Basic M4 Carbine Course - Lesson 4

Title: Basic M4 Carbine Course- Lesson 4

Type: Dry Practice (No live ammunition)

Time: 2 hours

Venue: Weapon Training Classroom

Students: 12

Student Equipment:12 X M4 Carbines

12 X USGI 30 round M4 magazines

6 X dummy 5.56mm rounds per student (72)

Instructor Equipment:1 X M4 Carbine

2 X USGI M4 30 round magazines

6 X dummy 5.56mm rounds

Assistant Instructors (AI'S): 2 (Names)

PRELIMINARY ACTIVITIES:

Prior to arrival of students:

- Write lesson title on board.

- Set up classroom chairs.

- Place six (6) dummy rounds under each chair.

- If used, load/check PowerPoint.

On arrival of students:

- Student Safety Check all weapons.

- Check all magazines, no live rounds.

- Safety declaration, check no live rounds brought into classroom.

- Seat.

- Place 1 X M4 carbine, 2 x 30 round magazines under chair.

- Designate Safe Direction for the student practice.

CONDUCT OF LESSON

This lesson, Basic M4 Carbine-Lesson 4, teaches Emergency Reloading Drill and the Immediate Action Drill. I am the primary instructor (if first time with students, give name and background) and I will be assisted by (introduce the assistant instructors).

Review

EXPLAIN- The previous lesson, Lesson 3, covered the Fundamentals of Marksmanship for the M4 Carbine, firing positions, loading and unloading the weapon.

PRACTICE AS MUCH AS TIME PERMITS (Have students conduct a Safety Check then Load and Unload the weapon with instructors correcting as required. Once satisfied, have the students adopt various firing positions and check.)

Introduction

EXPLAIN- One of the worst situations any participant in a gunfight can experience is a weapon not functioning when needed. Most of these situations are caused by user error, such as shooting all the ammunition, others are caused by mechanical failure or ammunition failure. No matter the cause, the individual must take action fast to remedy the situation. That remedy may be as simple as running away. At some point however, the armed individual must fix the problem with the weapon.

The Emergency Reload and Immediate Action Drills will fix most common reasons the weapon has failed at that moment. The Emergency Reload will get additional ammunition into the weapon very fast and the Immediate Action will clear most mechanical jams or ammunition failure. In Lesson 5 you will be taught the Malfunction Drill which will fix most remaining mechanical failures not requiring disassembly and an armorer.

Unlike the Safety Check and loading or unloading your weapon, these drills must become fine motor skills and be performed without thinking. Like playing a musical instrument, there is only one way to become proficient…practice, practice, practice.

Objective

EXPLAIN- At the conclusion of this lesson, you will know the Emergency Reloading and Immediate Action Drills for the M4 Carbine. It will be your responsibility to practice as much as you can to develop these drills into fine motor skills.

Emergency Reload Drill

EXPLAIN & DEMONSTRATE (Inform students the demonstration will be in stages and conducted slowly for ease of understanding. Pull the Charging Handle to the rear, locking the Bolt Carrier Group to the rear. Remind students this would be automatic on the last round)- Every drill and procedure has a start and finish. Do not shortcut drills especially, this will induce more problems. The Emergency Reload Drill begins when the shooter, during follow through or feeling the Bolt Carrier Group lock to the rear, recognizes the weapon is empty and must be reloaded. All actions from now happen as fast and simultaneously as possible and every motion is smooth and only those motions necessary are carried out:

• Remove the finger from the trigger.
• Bring the weapon in closer and cant if necessary to aid in manipulation.
• Press the magazine release allowing the empty magazine to fall away from the weapon.
• Grab the fresh magazine and bring it up toward the weapon, ensuring a positive grip and the magazine is facing the right direction.
• Insert the magazine into the magazine well until you feel/hear a click. Ensure it is correctly seated by giving the magazine a slight tug.
• Hit the bolt release with the heal of the non-shooting hand allowing the bolt carrier group to go forward. Left-handed shooters reach over the top of the receiver and use the fingertips of the right hand to hit the bolt release.
• Reacquire sight picture, place the finger back on the trigger. Assesses the need for follow up shots and, if necessary, resume firing (remember, the decision to fire has already been made). This is the end of the Emergency Reload Drill.

If there is no need for additional shots, remove the finger from the trigger and place the Sector Safety Switch to Safe. Assess the area for new threats, including the rear.

Ask if any questions

IMITATE, PRACTICE AS MUCH AS TIME PERMITS (Ensure the students are set up for the imitation and practice with one empty magazine on the weapon and one magazine containing one dummy round in the carrier. Have the students pull the Charging Handle to the rear and push it all the way forward. Demonstrate the Emergency Reload again and have the students slowly imitate each action in time with the instructor. Have students set up again and repeat as necessary. When satisfied actions are correct, allow students to conduct the drill at an increasingly faster pace and then allow to practice in their own time with oversight.)

Immediate Action Drill

EXPLAIN & DEMONSTRATE (Inform students the demonstration will be in stages and conducted slowly for ease of understanding. Ensure the magazine fitted has at least one dummy round.)- If the weapon fails to fire when the trigger is pressed and the firer has not recognized the weapon is empty, the firer, not knowing why the weapon failed to fire, must try to fix it and get the weapon operating. Perform the Immediate Action Drill as fast as possible:

• Remove the finger from the trigger.
• Bring the weapon in closer and cant if necessary to aid in manipulation.
• Pull on the magazine. If the magazine comes away from the weapon, positively reseat.
• Grasp the charging handle, vigorously pull the charging handle to the rear and watch to see if anything is ejected from the ejection port. Let go and allow the Bolt Carrier Group and Charging Handle to go forward. Do not ease the Bolt Carrier Group and Charging Handle forward.
• Reacquire sight picture, place the finger back on the trigger. Assesses the need for follow up shots and, if necessary, resume firing (remember, the decision to fire has already been made). This is the end of the Immediate Action Drill.

As with the Emergency Reload Drill, if there is no need for additional shots, remove the finger from the trigger and place the Sector Safety Switch to Safe. Assess the area for new threats, including the rear. If the Immediate Action Drill does not fix the problem, you will move to cover and perform the Malfunction Drill which will be taught in Lesson 5.

Ask if any questions

IMITATE, PRACTICE AS MUCH AS TIME PERMITS (Ensure the students are set up for the imitation and practice with a magazine on the weapon containing one dummy round. Demonstrate the Immediate Action again and have the students slowly imitate each action in time with the instructor. Have students set up again and repeat as necessary. When satisfied actions are correct, allow students to conduct the drill at an increasingly faster pace and then allow to practice in their own time with oversight.)

Final practice, if any

Ask if any questions

Ask the students questions for final confirmation

Summary

EXPLAIN- Every drill has a start and a finish. If something goes wrong, do not assume you know what is wrong, let the drill tell you. If your assumption is wrong, it will cost you more precious time you don't have in a gunfight. The Emergency Reload, used to reload your weapon after you have expended all the ammunition in the magazine and the Immediate Action, used to fix most other mechanical failures, must be practiced until they can be performed without thinking under all conditions including nighttime.

Look Forward

EXPLAIN- Your next lesson is Lesson 5 which covers the Malfunction Drill and Tactical Reloads.

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