PAL question about the practical test

K

kolkim

Member
Rating - 100%
2   0   0
Location
Courtenay, Vancouver Island
This has probably been asked before but I looked through 2 pages in the search bar and couldn't find one.
Can somebody do a short summary on the practical part of the test? I've handled guns less than 5 times and never had to do anything like prove or acts but I'm looking at videos and it looks pretty easy, just a bit different for the guns.

So how I imagine it is after you finish the written they bring you to a table with guns on it. They ask you to do some things and Prove. Do they ask you questions? What are the things they ask you to do with the gun? Like load/unload, does that mean load a cartridge with fake bullets in? What happens after you do everything for the 3 guns, are you over or is there more to it?
 
For me it was in a separate room with all the different action firearms on the table. You get asked to point out the different actions and then you pick one to prove safe, load/unload. You will have to identify different ammunition as well. Oh and make sure you know how to cross a fence with a firearm.

If you are doing the rpal the are a few other things around storage and transport.

I was so worried before I did my classes and tests but it's not to bad at all.
 
You only picked one to prove?
What did you do for the load/unload part?
How do I know what bullet goes in the gun? Like does the rifle say on the side the type of ammunition so all I have to do is look at the back of a bullet to make sure it fits?
 
If you are doing the course they will go through everything you will need to know. My best advice is when you are doing the practical is to verbalize everything you are doing.
 
Load and unload, how to verify that it is unloaded and safe, identifying certain types of ammo like full metal jacket or wadcutter, how to cross a fence, how to avoid ejecting a cartridge into someone's face when unloading, how to identify proper ammunition, demonstrate certain basic firing positions. At least for me, some people have a slightly different experience.

Keep calm and fingers off the trigger, mind the muzzle and you'll do fine.
 
It sounds as if you aren't taking the course, but are intending to challenge the written and practical tests.
Your questions make me wonder if you are ready to do a challenge.

Anyway, there will be a variety of firearms arrayed on a table, along with a selection of dummy ammunition. The examiner will read a script with various questions asking you to perform specific tasks. Identifying particular action types, matching ammunition to the firearm, loading and unloading, ACTS and PROVE, safe handling for certain scenarios. You must control muzzle direction at all times. Pointing a firearm at yourself without good reason will lose you points, pointing a firearm at the examiner is automatic failure.
 
Hookturn said:
If you are doing the course they will go through everything you will need to know. My best advice is when you are doing the practical is to verbalize everything you are doing.
Click to expand...


A lot of the students I taught did this; seems to have helped them to talk their way through things.
 
I had to do a pump action shotgun, a single action revolver, a double action revolver, a semiauto rifle, and a semiauto handgun. I think. Maybe I'm embellishing the memory. Not all instructors have the same resources.

But yes, most firearms will state the caliber on the barrel or slide or receiver. Most ammo will have a head stamp except for rimfire and military cartridges which do not use the same format as civilian cartridges.

In my experience the instructors are good people and willing to answer any questions you have. The course and the book will cover everything you should need for the practical.

kolkim said:
You only picked one to prove?
What did you do for the load/unload part?
How do I know what bullet goes in the gun? Like does the rifle say on the side the type of ammunition so all I have to do is look at the back of a bullet to make sure it fits?
Click to expand...
 
I know this doesn't answer your Q, not directly anyways, but everything you need to know will be covered in the class.

The first thing my instructor told us was, " if you stay awake, don't touch the trigger, don't point a gun at anyone, you will pass."

When I did the test we did the practical two at a time. The guy beside me looked like he was going to puke because he was so nervous, so everything I did, I narrated. Our instructor was awesome and he was ok with the help.

Every gun in the class will have a data stamp. Every round of ammo will too have a data stamp. The instructor will ask you, "pick out a 9mm round", you will look at the brass and see 9mm, pick that one. If you can't read the stamp tell him, "I won't use this because I'm unsure what it is".

It's a fun class and quite easy, don't sweat it.

I was going to say good luck, but you won't need it.
 
Thanks guys this makes me feel way better about the practical that it's friendly for people who haven't looked at ammunition or firearms much. Yea I will be challenging the test but not because I don't want to take the course but I called several people and most are backed up till December and some into March! I guess it's a busy season but I am a pretty academically smart person (I think) and looking online it seems that people say the test really isn't all that hard.
I will challenge the test after I finish reading the book and I'll post my score here. I might do the Restricted at the same time as a lot of people say it saves you money, time, and it's very similar to the non-restricted.
 
