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Safety Rules

Safety is everyone’s top priority in our shooting sport.  You are encouraged to understand how you personally can continue the excellent safety track record of our sport.  The following is provided for your understanding and implementation.

      General Gun Handling Rules for Cowboy Action Shooting at Rio:

• Follow the general rules of gun safety summarized below:

      Assume every firearm is loaded.
      Control the muzzle direction at all times.
      See that the firearm is unloaded. PROVE it safe.

• All SASS safety rules apply-see general SASS rules below
• No alcohol is allowed on the Rio range and shooters can not shoot if they have had alcohol on the day of the shoot
• Both prescription and nonprescription pharmaceuticals that may cause drowsiness or any other physical or mental impairment are not allowed for shooters or range officers.
• Rio Salado Sportsmans Club is a cold range and loaded guns are not allowed except at the loading table through the firing line
• A round fired over the berm in one of the pistol bays at Rio Salado is an immediate  match disqualification.
• Eye protection is mandatory for both shooters and spectators, ear protection is strongly recommended. Ear protection is mandatory for juniors. Side shields are encouraged on safety glasses.
• New shooters are encouraged to lay their fingers along side their trigger guards (i.e. not on the trigger) while drawing and holstering, although it is not mandatory to do so under our rules.
• All guns are to be checked by another posse member at the unloading table to make sure they are unloaded.  The unloading table officer and the shooter must inspect every cylinder chamber to make sure it is empty in revolvers.  The unloading table officer and the shooter must inspect every magazine and chamber of a long gun having same. Look for the magazine follower in rifles if possible or cycle the lever several times to show clear.
• All long guns are to be carried muzzles UP while carrying them to and from the firing line. When long guns are carried during shooting and moving from one point to another, the long guns must not break the 170 rule and be pointed downrange at all times. This is particularly hard when moving parallel to the firing line, so be careful.
• Long guns, rifles and shotguns are to be stored in your gun cart with their actions open unless completely covered with a gun case in the gun cart.
• SASS uses a 170 degree rule on the firing line, which means no matter the direction the shooter is facing, the shooter’s muzzle must be within a 170 degree cone downrange perpendicular to the firing line.  The only exceptions are for staging empty double barrel shotguns, and for holstering and drawing to and from straight drop holsters. For only these two exceptions a 180 degree rule is in place. Cross draw holster shooters must be extremely careful not to break the 170 rule when drawing and holstering.
• Rifles magazines can only be loaded with the hammer down on an EMPTY chamber. Coming to the firing line with your hammer cocked on an empty chamber from the loading table is a stage disqualification.
• Shotguns are not to be loaded at the loading table and must be staged empty with the action open.
• Revolvers can not be loaded with more than five rounds with the hammer completely down (not on safety cock) on an empty chamber in the cylinder
• Shooters must not break the 170 rule when they are at the loading table or unloading table.  In this case, the equivalent of the firing line is parallel to the loading/unloading table front edge.
• Shooters must be careful and not sweep another shooter while at the loading and unloading table.  Sometimes shooters are incorrectly standing too far off to the side of the stages to count hits and misses so be careful.
• Shooters can not cock their revolvers or rifles until they are at a 45 degree angle up from straight down
• If there is a rear berm in close proximity to the targets, the shooter must not cock his revolver or his rifle with the muzzle pointing above the rear berm.
• Shooters many lever their first round into their rifle as the butt of the rifle is on the way to the shooters shoulder, but be aware that some ranges (not Rio) require the rifle to be at the shooters shoulder before levering a round into the chamber.  Most of the better shooters only lever the rifle when the butt of the rifle is on the shoulder.
• Percussion revolver shooters may charge five cylinders with ball and powder in the safety area, however, they may not "cap" them until they are at the loading table or on the firing line if a reload is needed. .There will be no handling of ammunition or caps in the safety areas.
• Dropped ammunition can not be picked up by the shooter between the loading table and the unloading table.  Another shooter will pick it up and bring it to the shooter at the unloading table.
• Dropped firearms are to be left on the ground and retrieved and cleared by a range official. Empty dropped firearms result in a minimum stage disqualification, loaded dropped firearms are a mandatory disqualification from the match.
• Shotguns must be put onto the props provided with action open and empty.  Sometimes the shooter will start with the shotgun at port arms open and empty.
• If a shooter is stopped by the Range Officer (RO) or Timer Operator(TO) with  a Stop command or a Cease Fire command, the shooter must immediately put his firearm down on a prop or hand it off to RO/TO and NOT fire another shot. 

