Creeker, SASS #43022

Good riddance. Colt has not supported American gun owners for a number of years. If Colt shuttered their entire company tomorrow - I would not shed a year.

I learned a long time ago; if you simply tell the shooter to do X and Z. They will argue Y with you. But if you have a reason for it and it flows with the stage design - they will do it pretty unquestioningly. If I want your hands above your shoulders? I can say hands at low surrender - standing upright. (And debate low surrender and upright) Or... I can be a little more clever and state; shooter signals ready by pulling the mission bell rope - both hands remain on rope until beep. If I want you to shoot your shotgun over by the marker? I can say move to marker with shotgun and engage sg targets any order. (And then debate "how close to marker?" And "Can I begin shooting here as long as the last shot is by the marker?") Or... I can be a little more clever and simply make you stage your shotgun where I want you to shoot from. If I want you to move and shoot your pistols from a certain position? I can say engage pistol targets from left of cone. (And again argue what left means; one foot, two feet, pistol only?) Or... I can be a little more clever and put up a sight blocker that doesn't allow you to see the pistol targets until you are where I want you. Or at the very least; put up an eight foot tall marker and state rounds must pass the specific side of the marker.

If his first move defending the homestead is to take off running... Then yes, I believe he would. But I doubt anyone defending the homestead saw trouble on the horizon and thought, "Hey, my best course of action is to stand bolt upright, hands at my sides." I have no issue with a stage incorporating an "unprepared" starting position; I understand that not every (pretend) gunfight announced itself. And that can/ should be accomplished by the use of props, facades, or preshooting activities. Where I have issue is... Inconsistent application of SASS default - in the absence of any starting position? In the presence of any starting position that doesn't define body posture? Inconsistent/ applications of "standing upright" "hands at sides" (I use drop holsters, so my pistols are exactly at my hand drop height); I have been instructed to move my hands, because hands at sides placed my hands too close to my pistols. I have issue with SASS default being used to prop up weak/ incomplete stage writing (uhm, I can't think of a starting position/ prop or activity, so use sass default) And even worse, SASS default being imposed upon stage writing intended to offer shooters options - because without knowing the stage writers intent; some one decides to interject SASS default. Simple is always better. SASS default adds inconsistent definitions without benefits.

Silly contorted positions. Opinion. I tend to think preparing for a (pretend) gunfight or any competitive endeavor in the SULAI position (standing upright like an idiot) is silly. The default... It got adopted because SOMEONE got beat by someone trying harder. It was adopted because SOMEONE didn't like the "way" it looked. Like bashing Wrangler jeans or a myriad of other "rules" and decisions - it got adopted because SOMEONE with a loud enough voice or bully enough pulpit decided they didn't like the way someone else was playing the game. Creating or implementing arbitrary rules that are poorly constructed and randomly enforced are of no benefit to anyone... Excepting the SOMEONE who was somehow offended by seeing a competitor actually preparing to compete.

Exactly why when I was in charge at Eldorado - the "Eldorado default" was any hand or body position not touching guns or ammo. After all - if everyone has access to the same options; then everyone can choose the option that best suits them. But rarely did that "default" come into play; as well written stage instructions do exactly that... Instruct your shooters as to the expectation of the stage. Default positions and conventions come into existence because of poor and inconsistent stage writing. Or someone's hurt feelings because of someone else's perceived advantage.

If it is an internal mod only; did they have to approve it?

In all fairness - a lot of "solutions" are. Most challenges could be readily handled by someone with enough skill, talent and practice. But... In most cases; the driver is benefited by adding anti lock brakes or traction control to their car. In most cases; the accountant is benefited by the presence of a calculator or Excel sheet. In most cases; the carpenter is benefited by power tools and pneumatic hammer. I'm sure at some point - the designers at Winchester were debating the need for a lever safety while updating the 1866 design. After all; if the shooter would just do his job - there's no need for one. Stinking hardware solutions. But ultimately if the software benefits from the hardware - where's the harm?

I quickly designed an easy fix for the lever lock design that would include an east west tab that would protrude thru a small slot or hole in the left sideplate. This would allow deactivation and unloading without requiring an extra tool (on the firing line or at the unloading table). Yes, it would be an external modification and require approval; but it would allow the lever lock design to fix what I see as an unsafe feature. Fix that "flaw" and get approval - I'd buy one (or three).

I don't mind the design or the idea. It's just not complete. Add an external mechanism to deactivate the system to allow cycling without hammer drop and you have a winner.

Sadly I'm an older fat man than you. I tried the Obi Wan "These are not the scores you are looking for" routine. Even got the hand wave correct... I was told to get some water and go sit down.

