Qualifying With Your Firearm

[Bradleyadleo]

For your respective departments, how often do you have to qualify with your firearm? Monthly? Several times per year?

Is it like the military where you reach certain levels, like marksman or sharpshooter? And if so, what do they do with the results? (i.e., financial incentive, points for promotion, etc)

Also, what are the standard weapons issued by your department? Do these include "non-lethals" as well?

[Gooch]

We shoot as a department 4 times a year. We qualify with shotgun, duty weapon, off-duty weapon, or AR-15 if you choose once a year. Also, once a year we go up to the FBI Training Range up at Great Lakes Naval Base. They've got a course with those cool little metal plates that make that satisfying sound when you hit 'em. That and the AR-15 are the only times I really enjoy shooting. IMO, shooting at paper targets all the time is unrealistic.

[retdetsgt]

Oregon state law requires us to qualify once every 13 months, but we do it twice a year. We used to be able to do it on a outdoor range and one was during the day and the other at night. Much more realistic for what we do. However, after I retired I heard they closed the outdoor range and it's all done inside now. Too bad, the other was much better. We qualify with whatever guns we intend to carry plus the shotgun. Just after I left, they started issuing some sort of rifles and I don't know anything about them.

[Bradleyadleo]

All of your agencies use the 9mm Beretta as the department issue?

[Oldbillplod]

Ours is every three months, without fail.

[slim202cop]

Twice a year at FLETC in Cheltenham, MD.

[Gooch]

All of your agencies use the 9mm Beretta as the department issue?

Some guys carry Berettas but I carry a .40 Sig. You get to choose from an appoved list and have to buy it yourself. Most of the young bucks love their Glocks. I haven't shot a Beretta since the Corps.

[Group9]

Every quarter with handguns.
Every quarter with carbines and smg's.
Every six months with shotguns.
(And night time qualifications once a year.)

And, you can go more if you want. Our FTU's are almost continuously running qualifications somewhere in the division and if you want more practice you can go and shoot more.

If you do not shoot a minimum score with a carbine, smg, or shotgun, you cannot carry it. If you cannot shoot a minimum score with your handgun, you are on desk duty until you can. It is a very big deal to not be able to qualify with anything.

[JD45]

We do about 4 times per year with our handguns and shotguns. Those that carry the AR and other less than lethals, are about once per year.

We can do additional training as much as we would like if time permits.

[MOCOP]

3 times per year (2 daytime qual's, 1 night qual) pistol and shotgun. 2 quals per year patrol rifle/carbine.

[Retired Trooper]

Regular Patrol officer qualify two times a year. A daytime course and night course.

Our SWAT officers qualified quarterly but we are bumping up to monthly now.

[retdetsgt]

We carry Glocks. Uniform carries the mdl 17 and plain clothes carry the mdl 19. We did have a choice of the .45 mdl 21 until a couple exploded. They pulled all of them after that.

[Old Trooper]

Every quarter, with Glock 22

[scott715us]

The Police Officer Standard Training Commission (POST) in my state requires once a year with your service weapon and shotgun. IF you have additional weapons, they will also be annually (M4, etc). SWAT's training is usually different.

[steelcityk9cop]

Pistols... 2X a year... one day and one night shoot.
Shotgun....once a year
Patrol Rifle... once a year