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The Australian Defence Force’s newest service pistol, the F9 sidearm weapon system, has faced off against the gun it replaced, the Browning Mk3, at the recent Australian Police and Services Pistol Championship.
Both the F9 SWS and Browning Mk3 were used by ADF shooters before the annual championship held at Blacktown Pistol Club in Sydney.
Defence fielded four teams in Division Two (military): Queensland Army, ACT Army, NSW Army and RAAF combined.
Australian Army Sports Pistol Association (AASPA) president Major Brett Cooper organised a comparison shoot between the F9 SWS and Browning Mk3 pistols for members, using a 90-round service match.
The F9 SWS performed significantly better, which MAJ Cooper attributed to its modern design and improved sights.
“It clearly demonstrated that people who had not used a red dot sight before were able to learn quickly and shoot more accurately at longer distances and during fast multiple target serials,” he said.
The competition is open to serving and retired police or military with teams and individuals aiming for top spot in the 90-round service match.
Queensland Army scored highest with a total of 6,453, ACT Army was second with 6,152 and RAAF third with 5,927. RAAF also came third in the overall standings.
While the Army teams scored higher, some shooters used red dot sights and those shots weren’t counted towards the overall standings.
Shooters fired from 50, 25, 10 and seven metres in a mix of positions and alternating hands. Each attempt was scored out of 900, with bull’s-eyes earning a maximum of 10 points.
In the military individual category, Corporal Nigel Tegg of the Urban Training Team claimed first place, followed by Leading Aircraftman Bangguo Yin of No. 23 Squadron, and Corporal Aaron Turner of 8th/9th Battalion the Royal Australian Regiment.
Head of Land systems and AASPA patron Major General Jason Blain attended the competition and encouraged ADF members to join the association for the camaraderie and skill development it offered.
The association also voted to include precision service rifles as a new shooting discipline to allow more people to get involved with shooting events.
