Longest distance you had to qualify at?

[Deputydave]

When I started we used the S&W M64 .38 Special. We qualified from 3 yards out to 50 yards. It eventually was reduced to 25 yards and finally it was 15 yards max when I retired.

How about you folks?

[Deputydave]

Anyone else?

[Obiwan]

IIRC our longest distance on the old INS/Border Patrol 72 round qual was 25 yards. That was with the Beretta 96D .40. Max score possible was 360 points. We had to shoot that course of fire every quarter until the creation of DHS when it was reduced to the old Customs qual of 30 rounds/150 points at a max distance of 15 yards. That course was designed for revolvers but we shot it with the Berettas and later transitioned to the H&K P2000 LEM .40.

[Deputydave]

The justification for the reduction of qualification distances from 50 yards to 25 yards to 15 yards was supposedly FBI stats of average gun fight distances. No, it was to water down the standards to prevent unqualified people from getting washed out. They forgot that with 'averages' there are always outliers. And today's police are not trained or experienced in dealing with those outliers.

That course was designed for revolvers but we shot it with the Berettas and later transitioned to the H&K P2000 LEM .40.

Carried the Beretta for a few years. Decent weapon. The HK P2000, imo, is an excellent pistol. Surprisingly comfortable in my hand and an absolute tack driver. LEM was nice as well with the one I had.

[Obiwan]

I liked my P2000 too. Always shot max potential with it (150 pts). I'd have bought it when I retired if I could have. Thanks to Slick Willie I couldn't.

As for the reduction of qual shots from 75 to 30, I agree that it was to help the "lowest common denominator", but they started getting REALLY cheap on ammo too. INS used to give us practice ammo. DHS/CBP never gave out any and tried to reduce round count in training. If it wasn't written in law they probably would eliminate qualifications/training totally.