The Fighting Rifle Book 3: The Fighting Rifle

By Mike Harland

This manual covers basic to advanced level techniques for combative use of a semi automatic rifle. While some fundamentals of marksmanship are included, the emphasis is on practical applications ranging from civilian self defense through to two-man teams and close protection operations. The manual complements others by the same author that deal with pistol skills and personal security detail operations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mike Harland
• Release date: Jan 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201910358

Book preview

Transition Drill 2

Student stand in the open

Place 2 targets, one at 10 meters, one at 20 m

Put 3 rounds in SMG/rifle magazine

Person shoots 1 round per target, that’s a total of 2 rounds for the rifle

When they run empty transition to pistol and engage each target 1 round per target, that’s 2 rounds for the pistol.

REPEAT 5-10 TIMES

For variation to the transition drill (from rifle to pistol or pistol to rifle) do the drills below with the transition drill to make it more comprehensive?

Without cover: the drill can be done standing as normal, just for the accuracy and transition moving from rifle to pistol

With cover: the transition can be done behind cover and used to cover two angles in an emergency, otherwise just focus on the transition and focus on accuracy  

With movement: move while doing the transition, this is difficult for accuracy and can be used to get to cover, as in covering fire.

Combined Drill

This is only for the students on the Elite operator course.

Don’t do this drill if you don’t have a lot of hours behind both the rifle and handgun.

Place 3 targets at 10 meters from the student who will stand in the open; the student engages the 3 targets with the rifle first while moving laterally to cover.

Place 3 targets at 10 meters from the student who will stand in the open; the student engages the 3 targets with the rifle first while moving laterally to cover. The student then does a transition to the pistol from here behind cover.

Place 3 targets at 10 meters from the student who will stand in the open; the student engages the 3 targets with the rifle first while moving laterally to cover. The student then does a transition to the pistol while behind cover. The student then scans the area using the 3-sector scan.

During movement drills, remember to bend your knees and roll from your heel to the ball of your foot. Move smoothly and do not rush, focus on accuracy and technique. To apply lateral movement accurately, move on the balls of your feet to move smoothly.

Shooting At Different Ranges

The student must be able to shoot at various ranges that are pertinent for combat. These distances are just so we have a frame of reference – it’s not an absolute – and are more typical of semi auto rifle engagement compare with sniper rifles:

a)  Extreme close range: 5 meters or less, see the different stance and aiming techniques for the different ranges

b)  Close range 10 to 50 meters

c)  Intermediate 50 to 100 meters

d)  Long range 200 m and 300 meters: ideally you would want some sort of rest for the weapon, because any movement is going throw the shot off. It’s not impossible to shoot standing or kneeling, it’s just harder.

More emphasis is placed on 50 to 100 meters for PSD/SHTF type training versus out to 300 or more for military type training. This is for the purposes of this training and according to my experience and knowledge; you might have different ideas as to what distances you want to train at. This might be dictated by the terrain your find yourself in e.g., you might be in a desert area and want to concentrate on distance from 200 out to 500 even with your semi auto rifle.

Most engagements in an urban environment will take place in the 50 to 100-metre range for ground floor fighting, and up to 300-500 meters for soldiers on high points looking from a roof top to ground targets.

Shooting Close In

This is typically for cases if and when caught unaware by an attacker. This is only for very close (10 meters or less), but with training it’s possible to extend the techniques out to 20 meters and still hit targets.

Shooting instinctively at close ranges can be achieved by holding the weapon in the middle of your body, low down at about stomach level. Only apply this if there is no time to bring the weapon up, as when going under an obstacle. The French foreign legion uses this technique, but keep in mind they have full auto weapons systems so they can give a burst of lead which will hit something even at 10 meters.

Otherwise, instinctive shooting should be from the shoulder using all the points of reference for your brain, which are shoulder, cheek, weapon aligned to your eye and front hand with your barrel in your peripheral vision.

Close in shooting can also be achieved by using it over your shoulder when checking corners in the context of single operator house penetration which should not be attempted unless absolutely necessary.

Stock folded in: for those weapons that have this type of configuration, you place the weapon in the middle of the body at the sternum (chest height) between the eyes as a point of reference and use the sling to keep the weapon braced by pushing forward.

Snap shooting for close range: if the stock is not folded or retracted, bring the weapon over your shoulder so you can turn it on the side so the ejected cases will shoot up instead of sideways; keep the barrel between your eyes so you have a point of reference. This technique is used if you don’t have time to use the weapon braced in your shoulder as per normal shooting technique.

Short Range (10 to 15 meters)

When doing close range shooting 10 to 15 meters, point aim can be drilled to instinct. Use small targets (6x6 inches or close to this size) for the Advanced and Elite operator students e.g., orange clay pigeon so that the student needs to focus. You can also use a strip of tape over the paper target to focus the attention of the student on the target that you are shooting at. They must try to keep the rounds in the piece of tape.

The student shoots one shot at a time and the focus is the sighting to hit this area, do these 5-10 times

Then try to just use the (circular) front sight to place the shots a bit quicker and do another 5-10 shots one at a time. The focus is not speed, so go slowly.

Place the targets either tape, clay pigeon, small falling plate at 15 meters,

No time limit because the objective is to shoot the target, otherwise if there was a time limit it would be a focus drill.

Intermediate Range Shooting

(15 to 30 meters)

Here using body alignment (shooting with your stance and whole body) is very important. Look down the length of the weapon, but focus on the target. Line up the sights as if you would use them, just focus on the enemy and what they are doing, this is difficult if you are looking through the sights. You can also use a strip of tape as a target as this will give you something to aim at and give you precision.

Place the target at about 10m for beginners and 20 to 25 meters (more advanced) still use the small targets e.g., tape on the paper target.

Now the focus will be more on the sights and alignment with whole body position, this is especially important for instinctive shooting in close quarters.

Look through the sights and don’t look using the sights as this will make it too slow

Remember to fire as the sights come onto the target. You don’t want to wait, as waiting causes even more movement, hesitation and missing.

There is no time limit but if you don’t shoot as the target comes into sight then you are not applying the principles of aiming as mentioned in points 2 and