Cowboy Guns Competition without Costumes

[51_60_colt]

I'm getting involved with gunfights "re enacting". I dont look like I came off bonanza...but I do look like Im bout to shoot sombody, Its just some canvas range pants, boots, bib shirt, hat, overalls and a gun belt...i think its cool to get all dressd up like my ancestors...its sorta like trying to catch a peak of history through the feel of historical firearms and clothing.

[arcticap]

Where could I get grips for my New Vaquero that look llike that? I wonder what they would cost?

executioner posted about having & making them this past June.


http://thefiringline.com/forums/show...highlight=stag

[EdInk]

Key phrase "reenacting gun fights".

Not the same as shooting competition. I'm glad you like dressing up for whatever reason. I have nothing against people who want to play cowboy To me it is childish and silly.

I have an appreciation for firearms not playing dressing up.

Perhaps in a few years when most of the sass guys are a little older and the sport starts to die off they will open up a division for people who aren't into the irrelevant costumes and just want to shoot and have a good time.

[FLJim]

Perhaps some of you are missing the point? It's not just shooting. It's not just action shooting. It's Cowboy Action Shooting.

Btw, Edlnk, for many people, me included, a shirt with a "western" cut/design, blue jeans, a pair of boots and a "western" hat are "regular clothes" .

Yes, B.L.E.: Once-upon-a-time, and up until not all that long ago, a man wasn't dressed without a hat

[EdInk]

Okay then is there any "mid to late 1800s firearm" shooting competitions that aren't cowboy action shooting?

I'm really starting to think alot of these guys are more into playing dress-up than shooting guns.

Old West L.A.R.P.ing, anyone?

If western style clothing is your normal attire that is fine. I wear T-shirts and cargo shorts. I think if you wear jeans, shorts, dockers or Santa Claus suit; if you want to shoot that should be the important thing.

I think I'm just going to give up and stick to shooting at stationary targets at the range. A little discouraging about the importance of looking like a background character in Oklahoma. I thought it was suppossed to be about the guns. Guess not. Have fun.

[CraigC]

I think it is just snobbery.

I think you're wrong and your attitude is at least as bad as what you accuse others of. If you don't like it, don't play. Complaining about it on the internet and making a bunch of condescending and offensive statements about something you obviously know nothing about is doing nobody any good.

Would you be the best man at your friend's wedding dressed in your cargo shorts and T-shirt? How about to an expensive restaurant?

It's Cowboy Action Shooting. Period. CAS is a huge sport and has done much for the shooting industry. You can thank all those folks who "look like extras from Bonanza" for all those wonderful cowboy guns and replicas being available today. If it were not for the sport, the market for all that stuff would be dismal. So drop the attitude and try to show some respect.

[Uncle Buck]

EdInk, If you have never been to a cowboy shooting match, please don't judge them.
As others have posted, it is about shooting AND period dress. It is a great way to meet others, have fun and shoot a very cool, and timed, event.
The "Dressing up" part of the event is just part of the atmosphere. Most of these folks have more than a thousand dollars invested in their guns alone (pistol, shotgun and rifle). They actually do not look silly, at least here in the Midwest where we have the Amish and mennonite farmers. You run into people all the time in the local stores dressed like they just stepped out of the wild west. Some of the period dress is very simple, some is very elaborate and some of it looks like a really bad class B movie. I guess you would have to be there to understand.
I checked them out because I had heard so much about it I wanted to see for myself. There were cowboys, doctors, bankers, bakers, miners, peace officers and their wonderful spouses. (Not all of them wore hats. )
There were people sharing guns with others who did not own a gun.

I do not like the militarize type guns. I usually refuse to shoot at the range when others are there shooting them. I do not think it is silly that they dress in camo and act like they are in the military, it is just how they want to dress when they shoot.

I do not think the zoot suiters are silly for their dress. They get together and just have a good time.

I guess what I am saying, your statement about something being childish and silly, could cause you to miss out on meeting some of the nicest people in the world.

[mykeal]

I thought it was suppossed to be about the guns.

One of the main characteristics of maturity is tolerance. It would appear that at least one of our members needs a bit of practice in that area.

It's not about the guns, son. It's about being and adult and enjoying the short time you have to step away from the hard parts of life. Not everyone is made like you; we each have our own unique likes and dislikes. Learning to allow others to enjoy themselves will eventually help you to enjoy yourself, and being with yourself, more. After all, if you continue to exhibit this intolerance, you may well find yourself all by yourself.

