12 NCAC 10B .2104          IN‑SERVICE FIREARMS REQUALIFICATION SPECIFICATIONS

(a)  All deputy sheriffs and detention officers who are authorized by the sheriff to carry a handgun shall qualify a minimum of once each year with their individual and department‑approved service handgun. The course of fire shall not be less stringent than the "Basic Law Enforcement Training Course" requirements for firearms qualification.

(b)  All deputy sheriffs and detention officers who are issued, or otherwise authorized by the sheriff to carry a shotgun, rifle, or automatic weapon shall qualify with each weapon respectively a minimum of once each year. The course of fire shall not be less stringent than those set out in the "In Service Firearms Qualification Manual" as published by the North Carolina Justice Academy.

(c)  Qualifications conducted pursuant to Paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Rule shall be completed with duty equipment and duty ammunition or ballistic equivalent ammunition to include lead free ammunition that meets the same point of aim, point of impact, and felt recoil of the duty ammunition, for all weapons.

(d)  All deputy sheriffs and detention officers who are authorized by the sheriff to carry off duty handguns shall qualify with their off duty handgun a minimum of once each year pursuant to 12 NCAC 10B .2103 and .2104(a) and (b) with each handgun the officer carries off duty using ammunition approved by the sheriff.

(e)  All deputy sheriffs and detention officers who are issued or have access to any weapons not stated in this Rule must qualify with these weapons once each year using ammunition approved by the sheriff.

(f)  In cases where reduced‑sized targets are used to simulate actual distances, a modified course of fire may be used.

(g)  To satisfy the training requirements for all in‑service firearms requalifications, a deputy sheriff or detention officer shall attain a minimum qualification score of 70 percent accuracy with each weapon once in three attempts with no more than three attempts on each course of fire per day.

(h)  The "In‑Service Firearms Qualification Manual" as published by the North Carolina Justice Academy is hereby incorporated by reference, and shall automatically include any later amendments or editions of the referenced materials to apply as a minimum guide for conducting the annual in‑service firearms qualification. Copies of the publication may be obtained from the North Carolina Justice Academy, Post Office Drawer 99, Salemburg, North Carolina 28385. There is no cost per manual at the time of adoption of this Rule.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 17E‑4; 17E‑7;

Eff. January 1, 1989;

Amended Eff. January 1, 1994; January 1, 1993; January 1, 1992; January 1, 1991;

Temporary Amendment Eff. March 1, 1998;

Amended Eff. January 1, 2011; January 1, 2006; August 1, 2002; August 1, 1998;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. March 6, 2018.