All About Cowboy Action Shooting
Chapter One " Our Cowboys Have Always Been Heros"

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The SASS Handbook, which is updated periodically by the Territorial Governors, contains the current rules for SASS-sanctioned Cowboy Action matches, both Ground and Mounted. The rules, which are all equally important, are too numerous for listing individually. The discussion here is philosophical, its intent solely meant to inspire in shooters a desire to read and consider with care the rules of Cowboy/Western Action Shooting, including its organization and events. Ignorance of the rules, as any Range Officer or competitor will tell you, is no excuse for breaking them. The first concern of the rules, of course, is safety. Except for Cowboy Mounted Shooting, in which only black powder blanks are used, Cowboy Action Shooting is carried on with live ammunition (see also the section on Mounted Shooting). No breach of safety regulations is ever tolerated. The SASS Handbook quite correctly begins its rules section with a critical paragraph entitled: The Spirit of the Game.

"As the game of Cowboy Action Shooting has evolved, our members have developed and adopted a certain attitude towards their participation that we call The Spirit of the Game. Competing in these games requires the shooter to participate fully in what the competition asks. Participants do not look for ways to create advantages from what is, or is not, stated as a rule or shooting procedure. Some would call The Spirit of the Game nothing more than good sportsmanship. Whatever you call it, if you don't have it, Cowboy Action shooting is not your game."

The Handbook continues with an egregious example of failing to play in The Spirit of the Game, or what we call Failure to Engage. A failure to engage occurs when a competitor willfully or intentionally disregards the stage instructions in order to obtain a competitive advantage (i.e., taking the penalty would result in a lower score or faster time than following the instructions). In such cases, in addition to any procedural penalty and penalties from misses, a 15-second "failure to engage" penalty may also be assessed.

For example, a shooting problem at a club match called for the competitor to start the stage by knocking over a "stick of dynamite" with a bullwhip. This procedure required swinging the whip across a dynamite stick just a few feet away. It was impossible to miss, but many did. They had to keep swinging until they got the dynamite. One shooter, who decided he could shave some time by taking a penalty rather than trying to knock over the dynamite, simply threw the bullwhip to the ground and went after the targets. In Cowboy Action Shooting we call this Failure to Engage. It definitely is not in keeping with the Spirit of the Game.

As the old saying goes: "Cheaters never win and winners never cheat". In Cowboy Actioneering, as in life, attitude is everything. This spirit involves more than simply not cheating or manipulating the rules to "get an edge" on the competition. The Spirit of the Game means helping to run stages when you're not shooting, loaning equipment to fellow shooters in need and cheerfully abiding by the calls of the officials. It's the soul of Cowboy Action Shooting.

SAFETY: FIRST, LAST AND ALWAYS!

The model for the rules of virtually all Cowboy and Western Action Shooting organizations is the SASS Shooter's Handbook. It lists 30 distinct rules regarding safety, all critically important. No shooter should enter any event without first reading and understanding all the rules governing the competition. According to the Handbook, "Our sport, by it very nature, has the potential to be dangerous. However, the history of SASS affiliated matches is free of any serious accident."

This happy circumstance is due largely to the fact that all participants in Cowboy Action matches are required to take the role of a safety officer and be responsible for their own actions as well as any unsafe behavior by other shooters. As the Handbook states: "Any range officer or shooter may confront any participant about an observed unsafe situation, and it is expected the matter will quickly be corrected and not repeated. Any argument by any shooter concerning the correction of a safety related matter can be expected to result in that shooter's ejection from the range."

Here, then, are the safety rules to which all shooters must adhere at all times:

1. Treat and respect every firearm at all times as if it were loaded.

2. All firearms will remain unloaded except while you are under the direct observation of a range officer on the firing line or in the loading areas.

3. All loading and unloading will be conducted only in the designated areas. NOTE: Percussion revolver shooters must exercise care to ensure that they maintain safe muzzle direction during loading and have fired or cleared all capped chambers prior to leaving the unloading area.

4. Six-guns are always loaded with only five rounds (five shooters with four), the hammer lowered and left resting on the empty chamber.

5. Long guns will have their actions open with chambers and magazines empty and muzzles pointed in a safe direction when being carried to and from the designated loading and unloading areas for each range. Chambers and magazines must be empty and actions open for all firearms transported in gun carts.

6. Long guns will have their actions left open and the magazine/barrels empty at the conclusion of each shooting string (i.e., whenever the gun leaves the shooter's hands during or at the end of a stage).

7. Rifles may be "staged" down range from the shooter with the magazine loaded, the action closed, hammer down and chamber empty.

8. Shotguns are always "staged" open with magazine and chambers empty and are loaded on the clock unless the stage is begun with the shotgun in the shooter's hands. It is permissible for mule-eared, (exposed hammer) shotguns to be "cocked" at the beginning of a scenario, whether staged or in the shooters hands.

