{"id":309783,"date":"2022-09-13T07:00:51","date_gmt":"2022-09-13T13:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/?p=309783"},"modified":"2025-10-08T15:00:47","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T20:00:47","slug":"the-newish-usmc-pistol-qual","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/the-newish-usmc-pistol-qual\/","title":{"rendered":"The New(ish) USMC Pistol Qual"},"content":{"rendered":"

We normally tackle police pistol qualifications, but today we are looking at the USMC pistol qual. Specifically, their newer, higher speed qual. “New” is a relative term\u2014the qual was adopted almost ten years ago. That was right about the time I dipped from the Marine Corps, so I had never shot it in uniform. <\/span><\/p>\n

I’d undertaken the old course of fire about half a dozen times. As a machine gunner, I rated a sidearm, and I had to earn it. I made a big enough stink about having to carry an M16A4 and M240B that eventually, they agreed to issue us pistols. The clincher was that we had to qualify with no prior training. It’s almost as if they didn’t want us to qualify. Yet I did, and so did several other machine gunners. <\/span><\/p>\n

Would we have been so lucky under the new qual? Maybe\u2026.but it would have been a bit trickier for sure. Let’s dive into the USMC Pistol Qual. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"USMC<\/div>\n

What do you need for the USMC Pistol Qual? <\/span><\/h2>\n

This doesn’t require a ton of ammo. In fact, you only need forty rounds. You’ll need your handgun of choice, and this course of fire is built around a duty-sized handgun. You’ll need two <\/span>magazines <\/span>and a spare magazine pouch<\/a>. Predictably you’ll need a <\/span>holster<\/a>, specifically a duty-style rig.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"duty
Use a duty style holster…I miss HTC.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Marine Corps uses the MPMS-1 Target. This target replaced the traditional bull’s eye target and works as a silhouette. The silhouette has a face and then several zones. They took a cue from IPSC and used various hit zones that coordinate different points. There is an A, B, C, and D zone. <\/span><\/p>\n

Don’t forget to bring your shot timer, eyes, and ears. <\/span><\/p>\n

USMC Pistol Qual \u2014 <\/span>Scoring <\/span><\/h2>\n

Scoring is fairly easy, but you need to pay special attention to the target and the drills you are shooting. Each area offers different points. <\/span><\/p>\n