Let's dance. Remember you are 7 years older than you were then. And I haven't aged a day. Other than my knee... My back... My other knee... But I am somewhat lighter, if that counts for anything. Or were you expecting me to make you waffles?

Ours went out today. Had to make hard decisions... Bordertown T shirt or overnight delivery? Bordertown T shirt or overnight delivery? Guaranteed delivery by noon tomorrow... Guess I'll pick up a T shirt at the match.

Creeker, Painted Lady and Desert Scorpion will be there. Already booked our room. Tombstone Grand... And yes; I will be making waffles.

Splatter is caused by angle and condition of targets (badly angled/ pitted or dinged surfaces) - composition of bullet (jackets, hard cast) - configuration of stands (legs/ hangers interfering and/ or redirecting splatter direction) - composition of ground (splatter into gravel or hard surfaces that redirect or splatter themselves) It is NOT caused by distance. If you are maintaining that Incidents of splatter (at the firing line) that are caused by these factors may be "slightly" alleviated by adding distance - you may be correct. BUT... Your wife was struck by a round TWENTY feet to the rear of the firing line. Another thread mentioned a piece of lead traveling two stages over. No projectile loses enough energy in three to five yards to change from bruising and drawing blood to "Shoo fly, get away from me". So how far out exactly are you going to move the targets to "fix" the problem? Another poster dramatically implored the OP to not let his wife shoot the targets unless the targets were set at SASS distances. But a target that splatters and injures people, drawing blood, wounding posse members at 4 yards will not MAGICALLY stop doing so when placed at 7 yards. So instead of placing targets out at distances that most dont want to shoot at... (and that are only a band aid for a different issue) Wouldn't it really be better to actually find out why the splatter is happening and correct that?

Ok, then answer the initial question. If a supported shooter or a duelist grounds pistol one and then proceeds to shoot their rifle and shotgun. Then shoots pistol two and THEN holsters both pistols. Are you calling a penalty for failing to holster at the conclusion of the pistol string? Is a pistol string all rounds from both pistols or does the inclusion of other guns between the pistol create two separate pistol strings? It is a "possible" action and I do not see a definitive answer in the books. All I really want to do is get the call correct; regardless of what the call ends up being.

I was working on the stages for the Eldorado Cowboys "Best Shoot by a Dam Site" when I had a "hmmm" moment. The stage I was working on contains split pistols. As a matter of fact, the firearm sequence is pistol-shotgun-rifle-shotgun- pistol. So I decided to make it a single position stand and deliver; allowing the Gunfighters to draw both pistols, shoot five, ground the pistols and return to them as needed. Easy enough, we do it all the time. But then it got me to thinking about other categories and choosing to ground their pistols. The rules allow the 1st pistol to be grounded and the 2nd pistol to be shot (completing the pistol string) before holstering either pistol. In my sequence of split pistols; when does the pistol string end? Could a shooter choose to ground their first pistol, shoot the other firearms and then shoot their 2nd pistol and then holster their 1st grounded pistol at the end of the stage? Or because there are other firearms in play; does this create two separate pistol strings and require a shooter to holster pistol number one before firing a different type of gun?

In case anyone was interested... Exploding cans of shaving cream. APPROVED.

Just as a point of reference... I'm currently trying to get the range to approve shooting pressurized aerosol cans of shaving cream. Barber shop and aprons anyone?

I could post left handed videos of what not to do.

Appreciate the nice words. We are going to try and make it "fun". Cause honestly, and sometimes we all forget this... If it ain't fun; then why exactly are we doing it?

Let's see... Yes, we can place a GM 350 turbo tranny in your vehicle. Might have to replace the engine, rear end, suspension and surrounding chassis as well to make it fit, but it can be done. Might have to slightly modify a few other things as well. And the cost possibly could be a bit high, but doggone it - we will get a new transmission in there for you.

Hey, between bullet and powder that's almost 108 grains added to the cartridge case. And figure five in each pistol and ten in the rifle... That's a couple thousand grains per stage. What am I? Hercules?

Wow. You guys are amazing. My light little 105 gr 38 specials cost 8 cents a piece.

Left handed 97 shooter. Sweep across belt, pull four shells with right hand. Press lowermost shell into port and then grasp shells and forearm together to cycle action. Fire and open action, press next lowest shell into port. Repeat until hand is empty. Minimal trips to the belt. But from 1000s of rounds of 12g brass scraping against them... the forearms on my 97s look like an enraged beaver attacked.

Put your feet/ hands/ body where they belong "before" the beep. Amazing how much time wasting movement and repositioning happens after the beep and before the first bang. One of my favorite training mantras is "anything you can get done off the clock is faster than anything you can do on the clock"