The Wilmington morning star., 1940-11-03
BY EDMUND

BY EDMUND McLAURIN
With the Strengthening of home
defense as the basic theme, mem
bers of the Wilmington Rifle & Pts
tol club, reputedly the largest civil
ian organization of its wind within
the state, have inaugurated a po-
gram Of free instruction in rifle
craftsmanship for defense-minded
~cltizenry, using the memberships
trained personnel and the clubs
suburban Sunset Park outdoor
range for the purpose.
Ranging in ages from 10 to 81,
the veteran civilian marksmen,
many of them qualified experts
under the National Rifle Associate
and war department programs, are
devoting their Saturday afternoon t
the individual training of Whining
tonlans who r totally unfamiliar
with the fundamental principles of
rifle shooting as observed by the
Army's instructors an by recogniz-
ed civilian experts.
Contrary to popular belief, Of
ficials of the Wilmington civilian
rifle unit point out, skill in handling
a rifle is not necessarily acquired
only through long months of prac-
tlce and the resultant expenditure
OF many thousands of rounds of
ammunition. Actually, it is entirely
possible to teach one to shoot fairly
well within a three week period,
using certain training methods
viii 4 both Army and civilian in
structors have found to be highly
conductive of favorable results,
club officials declared, adding that
there are only three primary es-
sentials in rifle shooting-aiming,
holding (position) and trigger
squeeze-and once these important
points have been mastered pro-
gress is both rapid and gratifying.
weighing approximately n e
the government arsenals.
Twenty-Five caliber target rifles,
w e ighing approximately min
pounds, with improved sights, full
sized stocks, gun sings and other
features which distinguish them
from the ordinary variety Of 20
caliber rifle, are being used for the
instruction of the enrollees, who,
following a session of assuming the
various shooting positions and in
struction in sight adjustment, fire
at fifty and 100 yards, later gradu-
ating to the regular 80 caliber rifle
at 200 yards.
Many of the men receiving mark
manship instruction represent in
dustries important to national de-
tense, n group alone, numbering
approximately 20 persons, being
connected with he Ethyl : Dow
Chemical Comapny's local plant,
which manufactures a variety of
chemicals and by-products used in
the government arsenals. 3
Col. Townsend Whelen, Ord
nance, retired, United States
Army, who, with the possible ex-
ception of Major John w. Hession,
is perhaps the greatest living au-
thority on rifle shooting, has ad-
vised the officials of the Whining
ton Rifle & Pistol club that, by
following the training course now
under way, Is expert riflemen 80
sharpshooters, 10 marksmen and
two unqualified ratings can be ex-
pected from a company Of IS men
fter a. reasonably short period of
training in the fundamentals of
aiming, position and trigger
squeeze.
The Wilmington club boasts one
of the safest rifle ranges in the
South, due to its design and the
high, natural backstop immediate
ly behind the target frames. Fiji
teen men can fire at a time from
grass-covered parapets or mounds
which the club has erected at the
100 yard and 200 yard firing points,
the natural backstop permitting
any caliber rifle to be used with
perfect safety. The so it., Is yard,
so yard and so meter ranges offer
marksmen the same facilities or
firing, but do not have raised fir
ing points like the 100 and 200 yard
courses, being level from the tar
get frames back to the 100 yard
point, where the first elevated fir
ing point is to be had.
In addition to an annual benefit
Thanksgiving Week turkey shoot,
which last year attracted 416,
Pistol club takes an active inter-
est in the instruction of junior