kBob
Member
Just puttering about today and ran across a thing on the WWII Mc whoever air gunnery trainer.
I was wondering if anyone knows of BB gun or air rifle use other than what I am about to write.
During the 1970s the US Army began to worry about the security and safety of JROTC used .22 rimfire rifles. In most units they were soon replaced by A daisy pellet rifle.
During the late 1960s the US Army used Daisy bb "rifles" in a program called "Quick Kill" to teach pointed fire without using the sights. A special BB rifle was procured with an adult stock. The system was packaged and sold to civilians by Daisy as the "Quick Skill" The system of point shooting was developed by a competitive trap and skeet shooter.
Around 1970 some Quick kill got used in force on force training by the US Army by troops wearing only normal winter clothing, helmets and eye protection. This apparently lasted only long enough to be mentioned in a few publications before better judgment prevailed.
Finally the Daisy CO2 200 BB pistol was used in handgun training and plans for a range were included in a 1970-ish Field Manual on Pistols and revolvers. While the pistol had excellent sights, the Army encouraged point shooting with the CO2 200.
I found the last most interesting as early on in the service I was asked why I shot so well with a handgun and the answer was thousands of BBs through a CO2 200 in the mid 1960's ( and then thousands through a Ruger RST4).
While in Europe in the mid 1970's I tried to get the rifle version (CO2 300?) as a means of teaching Quick Kill to M-16A1 users but got nixed by higher ups. Without their approval we did make some use of a Diana break barrel to teach basic marksmanship skills to a few of our "Bolos" (unqualified rifle shooters) as my unit required everyone be qualified with in six months of assignment to our major mission so two to three times a year. I found a little individual instruction and relaxed firing of the pellet rifle went a long way to having enough folks to do the job without not having anytime off. The rifle was hidden under a wall locker when not in use in the barracks or just propped up in a wall locker on a Combat Alert Sight until we got a new less understanding 2Lt and then we "lost it." It had a set of Walther peep sights that provided a sight picture mush like the M-16A1
I currently have a non functional CO2 200 I still believe it would make a much better basic trainer than any of the CO2 BB gun "replicas" out there and wish I had one that worked for my kids. My original (who's seals had failed) was tossed by my folks in a move while I was over seas.
Anyone else aware of other BB or pellet gun use by the US Army?
-kBob
I was wondering if anyone knows of BB gun or air rifle use other than what I am about to write.
During the 1970s the US Army began to worry about the security and safety of JROTC used .22 rimfire rifles. In most units they were soon replaced by A daisy pellet rifle.
During the late 1960s the US Army used Daisy bb "rifles" in a program called "Quick Kill" to teach pointed fire without using the sights. A special BB rifle was procured with an adult stock. The system was packaged and sold to civilians by Daisy as the "Quick Skill" The system of point shooting was developed by a competitive trap and skeet shooter.
Around 1970 some Quick kill got used in force on force training by the US Army by troops wearing only normal winter clothing, helmets and eye protection. This apparently lasted only long enough to be mentioned in a few publications before better judgment prevailed.
Finally the Daisy CO2 200 BB pistol was used in handgun training and plans for a range were included in a 1970-ish Field Manual on Pistols and revolvers. While the pistol had excellent sights, the Army encouraged point shooting with the CO2 200.
I found the last most interesting as early on in the service I was asked why I shot so well with a handgun and the answer was thousands of BBs through a CO2 200 in the mid 1960's ( and then thousands through a Ruger RST4).
While in Europe in the mid 1970's I tried to get the rifle version (CO2 300?) as a means of teaching Quick Kill to M-16A1 users but got nixed by higher ups. Without their approval we did make some use of a Diana break barrel to teach basic marksmanship skills to a few of our "Bolos" (unqualified rifle shooters) as my unit required everyone be qualified with in six months of assignment to our major mission so two to three times a year. I found a little individual instruction and relaxed firing of the pellet rifle went a long way to having enough folks to do the job without not having anytime off. The rifle was hidden under a wall locker when not in use in the barracks or just propped up in a wall locker on a Combat Alert Sight until we got a new less understanding 2Lt and then we "lost it." It had a set of Walther peep sights that provided a sight picture mush like the M-16A1
I currently have a non functional CO2 200 I still believe it would make a much better basic trainer than any of the CO2 BB gun "replicas" out there and wish I had one that worked for my kids. My original (who's seals had failed) was tossed by my folks in a move while I was over seas.
Anyone else aware of other BB or pellet gun use by the US Army?
-kBob