Creeker, SASS #43022

I really doubt the IIHS "faked" this test - and the 59 at minimum had exhaust as you can see the down pipe and muffler dislodge in the crash.

Firstly, it was a FOUR door, so no loss there. And it was a 59 Chevrolet. One of the ugliest cars of the classic era.

Remember, never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

Short Answer - (in a perfect world) Likely No. Explanation of short answer: Lighter recoil, lighter rounds, less moving mass (when cartridge weight is considered) (and assuming equal effort applied) all these factors will add up to affect "speed" of operation. Longer answer - No, but realistically if both rifles are optimally equipped/ modified - If ammo is optimized for both firearms - the differences in "speed" would be so marginal that the behaviors and abilities of individual shooters would be a far greater differential. The differences between 45 and 38 are myriad, with weight, feel of swing, economics of reloading, historical caliber (even though 45 Colt was never an old west rifle caliber), etc. and so on. But SPEED as an objective, measurable, repeatable measurement will not be a consequential difference. Yes, a tuned 38 special rifle will out run a stock 45 Colt rifle - but with all things being equal (or as equal as real life ever can be) - caliber is not that big of a deal. Pick whichever holds the most attraction to you.

The "irony" regarding prisoners making plates with such a statement is nonexistent. Live free or die applies to Liberty being stripped away from an entity/ individual/ peoples thru the unethical/ unfair actions of others and is supposed to remind us the importance of fighting for and willingness to sacrifice everything for the preservation of those liberties. It does not IN ANY WAY apply to those who willingly cast aside their liberties thru their own actions. A criminal has no right to "Living Free" - they have willingly forsaken those rights when they CHOSE to harm/ infringe upon the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness of others.

I can't speak to boxing - but when I played football; I had an extra mouthguard. Our equipment guys carried extra shoelaces, helmet inserts, socks, undershirts and a myriad of other stuff. I can't imagine corner guys at any level above first fight amateur being any less prepared.

According to Google - and we all know they can't put it on the internet unless it's true... Between movies and serials - since the creation of the "talkie" there have been approximately 4000 western themed films made. Then you have western music, western literature, western lore, true event stories, and all the stories and movies that are westerns under their skin, (Star Wars, Star Trek, Firefly, etc.) And then on top of that - you have the ability to adapt ANY film, music, story or personality that is a well known cultural touchstone. I've done the Movies of Steve McQueen - westerns to Cool Hand Luke. "What we have here; is a failure to communicate" I've done Smokey and the Bandit. "I'll get you - you sum..." I've done the songs of Marty Robbins and the songs of Guns and Roses. I've done Rango and Django. And "If" you can incorporate anything further into the stage itself that supports the theme and starting line - even better. When I did the Cool Hand Luke stage: I found a movie poster image online that I blew up, printed and posted to add ambiance to the individual stage (I did this quite often with movie posters, book covers, album covers, etc.) The shooters book got a short three line explanation of why Luke got arrested and sent to the labor camp (cutting the heads off of parking meters). The starting line was the famous Strother Martin "Failure to comunicate" line. I built some parking meter "facades" that stood in front of our static clay pigeon holders and you engaged the clay pigeons shooting thru the parking meters (obviously the facades were sacrificial). Write any decently entertaining stage and sequence to go with it and that stage is complete. If you want to incorporate the theme into the shooting sequence - you just have to listen to whats being said and figure out "how" that works within the expected and accepted round count of a CAS stage. An example of this is Clint Easywoods line from Fistful of Dollars as he passes the casket maker - he states, "Get three coffins ready" - after the gunfight, he walks back by and says, "My mistake, four coffins". Setup 3 plates in a row - then a 4th plate offset from the others. Engage the grouped plates 2x each - then the offset plate 4x. Shooter starts with one hand on a pistol - other hand at chest level with 4 fingers pointing upward. Starting line is "My mistake, 4 coffins" Marty Robbins song "El Paso" gives an accounting of the cowboys giving chase as he returns to Roses Cantina - targets can be arrayed and engaged to correspond. You are only limited by your own imagination and willingness to integrate your vision into a match.

The guys with beautiful girlfriends - at least the ones of us who weren't saving our girlfriends for the next guy.

This. We all reach a point in our lives where OUR opinions and desires are more important than how others feel about our actions. You own it - no one elses opinion matters.

