Firearm ranking system

Question

How do you determine what skill level you are with a either a rifle or pistol? I've seen terms such as master, expert, sharpshooter, and marksman. What are the requirements for being in one of these categories? Was this ranking system developed by the military?

Answer 1

There is marksman,sharpshooter, and expert, in that order. These rankings are determined by your having hit a certain number of bulls eyes at 100 and 200 yrds with a rifle and 25 yrds with a pistol. You MUST qualify at least as a marksman to get through basic training and you must return to the firing range and re-qualify each year.  

Answer 2

Well, Marines with the rifles are required to shoot prone, sitting, kneeling, and standing at 200-yards, 300-yards, and then the 500-yards.  Lowest to highest: Marksman, Sharpshooter, and Expert.  Applies to Pistol and Rifle.  The only two that exist as qual badges.

LOOK BELOW ON SOURCES FOR THE RIFLE RANGE QUAL....

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PISTOL QUAL--M9 Beretta

Standard Marine Corps qualification course for the Beretta M9:

1st stage - 25 yards, 15 rounds slow-fire, single action, in 10 minutes

2nd stage - 7 yards, five strings of one round, starting from the low ready, one double action shot, like three seconds per string

3rd stage - 7 yards, four strings, each string is two rounds, starting from the low ready, one double action shot and one single action shot, like five seconds per string

4th stage - 15 yards, two strings, each string is six rounds, starting from the low ready, first round double action, then two rounds single action, hit slide-lock, reload and fire three more single action shots, 20 seconds per string.

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Specialized units are issued the M1911 .45 cal.  When I was with Force Recon, we carried the MEU(SOC) Pistol,which consisted of a modified, custom M1911 Colt that has been deburred and re-constructed from various precision manufactures that dedicate their time to the Precision Weapons Section on Quantico.

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If you are a machinegunner, you have a fireteam consisting of the A-gunner, A-bearer, and ammo bearer

It has been awhile since I've been in the Automatic Weapons Course, but we have to each qual on 3 different machineguns and our targets consisted of tombstone targets.  We had to fire with the Traverse and Elevetion (T&E) bar, and freestyle (disengaging the T&E).  We had to fire at rapid, sustained, and cyclic properly.  We were timed barrel exchange too!  You have to change barrels due to warpage and excessive heat damage!  We had to pass the drills about with there was a jam, double feed, or a runaway gun.

Answer 3

There are TONS of ranking systems,  even in the military.  The USAF has a very easy one to qualify for expert.   Hit the target 40 out of 40 shots.  Does not matter where,  just hit it.  

It also depends upon the gun....What would be considered a good shot with a M16 could be considered a bad shot if you were using a sniper rifle.    

Answer 4

You go to ranges to qualify for your weapon.  Any weapon you have you can go and qualify with.  Its mandatory that everyone is at least a Marksman, above that is Sharpshooter and above that is Expert.  If you are combat arms its important to shoot expert with your personal weapon.