Myerchin.
Posted on 11/13/2006 3:23:12 PM PST by tje
Marine Corps Rules for Gun Fighting
The Marine Corps Birthday makes me nostalgic for the good ol’…well, maybe good is too strong a word. In fact, I can't say that I miss being on active duty; but I do miss being with my fellow Marines.
Thinking about my friends who are getting shot at by ungrateful Iraqis reminded me of this list, an old Corps favorite, on how to act in a gun fight:
1. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.
2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.
4. If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough nor using cover correctly.
5. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)
6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.
7. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.
9. Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the gun.
10. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
12. Have a plan.
13. Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work.
14. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
15. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
16. Don't drop your guard.
17. Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees.
18. Watch their hands. Hands kill. In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them.
19. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.
20. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.
21. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
22. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
23. Your number one option for personal security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.
24. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a "4."
Navy Rules for Gun fighting:
1. Go to Sea
2. Send the Marines
3. Drink Coffee
He's a good kid (young man 27) and a joy growing up. The Marines can take full credit for his shooting.
He requalified last week with rife and pistol and shot at the top end of expert in booth.
I respect pistol shooters. It is an art. Friend of mine is getting kind of elderly, but he still goes down to the range once a month to pick off bottle caps at 25 yards with his old 38, off-hand. He thinks a combat stance is not dignified.
I sharpened a lot of those knives. And a few Marines' Ka-Bars, too.
If you throw it in a really high arc,not only will you induce prayer in everyone nearby but blasphemy as well.
Ouch!
I remember piling out of a deuce and a half when a guy ahead of me fell out of the truck. Course he'd locked and loaded and had his finger on the trigger.. 20 rounds straight up.. We all gave him a wide berth from then on....
In the past, Force Recon did a lot of shooting, but with the advent of Marine Spec Ops they've stepped it up quite a bit.
The one I threw, judging by the sound, was either a dud, or the adrenaline enabled me to throw it 200 yards. I had my head down so I don't know.
I can remember walking point with my selector on "safe" but my thumb on the selector and my finger on the trigger so I could flip it to "fire" in a split second. When I first got there, one night we were moving to an ambush site and we paused for a minute or so because we thought we heard movement in front of us. One guy flipped his rifle to "fire" which made a click sound. The squad leader chewed him up and down the next morning. We were brainwashed in safety.
About thirty years ago an Indiana Guard soldier told me his story of being near a fellow who somehow set off the full magazine with the M-16 butt on the ground,muzle towards his chin.Closed casket services.
Good point.. but keep your finger off the trigger when we're all piling out the truck....
There are some out there who think that the first rule of a gun fight is to negotiate. Unfortunately, some of them have an R after there name.
There was an MP on our post who committed suicide that way.. put the muzzle under his chin and pulled the trigger in full auto...
I was very aware of the concussion when that puppy went off.. pretty astounding actually...
They also have a big L on their foreheads....
Sent on to my Father-in-Law who IS a Marine and is the ONLY one who wished me a "Happy Veteran's Day" this past weekend. (Even though I'm only Army, LOL!)
Semer Fi, Baby! Lock & Load! :)
I am not a Marine(or a vet),but I am an avid shooter/collector/re-loader.I have the UTMOST RESPECT for our FIGHTING FORCES(obviously,Im NOT A DemonRat)!!!!!!!!!!
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