Army M-1 Rifle

[Cadetat6]

I found a note from 1943 . It said I shot a 142 with the M-1 Rifle. Anyone know if that is good , bad, or average. All I remember is laying down in prone position, faceing a large target that came out of the ground.. After each shot a small round marker would show were the hole was in the target.. My senior moment does not remember, how many shots or how far away the target was..

 

Art

[texas38]

Art, I have no knowledge of such things. Zero, nada, zilch. Maybe you could ask your 101st buddies next time you meet. - Marilyn

[Cadetat6]

Marilyn,

Best I could find was from "RECONELL" the following

 

If I remember correctly(?),...

 

140 and over qualified as Marksman.

 

160 and over qualified as Sharpshooter.

 

180 and over qualified as Expert.

 

After zeroing all weapons as best as possible,

all qualifications were fired at:

100 yards - Standing Position (8 rounds)

200 yards - Kneeling & Squating Positions (16 rounds)

300 yards - Kneeling & Squating Positions (16 rounds

500 yards - Prone Position (8 rounds)

 

The Maximum Score attainable or: "Firing The Max"

or firing; "A Possible" was shooting a 240 out of a possible 240.

Art

[chucktoo1926]

Geeze Art; You say you shot 142 that day. Do you know how many survived.

 

Myself, I had better luck the day I shot for record. They marched us out to this Texas desert, emptied the sand out of the gun barrels, and with no prior practice, told us to see what we could do. WELL, I won three medals that day. One for the carbine, one for the 45, and one for the thompson. They were the prettiest purple you ever did see. Along with my three purple ribbons, E.T.O. ribbon, and good conduct medal, they gave me my most prized of all. THE RUPTURED DUCK.

 

Gotta go now. But later on, I would like to tell you how all of our training that day prepared us for the days to come

 

Sorry Art, for taking that shot at you. All in fun. besides I probably missed as I did back then

 

chucktoo

[texas38]

...They marched us out to this Texas desert, emptied the sand out of the gun barrels, and with no prior practice, told us to see what we could do. chucktoo

Hi, Chucktoo

 

Was that "Texas desert" anywhere near Ft Bliss? I've made more than a few crossings of the desert by car between Louisiana and California via old US 90 and more recently, I-10.

 

Marilyn

[chucktoo1926]

To texas38;

Hi marilyn. I did my basic training at Sheppard Field, just outside Witchitaw Falls, almost on the Oklahoma border. When I say desert, I do believe it was all around us. Why else would they put a base there. When I wrote the piece on shooting for record, I know Art (cadetat6) knows I was pulling his tail. Art and I have been close friends for a good long time.

 

Come to think of it; that was the day ( about 110 in the shade) that I developed a whopper of a water blister right smack dab on the chin. Right where Kirk Douglas had his cleft, and about the size of a half dollar Two days later, we had a drill where they put us in a shack,told us to NOT put our masks on till told to do so. They threw in a tear gas cannister and waited till we were all choking half to death. then they said to don our masks and get the aich out. I don't need to tell you what happened to that blister.

 

Take care Texas---say hello to your pilot

chucktoo

[texas38]

Hi chucktoo

 

Wichita, huh? Can't say as I've been there. It's off the beaten path for me. When you said "desert", I immediately thought of El Paso.

 

Now, however, I have been to Mineral Wells in August. It was in 1948 - a car dealers convention for my Dad and a vacation for us kids. We had fun but it was a bit warm. No, that's not quite right. It was downright HOT! We set off one day in search of Marble Head Falls. Well, we drove here and we drove there and pretty soon it was apparent we were "lost" as we were way out in the country on a dirt road, miles from where we'd started or so it seemed, and no Marble Head Falls anywhere to be found. Eventually, Dad came upon some farmer and asked him how one could get to Marble Head Falls from there. So help me, the farmer took off his hat, scratched his head, looked up the road and back whence we'd come and drawled, "Well, I don't rightly know if you can get there from here." By then, it was about 1:00 pm and the sun was broiling and we kids were thirsty as all get out. So Dad thanked the man and turned the car around. Never have seen that place, Marble Head Falls, yet.

 

See ya around -- and, uh, the pilot is asleep in his favorite chair. Time to wake him up and tell him to go to bed.

 

Marilyn

[chucktoo1926]

Marilyn; From past experience, I've learned to never ask a farmer for directions. Most haven't been off their farms in years, at least not past the nearest town with a grain elevater. " Well now, let's see, ya go down this here road a piece an turn left where that gas station used to be -------.

 

I remember way back in Basic that you Texans had mosquitos so big that once they picked out a victim, they would have to decide if they should eat him there, or take him back to share with the others.

 

take care

chucktoo

[texas38]

Marilyn;  From past experience, I've learned to never ask a farmer for directions. Most haven't been off their farms in years, at least not past the nearest town with a grain elevater.    "  Well now, let's see, ya go down this here road a piece an turn left where that gas station used to be -------.

 

I remember way back in Basic that you Texans had mosquitos so big that once they picked out a victim, they would have to decide if they should eat him there, or take him back to share with the others.

 

take care

chucktoo

chucktoo -

 

Yeah, I could spin you a yarn or two about Texas farmers. Mother and I used to drive to Beaumont to go shopping. The road (US 90) was only two lanes in those days, one going east, one going west. Beaumont was only 25 miles away and it normally would take about an hour driving through the piney woods and around curves (passing vehicles ahead of you was out of the question) but, heaven help you if someone left the gate open and let that farmer out on the highway with his rusty old pickup truck! They were never in a hurry and any ETA you might have had just got tossed aside.

 

When it came to mosquitos, I was usually picked out as their "victim". Some people were never bothered by them, but me, they chewed on me all summer long.

 

That's another reason I live in California now.

 

Marilyn