Friday Night Steel. MCF&G

[mjrducky]

I plan to be there tonight with rain gear and all. I think like once in the last few years based on posted times FNS was canceled due to weather. With the rain / storms coming will this be a judgement call at game time?

Hopefully the storm part will move out this afternoon and leave just rain.. We shoot in the rain I presume?

 

[shooter521]

Hopefully the storm part will move out this afternoon and leave just rain.. We shoot in the rain I presume?

If it is raining come setup time or it is forecast as almost certain during the evening, we usually set up the stages to be shot from under the "lid".

FNS has only been canceled once in the last 3 years AFAIK, and that was in June of 2008 due to lightning, not the rain itself.

 

[HICKMAN]

I'm gonna be there, crutches and all

 

[bwframe]

I'm gonna be there, crutches and all

I'm stuck in spring break traffic, Martinsville. Hope to get moving again soon.

 

[bigcraig]

I will not make it, have fun fella's.

 

[m_deaner]

I couldn’t believe the crowd that showed up tonight in spite of the rain. My son and I had a good time, as always.
Unfortunately, I had my first match disqualification (DQ) tonight. I’ve heard elsewhere that DQs can be viewed as learning opportunities, and I can understand that in a general sense, but outside of shooting a gun with a manual safety, I’m having some trouble learning what I could have done different to avert tonight’s DQ.

The DQ occurred on stage 1, which required a loaded, tabled start, surrender position, facing uprange. This is already a dicey arrangement that is not seen in, well, any other shooting competition that I’ve been involved in, but throw in the poor lighting conditions and that stage was a DQ waiting to happen. When facing uprange, I was staring towards a fluorescent light. When I heard the buzzer and turned around to grab my gun, I couldn’t see it because my shadow was falling on it (the shadow was thrown from the uprange light), and my vision had adjusted to the light while I was facing uprange. I saw a black lump vaguely resembling my gun and grabbed for it. My middle finger wound up in the triggerguard, and as I was picking the gun up it went off into the berm. That, of course, earned me a DQ.

My suggestion to the FNS folks is to avoid loaded, tabled starts when lighting conditions are poor. It’s all too easy to wind up with your finger in the triggerguard when you can’t really see your gun. And I shoot a Glock with a 2-lb trigger, so by the time I know my finger is in the wrong place, the gun will have gone off.

Other than that, I had a good time.

Next time, I’m bringing my Ruger MKIII 22 with red-dot. It’s just a better gun all-around when lighting conditions are poor.

 

[Slow Hand]

If you felt it was unsafe, maybe you should have said something, or started the stage with your 2lb triggered gun with an empty chamber. We're here to have fun. Having stuff like this happen can ruin it for all of us. Did anyone else have an ND on this stage?

Doug K

 

[m_deaner]

I dunno. I know that ultimately I am responsible for the ND, but stages should be designed with safety in mind.

Yeah, should have started on an empty chamber.

 

[slow1911s]

I know that ultimately I am responsible for the ND

Taking responsibility is the right thing here. Everyone has the same opportunity to shoot that stage in a safe manner. And, it sounds like, not to single you out...but, everyone else did.

And, loaded gun on the table starts are common in USPSA. There was the better part of a Front Sight article on it with Todd Jarrett a few years ago.

 

[HICKMAN]

Had a good time hobbling around with friends.

Oldest son shot with me as well, his first time and he learned he's not as good a shot as he thought he was

I learned I've got to do a LOT more shooting. Need to get more trigger time on my new gun.


and we had a good laugh on my "turnaround" start on stage one.

 

[rhino]

I'd like to point out that the attempt to ditch me by switching post-FNS meeting locations FAILED! My informant let me know about the switch from BW3 to Union Jack just in time!

 

[Eprobertson1]

You don't know who any of the shooters are? Like the dude in the maroon shirt with the carbine?

Actually, I think ALL the shooters in that video are INGOers.

Sorry Shooter, I didn't recognize you at first viewing of the video. What guns are you shooting?

 

[riverman67]

Sorry I couldn't make it , I had last minute complications
see you all next month

 

[shooter521]

Sorry Shooter, I didn't recognize you at first viewing of the video. What guns are you shooting?

I'm the second guy up (after the guy in the orange shirt; if he's an INGO'er, his screen name escapes me).

After me are bigcraig, opus1776, rhino, HICKMAN, 40calPUNISHER, simon6101, Coach and bwframe

 

[m_deaner]

Taking responsibility is the right thing here. Everyone has the same opportunity to shoot that stage in a safe manner. And, it sounds like, not to single you out...but, everyone else did.

