An Cosantóir the official magazine of the Irish Defence Forces and Reserve Defence Forces.
Issue link: https://digital.jmpublishing.ie/i/1227912
www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 9 F or the second time in 2020 the Dublin based 7 Inf Bn RDF were conducting Annual Personal Weapons Tests (APWT) for Reserve soldiers from all 3 of the Bn's Re- serve Companies. This latest range took place in Kilbride TIS on Saturday 7 March, and this time the Bns RDF C Company was designated the lead unit- tasked with both planning, organising and conducting the actual shoot on the range. A total of 36 personal were APWT fired on the Steyr Rifle that day, this included a PDF member and a member of the Dublin Unit Naval Service Reserve, both of whom, for career reasons were required to fire, and were able to take advantage of C Com- pany's visit to Kilbride Range. As well as achieving annual qualification on the Rifle, this shoot was intended to identify soldiers who shoot well and who may be selected as members of the Bn's RDF Shooting teams, with the upcoming 2 Brigade Shoot in mind. Almost a dozen soldiers fired for this purpose, and from these shooting team members will be formed to take part in the Bri- gade Shoot. As in all Worldwide Military Formations, shooting skills are held in high esteem by the Defence Forces. To represent one's unit in a Shooting Competition is a great honour for any DF member. For a Soldier, Shooting is a basic and important skill, most especially for a Infantry Soldier. The Rifle is the 'tool of the trade', so to speak. The Steyr Rifle has been in service with Permanent Defence Force since 1988, replacing the then aging FN 7.62mm FAL Rifle. This older FN Rifle continued to be used by the Reserve (The FCA) up until 2002, until finally withdrawn and replaced by the Steyr. After some 25 years from its original introduction date, it was decided to upgrade the Rifle, and in 2014 the new upgraded rifle began to be issued to operational PDF units. Known as the Steyr MOD 14, this upgraded Rifle now had a new receiver and new much improved modern 4X opti- cal sight. At present the MOD 14 is used only by PDF operational and overseas units, the RDF continue to use the original issue Steyr- now known as the A1 version. The Steyr will remain in Defence Forces use for the foreseeable future, at the very least well past 2030, and so will remain the basic weapon of the Irish Infantry Soldier for future decades.