My band from my much younger days; most of the venues we played were small - so no need to mic the drums themselves. Each band member was mic'd for vocals. With secondary microphones for the acoustic guitars/ upright bass vs. when we were playing electric. Four piece country band - I played upright and electric bass. And my vocal microphone was usually turned WAY down (or sometimes even turned off) as my singing skills are limited to (very) minor backup harmonizing.

Miss flow chart. Did the shooter HIT appropriate targets with legally acquired ammo?

Please figure out a way for Oakland to keep them. We (Las Vegas) don't want them. They can have the Raiders back too.

And this, in my opinion, (not taking any shot at you, Assassin - I do understand the sentiment to forego the "frivolity" and just shoot) but sadly, this is EXACTLY why our game is dying out. We are NOT nor have we ever been a "serious" shooting discipline. IF someone wanted a significant shooting competition - the one where grown men play Barbie dress up, call each other by made up names and pretend to be cowboys is NOT the one you choose. I am not saying our game does not have serious competitors (I count myself among them); but I am saying our game is and has ALWAYS been about entertainment just as much as measuring a shooters ability. The trend of "minimalism" - minimum props, minimum words on the directions, minimum time spent on the range, minimal stages having zero (or minimal) non shooting components have changed us into just another shooting game; albeit one with obsolete guns - and I believe this direction has deleted a crucial component from our game which made us a viable different option than other shooting sports. Without the game/ frivolity (themes, props, general silliness); shooters might as well play a modern gun sport with much cheaper guns, no costumes and some claimed real world application. And the numbers show that is exactly what is happening.

As a Match Director - I like events to have a cohesive theme that ties all the stages together. It is not a mandatory component - but when theming (stories and props) is done well; I think it adds just a little something to the mood or ambiance - elevating the match to "playing cowboy" versus simply shooting competition stages. But the SHOOTING match is still the primary reason we are here - the Match Director must be cognizant of that fact and use theming as a spice to accentuate the shooting match, not overpower it. To that end - I kept my stories SHORT (my version of "short" was a MAXIMUM of three lines); remembering the story simply exists to provide some broad context for why we are doing what we are doing. A few themes I have used (after a few thousand stages authored - I have themed a couple) : - Clint Eastwood movies. each stage based on a differing movie and the starting line or prop use somehow referencing a certain scene. Example - High Plains Drifter. The "story" might tell you that in preparation for the killers to return - the townspeople are instructed to paint every building red. Shooter begins with brush in hand pressed against building; line is "Welcome to Lagos" At BEEP: discard brush... - Ghosts and Legends of the Old West. each stage covered a story about cowboy myths and "supernatural" events. Example - The Hellhounds of Eldorado Valley. The story tells you that miners would chain wild dogs to their mine entrances to deter claim jumpers - but when the silver played out; the miners left - leaving the dogs behind to die. But some broke free and their crazed and rabid offspring still roam the valley to this day. Shooter begins with dog bone in one hand - other hand on a pistol; line is "Nice doggy" I don't believe that the presence of a theme will make a poor shoot good nor do I believe the absence of a theme will make a good shoot bad. But I do believe that GOOD shoots do benefit from the addition of thoughtful theming additions. Or as Spinal Tap says, "These go up to eleven"

Eldorado uses an (Imo) even better method for placing shooters where you want them and eliminating foot faults. And better levels the field re: the differences in reach and height determining "if" a shooter is at a position. Eldorado uses upright markers that direct the rounds from a given firearm must pass by a specified side of the marker. An example. ¤¤ rifle targets Ω Ω Ω Ω Ω Ω sg targets ¤¤ pistol targets .....X.....table.....X............X Shotgun on table - pistols holstered. Shooter will begin rifle in hand - standing anywhere left of the left upright marker. Engage rifle targets with 10 rounds - all rifle rounds MUST pass the left side of the left upright marker (upright markers designated by the X). With shotgun - engage TWO shotgun targets - THESE shotgun rounds must pass BETWEEN left upright marker and center upright marker. With pistols - engage pistol targets with 10 rounds - pistol rounds must pass BETWEEN left upright marker and center upright marker. With shotgun - engage two more shotgun targets - THESE shotgun rounds must pass the right side of the center upright marker. Then engage the remaining two shotgun targets - THESE shotgun rounds must pass the right side of the RIGHT upright marker. As "most" shooters, regardless of height will place their body in line with the target - it is a simple matter utilizing the "pass by" direction to guide the shooter to the desired position. No foot faults - no penalizing a shorter shooter for proximity to a position.