tructions will probably become so tedious and
tiresome that you will lose sight of their objects. Each preliminary
instruction has its own and different purpose, and you will not receive
the maximum benefit from them unless you realize this.

This chapter will first explain briefly the purpose of each preliminary
drill, and then give the essential things to be remembered when actually
firing on the range.

PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTION

Your preliminary instructions and their purposes are as follows:

1. Nomenclature of the Rifle. The word nomenclature means the
vocabulary of names or technical terms which are appropriate to any
particular topic. In this case the topic is the rifle. This instruction
will be a few lectures or talks by your company officers on the rifle.
You should become familiar with the parts of the rifle indicated in the
following illustration:

[Illustration]

2. Sighting Drills.

Purpose.

(a) To explain the different kinds of sight.

(b) To show how to align the sights properly on the bull's-eye.

(c) To discover and demonstrate errors in sighting.

(d) To teach uniformity in sighting.

There are two kinds of sights on the rear sight leaf, the open and peep
sight. The open sight is the semi-circular notch a-b-c shown in the
diagram below; the peep sight is the small hold "d" just below the open
sight.

[Illustration: a, b, c--open sight

d--peep sight]

The sighting drills will visually illustrate the following kinds of
sights.

a--Normal Sight. This is the sight most frequently used. The following
illustration is the normal sight when the open sight notch is used.

[Illustration: The figure i-k-l-m is the front sight B-L-M-C the rear
sight notch.]

When the open sight is used the above diagram shows the correct
alignments of the rear sight notch, front sight and the bull's-eye. The
following features should be noticed:

1st. The front.sight (i-k-l-m) is exactly in the center of the rear
sight notch (B-L-M-C), if it is in the right or left part of this notch
the rifle will shoot to the right or left of the point aimed at.

2d. There is a thin strip of white seen between the top of the front
sight and the bull's-eye. (The Marine Corps and many army officers do
not see this strip of white. The method of aiming given and illustrated
in this book is the same as found in the Firing Regulations for the
Army.)

3d. The top of the front sight should just touch an imaginary line