How many practice rounds are you given?

[KeithG]

I started a thread here http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s....php?p=7970336 because I was surprised that Deputy US Marshalls are given just 500 rounds per year for practice.

I thought it was a low number for someone issued a service pistol. One reply suggested that 500 was generous compared to what some agencies provide.

What's your experience? I'd also be interested in knowing what you think the "right" number is.

Thanks for all that you do.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk

[hitman13]

I started a thread here http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s....php?p=7970336 because I was surprised that Deputy US Marshalls are given just 500 rounds per year for practice.

I thought it was a low number for someone issued a service pistol. One reply suggested that 500 was generous compared to what some agencies provide.

What's your experience? I'd also be interested in knowing what you think the "right" number is.

Thanks for all that you do.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk

50

We dont get any practice rounds, but we get 50 rounds for "prequal" once a year......

[hitman13]

oh, and i think that we should be getting at least 150 a month....

[BigDogatPlay]

The "right" number varies widely, every agency seems to have it's own opinion, and is more often than not budget driven.

500 rounds or ten boxes of 50. If part of that 500 rounds goes toward qualification, that's not a lot. If qualification and on duty ammo is not in that 500 rounds, it looks and feels better. Not all officers are as interested as they should be in maintaining proficiency with their firearms, so 500 rounds feels like something of an average per person figure that was liveable from a budgetary perspective.

In my mind there is never enough ammo to train officers with. One place I worked a long, long time a go we shot 50 rounds for score twice a year, got one box of issue per year, and however much we practiced aside from that was on our own dime. That and four rounds through a shotgun once a year was about it. Thank goodness for inexpensive wadcutters, which we used to get for $90 per 1000 reloaded through a local supplier. I practiced on my own, a lot.

If I was running a department these days and had the budget to support it, my officers would shoot their sidearms monthly at least 100 rounds in problem solving exercises and shoot the POST qualification course quarterly. I'd also have them on shotgun and rifle at least once per quarter. But that's just me. There are so many other perishable skills that need to be kept up on and only so much time and money.

[vintagearms]

50 rounds every 90 days for POST qualifications. No practice rounds.

[Ron-Solo]

LASD personnel can now go to the mobile ranges and shoot as much as you want. It used to be 30 rounds per month for qualification, but we only had to qualify every trimester. You could use all 120 rounds at a time to shoot multiple relays.

If you go to the Biscailuz Center Range on your own time for shooting assistance, they will provide you with all the ammo within reason. Due to the budget, range personnel are often reassigned to patrol, custody, or courts to fill vacancies.

[fullrearview]

It really depends on the budget and how much ammo we have in stock. Right now, it's not much.

Some departments can get up to 100 per shift! That would awesome! I would be at the range everyday!

[Notorious]

quarterly quals (usually 30 rounds duty and 10 off duty)

50 practice rounds a month at the range to be shot at the range

[SVT-40]

As many as needed....

In fact I still get to shoot up as much dept ammo as I please even though I'm retired.

[cacop]

We used to have a limit of 50 rounds a month. we also used to do a lot more training with firearms. Since we are sitting on a pile of ammo and no training time the management of my department has lifted the 50 round limit as long as you are being supervised by a firearms instructor and you are doing a useful drill. No blasting ammo for the hell of it.

Ideally I would like to see 50-100 rounds every 2-4 weeks.

[IrishJoe3]

For me not nearly enough! I spend a lot of my own dime and time to practice and stay proficient. Some guys, unfortunately, can’t afford to or have no interest in doing so.

[Roddd]

50 per month for us

[Jack L]

I'm shocked after reading the replies. In my mind I thought LE would be allowed almost unlimited rounds to practice with. Are budgets really that tight? It’s kind of scary in a way being how accurate you may have to be in some situations and how few practice rounds some departments allow.

[Rico911]

My Dept does allow unlimited ammo at our ranges for practice. The dept used to sell practice ammo to sworn personel at dirt cheap prices. Of course we ruined that privilage by some hording ammo now we cant buy ammo.

[IrishJoe3]

Yes and I agree.