One more thing I miss being retired

[rcslotcar]

Yup, All the free ammo was great. My Rangemaster would let me shoot extra when we did old ammo exchange.

[P5Ret]

So, would you say that the target course in one of the Dirty Harry movies was accurate, that you move about a course shooting bad guys that pop up and out of windows, then fail the test if you shoot a good guy?

NO, that was not accurate, and besides that was supposed to have been a competition. I've been to SFPD's range, and they do not have that set up. I'm betting it was built for the movie somewhere outside the city. Most movement courses will be similar to a stage of fire for matches for various competitions with multiple targets and timed. That was all my department shot from about 1986 on.

The course I shot was a static course, only movement front to back. Fired 36 rounds (I don't know who came up with that number or why PIA with a J frame). Had to score better than 85% hit's inside the 9 ring on a standard B27 target. Anything below 85% was shoot again.

[broken-arrow]

What do I miss about being retired? Nothing. Did my time and have moved on to the rest of my life. Way to much to get done before I go to relive my glory days!! LOL

This is the goal

[SVT-40]

What does qualifying involve? Is it proficiency in breaking down a weapon? Meeting a certain target score? Are corrective lenses allowed? What are the obstacles that make it difficult to pass a qualification?

It varies between departments and states. I retired from a CA. agency, however live in AZ.

AZ DPS offers retired LEO's who reside in AZ the opportunity to qualify here and AZ will issue a AZ DPS proof of qualification which meets the LEOSA standard.

The course of qualification is the same as active duty LEO's here in AZ. 50 rounds at various distances between 25 and 3 yards. Strong hand and weak hand. From the holster and from the low ready. including different types of failure drills and types of reloading. All timed. It's pretty challenging.

If I were to travel back to my dept. in Ca. all I would have to do is put 20 of 30 rounds into a standard target... Much less challenging.

[TOM_ONE]

Our qual is 30 rounds. Lol

[BadKitty]

What does qualifying involve? Is it proficiency in breaking down a weapon? Meeting a certain target score? Are corrective lenses allowed? What are the obstacles that make it difficult to pass a qualification?

We qualify every quarter. The regular quals are a dynamic course of fire, 45 rds, from a holster. For off duty quals (active and retired), it's usually at the discretion of the rangemaster on duty that day. Since people are usually doing their CCW with pocket guns of various makes, models and magazine capacity, it's hard to run a line to accommodate everyone. So, we typically shoot a traditional 36 rd static course of fire ("point and shoot") at a B27 target, various distances, from a holster. The passing score for off-duty weapons is the same as the regular quals, but they're really just looking for you to demonstrate safe operation of the CCW weapon you've chosen and that you can get put enough rounds in the middle.

Weapon breakdown is not required and corrective lenses are ok. I think the only challenges I've seen for our retired guys is maybe a little bit of arthritis in their hands or bad knees; but I have not seen any unsafe weapon handling.

So, would you say that the target course in one of the Dirty Harry movies was accurate, that you move about a course shooting bad guys that pop up and out of windows, then fail the test if you shoot a good guy?

No, but we do that kind of training every year on a "simulator screen" program. The officer uses a laser-operated training weapon to address situations as they are presented on a huge video screen. The officer talks to the suspects on the movie screen as if it were a real scenario and an instructor in the back of the room uses a computer to control the actions of the "suspect" in response to how well the officer is handling the situation. If force is required, we have laser guns and laser pepper spray (etc) to "shoot" the screen and the computer program is able to tell if you hit the correct target. Cool stuff.

Thank you for asking!