Dusty Devil Dale

It is late. I really don't want to engage in a nit-picky wordsmithing contest. I think just about any gunsmith has seen and replaced firearm sears that became worn or damaged and therefore were unreliable. All guns used in SASS are not new. Many have been owner-modified, or repaired by owners or their friends who may or may not fully understand the guns' operation. We don't know which guns those are. To assume that nobody has a shotgun with a worn or modified sear or other damage would be unrealistic. I doubt anybody has "data" or statistics, but I have personally seen closed, sxs doubles release their sears upon droppage -- both times unloaded, but triggers were disengaged. When it comes to safety rules, we can't just consider the reliable guns or competent, experienced shooters. Our best intention to keep the muzzle pointed safely does not always provide the protection that we expect. People make mistakes. Sure, a person gets a DQ for those 170 violations. So they will always point the muzzle safely -- right? Therefore the closed or open condition of the action becomes less relevant if the 170 rule is followed--right? So have you never seen a 170 violation? Again, people make mistakes. The penalty for moving with a closed, cocked long gun is part of a suite of rules that combine to assure safety. If the gun is verified empty by the (multi-tasking) T.O., carried open, pointed safely, then rechecked by the ULTO, nobody is probably going to be injured. Take away any one of those and the safety margin is lessened -- my original point.

So do you think it should not be a penalty for that T.O.- verified "unloaded" and "safe" (but closed and cocked) gun to sweep a ULT officer or bystander? That can happen easily if a shooter falls or drops the firearm. Why not just stop and hand off the rifle and reopen the SG before moving. It isn't like it affects the stage time.

My "cavalier" remark was not directed at you personally, Ph. It was more about an attitude I thought I perceived in the thread duscussion that the rules about carrying "unloaded" guns to the ULT are overdone (my word, not theirs), warranting consideration of rule changes. I obviously disagree. Your specific question, and the subject of my response, was: "No.... How many?" So I told you how many fatalities I am personally aware of and described generally how they occurred. I did not include many other less-than-fatal shootings, since we were talking about fatalities. To be clear, none of those shooters were physically hunting when they were at the wildlife areas parking lots, where loaded firearms are expressly prohibited. The individuals were simply carrying their "unloaded" guns to their vehicles or placing them inside. Their situation was really not dissimilar to ours when we are carrying "unloaded" guns to the ULT and laying them down, (which, I suppose, is why we are DQd if we sweep the Unloading Officer or anybody else with an "unloaded" gun.) Somebody in our rulemaking past obviously realized that an unloaded firearm is not 100% safe, due to human error potential. We have a great record of very few accidents in SASS, largely because we have always operated with conservative rules that have built in redundant safety features. But much of the general discussion in this thread has leaned toward changing/easing one of those rules, based on "common sense". But be assured, human errors absolutely DO occur (-- and BTW, dropped sxs doubles with safeties disengaged can be jarred enough for the impact force to release their sears, depending on how hard and at what angle they strike the ground; especially if they have modified trigger pulls or sears are old and have substantial wear. All guns used in SASS are not in perfect working order.

Since you asked: For the last 22 years before I retired, I worked for our State Department of Fish and Game as the Manager of a 12 County region covering much of Central California. At times, my job included the unpleasant task of leading investigations into hunting accidents occurring on any of our State operated wildlife areas. I investigated 18 fatal hunting accidents during that time. Over 1/2 of them were when a hunter accidentally shot and killed a son, daughter, or hunting companion while placing an "unloaded" shotgun into a pickup truck back seat rack or storage compartment. Everyone swore that they had unloaded the guns, but we are human and mistakes happened. The worst case was a father who killed his 13 y.o. daughter, then committed suicide on the spot, in front of witnesses. Be cavalier as you choose, but there is a reason why we were all taught at some point to "Treat every gun as if it is loaded". (Since you asked).

I think we all get a lot of different signals telling us whether or not rounds hit the targets. The signals all come at once in a split second and our brain has to take in all of that data and spit out conclusions -- and for 20 or more rounds in fast succession. When you think about it, that's quite a task. I guess that's why there are three spotters who hopefully make calls independently. For me, a big part of spotting is positioning-- not just standing in position for seeing the targets, but moving with the shooter where possible, staying where I can see misses hit the ground behind target plates. Many times I've seen bullets hit far up on berms at obtuse angles and had to check targets with the other spotters for edge hits. I've also called some hits after only seeing bullets hit the ground at those seriously obtuse angles (benefit of doubt to shooter).

In a perfect world, I agree that just maintaining the muzzle in a safe direction is adequate. But I've seen shotguns dropped during just about all segments of a stage, including enroute from the LT to the shooting positions, and once when a shooter tripped and fell enroute to the ULT. Then, the muzzle left the safe direction. When the shooter fell (SG was closed), both hammers released (on empty chambers). Simply stopping and getting somebody to take the open, safe rifle to enable the SG to be safely reopened is, IMO, the safest procedure.

