VII.-SWEDEN. 



[Reported by Lieut. Col. William K. Livermore, Corps of Engineers, United States Military Attache, 

 Copenhagen and Stockholm.] 



INFANTRY. 



The Course of Instruction. 



The course of instruction consists of preparatory drills, 

 school shooting, drills in estimating and measuring distances, 

 and field shooting, or a systematic course of drills in fire fight. 



PREPARATORY DRILLS. 



The preparatory drills are divided into loading, pointing, 

 aiming, firing, and gallery shooting drills. 



Loading. — For drills in loading, dummy cartridges are 

 used. The men are drilled in loading in all positions, at first 

 slowly and then by degrees more rapidly. Finally they are 

 drilled in loading while in motion and with cartridges. 



For practice in quick loading the men are drilled in mov- 

 ing the mechanism quickly backward and forward, at first 

 without cartridges and then with dummies. 



Pointing. — Pointing is first practiced standing, then lying, 

 with or without support, and then kneeling. The soldier is 

 also taught to acquire the habit of taking good aiming posi- 

 tions behind such objects as can be used for protection and 

 for support to the gun, kneeling on both knees, crouching or 

 sitting down. For practice in placing the butt against the 

 shoulder, the men are first practiced in bringing the gun in 

 the direction of the target by the quickest movement ; and 

 then in placing the head in position on the butt, and the 

 index finger of the right hand so that its middle joint rests 

 against the trigger, which is thereby pressed somewhat back. 

 Gymnastic exercises with the rifle are practiced as prepara- 

 tory to the position drill. The object of the drills is to 

 strengthen the muscles which are mostly called into play in 

 shooting. These are the muscles of both shoulders and arms, 



(139) 



