Published by His Majesty's Stationery Office for the War Office in July 1942, Small Arms Training, Volume I, Pamphlet No. 1: Weapon Training provided the foundational doctrine for instructing British and Commonwealth troops during the Second World War. Marked 'Not to be Published', the restricted manual superseded earlier pre-war and emergency revised editions from 1937 and 1940.
The pamphlet outlines the general principles of military weapon instruction, emphasizing structured daily programmes, safety regulations, and progressive skill development from recruit training to field exercises. It presents a detailed technical overview of small arms ballistics, explaining concepts such as bullet trajectory, jump, cones of fire, beaten zones, and the physical effects of weather, wind, and ground contours on marksmanship.
Practical sections guide officers and instructors through range administration across various facilities, including miniature, 30-yard, classification, and tactical field firing ranges. Appendices provide technical instructions for zeroing standard service rifles (such as the No. 1, No. 3, and No. 4 rifles) and light machine guns, alongside comprehensive coaching techniques, landscape target setups, and trajectory tables for .303-inch Mark VII ammunition.