It’s that time of the week again. Today we are looking at a firearm training qualification from the world of law enforcement and the military: the FBI handgun qual. This qualification has been kicking around for quite some time and is fairly fun, lightweight in the logistics department, and not super challenging.
I think it’s worth noting most FBI Agents aren’t gunslingers. They are accountants, lawyers, and similar professionals. While they have gunslingers in HRT and similar teams, it’s not often their main role. Still, the FBI has fairly high standards for their agents, and this qual represents that.
What do you need to shoot the FBI handgun qual?
First and foremost, you need a gun—a handgun. A duty-sized 9mm would be the more accurate representation of the FBI’s guns. I used my new Sig P322. for running this qual. Admittedly the gun has little recoil and muzzle rise, so yeah, I’m cheesing the qual. But hear me out. Ammo is expensive, and I’m reviewing the P322. So it’s synergy.
You’ll also need fifty rounds of ammo, two magazines, a holster, and a spare mag pouch. As always, remember your eyes and ears. It’s a pretty simple setup.
As for which target to use, the FBI uses their famed Coke bottle target. The new official target is the FBI QIT target, but the older Q target will work too. Nope, it’s not a dog target, that’s the ATF. This is essentially a reduced-size silhouette target, so it can be fairly challenging compared to a full-sized silhouette style target.
Print the Sage Dynamics head and torso targets if you want to roll your own. They are small and realistic. Plus, free is always great. Bring your shot timer, too, because we have time constraints to deal with.
To the Range With the FBI Handgun Qual
The FBI handgun qual takes place at five different yard lines. I’m using each yard line to break down the qual into different stages. Each stage may have multiple strings of fire. You’ll be as close as 3 yards to your target and as far as 25 yards away.
Stage One: 3 Yard Line
Welcome to bad breath distance. Most gunfights in the civilian world occur at close ranges, so it’s good to be fast and comfortable close to your target. Start with your handgun holstered and at least six rounds in the magazine.
Draw and engage the target with your strong hand firing three shots on the beep. Then transition to your off-hand and fire three more rounds. You have six seconds to make it work. My first run landed in on 4.68 seconds with a .22 LR pistol. It’s not hard, per se, but you have no time to dilly daddle here.
Stage Two: 5 Yard Line
Take a couple of steps back to the five-yard line and get ready to rock and roll. You’ll do three strings of fire with a total of twelve rounds for this stage.
- String one: draw and fire three rounds in three seconds.
- String two: from the low ready, aim and fire three rounds in two seconds.
- String three: from the low ready, aim and fire six rounds in four seconds.
The time constraints for this qual seem tough, but the range helps make accuracy easy. Also, a good trigger cadence will make this super easy. My draw was slow, but I still managed to make it under three seconds on string one. Strings two and three were cakewalks, but they can be tough if you can’t control the weapon or track your sights.
Stage Three: 7 Yard Line
Seven yards is the range where most shooters feel comfy. It’s far enough from the target to feel normal and close enough not to have a whole lot of accuracy concerns. Start with your handgun holstered, with exactly nine rounds in the magazine. Make sure your spare magazine is loaded with at least nine rounds. You have three strings of fire at this yard line.
- String one: at the beep, draw and fire five rounds in under five seconds.
- String two: from the low ready, aim and fire four rounds. Your gun should be empty. Now conduct an empty gun, reload, and fire four more rounds. Do all this in under eight seconds.
- String three: from the low ready, aim and fire five rounds in four seconds.
Stage three livens things up a bit. The time constraints feel a little tighter, and that reload sucks. This is where you need to keep your sights straight and move, move, move. You don’t have much time to go limp in your reload. From here, the FBI handgun qual only gets a little harder.
Stage Four: 15 Yards
At this stage, you more than double the range of the last drill. You need six rounds loaded into your magazine. Approach the first string with your handgun holstered and be ready. You have two strings at this range.
- String one: draw and fire three rounds in six seconds.
- String two: from the low ready, aim and fire three rounds in five seconds.
Here is where we meet the crossroads of speed and accuracy. This distance is fairly far for a lot of shooters. If you’ve never tried the 15-yard line, you might be surprised at how challenging it can be under time constraints.
Stage Five: 25 Yards
Step back to 25 yards, falling into the long-range area for handguns. The amount of shooters who move back to 25 yards to practice is fairly low. Well, get used to it because the FBI handgun qual demands it. Load eight rounds into your handgun and keep it in your holster. There is only one string at this range, but it’s a rough one for some.
- String one: at the beep, draw and fire four rounds. Then drop to a kneeling position and fire four more rounds. Do all of this in 20 seconds.
You gonna feel that 25 yards of range, especially if you are new to it. At this range, that big target looks awfully small. Not only do you have to hit it, but you have to do so under a time limit and in multiple positions.
Being a FedBoi
In terms of skill required to pass, the FBI handgun qual isn’t super challenging compared to something like the Sage Dynamics Eleanor drill. If you are a beginner or even an excited amateur, the qual will feel challenging as it works a lot of necessary skills, including your draw, establishing a cadence, and reloading.
The FBI handgun qual is a great baseline for skills. Being able to track your sights and keep your gun on target is paramount to your success. Plus, it gets you back to 25 yards, which can be a serious challenge if you’re not used to that range. The time constraints are just perfect for new to average shooters, and I also like the fact that you fire a variety of strings of fire. It’s not just double taps.
What would I change?
I’d like to see more building of shot placement skills. At the 3-, 5-, and 7-yard range, why aren’t we working on some headshots? What about failure to stop drills? Those would be perfect at his range. Other than that, I wouldn’t change much. It’s good for what it is. Skilled shooters won’t feel too challenged, but your average weekend warrior might be feeling the pain.
The FBI handgun qual is a great way to spend fifty rounds of ammo at the change. Get after it this weekend and lets us know your results below.