• If you are at the loading table or unloading table that face side berms and a Stop command or a Cease Fire command is issued to the shooter on the firing line, it is a real good idea to stop what you are doing until you can determine the issue that caused the cease fire and whether it is safe for you to continue loading or unloading.
• If you are at a loading table or unloading table on the firing line and a Cease Fire or stop command is issued to the shooter, stop what you are doing and put your guns in a safe position and step back from your guns.  An example of why it is a good idea to stop loading or unloading is if unauthorized personnel have somehow wondered on the range downrange of your position.
• If a Down Range command is given, the shooter should continue shooting the stage until he is finished shooting.  If the shooter is still on the firing line, he should make his guns are safe on the props or in his holsters as soon as he finishes shooting.  The shooter should step back a step and not touch his guns again until he hears the all clear command from the range officer. 
• Shooters at a loading or unloading table that are in line with the firing line on shared stages within a single range when a Down Range command is given, shall also put their guns in a safe position on the loading table or holsters and step back from the table and not touch the guns again until the all clear command is given. In this case a flag system will normally be used to allow the shooters to also visually see when the all clear is given.
• If the stage is not shared and has it’s own side berms and if the loading table and unloading table face these berms and a down range command is given, the shooters at these tables can usually safely continue loading and unloading.
•  Shooters walking to and from their carts with empty guns when a Down Range command is given, should not place their guns on the loading tables or unloading tables if the tables are in line with the firing line, until the all clear command is given as the shooter could be sweeping posse members working down range with his guns while placing them on the tables.  In this case a flag system is used to inform the shooter of the situation and for the shooter to see when the range is again clear.

• An accidental discharge within 5 feet of the shooter will result in disqualification of the shooter for the match
• Cowboy Action matches are not fast draw competitions. Any unsafe gun handling or fanning will result in disqualification
• Firearms are not to be handled except in designated safety areas or on the firing line under the supervision of a range official.  This means you do not show your buddy your gun or work gun problems unless you are between the loading table and the unloading table or in a designated safety area.
• Revolvers must be holstered except when being used on the firing line, at the loading table, unloading table or taking them from your gun cart to holster or returning them to the gun cart from the holster (muzzles down)
• All shotguns and rifles must have their actions OPENED immediately after they have been shot BEFORE putting them back onto or into a prop or carrying them to the unloading table. Opening these long guns immediately will eject or allow the shooter to remove the fired hull(s) or brass and show that the gun is now empty.

 

Now here is what SASS has to say about safety from the Jan 2008 SASS Shooters Handbook.

 

     SAFETY PRACTICES FIRST, LAST, AND ALWAYS

Our sport, by its very nature, has the potential to be dangerous and a serious accident can occur. Every participant in a SASS match is expected to be a safety officer. Each shooter’s first responsibility is for his or her own safe conduct, but all shooters are expected to remain alert for actions by others that are unsafe.

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 concerning the correction of a safety related matter can be expected to result in that shooter being ejected from the range.

Shooters shall adhere to the following safety rules:

