the gun is loaded with five cartridges and is holstered immediately. When the men on the firing line have all loaded and holstered their guns, the second command is given at which time the guns are drawn and fired from hip level without aiming. As soon as the first five shots have been discharged, the empty cartridges are taken out and five live cartridges are inserted and fired into the target. The over-all time for the firing of these ten shots, including unloading and reloading, is twenty-five seconds. The remainder of the course takes five and three-quarters minutes.

At the sixty-yard line, the Special Agent shoots five shots from a prone position. The shooter then moves to the fifty-yard line and shoots five shots sitting, five shots prone, five shots from behind a barricade with his left hand and five with his right hand. Moving rapidly to the twenty-five-yard line, he shoots five shots sitting, five with his right hand, and five with his left hand from behind a barricade. The total K-values given on the target are added and multiplied by .4 to arrive at the score.

The shotgun course is ten shots fired on command with buckshot at a bobber target. Standing at fifteen yards from the target, the Special Agent shoots five shots from the hip at five targets standing four feet apart. Then five shots are fired from the shoulder at five numbered targets standing ten, fifteen, twenty, thirty, and forty yards from the shooter who is given two seconds to fire at each target, after its number is called. Each “hit” counts ten. The scope equals the percentage earned.

The .45 caliber Thompson submachine-gun course consists of forty shots fired at bobber targets. At a point fifteen yards from the target, five shots are fired single-fire, and five shots in short bursts, on command, from the hip. At a point twenty-five yards from the target, using two clips containing ten cartridges each, the Special Agent fires ten shots single fire and ten shots in short bursts from the shoulder. These shots must be fired in twenty-five seconds which includes the time necessary for removing the first clip and inserting the second. At fifty yards, ten shots are fired from the shoulder single fire. Each hit has a value of two and one-half points.

The .30 caliber rifle course is composed of twenty shots on silhouette targets. Five shots are fired from a prone position and five from a sitting position at 200 yards. At 100 yards, five shots are fired from a standing position and five are fired from a kneeling position. The 200-yard course is a Slow-Fire course whereas the 100-yard course is a Timed-Fire course. At 100 yards, the shooter starts with a loaded weapon and must finish all ten shots in one minute including reloading. The total score of the twenty shots equals the percentage earned. In addition to the courses which have been described, a course in hip shooting is given, patterned after the first ten shots of the practical pistol course. The entire course is fired on command, starting with twelve shots fired singly, twelve shots fired two in succession, six shots in groups of three, six shots singly, four shots in groups of two, and then ten shots in groups of five under the same conditions as described at the start of the practical pistol course, making a total of fifty shots. The course is fired on a silhouette target and each shot in the black has a value of two.

The care of firearms used by FBI personnel is rigidly stressed so that weapons will be available immediately when needed. Each time a gun is shot, it is thoroughly cleaned and oiled. Before placing the firearm in the gun vaults, the tension on firing mechanism, hammer, and recoil springs is released. No dust, rust or corrosion is permitted in the barrel or on the outside of any weapon. These rules are strictly followed whether an agent uses a personally owned firearm or one issued to him.

During all firearms training, absolute adherence to all safety rules is required. The basic principle of range safety rules is that an agent must determine whether or not a weapon is loaded when it is picked up or laid down. No weapon is ever loaded on the range unless it is on the firing line with the muzzle pointed down range toward the targets, or at a forty-five degree elevation. Revolvers must remain in their holsters unless the shooter is on the firing line, and then may be drawn or loaded only upon the command of the range officer. Talking is not permitted between agents standing at the firing line unless the person speaking is the range officer or is coaching the shooter. If it becomes necessary for an agent to proceed from the firing point to the targets, he can do so only upon the command of the range officer who first instructs all shooters to unload and lay down or holster their weapons. Care is also taken to remove any objects immediately behind the target area which may cause a bullet to ricochet. Carelessness or thoughtlessness of any kind is not tolerated on the firearms range.

Not only is each agent thoroughly schooled in every phase of firearms training, but he is also required to maintain marksmanship qualifications through regular monthly practice. Special Agents are prepared and ready at all times to protect society from criminals who defy the laws of order and decency. Through intensive, thorough knowledge and training, a Special Agent is master of the situation when he stands face to face with a criminal. His training is a part of him and his reflexes become automatic as he goes into action. There is a sure, cool steadiness about his motion when the time comes for him to put into practices the training he has received.