And all of that is dumb. Really really dumb. Do you not challenge this when you learn it? I don’t think I could do an air rifle course with a straight face.
I didn’t say it wasn’t permitted. I was quoting from cadet training ranges.
When firing air rifles indoors, although considered the exception rather than the rule, there are occasions when the RCO may also act as a safety supervisor
I guess there’s two answers here.
Yes I will question and feedback on policy if I disagree or think it should be changed.
But also I will deliver and follow what’s written in the manual as that’s what’s required, if and when it changes I’ll follow that.
The risk in one person doing all those roles is where do they focus their attention? Should the RCO focus on watching the firers, managing the range or handing out pellets.
Yes I know “it’s just Air Rifle” but it’s also the entry point to shooting for the majority of cadets so it kind of makes sense it follows the similar process as full bore.
The issue today is that the ammo we are routinely issued is in boxes and not on clips so it is slower using a speedloader compared to manually filling the magazine.
Some annual camps this year will be issued with bandoliers with ammo on clips so will want their speed loaders with them.
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I do miss being able to use speed loaders. Sooo much easier.
I’ve always had my ammunition handed to me in a magazine ready to go. Only ever done it once at the firing point.
There is a much lower risk.
Prior to all the faff being formally written down - it was more or less “Run a safe range, crack on.” For our single shot air rifles, I would place out the pellets (perspex ammo blocks) on the firing points before the firers adopted the relevant position. Effectively, that is the same as for the L98, allowing ammunition “on the point” (in magazines for L98).
Simple, no distraction or drop in safety standards / monitoring. If using the 1:2 ratio, then 2 firers = extremely simple to run the range as combined RCO / safety supervisor. For some considerable time, I was the only RCO / safety supervisor person on the sqn, so that is how we had to shoot.
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As I said, I’m not massively against it for an indoor AR range. Just following what the book says.
Although thinking about it a bit more, would you want a newly qualified RCO to be managing 3 roles for focusing on the range management?
How do you define the level of experience at which that’s ok?
That’s ignoring the fact that the the SPO also has to be comfortable with the plan to approve it.
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It’s not really 3 roles; ammo orderly (AR) is superfluous in reality. RCO / safety supervisor = combined - even if RCO on a range with safety supervisor(s), the RCO is still monitoring overall. With 2 firers, yes, a new RCO can cope with that easily - it was exactly as happened with our sqn, no issues with SPO. RCO = qualified as per regulations.
Don’t make things harder than they already are.
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It’s not rocket science. Being the RCO and Safety Supervising go hand in hand and it’s not like 2 lanes is complicated.
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They are separate appointments as listed in CTR.
I’m all for things being easier, and as I’ve said personally I’d be happy with it.
Agreed.
No again I disagree. Why do you need two qualified RCOs to run a 2 lane air rifle range or L144 range. You already need a medic, so three staff looking after two cadets. That’s why there is an exception.
I’ve not said you must have two RCO’s (Or a K Qual for SS)
What I have said is that it should be by exception rather than the norm which is the statement in Cadet Training Ranges. However interestingly it doesn’t say that for indoor rim fire ranges…so maybe the AR range one should be updated to match.
The medic also doesn’t have to be on the range. If you’re running a range on a parade evening for example the Medic can be another member of staff in the building.
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Yup. As a former RCO / WI Trainer / senior instructor on a SATT it makes no sense to me. We assessed loading rounds into mags in the lessons and in the WHT.
L98 on barrack ranges in particular should be about marksmanship training and correct use of drills. The use of webbing is not conducive to marksmanship to my way of thinking,however the only advantage is teaching one drill which is readily transferrable to gallery ranges / competition shooting and to working with blank amminition on JL or military skills exercises.
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