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Shooting in a coat?


Marshal Hangtree

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Anyone shoot matches wearing a coat, say, a duster or frock?  I've been thinking about getting a frock, but was curious as to how you keep the sides of the coat from interfering with your draw and re-holstering.

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I take it off after I've staged my rifle/shotgun. Hand it to a spotter and put it back on before picking long guns back up and going to the unloading table. I can stand the cold for 2-3 minutes.

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I found that dusters seem to grab my pistols and try to pull them out of the holsters.  Especially when I'm taking the duster off just prior to shooting.  I had several very close calls and quit wearing a duster.  I suppose if you put your gun belt over the top of the duster and shot with it on, it would be alright.  

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Unlike Tyrel----I ain't that tuff----I hate getting cold----if its gonna be a day to wear a long coat--I usually go w/ cross draw on left --------unbutton coat----left hand holds coat outa way  been known to reach behind my self & hold right side of coat outa way------but then shooting time is NEVER been something I took in consideration!!!

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I wear my buffalo coat up to the line and after long guns are in place I take it off and many hands are waiting, I shoot the stage and when I finish shooting and go to the unloading table whoever’s wearing my buffalo coat doesn’t want to give it back.

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I have seen others tie their dusters behind them and I have tried a time or two to shoot in my Josey Wales coat but just can't do it.  You could try tucking behind a knife sheath, badge holder etc. I just take my coat off when it's my time to stage and put it back on when stage is completed. I have two frock coats but have never wore them at a match, just to banquets.

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Try buttoning a single button behind your back to hold the coat out of the way. It is doable, just easier to take the coat off. My pistols are snug enough to not be pulled out of the holsters. Some sort of rawhide loop might work with buttons on your back, dont know. I have shot with the coat on when it was really cold, I am a weenie when it comes to cold.

 

Imis

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1 hour ago, Tyrel Cody said:

I take it off after I've staged my rifle/shotgun. Hand it to a spotter and put it back on before picking long guns back up and going to the unloading table. I can stand the cold for 2-3 minutes.

absolutely not...what Tyrel said.  Heck only without it about 25 seconds right.....maybe that is more like 45 seconds.

 

Dusters are handy however....or a nice frock coat.

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I can wear my rig over my long coats if I want, but I rarely do because i can’t use the coat pockets for gloves, snot rags etc. I hang it up at the loading table and retrieve at the ULT. 

 

I’m a slim guy, hence my name, but I can put up with the chill for 60-90 seconds. 
 

YMMV

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I normally take it off at the loading table when i'm next on deck. Last month I was cold and just kept it on. Shooting gunfighter you dont have the option of holding it out of the way. I definitely didnt break any personal times but I wasnt cold. Several people have offered options on how to keep it out of the way. It was a bear to reholster the first stage or two since I hadnt practiced such a thing. I ended up pulling the pistols straight back to my body, used my wrist and the grips to catch the opening of my frock pushing it back, then went muzzle down straight into the holsters. Not fast by any means but got the job done safely. 

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When the Yankee weather ain't cooperating I wear a coat when shooting.  Duster if it looks like rain.  Sometimes both. 

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I had an Opera cut frock coat made when I was in Korea by Mr. Oh (love that name). Fun to shoot in and because it was cut back away from the revolvers, it never interfered.

And I looked quite the dandy as well. Moved to Georgia and it's too dang hot to wear a coat except to the banquets. :D

raindrop.jpg

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1 hour ago, C. W. Knight # 47289L said:

You might always try a Mexican serapi as Clint did and just throw the front over your back.  I did that once and won the style point race that day.  ;).    C.W.  :FlagAm:

I do exactly that a lot of the times. I have to wear it, based on the name. If it’s a day I’m not worried about speed then I leave it on and flip it Eastwood style over my shoulder. Costs me a lot of time but it looks really cool. Or so I tell myself. 

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I would not shoot in anything that could interfere with my getting a good grip on the revolver.  If I am running the timer and see a clothing item that might get hung up, I'll caution the shooter.   My opinion is that taking a coat off for 30 seconds needed to shoot a stage should not be a problem for anyone.  When I'm getting ready for a stage in cold weather, I keep my hands as warm as possible and take off gloves and coats at the last reasonable moment.

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Long underwear is your friend when it's cold. I've tried shooting with a coat, but it doesn't work for me. A duster or coat can be done without for a stage. Gloves are probably more important and I may wear them at the loading table waiting to go on.

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Absolutely not. I can't even believe you would entertain the idea of such an unsafe situation.

 

I know of people who would never shoot at a club that allowed shooters to wear coats because of the safety issues associated with them. Pistols could get caught in sleeves and be dropped. Rifles and Shotguns will have their length of pull changed by the difference in the thickness of the clothing and go off before the shooter is ready sending lead to where only God knows where.

 

Think of the children!

 

 

 

 

 

</sarcasm>

 

When it gets cool, I like to wear Civil War Blue and Grey coats and have worn my rigs over the jacket.

 

When it gets cold, I wear my cavalry overcoat and just take it off when I shoot.

 

When it gets wet, I do the same with my water-resistant duster.

 

Someone usually takes it from me when I stage the long guns and have it ready for me waiting at the ULT.

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1 hour ago, Null N. Void said:

...My opinion is that taking a coat off for 30 seconds needed to shoot a stage should not be a problem for anyone.  ...

 

I respectfully disagree.  I'm all bone and no fat.  It take all of the month of August to thaw me out from the proceeding winter.

 

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1 hour ago, Go West said:

Long underwear is your friend when it's cold. I've tried shooting with a coat, but it doesn't work for me. A duster or coat can be done without for a stage. Gloves are probably more important and I may wear them at the loading table waiting to go on.

 

This and layered clothing. I'll just take my coat off for the stage. I gotta add, it rarely gets cold enough in Florida to freeze in the 10 minutes of loading, shooting and unloading.

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As a cavalry officer, when shooting in cold weather, I simply strap on my pistol belt around the outside of my coat.  I wear a pair of skin-tight leather gloves for actual shooting. I have a pair of muskrat mittens that hang from a thong around my neck. When I step up to the line, I tuck my righthand mitten under my left armpit, and pull the mitten off, exposing the gloved hand.  I do the same with the lefthand mitten.  The mittens then hang from the thong.  I throw the thong over my shoulders so the mittens are out of my way.  No problem. ^_^

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