What does the Basic Mortar Gunnery Class and Gunnery Clinic look like?

There's a conversation that happens pretty regularly here at Freedom Forge Armory.

Someone comes into the shop for a firearm transfer, to pick something up, or just to talk shop. Then they notice the 60mm mortars sitting on the shop floor.

"Is that a mortar?"

Yep, it's a 60mm mortar."

An actual, working mortar?

"Yep, a registered destructive device."

Wait, you can actually own one of those?"

You certainly can, provided you comply with the applicable laws and regulations.

That's usually when the conversation starts getting interesting.

Eventually, we get around to talking about actually shooting them, the ammunition, how they are operated, and that's where the questions really start.

It's also one of the reasons we developed our Basic Indirect Fire and Gunnery Course and Mortar Gunnery Clinic.

So, in the spirit of a little shameless self-promotion, let's talk about what these classes actually look like, what we teach, and why we think they're important.

So, You Bought a Mortar. Now What?

Congratulations! You're now the proud owner of a registered destructive device.

Obviously, you want to shoot it, but there's a slight problem. This isn't like any other firearm you've ever owned. You're going to take a 4- to 10-pound shell, hurl it into the sky, and try to get it to land somewhere near your intended target.

Sounds simple enough. Until it isn't.

Unless you spent some time as an Army 11C or Marine Corps 0341, this is probably completely new territory.

Sure, you can find military technical manuals online. There are videos, historical publications, and plenty of information floating around the internet. Some of it is excellent. Some of it is questionable, and some of it is just plain wrong, but reading a technical manual and actually understanding how a mortar crew operates are two different things, and let's be fair here. Where exactly is the average civilian mortar owner supposed to learn this stuff?

You can find firearms instructors just about anywhere. Want to learn how to shoot a pistol? No problem. Want to learn long-range precision rifle shooting? There are schools all over the country.

Want to learn how to operate a mortar?

Well, that's a considerably shorter list and we're at the top of it.

The civilian destructive device community is small, and the mortar community is even smaller. Most owners learn from other owners, their own research, or whatever military experience they happen to have.

There's nothing inherently wrong with learning from other enthusiasts, but there's a lot more to mortar operations than simply dropping a round down the tube.

That's where we come in.

The Basic Indirect Fire and Gunnery Course

Let's say you've recently purchased a mortar, you're thinking about buying one, or you're simply interested in learning more about them.

Our Basic Indirect Fire and Gunnery Course is probably where you want to start.

It's a two-day course, and no, you don't need to be a former infantryman or artilleryman to attend.

We're not expecting anyone to show up knowing military terminology or having memorized a stack of technical manuals.

That's why you're taking the class.

We start in the classroom, and before anybody gets too excited, no, you're not going to spend two days sitting in a chair watching PowerPoint presentations.

There is some classroom instruction, because there are things you really ought to understand before heading out to the range.

We'll talk about the equipment, ammunition, crew responsibilities, safety procedures, communications, and the fundamentals of mortar gunnery.

More importantly, we'll explain why these things matter.

One of the problems with simply following instructions from a manual is that you can learn to repeat a procedure without understanding the reasoning behind it.

We want our students to understand what they're doing, not just memorize a series of steps.

Then we get into the hands-on portion.

This is where we start putting some of that classroom information into context. Students get familiar with the equipment, work through practical exercises, and begin to understand how the different members of a mortar crew work together, and yes, eventually we get to the part everybody has been looking forward to.

Live fire.

Students have an opportunity to participate in supervised mortar operations and experience what they've been learning about.

Now, I'll make something perfectly clear. We're not going to turn you into an experienced gunner or crew member in two days.

The military doesn't accomplish that in a weekend, and neither will we.

What we can do is give you a solid introduction, practical experience, and a better understanding of how these systems are operated safely and responsibly so you can go back to your own gun and shoot it safely, and hopefully, you'll have a pretty good time doing it.

Learn more about our Basic Indirect Fire and Gunnery Course

Okay, But What About the Gunnery Clinic?

This one is a little different.

