CHAPTER 4
MARKSMANSHIP FUNDAMENTALS
Many factors contribute to light antiarmor weapon marksmanship. Soldiers who combine these factors well, and continue to practice doing so, can retain their skills. The factors are grouped into four basic areas known as marksmanship fundamentals: steady hold, aiming procedures, breath control, and trigger manipulation. Instructions are given for right-handed firers, but the M72-series LAW can be fired from either shoulder by simply reversing the instructions.
4-1. STEADY HOLD
Maintaining a steady hold involves holding the launcher as steady as possible while sighting and firing. To maintain the proper sight picture and sight alignment until he fires, the firer must hold the launcher in a tight, comfortable position so that it becomes a natural extension of his body (Figure 4-1). With both weapons, keep your elbows close to your body to help balance the weapon and prevent you from jerking or flinching when you fire. In the case of the AT4, this reduces recoil.
Figure 4-1. Steady hold position.
a. M72-Series LAW. Place your left hand, palm facing upward, under the launcher near the muzzle and grasp the launcher. Firmly pull the rear cover into your right shoulder pocket.
b. M136 AT4. With your left hand, grasp the carrying sling where it attaches to the launcher near the muzzle. With your right hand on the trigger mechanism, pull the shoulder stop into your right shoulder pocket.
4-2. AIMING PROCEDURES
Aiming procedures include placing the eye correctly, obtaining a sight picture, and aligning the sight. Combining these procedures is critical to correctly aiming light antiarmor weapons.
a. Eye Placement. Before sighting the weapon, estimate the range (Chapter 6 discusses range estimation). For the M72-series LAW, place your firing eye as close to the rear sight as is comfortable. However, for the M136 AT4, place your firing eye between 2 1/2 to 3 inches (no nearer than 2 1/2 inches) from the rear sight. This distance is necessary to prevent possible injury from the weapon's recoil and for correct sight alignment with the AT4 (Figure 4-2).
Figure 4-2. Eye placement.
WARNING
When firing the M136 AT4, do not place your eye within 2 1/2 inches of the rear sight. The AT4s recoil could cause the rear sight to injure your firing eye.
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b. Sight Alignment. Align the sights correctly with the target. To do this for the M72-series LAW, position the rear sight so that your eye is near and in line with the peephole in the rear sight. Look through the peephole at the front sight reticle and place the range line that corresponds to the target's range on the target (Figure 4-3). To do this for the AT4, position the rear sight so that the white semicircle of the front sight is a hazy line around the bottom half of the rear sight opening. Position the front sight posts on the target (Figure 4-4). Align the sight by moving your head forward or backward.
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Figure 4-3. Sight alignment
for the M72-series LAW. |
Figure 4-4. Sight alignment
for the M136 AT4. |
c. Sight Picture. Position the front sight on the target.
(1) M72-Series LAW. Stationary targets include those moving directly toward or away from the firer. Place the correct vertical range line in the center of the target (Figure 4-5). Slow-moving targets include those with an estimated speed of 5 mph or slower, or those moving in an oblique direction. Place either the left or right lead cross mark on the vehicle's center of mass (Figure 4-6). Fast-moving targets include those with an estimated speed of more than 5 mph. Place either the left or right lead cross mark on the leading edge of the vehicle (Figure 4-7).
Figure 4-5. Sight picture, stationary targets, M72-series LAW.
Figure 4-6. Sight picture, slow-moving targets, M72-series LAW.
Figure 4-7. Sight picture, fast-moving targets, M72-series LAW.
(2) M136 AT4. Stationary targets include those moving directly toward or away from the firer. Adjust the rear sight for the correct range and place the center sight post in the center of the target (Figure 4-8). Slow-moving vehicles are those with an estimated speed of 10 mph or less, or those moving in an oblique direction. Place the center sight post on the front or leading edge of the vehicle (Figure 4-9). Fast-moving vehicles are those estimated to be moving faster than 10 mph. Place either the left or right lead post on the center of the target. For example, if the target is moving from left to right, place the left lead post on the target's center of mass, and vice versa (Figure 4-10).
Figure 4-8. Sight picture, stationary targets, M136 AT4.
Figure 4-9. Sight picture, slow-moving targets, M136 AT4.
Figure 4-10. Sight picture, fast-moving targets, M136 AT4.
4-3. BREATH CONTROL
Breath control is as important when firing a light antiarmor weapon as it is when firing an individual weapon. Breathing while firing can cause a miss. To control breathing, the firer breathes deeply a couple of times, takes one last deep breath, exhales partly, holds his breath, sights, and fires.
4-4. TRIGGER MANIPULATION
Light antiarmor weapons have different types of triggers (Figure 4-11).
Figure 4-11. Trigger manipulation.
a. LAW. To fire the LAW, the firer must apply firm and steady downward pressure to the trigger with the fingers of his firing hand.
b. AT4. To fire the AT4, the firer must apply firm and steady forward pressure to the trigger with the thumb of his firing hand. Soldiers can practice trigger manipulation and control techniques on an expended launcher or FHT.
4-5. INTEGRATED ACT OF SHOOTING
Correct sight alignment is critical. Sight alignment errors increase as the range to the target increases. Therefore, maintaining the correct relationship between the rear and front sights is as important as placing the aiming point. The steps for doing this should become automatic. No matter how quickly they are done, these steps are always distinct, because the human eye can only focus at one distance and on one point at a time. The firer focuses on the front sight to obtain correct sight alignment, then places the aiming point to complete the sight picture. He shifts or adjusts the position of the launcher as necessary. The whole time he is pressing the trigger, he maintains the sight picture.
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