At some point, you will be running a competitor and they will have some sort of malfunction. And for this post, I am not talking about a squib or a pistol suddenly firing rounds in bursts, which are unsafe ammunition/gun scenarios in which the RO must stop the competitor. I am talking about a malfunction such as a jam, ammo feeding issue, stuck case, or another instance that would not be considered unsafe. As the RO, what do you do?
[Read more…] about The malfunction conundrumArchives for December 2020
Squib Confusion?
Ammunition reloading, whether accomplished on a single-stage press, or a progressive press, or on an auto-drive unit is an enjoyable activity for some and a necessary annoyance for others. Regardless, the end result of that activity can have a significant impact on your match performance (ask me how I know!). A slight user misstep or press malfunction, if not noticed and properly corrected, means the round (or rounds) involved will likely end up being used in a match rather than discovered during a training session.
[Read more…] about Squib Confusion?It’s a small investment compared to everything else
At the 2020 back-to-back nationals I was the Range Master for the zone that had chrono. We really didn’t have any issues with folks not making power factor, but we did have quite a few competitors who had magazines that were too long for their division. What blew me away was that people came to nationals with illegal equipment. In the grand scheme of things, the cost of a mag gauge and a USPSA box is negligible compared to the amount of money we invest in the firearms, magazines, belts, holsters, ammo, match fees, and travel costs. So why do people still show up with illegal equipment?
[Read more…] about It’s a small investment compared to everything elseBe Teachable – You’re Not Always Right
I saw this on a meme on social media and it sort of struck a chord. I get a lot of questions describing a mistake some RO allegedly made at a match, or a declaration by a supposedly knowledgeable RO or local “rules guru” that is completely wrong and not found in the rules, but I have also been guilty of this very thing. Case in point, I was asked recently about a situation where the RM did not disqualify a competitor for being more than 6 feet from a berm and uncasing a PCC. The original sender wasn’t complaining as much as just wanting to know the possible reasons for allowing this. I explained the rule, and then asked, “Who was this? I will try to send him some information and educate him a little bit.” Imagine my chagrin when the original sender said, “Um, well, it was you.” Ope! Once he said that, I remembered the match and circumstances, and I had to admit that yes, per a strict interpretation of the rules, it should have been a DQ, but at the time, he wasn’t pointing the gun at anybody, and was somewhere around 7 feet from the berm or so, with the gun in a cart. And, remembering that match, I was probably distracted by something else at the time. All things considered, it seemed like the right call, and I can’t say I wouldn’t do it exactly the same way again, but I got a little lesson in humility and I haven’t forgotten it.
[Read more…] about Be Teachable – You’re Not Always RightWardrobe malfunction
Holsters, mag pouches, mags full of ammo, and pistols. That adds up to a lot of weight being supported by our belts during matches. But sometimes buckles break, belt webbing fails, or the Velcro between the inner and outer belts gets worn out and belts fail to stay put during a stage. This is a rare occurrence, but something we get asked about often enough to be a Question of the Month: The competitor’s belt falls off while shooting the course of fire. What is your call as the RO?
[Read more…] about Wardrobe malfunction