The Plattsburg Manual Part 7

Being at present or port arms: 1. Order, 2. ARMS. It is executed in two counts.

[Ill.u.s.tration: NEXT TO THE LAST POSITION OF ORDER ARMS]

At the command arms, let go with the right hand; lower and carry the piece to the right with the left hand; regrasp it with the right hand just above the lower band; let go with the left hand and take the position shown here, which is the next to the last position in coming to the order. The left hand should be above and near the right, steadying the gun, fingers extended and joined, forearm and wrist straight and inclined downward. Barrel to the rear. All the fingers of the right hand grasp the gun. b.u.t.t about 3 inches from the ground.

Being in the above position, at the command Two, lower the piece gently to the ground with the right hand, drop the left hand quickly by the side, and take the position of order arms.

The common errors are to slam the gun down on the ground and to drop the left hand by the side in a slow and indifferent manner.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 INCORRECT POSITIONS]

Common errors in the next to the last positions of order arms.

No. 1. Thumb is up. Gun too far from the ground.

No. 2. Gun too near to ground. Thumb is up. b.u.t.t of gun too far to the right.

No. 3. Gun held too high and too far away from body.

Being at order arms: 1. Right shoulder, 2. ARMS. It is executed in three counts.

At the command arms, with the right hand raise and throw the piece diagonally across the body; carry the right hand quickly to the b.u.t.t, and at the same time grasp the heel between the first two fingers as shown. Note the position of the first two fingers of right hand.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE FIRST POSITION OF RIGHT SHOULDER ARMS FROM THE ORDER]

At the command two, without changing the grasp of the right hand, place the piece on the right shoulder, right elbow near the side, the piece in a vertical plane perpendicular to the front; carry the left hand, thumb and fingers extended and joined, to the small of the stock, wrist straight and elbow down. Barrel up, and inclined at an angle of about 45 from the horizontal. Trigger guard in the hollow of the shoulder, tip of forefinger touching the c.o.c.king piece. Right fore arm horizontal.

[Ill.u.s.tration: NEXT TO THE LAST POSITION OF RIGHT SHOULDER ARMS]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 COMMON ERRORS IN THE NEXT TO THE LAST POSITION OF RIGHT SHOULDER ARMS]

No. 1. Right arms not by side. Left arm too high. Remember that the left arm rests on the chest. This is very commonly confused with the rifle salute.

No. 2. Thumb is up. b.u.t.t of rifle carried to the right.

No. 3. Trigger guard not against shoulder. b.u.t.t held too low. Hand not straight.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CORRECT POSITION OF RIGHT SHOULDER ARMS]

At the command three, drop the left hand by the side.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 1 No. 2 No. 3

INCORRECT POSITION OF RIGHT SHOULDER ARMS]

No. 1. Right arm not by side. Right forearm not horizontal.

No. 2. Heel of gun too far to left.

No. 3. Trigger guard not against shoulder. b.u.t.t held too low.

Being at right shoulder Arms: 1. Order, 2. ARMS. It is executed in 3 counts.

Press the b.u.t.t down quickly and throw the gun diagonally across the body, to the position shown here.

At the command two, lower the gun and a.s.sume the next to the last position of order arms. At the command three, come to the order arms.

The common errors in this movement are to move the head to the left and to throw the gun too far to the front.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Being at port arms: 1. Right shoulder, 2. ARMS. It is executed in three counts.

At the command arms, change the right hand to the b.u.t.t.

At the command two and three, come to the right shoulder as from order arms.

Being at right shoulder arms: 1. Port, 2. ARMS. It is executed in two counts.

At the command arms, press the b.u.t.t down quickly and throw the piece to the diagonal position across the body with the left hand grasping it at the balance; the right hand retaining its grasp of the b.u.t.t.

At the command two, change the right hand to the small of the stock.

Being at right shoulder arms: 1. Present, 2. ARMS. It is executed in three counts.

At the command arms, execute port arms. (This requires two counts.) At the command three, execute present arms.

Being at present arms: 1. Right shoulder, 2. ARMS. It is executed in four counts.

At the command arms, execute port arms. At the command two, three, four, execute right shoulder arms as from port arms.

Being at port arms: 1. Left shoulder, 2. ARMS. It is executed in two counts.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE NEXT TO THE LAST POSITION OF THE LEFT SHOULDER ARMS]

At the command ARMS, carry the piece with the right hand and place it on the left shoulder; at the same time grasp the b.u.t.t with the left hand, heel between first and second fingers. Thumb and fingers of right hand closed on the stock. Barrel up, trigger guard in the hollow of the shoulder.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 1 No. 2 No.3

COMMON ERRORS IN THE NEXT TO THE LAST POSITION OF LEFT SHOULDER ARMS]

No. 1. Right arm too high. b.u.t.t too high.

No. 2. b.u.t.t too close to center of body. Not grasping gun correctly with fingers of left hand.

No. 3. Right arm too high. b.u.t.t too high.

At the command two, drop the right hand by the side.