Misfire on the 25-Metre Range
At the annual NCC firing practice, 18 cadets are firing in relays from a temporary 25-metre range. Two .22 rifles are in use, with 40 rounds allotted. At 11:40, the range officer leaves the firing point to attend to a cadet showing heat-exhaustion symptoms in the shade, telling the senior cadet to 'keep an eye'. Cadet A's rifle fails to fire. He keeps it pointed downrange for about 30 seconds, then turns left to ask for help; the muzzle sweeps across Cadet B, who is standing behind the firing line. Cadet B shouts and steps back. The remaining cadets in the relay are still holding loaded rifles, and the next relay is waiting 10 metres away. Temperature is 41°C. You are the senior cadet at the firing point and have not been formally handed over as range officer.
1. State the immediate actions you would take in the first 60 seconds, in order, and explain why each action comes in that sequence.
Read the worked answer
Give the command 'CEASE FIRE' loudly and repeat it until every muzzle stops moving. Order all cadets to keep rifles pointed downrange, fingers off triggers, bolts open and magazines removed where detachable; nobody moves until the command is complete. Reason: several loaded rifles are in unstable hands and one muzzle has already swept a person, so the first priority is to stop muzzles moving, not to explain or punish. Then take control of Cadet A's rifle yourself, keeping it pointed downrange, and tell Cadet B to stay clear. Do not let Cadet A hand the rifle to another cadet. Only after all weapons are safe should you move the relay back and check the heat casualty. If you run to the heat case first, loaded rifles remain behind you. The sequence is: stop firing, control the muzzle, make weapons safe, then manage people and casualties.
2. Explain how you would deal with Cadet A's rifle and what you would check before any further firing.
Read the worked answer
Keep the rifle pointed downrange. Confirm that at least 30 seconds have passed since the misfire, then open the bolt, remove the magazine if detachable, and inspect the chamber and bore from the breech end only. Remove any round and place it in a safe container; never look down the muzzle. If a round is stuck, do not force it: mark the rifle 'unserviceable', take it out of use and report the rifle number and ammunition batch. Check that the barrel is clear; if it is obstructed, the rifle must not fire again until inspected. The safety violation was not the 30-second wait but turning with a weapon that might still have been loaded. Before Cadet A fires again, retrain him on muzzle discipline and handling a misfire, and record the incident.
3. The range officer is still absent and 12 cadets have not fired. Decide whether to continue, and justify your decision with reference to safety and training value.
Read the worked answer
Suspend live firing. A senior cadet has not been formally appointed as range officer, and 'keep an eye' is not a handover of range control. Without a qualified supervisor the range is not properly controlled, and a second incident would be worse than an unfinished practice. Use the time for dry practice: aiming, breathing, trigger control and firing-point drills with cleared rifles, rotating relays and moving cadets to water and shade. Send a runner to inform the range officer and the ANO of the misfire and ask for a qualified supervisor. Resume only when a range officer is present and the misfire rifle is cleared. If no supervisor returns within 20 minutes, close the range and report. This keeps training value without gambling on safety.