The Plattsburg Manual | Page 9

to
the front.
In executing this movement, it is a common error with beginners to
raise the piece as though it weighed much more than it does. No part of
the body should move except the arms, in coming to "port arms" from
"order arms."
[Illustration: No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 INCORRECT POSITIONS OF PORT
ARMS]
No. 1. Arms held away from side.
No. 2. Piece held too low and too close to body.
No. 3. Piece held too high and not in a vertical plane parallel to the
body.
Being at present arms: 1. Port, 2. ARMS. It is executed in one count. At
the command arms, carry the piece diagonally across the body and take
the position of "port arms."
Being at port arms: 1. Present, 2. ARMS. It is executed in one count. At
the command arms, carry the piece to a vertical position in front of the
center of the body and take the position of present arms.
Being at present or port arms: 1. Order, 2. ARMS. It is executed in two
counts.
[Illustration: NEXT TO THE LAST POSITION OF ORDER ARMS]
At the command arms, let go with the right hand; lower and carry the

piece to the right with the left hand; regrasp it with the right hand just
above the lower band; let go with the left hand and take the position
shown here, which is the next to the last position in coming to the order.
The left hand should be above and near the right, steadying the gun,
fingers extended and joined, forearm and wrist straight and inclined
downward. Barrel to the rear. All the fingers of the right hand grasp the
gun. Butt about 3 inches from the ground.
Being in the above position, at the command Two, lower the piece
gently to the ground with the right hand, drop the left hand quickly by
the side, and take the position of order arms.
The common errors are to slam the gun down on the ground and to
drop the left hand by the side in a slow and indifferent manner.
[Illustration: No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 INCORRECT POSITIONS]
Common errors in the next to the last positions of order arms.
No. 1. Thumb is up. Gun too far from the ground.
No. 2. Gun too near to ground. Thumb is up. Butt of gun too far to the
right.
No. 3. Gun held too high and too far away from body.
Being at order arms: 1. Right shoulder, 2. ARMS. It is executed in
three counts.
At the command arms, with the right hand raise and throw the piece
diagonally across the body; carry the right hand quickly to the butt, and
at the same time grasp the heel between the first two fingers as shown.
Note the position of the first two fingers of right hand.
[Illustration: THE FIRST POSITION OF RIGHT SHOULDER ARMS
FROM THE ORDER]
At the command two, without changing the grasp of the right hand,
place the piece on the right shoulder, right elbow near the side, the

piece in a vertical plane perpendicular to the front; carry the left hand,
thumb and fingers extended and joined, to the small of the stock, wrist
straight and elbow down. Barrel up, and inclined at an angle of about
45° from the horizontal. Trigger guard in the hollow of the shoulder, tip
of forefinger touching the cocking piece. Right fore arm horizontal.
[Illustration: NEXT TO THE LAST POSITION OF RIGHT
SHOULDER ARMS]
[Illustration: No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 COMMON ERRORS IN THE NEXT
TO THE LAST POSITION OF RIGHT SHOULDER ARMS]
No. 1. Right arms not by side. Left arm too high. Remember that the
left arm rests on the chest. This is very commonly confused with the
rifle salute.
No. 2. Thumb is up. Butt of rifle carried to the right.
No. 3. Trigger guard not against shoulder. Butt held too low. Hand not
straight.
[Illustration: CORRECT POSITION OF RIGHT SHOULDER ARMS]
At the command three, drop the left hand by the side.
[Illustration: No. 1 No. 2 No. 3
INCORRECT POSITION OF RIGHT SHOULDER ARMS]
No. 1. Right arm not by side. Right forearm not horizontal.
No. 2. Heel of gun too far to left.
No. 3. Trigger guard not against shoulder. Butt held too low.
Being at right shoulder Arms: 1. Order, 2. ARMS. It is executed in 3
counts.
Press the butt down quickly and throw the gun diagonally across the

body, to the position shown here.
At the command two, lower the gun and assume the next to the last
position of order arms. At the command three, come to the order arms.
The common errors in this movement are to move the head to the left
and to throw