Do you realize how many deaths have occurred from guns that were known to be unloaded? Things happen. A TO can fail to see a round retained in a chamber. I suspect that is why the rules are so strict about movement with long guns with closed actions.

Don't forget that you can STOP and ask someone else like the ULT officer to assist by taking your open, safe rifle. Same if SG closes enroute from Loading Table up to the stage. Just STOP, rather than try to juggle. Realize that a dropped closed (cocked) double barrel SG is a deadly hazard if it happens to have a live round left in a chamber after shooting the stage. The likelihood of it discharging when dropped is very high, when its safety is disengaged (like most of our SGs).

Sound is not always a reliable indicator of hits or misses, particularly with hearing impaired, ear protected spotters. Also, when plates are set close in, loud rounds that miss can echo off of plates in a way that resembles the sound and pitch of a hit. We tested it one day while setting up a match. Shooter fired 45 Colt, deliberately missing some of the plates. Two spotters, standing behind the shooter with eyes covered called hits on about half of the missed rounds. I don't call misses unless I see a round strike something that is not the intended target. I don't call misses based on things I did not actually see -- things like not seeing the target move or not seeing the bullet strike the plate. Too often a bullet strikes a prior hit mark and does not leave a new visible mark. Splatter on the ground directly below and/or beside a target is usually a good hit indicator.

Blind spotters

Start lines obviously are intended to let the T.O. and spotters know when the shooter is ready. But they can also add some laughs to the game, especially when shooters individualize. But (and this is a question) was the addition of start lines originally intended as a stage "task", i.e., to level the playing field by all shooter's having to deal with the same distraction from their "zone" as they approach the stage? Was the line intended to be a "Stage Direction", or just a fun and useful informal stage feature? Stage writers usually handle all of that by just keeping lines short, fun for the posse, loosely managed, and by posting them conveniently for shooters. It seems like it is working OK in most matches I've attended. I've seen a lot of cases where the Stage Direction just said "indicate ready". In one case it said "Indicate ready by saying the posted line". I've also seen some really fun lines, like a stage in a Halloween themed match where the Stage Direction called for holding up a witches broom and saying, "Of course I can drive a stick!" Simple and fun is most popular, but is the posted line a requirement?

Don't underestimate the technical difficulty of measuring and boring a (hopefully true, round) hole to precise depth on a cylindrical workpiece. A tiny side shift on the cylinder or flex or dullness in the bit could cause the edge of your bit to break through into the pistol rifling. Larsen's advice about boring it with a rigid end mill is very good advice. If you do not have a milling machine with very precise x-y positioning and precision boring depth control, I would consider spending a few $$ and having the boring and tapping done by a qualified gunsmith. At the very least, make a solid, accurate drill guide and practice on scrap round stock until you can get it right every time. Just my $0.25 worth.

Browning BSS. More expensive up front, to be sure, and a bit heavier than most, but you'll have to buy only one. I've seen a number of shooters go through several shotgun upgrades, looking for something dependable. They spent way more than I spent for the Browning. In ten years now, I have never had one malfunction. SKB would probably be my next choice, followed by Baikal. The Baikal seems to be a Russian made Browning knock-off. Nice, lightweight gun, if you can get parts.

Two questions: 1) Was the shooter the only person swept by his/her rifle, or did a T.O. also get swept in following the shooter? My understanding has been that a shooter sweeping themself is a no call. Not so for sweeping a T.O. 2) What do you mean by "slightly to the right"? If the stage requires the gun to be restated in a position that places the shooter's required movement within the 170 degree range, I would absolutely call that a defective and unsafe stage design.

I once made the mistake of calculating (estimating) what I would have had at my retirement from 44 years working, if I'd been allowed to keep and invest my payments into SS. It would have been mine to invest through the 70s and 80s, when the compounding interest rate on simple CD savings was well over 10% and you could buy Microsoft for $1.75/share. Don't go there. Your calcs will make you I'll !

Last time I lost one (and Ive lost many!), it turned up a week later stuck to a magnetized screwdriver on the workbench. Yes, it is a magnetic stainless steel alloy-- at least mine was.

If your rifle is a Uberti, take a look at the machining marks left on the inside of the sideplates. Mine were rough -- could have been used as a light file. I sanded the texture off, with ordinary sand paper (down to 1000 grit), ONLY in the narrow strip where the lever pin makes contact. I can't say it made much difference in levering, but it made me feel like I had done something, FWIW.

