The police academy I went to was known as a “high stress” academy, with a pretty high drop out rate due to poor academic, range and/or fitness scores. Back in 1991 I shot a lot, academically did well and was a fitness machine, so maintaining overall scores over 95% in these categories allowed me to wear a ribbon for each discipline on my uniform.
The final shooting qualification was set with a couple weeks left before graduation. It was at night, and was a six-shot “100% or you’re out” test with no remediation. It started with cadets writing a report in a classroom. I was called on the radio, responded, then ran across the grounds to the range.
When entering the left side of the darkened range, there was a police car inside with lights flashing and siren blaring. I took cover behind a lamp post at the same time a hidden rangemaster fired a black powder shotgun blank and started screaming he was hit. Through the smoke and noise three targets at 20 yards turned, one threat two non threats. I put two into the threat before they turned, then I ran to kneel behind a mailbox in the center of the range at about 15 yards.
Three more targets turned, I fired one shot at the threat…and my issued S&W 5906 jammed. The fired case was in the chamber, the following round was stuck half in-half out of the mag. When racked, the slide couldn’t close to try and extract the case, hitting the mag button wouldn’t drop the mag, and my nerves went through the roof. The targets turned, and I quickly glanced at the second rangemaster who was scoring me. He just looked down at me with his arms folded.
I was pissed. Five months of hard work and sweat was about to be wasted because of this POS gun, so I smashed it HARD against the mailbox. (Mainly in panic-frustration, but also hoping the jam would clear.) sure enough, the live round popped loose, I cleared the jam and ran to the fire hydrant at about 7 yards.
The targets turned, I fired two at the threat, targets turned, and the qualification stopped.
When scored, I had put all 5 into the A zone on the photo-targets and didn’t shoot an unarmed. Even though I only hit 5 out of 6, and therefore should have failed, I was given 100% for “rapid action to clear a serious jam while under stress” and “all rounds were accounted for” or something like that.
I was the only one who graduated that class wearing all three 95%+ ribbons the entire time, and went on to complete a great 31.5 year career. (I also developed a deep, and permanent, mistrust and dislike for the S&W 5906. That gun went bye-bye for a P226 the day the new Chief let us carry our own guns!)
Stay safe.