For me he had all the different actions, you picked two and PROVE, unload and load. Then with it you demonstrated how to do a creek crossing, fences, etc.
 
Noob question. By keep the action open. Does it mean like if it was a double action revolver keep the revolving part out, or for a break action keep the barrel open? Or for a bolt action, keep the bolt in the back position so you can see inside the barrel? Just for clarification.
 
Yeah that's about right. The intention is to show it is open and so you can visually see that there is no round in the chamber or in the barrel (which you can further verify by sticking your pinky into the barrel from the chamber). If it is locked open the trigger cannot be engaged. Then when you put it down on the table it is safe. But when the next person picks it up, they still have to PROVE it. You can't trust that it is safe.

With a semi auto handgun you have to be able to lock the slide back; there is a slide button that enables you to lock it open as you hold the slide back.
 
I wonder if any instructors have ever been sadistic and used an AR15, so that when people put it down with the ejection port facing up, the bolt stop releases and the bolt slams shut. Oh the cheap laughs. I'm a jerk. Anyways, don't be sticking your fleshy bits inside a semiautomatic firearm when the action is held open by the bolt stop or slide lock or whatever. When released it will slam shut with enough force to take a chunk out of you. I just recently healed a nice blood blister on my hand from the slide of my pistol.
My instructor had some pens we could use to poke the chambers of the semi-auto, so we didn't have to risk our fingers. If you're uncomfortable or not sure about something, ask questions.

Also, for out in the real world, having a loaded magazine inserted and the action held open is not really a safe way to carry a firearm. On several types of semiautomatic firearms you can get something called a slam fire, where the bolt slams shut and the inertia causes the firing pin to ignite the primer and the gun shoots. This is why proper maintenance and safe handling is very important, because it might shoot as soon as you chamber a round, and if your action is locked open and your magazine loaded that might happen if you drop the firearm or bump the wrong lever or button.

Also, one thing that might come up is looking down the barrel to check for obstructions. In the class they recommend it...in real life if I'm at the range or wherever and I see a guy pointing a gun at his own face I'm going to assume he's about to commit suicide intentionally or otherwise. If possible look from the chamber end, though not all firearm designs allow you to do this. In a semiautomatic firearm you might have to disassemble the gun to get a clear look from chamber to muzzle. So, make sure the gun is unloaded first. Double check, and open the action first. That's a mistake you generally only get to make once.
One tip my instructor gave me was that when you are supposed to look into the bore, keep in mind that if you spin the gun around and look down the barrel, the muzzle is now pointed away from the safe direction. If you've got a crowd behind you, that gun is now pointed at all of them. This is where some private practice time is invaluable, and it's important to get to know your gun. If you get some playtime before the practical, use it if you are at all unfamiliar with the specific guns being used in the test.
 
If you go on youtube and search for silvercore they have a bunch of video's are various people proving weapons safe, they cover every type on the practical test for both the PAL and RPAL.

I did both courses last weekend down and the Silverdale gun club.

For non restricted they had 5 types. A lever ,bolt action, and semiautomatic rifles, a pump and a break open shotgun. We had to PROVE 3 of the above of the instructors choice, then do a scenario. You hunting you come to a fence what do you do?

For the restricted they had a single and a double action revolver and a single action semi auto pistol. You PROVE all three then they did a few scenario's.

Your on the range shooting your DA revolver, a cease fire is called what do you do?
You finish shooting at the range and need to pack up for the day, what do you need to do to legally transport your restricted firearm home?
You get home how do you need to store your restricted firearm?

Watching others go through the restricted course quite a few people, myself included had troubles locking the slide on the semi auto pistols other than that no one failed either course.
 
Same for me as above. At the start my examiner ask me to go to a box of ammo, show him a rimfire round, show him a 3" shotgun shell (remember, they are 3" before crimping or after being fired), show him a 303 British and 303 Savage and are they interchangeable.

