Marine Corps sets sights on more precise shooting.

• Author: Kennedy, Harold

In an isolated corner of the U.S. Marine base at Quantico, Va., a small unit is working to turn one of the oldest combat weapons- the infantry rifle-into a precise, ultramodern killing machine.

The unit, the Weapons Training Battalion, operates its own state-of-the-art factory, which builds handmade, super-accurate rifles far scout snipers, other designated marksmen and teams of competitive shooters throughout the Marine Corps.

The accuracy of these weapons depends upon the workmanship built into the rifles and the training and skills of the shooters, officials told National Defense.

The battalion, part of the service's Training and Education Command, is responsible primarily for teaching future officers the basics of shooting, training highly skilled scout snipers and small-arms instructors, conducting Marine and inter-service shooting matches and setting marksmanship standards for the entire corps.

Marines have emphasized marksmanship since their earliest days. During the American Revolution, they posted snipers high in the rigging of U.S. ships to fire down on the officers and crew of nearby enemy ships during naval battles.

Today, the corps is the Only service to require that all of its uniformed personnel be trained to fire a rifle accurately. Every Marine--no matter what rank or job--goes to the rifle range each year to refresh his or her skills.

At the range, Marines practice firing from four classic positions, standing, kneeling, sitting and prone. They fire a known-distance course at targets that are 200, 300 and 500 yards away. They are required to qualify annually as marksmen, sharpshooters or experts.

The standard Marine infantry rifle currently is the M16A2, a 5.56 mm semiautomatic. Made by Colt Manufacturing, of Hartford, Conn., and Fabrique Nationale Manufacturing Inc., in Columbia, S.C., it is the latest version of the weapon issued to almost all U.S. military personnel since the Vietnam War. The M16A2 has a maximum effective range of approximately 500 yards.

Hitting more distant or difficult targets is the specialty of Marine scout snipers and designated marksmen. Each Marine infantry battalion has 16 scout snipers. Although they perform observation missions for their units, their primary job is to deny freedom of movement to enemy forces, said Gunnery Sgt. Robert Reidsma, the staff noncommissioned officer in charge of the Scout Sniper School.

This is accomplished, he said, by shooting enemy leaders and other key personnel, such as radio operators, heavy weapons crews and messengers, with single, well-aimed shots.

"Our motto is 'one shot, one kill,'" Reidsma said. They also can use rifle fire to disable the enemy's vital infrastructure, such as command-and-control and air-defense equipment, he explained.

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