Free Gunner's Hand Book (PDF)
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Free Gunner’s Hand Book (PDF)

$9.95

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Description

This is a WWII-era U.S. Navy training manual titled “Free Gunner’s Hand Book”, produced by the Aviation Free Gunnery Unit at NAS Norfolk, Dam Neck, Virginia, marked “RESTRICTED” and published in 1944. The cover features a photo of gunners training on aircraft-style turret gun mounts along a beach range, with a personal signature (“Michael Skarnulis”) handwritten across the front, suggesting this particular copy was owned by a Navy aerial gunnery trainee.

The booklet is a practical instructional guide covering the fundamentals of aerial free gunnery, including:

  • Diagram of Sights
  • Combat Rules
  • Range Estimation
  • Cone of Fire and Bullet Pattern
  • Bullet Pattern
  • Position Firing, 2/3 of a Second Method
  • Boresighting
  • Pre-Flight and Post-Flight Checks of the Gun
  • Identification and Care of Ammunition
  • Cleaning
  • B.A.M. M2 .50 Cal., Groups of
  • Electric Trigger Control
  • B.A.M. Stoppages and Malfunctions
  • Common Stoppages and Malfunctions
  • Headspace Adjustment
  • Turrets
  • Armament of Service Aircraft
  • Glossary

Overall, it’s a concise field/training reference aimed at teaching Navy aerial gunners the technical and tactical skills needed to operate, maintain, and effectively fire the .50 caliber machine guns used in aircraft turrets during WWII.