[Jbar4Ranch]

Sometimes I don't want to "dress up", and I just shoot in my underwear.

[EdInk]

I guess some of my comments were pushing the limit between lighthearted teasing and mockery. Sorry, if I offend any of you.

Maturity levels and playing Dress Up? Hmmm. Not gonna stir the pot anymore. Just pointing out the irony. (This is a tongue in cheek statemen. Laugh at it and yourself a little. It's okay to do silly things it proves you have a sense of humor. Relax.)

Have I done a cowboy match? No. I watched one and it looked fun to me, except for the costume bit. I sometimes watch the Cowboys show on the Outdoor channel to see the GUNS because sa revolvers are cool to me.

Your ball. Your rules. I can accept.

Again, I apologize if I went too far with the teasing over the costumes. No disrespect was intended just jokes.

-EdInk

[EdInk]

mykeal,
I do not know you, nor you me. I do know a little about intolerance. Intolerance (racial, religious, or otherwise) is a serious problem in the world. Intolerance has caused many deaths and generations of peope to hate each other for no apparent reason. I don't think intolerance is the best way to sum up a juvenile (which I admit it is) debate on the internet. Furthermore, i said from the start that costumes are fine if you enjoy them. The opposite viewpoint was less widespread. Not trying to argue. Just pointing out an observation. That is all. Anyday, you wake up on this side of the dirt is a good day. Always try to find the positive side of things. Especially when it is most difficult. Have fun and shoot safe.

Jbar4ranch,

I love the long johns pic. I just hope they don't have a flap. That become an em-bare-ass-ing situation. Hilarious. Thank you for keeping this thread upbeat with your pictures and openminded viewpoint. You have been a good ambassador for the game.

If the rules ever change, maybe we can compete (me without a costume) one day. Until then everyone be safe, shoot straight, and have fun.

[kflach]

Couldn't you use cowboy guns at IPSC or one of those other competitive shooting organizations?

[arcticap]

If the rules ever change, maybe we can compete (me without a costume) one day. Until then everyone be safe, shoot straight, and have fun.

Maybe wearing the required apparel would be more tolerable if it was thought of as wearing a uniform just like in any other organized sport.
The main difference is that the shooter is representing a team of one.

In team sports the players wear uniforms and they're not regarded as being costumes. The team has a name and an identity separate from the individual, just like how in cowboy shooting the competitor has an alias.

[Springfield Kid]

What costume ? I`ve been dressing cowboy my whole life and always thought it was normal .
If I had to wear a baseball cap and tennis shoes tee shirt and boy shorts to compete in a sport , it would not be a sport I would want to play , for me that would be a costume .
Hey talk about costumes and sports , check out the Golf channel sometime !

[Cap'n Billy]

The way I look at it? If you've a love of these period weapons? You should know something about the period they were used in...to me? the "dressing up in a costume" is just another way of showing a respect for the history of the weapon.
The mindset and culture WERE a whole different animal in the days when these weapons were used!
First, most folks didn't even OWN a sixgun, they were reserved for a different kind of breed! Fashion? It was the Victorian age (something WAY too foreign for many people of today to comprehend)...you DID wear a hat! You never showed your bare arms in public (on the ranch/farm? yes, but NEVER in public), you went to church on Sundays (no questions asked), and if you wore a sixgun? You were expected to be ready to die by one.
Simply shirking off the "wearing of a costume" is kind of like telling a punchline without knowing the joke it came from.
You DON'T have to wear a costume to love the weapon, but it DOES kind of round out the whole experience of being able to use one.
I don't think you'd enjoy going to a fancy restaurant and getting powdered eggs and instant coffee...some things just seem expected and accepted.

[troy_mclure]

ive watched a few matches, it looks interesting, and lots of the guns are sweet!
i just couldnt wear all the cowboy stuff, i rarely ever wear long sleeved shirts, and cowboy boots are a definite no-go for my feet.

that being said, the matches down here seem pretty relaxed on the interpretation of the rules. doesnt need to be cowboy boots or hat, just leather boots and a "non-modern" hat.

one match there were a bunch of Sherlock Holmes guys there, shooting cane guns, and derringers and stuff. in the same match were chicks in petticoats and stuff.

i think anything that brings more people to shooting is a good thing, no matter if they are dressed like a cow boy, or GI joe.