I totally agree about the self (hot water) moulded plugs. I would not recommend them, based on some unhappy experience. I had previously used custom moulded earplugs, purchased from a vendor at a Regional Match. But they gradually losened in my ears, and I had trouble locating a vendor or lab to replace them. So I bought, via Amazon, two different types of self-moulded plugs, over a 7- month period, trying to get proper protection. One was just a hard plastic ear mould with a detachable foam insert. The other had a small filter insert advertised to give 30% protection while allowing you to hear conversations. I never succeeded in getting a decent fit to my ear, despite repeated re-moulding attempts, per the directions. The plugs felt like they sealed OK, but even light CAS gunfire sound was pretty uncomfortable. When tightly moulded, they were also quite painful to wear for long periods. Over that 7 months, I experienced a nearly 40% permanent hearing loss in the mid and upper frequencies. When I saw that test result, I immediately went to using the disposable foam plugs which do give the advertised 30%. I fully realize that at my advanced age (75), Fallapartitis is also a factor in my hearing loss, but the 7-month massive loss was undeniably due to deficient protection. I learned a hard lesson, and so I'm passing it on here.

My rifles all have loose lever pins that shift back and forth and rub both side plates. I mirror polished the side plate insides to get rid of the rough machining marks, but rub marks quickly come back, even with the sides and pins well lubed. I normally use a very light coating of cheap red grease, which seems to work OK. But Phantom is right about grease mess, requiring more frequent disassembly and cleaning. I really can't say I've ever felt any consequential levering drag from the side plate friction.

My 75 years has seen a lot of good design engineers and vendors disappear either because cheaper but inferior products appeared, or their products were copied, or DIY band-aid solutions to problems came along and were popularized, eliminating their market. But when that happens, ALL of their products silently disappear, including those that you cannot easily or economically DIY. So I've learned to appreciate by patronizing, wherever I can afford to. $49 is 1/3 the cost of a tank of California gasoline. Not such a big deal for most CAS people, I suspect.

It was indeed a great event, as has been the case every year. CVR commits 100% on every detail, and the flow of the match and many side events reflects their huge effort. Thank you Sinful (Match Director) and CVR! Larsen, I enjoyed finally meeting you in person and possying with you for the three days. It's always fun to have a face to go with the names and posts here on the Wire. IMO, we had a great posse and a great time. Hopefully we can meet up again at the Western Regional in future years. We are all hopeful that something can be worked out with the State, to allow the venue to continue to be used by CVR.

The left image makes me think of Alex Baldwin and his camera person.

There are too many variables and needs between different shooters. Garrison Joe shared some good advice, above. Teach basics of reloading for our game, and let individuals figure out how to fit that into their own lifestyle and budget. There are just two rules of thumb for me: 1. I buy components earlier, rather than later, because prices are not going to drop in our lifetimes and there WILL be pauses in availability. 2. I don't store flammable components or large quantities of loaded ammo in my home or connected shop-garage. I keep them in a separate outbuilding, to avoid my insurance being voided in case of a fire. Most insurance carriers disclaim flammable or explosive materials (and they are clueless about smokeless powder differences).

When I began cowboy shooting, a close friend (named Snakebite) told me that before long I would need to decide if I wanted to be a CAS "Competitor", or be a "Participant". He explained the difference, including the cost and commitment, but I think it all went on through my brain without sticking. Both my wife and I went through some stages in making (or evolving) that decision. First, We found ourselves in the living room almost every night, decked out in leather, guns loaded up with snap caps and sticky note targets hanging from the mantle and walls. Then, every chance we had, (dozens of days) we were at the range wearing ear protection, timing and videoing each other in live fire transition drills, then analyzing the results and working on stick points. In between those sessions, I spent countless hours and dollars sitting, pulling the handle on a 650XL, until I literally developed shoulder tendinitis. As the component costs escalated, the hours at the loader became VERY expensive, but still we practiced every chance we could find, either at the Club range or up at our ranch. That went on for years! Although Snakebite's words remained in my memory, the game was gradually revealing to me that I do not have the speed and dexderity to progress very far beyond a mediocre "Competitor". (But both of us are fine "Participants"!) My stage times on difficult stages remained between 20 and 30 sec, which is simply not fast enough to win buckles and accolades at big matches. As my age has stretched out to 75, it has become evident that I am slowing down, rather than speeding up. But I really think that is OK. Would I like to have spent less time practicing, case cleaning, reloading and working at our club range? Possibly --I dont really know. I have enjoyed all of that a great deal, but I do get a lump in my throat looking at my backpack, or pulling out my big tuna reels and realizing I may never have a chance to feel them in action again. For a decade, I have done little else besides cowboy shooting, drifting away from other shooting sports, fishing, and a host of hobbies. Now time is passing faster. Weeks seem to go by in hours. Both of us still shoot, but we've laid off of 90% of the practice, realizing it was a huge time investment that was not producing fruit. We've gotten back into backpacking, road trips, fishing, and a wider range of activities. We both still love our club events, comeraderie, and the competition, but we just want more breadth from the time we have left together. So if you seek to be a top "Competitor", then realize it won't come free or easy. Make sure it is what you really want. Our lives have a lot to offer. Just some food for thought. I didn't catch this big girl, but I had a lot of fun trying (and posing beside it. ) Again--- life has a lot to offer.

Is the entire length of the firing pin hole clean? No crud at the front end?