9. Handguns are returned to leather (re-holstered) with hammer down on a spent case at he conclusion of the gun's immediate use, unless the shooter has been specifically directed otherwise. There can be no live rounds in the pistol when reholstering. For example, when changing from handgun to rifle in a two-gun stage, the handgun will be holstered before the rifle is picked up.

10. All shooters must demonstrate rudimentary familiarity and proficiency with the firearms being used. SASS matches are not the forum in which to learn basic firearms handling.

11. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited in the range area for all persons, shooters, guests, range officers, and others until the range is closed and shooting is done for the day.

12. No shooter will consume any alcoholic beverage until he or she has completed all shooting for the day and stored all of their firearms.

13. No shooter will ingest any substance that may affect his or her ability to participate with a maximum state of awareness and in a completely safe manner. Both prescription and non-prescription pharmaceuticals that may cause drowsiness or any other physical or mental impairment must be avoided.

14. Eye and hearing protection must be worn by all competitors when in the loading area or on the firing line. Such protection is recommended for everyone when in the range area, and eye protection is mandatory for spectators when within direct line of sight of steel targets.

15. SASS affiliated matches are not fast draw competitions. Any unsafe gun handling in the course of a draw from the holster or any "fanning" will result in the disqualification of the shooter from that stage. "Slip-hammering" is not the same as fanning and is legal.

16. Although crow-draw holsters are legal, they represent a significant safety concern. Cross-draws may not depart from the vertical by more than 30 degrees. Extreme care must be exercised when drawing a firearm from a crow-draw holster or returning the firearm to leather. Users must twist their bodies to ensure the muzzle never breaks the 170-degree safety rule during the process. Failure to ensure the muzzle is always down range is grounds for an immediate stage disqualification. A second infraction during the same match is grounds for match disqualification. (Note: the 170-degree safety rule means the muzzle of the firearm must always be straight down range +/- 85 degrees. If a competitor even comes close to breaking the 180-degree safety plane, the 170-degree safety rule has been violated, and the competitor is at fault.)

17. Holsters must be located on each side of the belly button and separated by at leas the width of two fists.

18. No cocked revolver may ever leave a shooter's hand.

19. When changing location during a stage, all firearms being carried must either have the hammer down on an empty chamber or spent case, or have the action open.

20. Shooters are expected to perform within their capabilities at all times, with particular concern about controlling the muzzle direction of the firearms being used. The shooter must never violate the "170-degree safety rule."

21. A dropped gun will result in the shooter's disqualification from the stage and, perhaps, from the match, depending upon local match rules. A "juggled" gun that breaks the 170-degree safety rule will result in a disqualification. A shooter may not pick up a dropped gun. The range officer will recover the gun, examine it, clear it, and return it to the shooter.

22. The shooter will not cock his revolver until the firearm is pointed safely down range. Any accidental or premature discharge of any firearm determined by the range office to be unsafe will result in the shooter incurring a safety penalty, disqualification from the stage, or disqualification from the match. A second such incident on the same day shall certainly result in the shooter's ejection from the match. A safe practice is to develop the habit of cocking handguns with the "weak" or off-hand after the gun has cleared leather and is pointed safely down range.

23. Ammunition dropped by a shooter in the course of reloading any firearm during at stage is considered "dead" and may not be recovered until the shooter completes the course of fire. For example, if a round of shotgun ammo is dropped while reloading, the round must be replaced from the shooter's person or counted as a missed shot. No attempt may be made by the shooter to pick up the dropped round, as to do so prompts loss of control of muzzle direction.

24. Shooting ammo with a muzzle velocity greater than stated within this handbook is grounds for immediate disqualification from a match.

25. It is expected the range officers will be the responsible parties for observing and resolving all safety related matters occurring in the loading, unloading, and firing line areas. However, any shooter who observes a safety infraction not seen by the range officer(s) should call the infraction to the range officer's attention, at which time the matter will be resolved.

26. Minor safety infractions occurring during a course of fire that do not directly endanger persons will result in a ten-second penalty being added to the shooter's time for that stage. "Minor" safety infractions are occurrences such as an accidental discharge impacting within ten feet, but not closer than five feet, of the shooter and failure to open a long gun's action at the conclusion of a shooting string.

27. Major safety infractions will result in the shooter's disqualification from the stage or the match. A second infraction in the match shall result in the shooter's ejection from the range. "Major" infractions are a dropped gun, an accidental discharge that impacts within five feet of any person, violation of the 170-degree safety rules, "sweeping" any person with the muzzle of a firearm, and similar acts that have high potential for personal injury.

28. Muzzle direction is important between, before, during and after shooting a stage. A muzzle must not be allowed to 'sweep' the other participants between stages or when moving the firearms to and from the gun cart. The muzzles of all long guns must be maintained in safe direction, even when returning to the unloading table. Failure to manage safe muzzle direction is grounds for disqualification from the stage and, for repeated offenses, from the match.

29. All firearms MUST be inspected by the unloading officer or range officer before leaving the shooting stage. All rifles must have their action cycled fro the inspecting official. All six-guns, whether used or not in the stage, must also be inspected.

30. Only registered competitors may wear firearms.