The decoration is awarded to German military personnel of all grades but is only allowed to be worn by enlisted members.

The German armed forces regulations point out that "the Schützenschnur is a decoration for weapons proficiency for enlisted soldiers."

The German military regulation on officers still applies, permitting only enlisted members to wear the badge.

The history of the Schützenschnur dates back to the Eighty Years' War where Spanish troops were ordered to hang any Dutch person who carried a musket.

With the reorganization of the Prussian Army under Gerhard von Scharnhorst the Schützenschnur became an official military award.