A professional who test-fires small arms, artillery weapons, ammunition, and bombs to evaluate mechanical performance and ballistic qualities, such as range, accuracy, bursting effect, and armor-piercing ability. Responsibilities include:

• Erects heavy weapons and connects electrical fire-control apparatus according to diagrams and written instructions.
• Positions small arms in holding fixtures and rigs trigger-pulling device.
• Loads, aims, and fires weapons.
• Measures gun barrel pressures and computes velocities of projectile.
• Examines and measures targets to verify accuracy of weapons and ammunition.
• Refrigerates, heats, or immerses ammunition in water before firing to verify performance under severe temperature and moisture conditions.
• Keeps records of observations.
• Prepares aerial bombs for test-dropping and loads bombs into aircraft.
• May prepare experimental ammunition and bombs and devise firing methods.
• May direct helpers.
• May specialize in testing of specific ordnance and be designated according to type of item involved.