And, loaded gun on the table starts are common in USPSA. There was the better part of a Front Sight article on it with Todd Jarrett a few years ago.

Yes, I am responsible. The problem I have with this is the stage was set up so you had to turn around and fumble with a loaded gun in the dark. I do not think that is safe. Yes, loaded starts are common in USPSA, but I've never seen a loaded start from surrender position facing uprange, and we don't shoot USPSA at night.

My ND is especially scary at a range where one shot over the berm could close the place down. And there isn't even 180-degrees of safe zone at stage one - more like 110 degrees; there are houses to the left.

The only message I'm trying to convey here is that I think loaded, tabled starts are a bad idea at night, especially at the FNS range. I am not trying to say that the stage design is 100% responsible for my ND, but it certainly contributed to it.

 

[BillD]

, or started the stage with your 2lb triggered gun with an empty chamber.

Doug K

Is customized competition equipment frowned upon at FNS?


BTW, I had a great time. Shot like crap and shortstroked that 870 too many times but it was fun.

 

[Slow Hand]

Is customized competition equipment frowned upon at FNS?


BTW, I had a great time. Shot like crap and shortstroked that 870 too many times but it was fun.

not frowned upon at all. they have various calsses for modified guns and those for actory stock guns. I'm just saying that if he knoew his gun had a light trigger and he wasn't comfortable with the stage, he should have spoken up before something bad happened. My springfield has a pretty light trigger, but I made sure I had a good view of my gun before I tried to pick it up.

And yes, you did have a few short strokes, but you smoked me with your 1911! My eyes were blurry all night, due to work, and I realized that I really need a new set of ocntacts. Good vision will not help with the horrible jerking of the trigger, though!! Looks liek I need to shoot quite a bit more before next month if I want to be competitve!

Doug K

 

[Cwood]

I couldn’t believe the crowd that showed up tonight in spite of the rain. My son and I had a good time, as always.
Unfortunately, I had my first match disqualification (DQ) tonight. I’ve heard elsewhere that DQs can be viewed as learning opportunities, and I can understand that in a general sense, but outside of shooting a gun with a manual safety, I’m having some trouble learning what I could have done different to avert tonight’s DQ.

The DQ occurred on stage 1, which required a loaded, tabled start, surrender position, facing uprange. This is already a dicey arrangement that is not seen in, well, any other shooting competition that I’ve been involved in, but throw in the poor lighting conditions and that stage was a DQ waiting to happen. When facing uprange, I was staring towards a fluorescent light. When I heard the buzzer and turned around to grab my gun, I couldn’t see it because my shadow was falling on it (the shadow was thrown from the uprange light), and my vision had adjusted to the light while I was facing uprange. I saw a black lump vaguely resembling my gun and grabbed for it. My middle finger wound up in the triggerguard, and as I was picking the gun up it went off into the berm. That, of course, earned me a DQ.

My suggestion to the FNS folks is to avoid loaded, tabled starts when lighting conditions are poor. It’s all too easy to wind up with your finger in the triggerguard when you can’t really see your gun. And I shoot a Glock with a 2-lb trigger, so by the time I know my finger is in the wrong place, the gun will have gone off.

Other than that, I had a good time.

Next time, I’m bringing my Ruger MKIII 22 with red-dot. It’s just a better gun all-around when lighting conditions are poor.

Matt,

The underlined part of your post is what caused you to DQ. Why would you stare at a light when you know it is darker down range?

 

[m_deaner]

Matt,

The underlined part of your post is what caused you to DQ. Why would you stare at a light when you know it is darker down range?

You have a good point. I suppose I should have closed my eyes when looking uprange.

But really, this isn't an issue of "fault" or "blame". I accept that I ND'ed and it was reasonable to DQ me for it.

I want to see FNS continue. Stages like this increase the chance of a serious accident.

I literally couldn't see the gun.

 

[BrandonM]

Unless he has 5 speedloaders for it, I would suggest he leave it at home. While he may not care about his times, he would be holding the match up for others if he had to manually load the gun each time. Correct me if I'm wrong, but when you say "old .22 revolver" I'm imagining something without a swing-out cylinder.

As you probably realized last night he wasn't able to make it due to the fact he is trying to sell his car and had to meet a potential buyer. Anyway, it does have a swing out cylinder. I believe it is a Ruger Model 94. And I totally understand about the 5 speedloaders. It was fun last night as always!