• Treat and respect every firearm at all times as if it were loaded.
• Muzzle direction is important between, before, during, and after shooting a stage. A muzzle must not be allowed to “sweep” the other participants at any time.
•  Long guns shall have their actions open with chambers and magazines empty and muzzles pointed in a safe direction when transported at a match.
• Failure to manage safe muzzle direction is grounds for disqualification from the stage, and for repeated offenses, from the match.
• All firearms shall remain unloaded except when under the direct observation of a Range Officer on the firing line or in the loading area.
• Six-guns are always loaded with only five rounds and the hammer lowered, fully down, and left resting on the empty chamber. Five shooters may load five rounds, but the hammer must rest on a dummy chamber or safety slot in the cylinder so the hammer does not rest on a live round/cap. If a particular stage requires a one shot reload, the sixth chamber may be charged at the bench and then capped “on the clock.” A complete reload is handled by staging a loaded, uncapped revolver down range or switching uncapped cylinders and capping on the clock.
• No cocked revolver may ever leave a shooter’s hand.
• Revolvers are returned to leather (re-holstered) with hammer down on a spent case or empty chamber at the conclusion of the shooting string, unless the stage description specifically directs otherwise; e.g., “move to next position and set gun on table or prop.” A shooting string is defined as shots from one type of firearm prior to the next type of firearm engaged.
• De-cocking a revolver, rifle, or external hammer shotgun may not be done with a live round under the hammer. De-cocking may not be done to avoid a penalty if cocked at the wrong time or position. The penalty for de-cocking is a Stage Disqualification.
• Once a revolver is cocked, the round under the hammer must be expended in order for it to be returned to a safe condition. Once a rifle is cocked, either the round under the hammer must be expended or the action opened in order for the rifle to be returned to a safe condition.
• Shotgun shells may be removed, if necessary, without penalty in order to return the firearm to a safe condition.
• If a firearm is shot out of sequence or from the wrong position, the shooter will be awarded a single procedural penalty. In this situation, if the shooter elects or is forced to miss an appropriate target due to unsafe angles or target availability, a round may be reloaded to avoid a miss penalty (the dreaded “Double Jeopardy” of a procedure and miss). This does not mean a shooter may reload a rifle or revolver at any other time to make up a miss.
• Unfired ejected rifle rounds may be reloaded.
• Inadvertently leaving unfired rounds in a revolver is a miss unless the round is under the hammer, then it is a Stage Disqualification.
• Safe conditions of firearms for movement or leaving a shooters hand vary with each type of firearm. Please see the SASS Range operations Basic Safety Course for a detailed description of what constitutes a safe firearm conditions for movement.
• A shooter with firearm in hand shall never be allowed to move with a live round under a cocked hammer. Movement is defined the same as “traveling” in basketball. Once the firearm is cocked, one foot must remain in place on the ground until the firearm is made safe.
• A shooter shall not cock any revolver until the firearm is pointed safely down range. While on the firing line, any discharge of any firearm impacting within ten-feet of the shooter is unsafe and will result in disqualification from the stage or, if less than five feet, from the match. Any discharge away from the actual firing line shall result in a Match Disqualification.
• A round over the berm is always a bad idea but is worse on some ranges than others. Local match regulations establish the appropriate penalty, up to and including a Match Disqualification.
• Rifles may be staged down range from the shooter with the magazine loaded action closed, hammer down, and chamber empty.
• Shotguns are always staged open with magazine and chambers empty and are loaded on the clock unless the stage begins with the shotgun in the shooter’s hands. Mule eared shotguns can be cocked at the beginning of a scenario, whether staged or in the shooter’s hands. Long guns are never staged with their muzzles on the ground.
• Long guns will be left open with magazines and chambers empty at the conclusion of each shooting string (i.e., before shooting the next firearm). This does not apply to “restaged for further use” rifles.
• A live round left in the chamber of a long gun constitutes a stage disqualification. Any other rounds, live or empty, left anywhere in a long gun in which it was loaded is a ten-second minor safety violation. Broken guns still containing rounds do not warrant penalties, except for misses, so long as the malfunction is declared and the gun made safe.
• All shooters must demonstrate rudimentary familiarity and proficiency with the firearms being used. Shooters are expected to perform within their capabilities at all times. SASS matches are not the forums in which to learn basic firearms handling.
• SASS 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 shooter’s disqualification from that stage. “Slip-hammering” is not the same as fanning and is legal.
• Extreme care must be exercised when drawing a revolver from a cross-draw or shoulder holster or returning the revolver to leather. The user must “twist” their body, if necessary, 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 in any direction. If a competitor “comes close” to breaking the 180-degree safety plane, the 170-degree safety rule has been violated, and the competitor is at fault.)
• 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. Movement is defined by the basketball “traveling” rule. Whenever a shooter has a loaded, cocked firearm in hand, at least one foot must remain in place on the ground. 1st violation will result in Stage Disqualification; 2nd violation will result in Match Disqualification.
• A dropped unloaded gun on the firing line (loading table to unloading table) results in the shooter’s disqualification from the stage. A dropped loaded firearm results in a match 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.
• Ammunition dropped by a shooter in the course of reloading any firearm during a stage or “ejected” from any firearm is considered “dead” and may not be recovered until the shooter completes the course of fire. The round must be replaced from the shooter’s person or other area as required by stage description or if the round is not fired it is counted as a missed shot.
• Staged ammunition dropped back where it was staged is not considered “dead.”
• The unloading officer or Range Officer MUST inspect all firearms before they leave the shooting stage. All rifles and pump or lever action shotguns must have their action cycled for the inspecting official. All revolvers, whether used or not in the stage, must also be inspected.
• Alcoholic beverages are prohibited in the range area for all shooters, guests, range officers, and others, until shooting is done for the day. No shooter may consume any alcoholic beverage until he or she has completed all of their shooting for the day and stored their firearms.
• No shooter may ingest any substance that will affect his or her ability to participate with a maximum state of awareness and in a completely safe manner. Both prescription and nonprescription pharmaceuticals that may cause drowsiness or any other physical or mental impairment must be avoided.
• Hearing protection is highly recommended and eye protection is mandatory in and around the shooting areas. While small, period glasses look great, full protection, high impact glasses are strongly recommended. 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.
• All loading and unloading shall be conducted only in the designated areas. NOTE: Percussion revolver shooters must exercise care to ensure they maintain safe muzzle direction during loading and have fired or cleared all capped chambers prior to leaving the unloading area. It is not permissible to seat percussion caps on a revolver’s nipple using the gun’s hammer.
• Dry firing at the loading table is not allowed and results in a stage disqualification. Dry firing is allowed at designated safe areas. Dry firing is defined as the act of bringing the gun into a shooting position, cocking the hammer, and pulling the trigger as if to cause the gun to fire normally.
• Only registered competitors may wear firearms.
• If a competitor has a firearm malfunction that cannot be cleared on the line, the shooter may not leave the berm/stage until the firearm has been cleared. A Match Disqualification will be awarded to the shooter if they leave the berm unless under the direct supervision of a Match Official.