Trying to avoid a "You Make the Call"

[Jackalope]

I am planning to write a stage that includes 12 rifle rounds, 10 loaded at the loading table and two more loaded on the clock "after the rifle is shot dry".  Assuming that the shooter keeps the rifle "in hand" or leaves the hammer down on the expended 10th round (or empty chamber) during the reload process, there should be no problem.

 

The concerns are:

1) Shooter fires ten rounds, puts open/empty rifle on table, then closes lever and loads two rounds in the loading gate.  If the hammer is still cocked when the rifle is reloaded, do we now have an "unsafe" situation, (having a cocked, loaded rifle not in-hand)?  

 

2)  Strictly for the purpose of a reload, is the shooter allowed to lower the hammer (as they might at the loading table), or would this be considered de-cocking without specific RO permission?

 

I'll appreciate any constructive suggestions on how to preclude these issues.
 

Regards,

Jackalope

[Cheyenne Culpepper 32827]

IMNSHO I wud say laying it down to reload is just fine

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

Muzzle pointed down range, hammer down, even if the TO has to prompt the shooter to lower the hammer.

No call, IMHO.

[Turquoise Bill, SASS #39118]

Unless you give specific reloading instructions, some of the fastest shooters may reload one round at a time over the top. I would write it "with the muzzle pointed down range reload the rifle with 2 rounds" , and leave it at that. Let the shooters decide how they want to handle the reloads.

 

TB

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

The OP situation was handled many years ago at a State match by having the stage instructions caution those shooters who have to set the rifle down in order to reload to keep one hand in contact with the rifle...this was to avoid any penalty for a cocked/loaded firearm out of the shooter's hand(s).

This was well before the "decocking" regs were implemented.

 

IMO,  there is no reason to lower the hammer in order to load through the gate, but the lever on most (if not all) rifles must be closed to do so.

 

[Jackalope]

Thanks for the reply, Pale Wolf.

 

Since the new rule allows a shooter to put down an empty, cocked rifle with the lever (re-)closed, there is no penalty if you remove your hand from the rifle when you first set it down as long as it's empty.

 

The question comes when you reload the first round into the magazine.  Now the gun no longer meets either of the two conditions that are "safe to leave the shooters hand."  

 

The ROI says that the two conditions when a rifle is safe to leave the shooter's hands are:
1) Empty
2) Hammer fully down on an empty chamber or spent round, action closed (restaged for further use)

 

It appears that starting at the point when you reload the first round in the magazine, you must then keep your hand on the rifle because it is still cocked.  I could not find the specific penalty if the shooter releases the gun.  Am I correct in assuming it would be a Stage DQ?

 

My question #2 in the OP is in regards to avoiding the above problem by decocking the rifle so that you are no longer required to keep your hands on the gun after you put those reloads in the magazine.  But, in this specific instance, is the very act of lowering the hammer (decocking) on the line a Stage DQ?

 

Jackalope

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

When a shooter arrives at the firing line with a cocked rifle, it's a SDQ because we don't know if the shooter has a round in the chamber or not. In this scenario we know the rifle has nothing in the chamber, so no call unless the rifle was overloaded.

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

Another way to look at this...

a rifle, loaded or with empties remaining, lever open or closed, hammer cocked or down, in or out of the shooter's hands

may be placed in a "safe condition to leave the shooter's hands" before firing the next firearm of the stage...provided the shooter doesn't change location with the rifle in an unsafe condition for doing so.

Since the shooter in the OP is reloading to continue the shooting string, no penalties apply (except for any decocking rule violations) unless the shooter subsequently discards the rifle in an unsafe condition & fails to correct it before firing the next firearm.

[Jackalope]

Pale Wolf,

 

Thanks for clarifying this.  Makes sense to consider it all in the same string.

 

Jackalope