Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-06
Instructions Issued for In
door Rifle Practice
Maine Has Enjoyed a Great
Recreation Season.
Statement by E. n. Carver, Auditor
Of State Printing.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR,
Next Meeting Of Governor and Council
Tuesday, Dec. 81, at 10 A. M.


chief cf ordnance of the National
Guard of the State of Maine, is send
ing out to the commanding officers of
the various organizations of the Guard
the following circular relative to the
gallery rife practice:
Immediately on receipt of this
communication you will carefully in
spect the gallery rifles 22-calibre model
1903 III your command and report the
condition of them to this office.
'The following scheme is suggested
to all company commanders for the
care of the rifles of the command:
Have a corporal and his squad re-
sponsinle for the condition of the ii
ments of squads in advance and notify
corporals of their detail; the week to
end at the completion of firing on drill
nights. At that time company officers
will inspect all rifles with the old cor
poral and the new. Sergeants will have
oversight of the care of the rifles of
their sections. They should also be
held responsible for the instruction in
gallery firing and should see that each
man is qualified on the gallery range
as early in the season as possible.
Five thousand rounds of gallery
ammunition have been issued and
when that is expended, as shown by
the monthly returns of gallery prac-
tce. more will be issued on requisition
until 1900 rounds have been drawn;
this ammunition is to be accounted for
in the usual manner.
Gallery practice for the season
Nov. /, 1909-April 10, 1910, will be as
follows: Distance. 80 feet positions,
standing. sitting or kneeling. prone,
rapid fire and silirmish. The provi-
sional Small Arms Firing Manual. 1909,
will govern so far as applicable. Note
that rapid fire and skirmish targets
are not the reduced A target; that the
battle sight only will be used except
at an assumed 600-yard range in Skin
mish firing, and that in rapid fire at
an assumed 200 yards the man stands
at ready with cartridge in the cham
Der and four in the magazine, and
with the bayonet fixed.
At the signal he assumes the kneel-
ing position and empties his magazine
having 20 seconds in which to do it.
Only the battle sight will be used in
rapid fire.
Qualifications in gallery practice
will be as follows:
Fourth class-All who have not fired
or who have fired and failed to quail
ify as third class or better.
Third class-All who have fired two
or more full scores at standing. sitting
or kneeling, and prone. and from the
best two have made an aggregate of
As out of possible $50.
Second class-All who have fired
two or more scores at standing. sitting
or kneeling. and prone, and from the
best two have made a total of 81 out
of possible $50
First class-AIl who have fired two
or more full scores at standing, sit
ting or kneeling and prone, and from
the best two have made total of S5
out of a possible 150
"For marksman, all who have fred
two or more full scores at standing,
sitting or kneeling and prone, and
from the best two have made a total
Of 9S out of a possible $50.
For sharpsbooters, all who have
fired two or more full scores at stand
ing. sitting or kneeling and prone,
and from the best two scores at each
range have made a total of at least
100: and have further fired two or
more full scores at prone, and from
the best two scores at that range have
have made total of at least As; and
have fired two or more full scores,
rapin fire. kneeling GO seconds al
lowed for firing each score), and in
the hest two have made a total of 80;
and have made one simulated skirr2ish
run of 20 shots using the battle sight
at all stages except the first: the to-
tai of all scores being not less than
246
For experts. all who have made
the necessary total to qualify as
sha;pshooters and have fired four q,
more full scores prone. and from the
four best scores have made possibles
of 100
commanding officers will draw tar
gets for 80 feet slow fire; so feet rapid
fire. and so feet skirmish.
1T will be advisable, in order that
the man may learn the necessity of
recognizing the Importance of eleva-
ZION, ana TIE pIoptT use OF the Wllltl
guage. to throw the sight out of its
normal adjustment of windage and ell
ovation after new men have had some
practice on the gallery range. and
make the men find their own elevation
and windage.
Returns will be required at the end
of tho gallery practice season as in
the case of range practice and a fig
ure Of merit be computed for each or
ganizaton''
IN an interview Saturday upon the
hunting end fishing season which is
now drowning to a close Chairman
Carleton Of the fish and game COM
mission said that as whole. and all
things considered, the hunting and
fishing season of 1909 has been the
best in the history of the State. Con-
tinuing. Mr.. Carleton said:
"No season has ever equalled it dur
ing the time from May to September
in the number of people who came
from other states to fish and spend a
vacation in the inland territory OF
Maine. or in the amount of money ex-
pended among our people in building
new cottages and summer homes, and
never in single season were there
f;C1,