Go to the firearms table with 5 action types and tell you which ones to pickup and PROVE safe. With the last firearm he will ask you find a piece of ammo that goes with that firearm. Load it into the gun. Demonstrate difference shooting stance ie standing, kneeling. Then the scenario. You come to a fence, what is the proper procedure to cross it? All the while, keeping proper muzzle control and finger off the trigger. He will tell you which is the downrange wall so you'd better keep that muzzle pointing down that way. Quick way to fail is pull that trigger during. You don't have to get ALL correctly to pass but it's pretty simple.

For restricted, other than PROVE 3 different handguns safe, we got asked to find a matching ammo and load it into the last handgun. Demonstrate shooting stances ie two handed and one handed. Watch how you pack away the handgun for travel. That muzzle needs to be pointing downrange even when you just PROVE it safe, applying the trigger lock and packing it into the case. AND don't forget to ACT & PROVE that gun before you pack it away in the case! Remember the examiner made you load it before you demonstrated the shooting stances. If the ammo falls on the floor when you are ACT & PROVE, don't stop to pick it up! Leave it on the floor until you have completed the check and the gun is safe, THEN pick up the ammo.

Good luck. It's pretty easy stuff if you're comfortable around the various firearms.
 
I have another question, I just don't want to make a new thread for all my questions.
It's about shotgun shell sizes. I read that the size indicated on the shell is After Fire? So if I was looking at a shotgun shell and I had a ruler, measuring it before shot would give me a wrong measurement? Is there a number I can add to the pre-fired shell like 1/2 inch which is what the size would be post-fire. If that makes sense.
 
Stevebot-7 said:
Anyways, don't be sticking your fleshy bits inside a semiautomatic firearm when the action is held open by the bolt stop or slide lock or whatever. When released it will slam shut with enough force to take a chunk out of you.
Click to expand...

This is true and while I would not do so with someone else's firearm I would feel comfortable doing it with mine. And really, I trust my eyes to be able to tell if there is a round somehow in the barrel and never feel the need to stick my finger into that.

In the test/course held by Silvercore they said you can examine the bore by using a cleaning rod and if it goes through to the chamber then obviously there is no obstruction in the barrel.

Stevebot-7 said:
Also, for out in the real world, having a loaded magazine inserted and the action held open is not really a safe way to carry a firearm. On several types of semiautomatic firearms you can get something called a slam fire, where the bolt slams shut and the inertia causes the firing pin to ignite the primer and the gun shoots.
Click to expand...

This is true. However at a range when you put the firearm down when not in use it's a quick way to show that it is safe (along with not having the magazine in). I know in IPSC I was warned not to have it in the holster like this when walking around -- and of course I would be DQed if I had a magazine in there between stages -- for the reason you stated. But in another course I took one of the instructors said for another pistol shooting sport.. was it LEAP? or PPC? that they require it locked open like that. I thought it strange.

On examining the bore, another way is to shine a light down the barrel. So no need to stick the gun into your face :)
 
kolkim said:
I have another question, I just don't want to make a new thread for all my questions.
It's about shotgun shell sizes. I read that the size indicated on the shell is After Fire? So if I was looking at a shotgun shell and I had a ruler, measuring it before shot would give me a wrong measurement? Is there a number I can add to the pre-fired shell like 1/2 inch which is what the size would be post-fire. If that makes sense.
Click to expand...

A 3" shot shell is 3" uncrimped. When crimped, it would measure roughly 2 3/4" (may vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer) in length and can also fit into a shotgun chambered for 2 3/4" shells if yer not careful.

Also note that a 20ga shotgun shell is the only one designated a special colour... yellow.
 
At least for my course several years ago as long as I did things safely they didn't care too much if I got the action of a firearm wrong. I don't remember which one it was, but as I was nervous I picked up a different action than the instructor told me to. I did everything safely, he told me about my mistake but said I still get full points because I was safe handling the firearm. I find that a lot of people who are new to pistols and have trouble pulling the slide back are trying to just hold the pistol and pull the slide back. A better way to do it is to grasp the slide and use your other hand (the one on the handle, most likely dominant hand) to push the lower forward. Also to make things easier, the hand that is pushing forward, have that thumb on the slide lock lightly pressing up. This way as soon as the slide is back far enough, the slide lock will go right into place locking everything back.

I didn't know jack sh*t about guns when I first went to do the course, and hadn't even thought of looking up videos on anything. I passed the course with like 98% or something like that. But then again I did the full courses rather than challenge them. Good luck
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom