Overview
So, you’re just getting started with armed exhibition drill. Awesome! We’re here for it! But if you’ve ever picked up a drill rifle before, those things are NOT light! Weighing in at approximately 8.5 pounds (give or take), and varying greatly in balance between brands, drill rifles are cumbersome. Because safety is paramount, and because we want you to learn proper fundamentals from the very start, we recommend you begin with something LIGHTER than a drill rifle.
But…Why?
This is a pretty simple equation. When it comes to learning armed exhibition, there are essentially two learning curves to consider:
- Strength – Strength is the component which allows the driller to physically manipulate the rifle with their arms, hands, and body. Strength dictates the “ceiling” a driller can reach by virtue of their physical limitations.
- Coordination – Coordination refers to the ability to picture and understand a movement mentally and translate it into physical movement. It’s what allows us to understand that the push of our hand affects the momentum of the rifle and then physically push the rifle with the desired amount of force, for example.
Because fully-weighted drill rifles are heavy AND because armed exhibition requires a high degree of coordination, the overall learning curve is high.
Contrast this to learning basic rifle manual where strength is required (but to a lesser degree since the rifle never spins or rotates) and coordination is paramount (but is often constrained to smaller muscle groupings such as the hands and fingers.) You can generally “get by” on a heavier rifle while learning without suffering injury or demoralizing practices.
By using a lighter implement, we take the majority of the strength component out of the equation entirely thereby allowing the driller to focus mostly on the coordination.
Remember: Strength can be built simultaneously without a rifle in hand and can be gained once proper mechanics are learned. Learning the mechanics happens precisely once and it’s very difficult to unlearn something improper.
What Can We Use?
There are a few options!
- Build a Practice Pipe – For a few bucks at a typical big box hardware store, you can create a basic practice pipe that allows cadets to learn the basics without struggling against the weight.
- Benefits: Cheap, Can Be Transported Safely To & From School
- Drawbacks: Doesn’t Accurately Simulate Balance or Hand Placements As Well
- Purchase a Lighter Drill Rifle – Lightweight drill rifles such as the Masters Level MK1 rifle (the ONLY light rifle on the market we recommend) are designed with exhibition in mind. They are proportionally smaller than a standard drill rifle but accurately simulate hand placements and will help you learn the physics and balance of a drill rifle more accurately.
- Benefits: Most Accurately Simulates Using a Fully-Weighted Rifle, Can Be Used in Some Competitions
- Drawbacks: More Expensive Than a Practice Pipe
The Final Verdict?
In a perfect world, we’d ask each JROTC branch to issue all their units a handful of the Masters Level MK1 rifles linked above. They are specifically designed for exhibition drill use, they are perfectly balanced for spinning, and they are durable.
But in the end, even a light-weight practice pipe is a better alternative for learning than a fully-weighted drill!
Either way, we highly recommend using something lighter in weight when beginning your journey into armed exhibition drill!
(PS. We even recommend it if you’ve been drilling for years!)