COWBOY ACTION SHOOTING
First, this is a lifestyle as much as a sport. And you begin by deciding who you want to be. Good Guy, bad guy, gunslinger or hash slinger. Old West Chuckwagon concessions might be a business opportunity, just look at all the food trucks running around these days.
One of the unique aspects of SASS approved Cowboy Action Shooting™ is the requirement placed on costuming.
Each participant is required to adopt a shooting alias appropriate to a character or profession of the late 19th century, a Hollywood western star, or an appropriate character from fiction. You just don’t show up in shorts and flip-flops to participate. You have to go thru the transformation into a Cowboy or Cowgirl, learn to twang, spit into a bucket and speak…ma’am, yezzum, yippee-ki-o.
Then you need a costume . Their costume is then developed accordingly. Many event participants gain more enjoyment from the costuming aspect of our sport than from the shooting competition, itself. Regardless of a SASS member’s individual area of interest, SASS events provide regular opportunities for fellowship and fun with like-minded folks and families. And they have some authentic outfits and one complete major source is:
Every SASS member is required to select a shooting alias representative of a character or profession from the Old West or the western film genre. Your alias may not in anyway duplicate or easily be confused with any other member's alias. The following guideline should help you in choosing an alias:
THIS CAN BE COMPLICATED BUT HAS TO BE ACCURATE
Your alias must be printable before a wide audience. No duplications are permitted. If it sounds the same, it is the same. Adding "too," "II," etc., is not acceptable. "Ranger" could become "Texas Ranger" but not "The Ranger." "John Henry Chisum" could be modified to "Jack Chisum" but not "John H. Chisum" or "Jon Henry Chisum." Historical names may not be modified to make them different. "Wyatt Earp" and "Marshal Wyatt Earp" are considered the same.
You will need, two single action revolvers, list price on Rugers web page for the SASS is about 1669.00 for the pair with consecutive numbers. A lever action rifle in either the .357 or .45 colt round. And a side by side shotgun or Winchester 97 style shotgun. The rules on what type of firearms and MODIFICATIONS are very specific.
The modifications we perform at Accurate are currently legal based on the "S.A.S.S. Rules Book". Be sure to get your checkbook or credit card case done in engraved leather matching in color with your gunslinger rig.
There are the specific rules via the SASS Official Handbook and this is a strict organization and events are planned and organized totally within the regulations. Failure to follow the regulations will get the Sheriff on you and you will find you have no friends at your hanging.
They Quote: As the game of Cowboy Action Shooting™ has evolved, our members have developed and adopted an attitude towards their participation called “The Spirit of the Game.” It is a code by which we live.
Competing in "The Spirit of the Game" means you fully participate in what the competition asks. You try your best to dress the part, use the appropriate competition tools, and respect the traditions of the Old West. Some folks would call it nothing more than good sportsmanship. We call it "Spirit of the Game."
TELL ME MORE
So, Bob and I both emphatically recommend you read the entire SASS rule book and investigate what it COSTS and do you have the attitude to play this game as it can get expensive and consuming. Authentic costuming and outfits both for the competitive scenarios and social events are not cheap, the leather gun-belts and holsters are not cheap, traveling to events is not cheap, owning the four of five weapons is not cheap and if you don’t load ammunition, practice is not cheap because you are shooting in the magnum or 40+caliber ranges. Possibly you might be using two calibers.
We are not being negative, we are being factual, friends we have in the game tell us they love it, meet great people to have fun with and are in “the Spirit of the Game”.
SPECIFIC FIREARMS NEEDED
All firearms must adhere to these regulations, the booklet contains almost six pages of regulations they have determined for safety reasons. If your weapon does not meet this criteria, you will be DQ-ed or disqualified and might get hung from the nearest tree, pardner! We have done many firearms for the SASS shooters.
There are many baby boomers running around today who grew up with the likes of Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, the Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy, and the notorious Black Bart. They fought long and arduous wars with the Cap Pistol and when you ran out of caps there were long periods of "Bang, Bang, Bang", with a Hi-Ho Silver or giddy-up and some soft ballads about lonesome doggies...
Well if you want reality and reliving old good times, it's here for you. Cowboy Action Shooting is a great sport and really epitomizes scenario shooting and just like on a movie set you better stick to the rules. Again, they are serious about it. Remember, they tarred and feathered and had lynch mobs in those days......and expect a little physical action when running the course. Better cut back on the "vittles". This is the organization making the rules:
SASS MAIN Office and ADDRESS
SINGLE ACTION SHOOTING SOCIETY (SASS)
215 Cowboy Way Edgewood, New Mexico 87015
Phone: (505) 843-1320 • Fax: (505) 843-1333
HOW TO GET STARTED
To get started in this game check out your closet for what would fit in with the scenario and persona.
- Drag out those old dungarees, if they look too new, tie them on a rope long enough to your bumper and drive all over town especially on dusty roads.
- You’ll need Cowboy boots, start wearing them as soon as you can to break them in as you will be running and groveling in the dirt and so forth. I suggest not buying the 1800 dollar snakeskin, leather carved, embroidered, genuine Cobra skin. No one will be impressed. Cowboy boots as in comfort and mobility are more important. Save the fancy stuff for the players who own the bordellos.
- You’l need plaid shirts and a scarf. You just might want to check with the little woman about the scarf part, floral scenes and soft pastels are not in this year, red, black and white seem to work….
- The Base price for Two RUGER Vaqueros, a Marlin Lever Action Rifle and an EAA Double barrel Shotgun is about $2400.00+. Not that bad compared to most other shooting sports.
In addition to the guns you will need Leather Holsters and other leather gear for the shot shells. The cost of basic leather and clothing will vary just as there are K-Mart's and Nordstrom's.
May we suggest http://www.kirkpatrickleather.com . Bob has several of his rigs. Here are two samples, the "Big Jake", aka John Wayne and the "Silver King", the style used by the Lone Ranger. They have a great website and top quality photography. Bring your credit card properly insured by LLOYDS of LONDON. More on Cowboy Action guns.
ACCURATE'S participation in this sport is significant. We can make blued guns silver, silver parts black and take soft parts and industrial chrome them for longevity. We offer all these services and custom work like engraving on rifles, and shotguns too.
Since we plate many of the internal parts in guns we work on, the hard chrome adds a slickness, call it smoothness if you wish, and increased durability to the action. We are not aware of any custom shop that does this extra to make things right.
Many of the S.A.S.S. shooters are also collectors and use original era firearms. Because of the fact we plate, weld, solder, can rebuild, certain areas we can bring new life to some antique arms. Under no circumstance will we rebuild something deemed unsafe nor in violation of the SASS rules.
Now transfer to the weapons page for Cowboy Action
