Did You Qualify With A .45 Pistol??

Yes, every year until the M1911 was replaced by the M9. I also used a rack 1911 in the Texas NG state matches - and was 1 thrown shot from earning my EIC badge at my last match. :(

Sgt Tom Cunnally Now that you mention it I did qualify with the .45 and seemed prone to buck too many into the 7 o'clock zone. Also qualified with the venerable M1, M14 and M16 back when they had hard sites and not this fancy red-dot point and shoot system. Qualification first took one week on the snapping-in range where the Gunny spoke at length on sight alignment, aiming points, sight adjustment, breathing, trigger squeeze, proper positions, sling adjustment, zeroing ,battle sights, and lots of dry-firing. Nowadays I couldn't get into a proper sitting or kneeling position, and if I did certainly couldn't get up on my own without help. You may recall some of this yourself. Now police up all your brass and move back to the 300 yd line.

SO many years ago I can barely remember. But I do remember the joke the Range safety Officer told....

We'll be putting you inside a 10 X 10 building and closing the door, you'll have 8 rounds, if you hit a wall you qualify....

Yes ,I still do with a .45 and a .40 cal. I used to qualify with a .38 five years ago before I retired .

Absolutely, 1985-1986 Germany, 8th IN Div (M)

Some of us on here are so old we qualified with muskets!!!!!!!!

However, the answer is yes. My USN rifle and pistol medals were in the M-1 and the .45.

No, damn it. The first time I ever fired a 1911 was on the day I was supposed to qualify with it and when I shook the weapon, I could hear the barrel rolling around loosely in the slide. I think it was captured by the VC and thrown back as unfit for use. I was given another just like it in Vietnam. I loaded it with .45 caliber tracer ammunition that I scrounged up and used it as a pointer to direct fire. The damn thing followed me to Hawaii where I was told that I had to "requalify" (as if I ever did.) They wouldn't let me use my personal Browning 9mm Hi Power. Failed again. However, I had a good laugh that day. The colonel standing on the firing line didn't fare any better. We were given three clips of seven rounds each and he missed his target entirely twenty-five times. Twenty-one times with bullets he fired as well as four more times when he threw the clips and gun at it.

Yes, when I served in the Corps in the late 80's, we still had the Colt 45. The Beretta 9mm was being introduced at the time, but was delayed due to high incidence of slide cracking after 2,000 rounds or so. The Marines were taking the Beretta's out of service at I think about 1,500 rounds to replace the slides. Reportedly Beretta re-engineer their slide for greater durability. So I never qualified with anything but the trusty 1911. I confess that since I am a stocky Marine, the 1911 made quite a handful of grip, which made controlling the recoil a bit more challenging probably than it was for Marines with longer fingers, but I still loved the pugnacious bark of the 45, kinda like a stocky Marine.

Yes, once. Also with a .38.

Yes, several times. When I got my first, 1SG slot, in 1995 at Fort Drum, New York I was issued an M1911 pistol. I found it very easy to qualify expert every time I ever had to qualify. I remember telling one of my Commanders that they had to make it easy so officers could qualify. I was joking but he took it as an insult. My Bn XO could not qualify to save his soul. He claimed his barrel was bent and some other things were wrong with his weapon. I offered to critique and coach his shooting technique which was always encouraged for those who could not shoot well. Upon going to the firing line he was firing one handed Clint Eastwood style. I asked him if he had attended Primary Marksmanship Training prior to the range? He said of course, since the BN CDR had made it mandatory every one attend. I went to the tower and asked to borrow the Field Manual on the pistol. I then showed the XO that the pistol was required by the FM, to always be fired with two hands. I did a mini PMI for the guy and he shot expert. He was super embarrassed by his previous bent barrel comments. It turns out he had never attended any pistol PMI class on that pistol, just signed the attendance roster, then left. When the new 9MM pistol came out I fired one of those expert every time also, but once. The barrel recoil spring malfunctioned while I was firing and the pistol would not reload without manual assistance. So I took myself off the firing line. Funny thing is I still qualified marksman even though I left the firing line prior to finishing.