1903 vs. Tactical Carbine Course

[Hrfunk]

Hi all! Here is my first video of the new year, and it's one of my favorites. In this one, I am pitting my trusty '03 Springfield against a modern law enforcement qualification course. The course, and its time limits, were devised with a semi-automatic tactical carbine in mind. To see how the old war horse fares, click on the link below. (Please excuse the fact that I'm not using cast bullets in the video, but I thought some of you still might enjoy it!). Also, be sure to let me know your thoughts after watching it!

HRF

[wddodge]

That was a very good video! Thank you for taking the time to make it. The only thing I noticed was your low ready starting position was quite a bit higher than my idea of low ready.

Denny

[Hrfunk]

That was a very good video! Thank you for taking the time to make it. The only thing I noticed was your low ready starting position was quite a bit higher than my idea of low ready.

Denny

Thank you! I admit I did not employ the "classic" low-ready position. That said, whenever I've actually operated with a tactical carbine, I carry it in a similar manner to the way I shot the '03. Which is to say it is just below my line of sight. If I need to fire, it is very fast to slightly raise the weapon and acquire the target. I'll call it "tactical low ready" (Because, of course putting the word "tactical" in front of anything automatically provides justification regardless of how silly the subject might be!). In any case, I actually did raise the rifle to my line of sight for each stage, if only slightly. So I felt as though I met the requirements of the course.

Thanks again!
Howard

[Hamish]

Howard,

Nicely done video. I think with a few runs it would fairly easy to run a 100% score.

[Hrfunk]

Howard,

Nicely done video. I think with a few runs it would fairly easy to run a 100% score.

Thanks! I was thinking the same thing!

Howard

[eric123]

I enjoyed the video...I really like the M1 and 1903A4 videos too...The Camp Perry vids are great as well...

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Enjoyed it.

[wddodge]

Thank you! I admit I did not employ the "classic" low-ready position. That said, whenever I've actually operated with a tactical carbine, I carry it in a similar manner to the way I shot the '03. Which is to say it is just below my line of sight. If I need to fire, it is very fast to slightly raise the weapon and acquire the target. I'll call it "tactical low ready" (Because, of course putting the word "tactical" in front of anything automatically provides justification regardless of how silly the subject might be!). In any case, I actually did raise the rifle to my line of sight for each stage, if only slightly. So I felt as though I met the requirements of the course.

Thanks again!
Howard

Good Evening Howard,

My idea of low ready comes from handgun training and shooting pistol matches. Low ready to me is the muzzle pointed down at a 45 degree angle. I don't have alot of rifle experience so I learned something there.

A number of years ago I shot 3 gun matches at some of the local clubs. The rifle stages were dominated by the AR guys with a few AK shooters thrown in. While I have a couple of ARs to play with, I enjoyed using a M1 Garand in the rifle stages. I never won anything but I did move more dirt than the little guns. It's all in the having fun..

Denny

[Hrfunk]

Good Evening Howard,

My idea of low ready comes from handgun training and shooting pistol matches. Low ready to me is the muzzle pointed down at a 45 degree angle. I don't have alot of rifle experience so I learned something there.

A number of years ago I shot 3 gun matches at some of the local clubs. The rifle stages were dominated by the AR guys with a few AK shooters thrown in. While I have a couple of ARs to play with, I enjoyed using a M1 Garand in the rifle stages. I never won anything but I did move more dirt than the little guns. It's all in the having fun..

Denny

Hi Denny! No problem at all. A lot of people subscribe to the same idea when it comes to a "low ready" position. The problem is that if you are making your way through a potentially hostile environment, the "traditional low ready" is slower in terms of target acquisition if/when you encounter a threat. I actually employ a similar technique when I'm using a handgun. This is one of the places where sport/match shooting deviates from gun fighting. By the way, Good job driving the M1 in those three gun matches. I'll bet you got some attention when you pulled it out!

Howard

[Bigslug]

Even with your saved rounds, you still put about 1500 grains more lead through your target than the guy with the mousegun would, so yeah, I agree that the failure drill is probably a little superfluous.

[Hrfunk]

Even with your saved rounds, you still put about 1500 grains more lead through your target than the guy with the mousegun would, so yeah, I agree that the failure drill is probably a little superfluous.

Grain for grain, it's still hard to beat the old '06!

Howard

[bob208]

you mean I am just as well armed with my 03 as anybody with a ar. now I don't have to buy an ar. you saved me a lot of money.

[Baltimoreed]

Howard, you need to do your tactical carbine course with a krag carbine. The Spanish American War’s tactical carbine. They’re way slicker than a ‘03. Enjoyed your video. As to your ‘low ready’, it’s what we use at my cas clubs matches when we start a scenario with the rifle ‘safely pointed downrange.’

[Hrfunk]

Howard, you need to do your tactical carbine course with a krag carbine. The Spanish American War’s tactical carbine. They’re way slicker than a ‘03. Enjoyed your video. As to your ‘low ready’, it’s what we use at my cas clubs matches when we start a scenario with the rifle ‘safely pointed downrange.’

The Krag carbine would be a great one for this course. Now if I could just get my hands on one!

Howard

[Italia1825]

Good video! Looks like a good challenge


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[Butler Ford]

Well Done!! Only other comment I can make is, I thoroughly enjoyed the video.

[Larry Gibson]

Reminds me of the time I took my M1903A1 to qualification at Fort Lewis (could do that in SF "back in the day"). The course was the 40 round 50 - 300 meter "Trainfire" qualification course used for M16/M4 Qualification. I just used a sitting position with sling outside the foxhole for the whole course, I had spare M72 ammo in stripper clips beside me. The young SF guys all hoorahed me say I would never qualify......well 40 shots later with 40 hits all they said was.....can I shoot that rifle, please??........

[funnyjim014]

Alot of the guys in my league are switching to 9mm carbine rifles, most use some sort of ar. I've shot my Swiss 7,5, m44, 9130, gew98, I can keep up with them using my China sks with a tiny front sight. The most fun is hearing them all yell when I shoot the Hakim....that bugger is loud. It's just more fun shooting the old iron

[missionary5155]

Good afternoon
That was well worth the 12 minutes to watch. Thankyou for making it happen. I did enjoy it !!
Mike in Peru

[WebMonkey]

thanks for posting this

i enjoyed the video immensely. it touched on a lot of points i 'think on'.
i'm getting better feeding the T53 mosin but still 'fall back' to the box magazine fed rifles i relied on in my younger days.

i thought you did a great job explaining the state's course and requirements.
i also consider your 'low ready' what we (army cav scout) employed although i'm sure 'low ready' wasn't the term back then.

on a side note, i find your smile/grin strangely disconcerting.

my first duty station's top was a fireplug of a guy with a 1st armor patch on his right shoulder (matched our left). a similar smile was displayed many, many times during my introduction to a spur ride in west germany.

many years later, a similar smile was found affixed to my own visage when leading young troopers.

thanks again for the video and wearing O.D. green while you did it.
(even if it wasn't army cavalry)