Let's say you already own a mortar. Maybe you've been shooting it for years. Maybe you bought it recently and have been attending organized destructive device shoots.

You probably don't need somebody to spend two days introducing you to the equipment sitting in your own collection, but maybe you've never received any formal instruction, or maybe you learned from another owner, picked up a few things along the way, and would like to know whether there's a better way to approach certain aspects of your shooting activities.

That's exactly why we created the Mortar Gunnery Clinic.

The clinic is a shorter, two-hour program intended to take place at organized live-fire events.

There's no classroom session. We're working with you in the environment where you're already shooting.

Think of it as an opportunity to have experienced mortar and artillery instructors refine your knowledge, answer questions, and offer some constructive feedback.

We're not there to tell you that everything you've been doing is wrong.

In fact, you might already have a pretty good system worked out, but sometimes an outside perspective can identify something you've overlooked, introduce a better understanding of a particular subject, or simply reinforce what you're already doing correctly.

We'll focus on the fundamentals, crew communication, safety practices, and consistency, and we'll answer questions.

Lots of questions.

One thing I've learned from years of military service and teaching is that people are generally more comfortable asking questions when they're not worried about looking foolish in front of a classroom.

The clinic gives us an opportunity to have those conversations right there on the firing line at the gun.

We're not interested in embarrassing anybody or showing off how much we know.

We're interested in sharing that knowledge.

Learn more about our Mortar Gunnery Clinic

Why Are We Doing This?

That's another question we get occasionally.

The short answer is that we think the civilian NFA mortar community needs more opportunities for formal instruction, and there's another part to that answer. A tremendous amount of institutional knowledge exists within the military artillery and mortar community. Some of that knowledge is documented in technical manuals and training publications. A great deal of it comes from experience.

When people leave the military, that experience often goes with them.

Meanwhile, there are civilian collectors and enthusiasts who own some pretty remarkable pieces of military equipment but have very limited opportunities to learn about it from people who have actually worked with those systems.

We'd like to help bridge that gap.

We're fortunate enough to have the equipment and instructors with extensive military artillery and mortar experience, and we believe that knowledge ought to be passed along.

Not because every civilian mortar owner needs to operate like a military mortar section. They don't, but the fundamentals of safety, equipment knowledge, crew coordination, and sound procedures don't stop being important just because the mortar is privately owned, and frankly, we enjoy teaching this stuff and we really enjoy sending rounds down range.

There's something satisfying about watching somebody go from looking at a mortar and wondering how the whole thing works to developing a genuine understanding and appreciation for the equipment.

It's one of the reasons we started the Ordnance Development Division in the first place.

So, Which One Should You Take?

That depends on what you're looking for.

If you're new to mortars, thinking about buying one, or want a structured introduction to the fundamentals, take a look at the Basic Indirect Fire and Gunnery Course.

If you're already shooting at organized events and would like some hands-on instruction, coaching, or a chance to ask questions, the Mortar Gunnery Clinic might be exactly what you're looking for, and if you've got prior military experience, you're certainly welcome too.

Just remember, having done something twenty years ago doesn't mean there isn't something worth reviewing today. I can tell you from experience that even seasoned artillerymen occasionally need a refresher.

Neither class is intended to make you an expert overnight. They're intended to provide a foundation that you can continue building on.

And Now for the Shameless Self-Promotion

Yes, we charge for our classes. We have equipment and guns to maintain, ranges to arrange, ammunition to account for, and instructors who would occasionally like to get paid for their time, but this isn't just about selling another training course.

We want to see the civilian mortar community grow, and we want to see the knowledge needed to safely operate these systems grow along with it.

We want people to ask questions, exchange information, challenge misconceptions, and develop a better understanding of the equipment they own.

That's good for individual owners, and it's good for the community as a whole.

So, the next time you wander into Freedom Forge Armory and see a couple of 60mm mortars sitting on the shop floor, feel free to ask about them.

Fair warning, though. If you get me started talking about mortars and artillery, you might be here a while, and if you decide you want to learn a little more than we can cover in a conversation at the shop counter, well, we've got a class for that.