# Weapons (safety?) test



## Greywolf (11 Apr 2004)

I‘ve read from a couple of posts where people have mentioned that they failed the weapons (safety) test.  What does this test entail?  How to load and assemble a weapon in a specified time?  Is it a hands-on test or is there a written component to it?  How complicated is it?


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## chrisf (11 Apr 2004)

It‘s a practical test, which tests strip and assembly, loading, immediate actions and stopage drills.

None of these things are hard, they‘re just a matter of doing them until you could do them in your sleep. 

People who fail generally do so because they get nervous, and choke during the test, or people who neglect attention to detail.


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## chk2fung (11 Apr 2004)

The Master Seaman testing me was pretty easy on me.  I forgot to do my function test in the standing load position, and he was like did u forget something, and i was like "yeah, i forgot to do it in the standing load position."  stuff like that they won‘t fail you on, but a safety violation will automatically fail you.  For example if you‘re loading and you have your rifle set to repetition.


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## Superman (11 Apr 2004)

what happens if you fail this test?


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## chk2fung (11 Apr 2004)

You get a second chance usually later in the day.  I‘m not sure what they do to you in BMQ, but if you fail again chances are you will drop into a platoon that is begginning wepons training or maybe even get recoursed. As Just a Sig Op said most ppl fail because they are nervous, just relax, remember everything you learned and it‘ll be fine.


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## PriceCHofO (12 Apr 2004)

You will be expected to perform your personal safety checks without being prompted by the instructor. A couple key times are when you walk into the room to pick up the weapon, when handing the weapon off to the instructor (if asked to do so), and before you do your field strip.

As someone above stated, failure to safely handle the weapon will result in failure. Being relaxed but alert is the key.


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## portcullisguy (12 Apr 2004)

I failed my C7 handling test the first time.  I forgot to "attempt to place the weapon on safe before unloading".  Since it‘s a safety infraction, it‘s an automatic failure.

I had a recorded warning, and retested later on ... I don‘t know if it was that day, for some reason I am thinking you have to wait 24 hrs to retest, but that could just be written tests, or I could be making it up.

Anyway, that was the last time I forgot to put it on safe before unloading!  WHat messed me up was that you can‘t put it on safe at that point in a handling test, because you are not actually firing, and thus the weapon is not cocked.  But since I didn‘t even attempt it, I failed.

Ah well!  Learned my lesson!


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## Fusaki (12 Apr 2004)

The C7 test at St Jean is pretty simple, but it has the highest failure rate of any of the basic training tests. Why? Because people get nervous and forget simple stuff. I remember being nervous as ****, anyways. The test itself is done with just you and an instructor in a room, where you carry out your loading, unloading, and immediate action drills (clearing stoppages), as well as field stripping and function tests.

The key to passing is to practice untill you can do the drills in your sleep, and then quit thinking so much. By the time my course did it we all knew the test inside out because at night we would test each other. One guy would loop a boot band around his cocking handle (to simulate a bolt in the weapon) and another guy would start giving commands "With an empty mag - LOAD! Range 2 feet, target to your front, at your own time go on! Weapon fires, weapon stops!! Bolt partially foreward!!" ect... If you havn‘t started basic yet, this probably went way over your head. But you‘ll understand once you get there. Just remember to chill out and give up a couple smoke breaks to extra practice during the training day.



> stuff like that they won‘t fail you on, but a safety violation will automatically fail you. For example if you‘re loading and you have your rifle set to repetition.


Your rifle will always be on repetition while you are loading. The C7 won‘t go on safe untill the weapon is cocked.


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## Bert (12 Apr 2004)

The C7 safety test is preforming a set of procedures.  To add to Ghostwalk‘s post, another technique for getting the procedures in your head is to practice and say each step out loud as you do it.  Repeat until you get it right and mentally go through it in you head at night.  As Ghostwalk says, you HAVE TO chill out as much as you can.

You might find the C7 and being on the range the coolest part of BMQ.


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## PriceCHofO (12 Apr 2004)

> Originally posted by Bert:
> [qb]You might find the C7 and being on the range the coolest part of BMQ. [/qb]


Without a doubt, it‘s something to look forward to.


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## AlphaCharlie (12 Apr 2004)

also, don‘t rush. they won‘t penalise you for going slow and taking your time.


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## chrisf (12 Apr 2004)

Not true. Some instructors will fail you for taking too much time, and some of the tests are also timed.

As far as the drills go, you‘re supposed to be able to do them instinctively, in combat...

Just keep practicing until you can do them without thinking.


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## Sh0rtbUs (12 Apr 2004)

The things I was tested on were 

1. Field Strip/reassembly (includes function test)
2. Reload/Unload
3. Stoppage drills (bolt fully foreward, bolt to the rear and bolt partially foreward)
4. hand load a 30 round mag in under 55 seconds.

Thats all I can remember right now. You‘re taught it all, and if you take copious notes and read over them, you‘ll do fine.

The Weapons Test is a PO, so you dont want to fail it.


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## stukirkpatrick (12 Apr 2004)

What I found hard with the ‘reserve‘ handling test was the "loading magazine by hand" in less than a minute.  Everything being condensed for time, I had 1 chance to try the loading before the actual test, which was basically the day after we were shown how...  I passed though   :akimbo:


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## Garry (12 Apr 2004)

Kep in mind that everything that you‘re tested on will be taught to you. You‘ll learn it, and practice it repeatedly before you‘re tested on it. Your Instructors do NOT want you to fail, so if there‘s any doubt in his/her mind that you‘re weak, they‘ll make every effort to correct the deficiencies. (by the way, this goes for everything, not just weapons)

One thing to keep in mind is that Military weapons are, by nature, a tool- and these particular tools are designed to be used in an agressive manner. Do NOT be afraid of the weapon, handle it gently, or slowly. Be aggresive, grip the dang thing hard, and make your movements strong and assured. When firing, hold on tight, and be aggressive. This is not to say that you can bang the weapon around, drop it, smash things with it, or generally beat it up- but it is designed to be used by big, strong, agressive folk. The drills are designed to be aggressive and forceful.

This weapon has only one purpose. Every time you are using it, act like you know, and accept that purpose, and you‘ll be fine.


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## AlphaCharlie (12 Apr 2004)

> Originally posted by Just a Sig Op:
> [qb] Not true. Some instructors will fail you for taking too much time, and some of the tests are also timed.
> 
> As far as the drills go, you‘re supposed to be able to do them instinctively, in combat...
> ...


What I meant was don‘t rush. Obviously if you take 2 mins to do a stoppage drill they‘ll say something.

The only acctual timed parts are LOAD (7 sec), UNLOAD (14 sec? I can‘t remember) and hand filling a magazine (55 sec.) -- I got 52sec    One guy in my Sec. got 42 seconds.. wow!

The test is acctually quite easy IMO if you pay attention. I always would forget to try Safe when doing an unload, and I practiced with "Put on safe when doing an unload" in my mind until I did it naturally.

Basically as long as you pay attention you‘ll do fine. The instructors will do a drill over if you didnt see it or whatever.


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