There’s A New FDLE Pistol Qualification Headed Our Way
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement Pistol Qualification has been a staple of firearms training not just for police officers here in the Sunshine State, but also armed civilians all across the country. It’s shot at realistic distances with generous par times, so it’s a decent test for beginners.
It’s also going away as of July 1, 2024, and being replaced with the following qualification, which uses thirty eight instead of 40 rounds. The target is the same, but the times are slightly shorter. It’s no longer revolver-friendly, and the scoring is tougher as well. Here’s the new course of fire:
Stage One:
Time required: 6 seconds
Rounds required: 6
Starting at the 1 yard line shooter, make ready and holster their pistol. On the signal, they will assume a compressed, one-handed shooting position and engage in the target with three rounds. They will then take a step back and re-engage in the target at full extension with another three rounds.
The scoring area for the B-21e target is REALLY generous.
Stage Two
Time required: Two strings of 3 seconds each
Rounds required: 4
Start on the 3 yard line on the centerline of the target in the compressed ready position. On signal, the shooter will step to the left and engage the target with two rounds in three seconds, then recover back to the centerline of the target and assume the inside ready or compressed ready position once more. On the start signal, they will step to the right and engage in the target with two rounds in three seconds. Once done, recover back to the holster.
Stage Three
Time required: Two strings of 5 seconds each
Rounds required: 6
Begin on the 3 yard line, pistol loaded and holstered. On start signal, draw, step to the left and with the right hand only, fire three rounds within five seconds, then recover back to the centerline of the target.
Switch the pistol to your support hand and assume the inside ready position. On the start signal, step to the right and fire three rounds using your support hand in five seconds. When finished, switch the pistol back to the strong and recover back to the holster.
Stage Four
Time required: Two strings of 5 seconds each
Rounds required: 4
Start at the 7 yard line with your pistol loaded and holstered. On the start signal, draw and step to the right and engage with two rounds, then recover back to the holster and return to the centerline of your target. On the start signal, step to the left and engage the target with two rounds in five seconds. then recover back to the holster.
Stage Five
Time required: 20 seconds
Rounds required: 12
Shot from the 7 yard line. On start signal, step to the right and engage the target with 6 rounds, perform a reload and engage the target with six more rounds, then recover back to the holster.
Stage Six
Time required: 15 seconds
Rounds required: 6
Begin on the 15 yard line. On start signal, step to the right and engage the target with 6 rounds, then recover back to the holster.
Scoring:
In the past, you needed 32 out of 40 rounds to hit the 4 or 5 zone of a B-21e target, or 80 percent. This new test requires 33 out of 38 rounds to hit the target, which translates to around 87 percent to pass, plus it adds in strong hand only and weak hand only shooting. All in all, it’s an improvement from the previous version, but is still at a level that works well as an introduction to the world of armed self-defense.
