Smoking on the firing line.

[Tjackstephens]

NCOWS does not allow smoking on the firing line. Reason so many shoot black powder. Is there a SASS rule or how is it handled in SASS when you have cap and ball black powder shooters? Tj 

[Camille Eonich]

I'm not sure that I understand what you are asking here. 


I have never, ever seen anyone at a SASS match smoking while either ROing or shooting no matter what type of firearm that a person is shooting.  To smoke while shooting would be careless and to smoke while ROing would be just plain rude and I really don't see how you could do your job as RO if you had a smoking apparatus in one hand.


It's never been an issue.

[Tjackstephens]

Sorry, I did not make myself clear. I am talking about anyone on the posse that might be around the cap and ball shooters while he is charging his revolvers. A person shooting a cap and ball loads his revolvers before the next stage and then puts the caps on the nipples at the loading table. It would only be common sense not to smoke around where he is charging his revolvers, but is there a rule?  Tj

[Pettifogger]

SASS has no rule.  While I totally agree with Camille, I have seen several cigar smokers puffing away during a stage and while ROing.  Have seen cigarette smokers smoking while spotting and picking up brass.

[maarty]

Part of the reason I went with CAS at our club is that so many of us do smoke and no one tries to tell you that you can't smoke at club days, of course we all have a few brain cells so none of us smoke round the guys who do shoot C&B especially when they are loading. None of us smoke in the clubhouse or in the sheds etc, only outside.
We have one old guy whos knees play up so he doesn't pick brass or reset targets, his job instead is to roll smokes for us while we do those things lol.

[Bugscuffle]

I used to smoke. In fact i smoked or about 40 years, but one day i just threw them away, quit cold turkey, and haven't touched one since. I t doesn't much matter to me if someone else smokes as long as it's downwind from me, but I do not like the smell of it from either cigar or cigarettes. I will continue to make my displeasure known to those smokers that do not consider the feelings of us non-smokers.

[LoneRider]

Don't bother me...Does the smell of gunpowder bother you?..how about Black Power.?..worse than tobacco!!

[maarty]

I used to smoke. In fact i smoked or about 40 years, but one day i just threw them away, quit cold turkey, and haven't touched one since. I t doesn't much matter to me if someone else smokes as long as it's downwind from me, but I do not like the smell of it from either cigar or cigarettes. I will continue to make my displeasure known to those smokers that do not consider the feelings of us non-smokers.

Well that's one of the obvious things I did forget to mention (cause I do it without thinking) doesn't take much to figure out which way the wind's blowing and stand downwind of anyone who doesn't smoke, it's just plain courtesy.

[Tjackstephens]

You know Black Powder does not bother me, fact is I like it. It's just that I have an allergy to cig. smoke. That's not why I brought this up though. I was considering the safety of the folks on the firing line with someone shooting a cap and ball revolver and charging it with black powder and some smoking in the area. I had searched the SASS handbook of rules and found none covering this. Just wondering how different areas and clubs handled it. Some very good imput from you all, thanks. Tj

[Lumpy Grits]

Were outside for heavens shakes.......
I smoke cigars and shoot BP. Yes I smoke at the shoots and so does a whole bunch of folks.
We shoot BP and somedangbusybody "cries" about cigar smoke Give me a break and a Fuente 858
Cheers,
LG

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

A whole bunch of years ago I was minding the loading table when a shooter was charging his C&B revolvers with powder out of a flask. A guy came up to the loading table right next to him puffing on a cigar. I stopped everything right then and there and told the guy with the cigar to step away from the table. RIGHT NOW! He came back a minute later without the cigar, looking a little bit sheepish. I just think he did not see what was happening at the table when he stepped up.

Other than that, I have never seen a safety problem with smoking and guns. Not a problem with cartridges.

These days, most C&B shooters around here charge their pistols with powder and ball at their carts. They cap them at the table. So I have not seen this problem again.

[Modoc]

I have seen the same thing as Driftwood.  The majority of C&B shooters either load at their carts or they go to an EMPTY loading table (between posses) and load. 

Now, I WILL ask a smoker to stand down wind of me if my asthma is acting up.  There is nothing scarier than starting a stage and have an attack hit as you go to pull out a pistol.  It is a REAL show stopper.  As long as the smoking shooter is polite and safe about how they smoke, I have no problem with it. 

This is also why I carry two types of ammo to any match, if the asthma kicks up, I quit shooting BP and go back to smokeless.  Of course, it really messes with the score keeper .

[Camille Eonich]

SASS has no rule.  While I totally agree with Camille, I have seen several cigar smokers puffing away during a stage and while ROing.  Have seen cigarette smokers smoking while spotting and picking up brass.

If someone is smoking while ROing they should be asked to either put out there smoke or hand over the timer.  What if there was an emergency and they needed both hands quickly not to mention that their focus should be on the shooter.


Spotters don't bother me so much as they aren't usually as close to the shooter and should have time to throw their smoke down if they need to.  They just don't need to be puffing when they should be watching targets.

And ditto on what Modoc and Driftwood said.  The C&B shooters are usually very quick to say I'm loading here take your smoke some where else.   

[Lumpy Grits]

If someone is smoking while ROing they should be asked to either put out there smoke or hand over the timer.  What if there was an emergency and they needed both hands quickly not to mention that their focus should be on the shooter.

What if I'm holding a bottle of water.....Do I have to turn that over too
As an RO2, I have NEVER had anyone say anything to me when I'm the T/O and have had a cigar going, because I will hold it behind my back etc. so it doesn't become an issue.
This is just NOT an issue, IF you use your brain.......
Gotta go, UPS is here with my new bx of Fuente's 
Respectfully,
LG

[wildman1]

If someone is smoking while ROing they should be asked to either put out there smoke or hand over the timer.  What if there was an emergency and they needed both hands quickly not to mention that their focus should be on the shooter.   

[Lumpy Grits]

And just why do you think my "focus" is NOT on the shooter.
When I had to, I had no issue with dropping the timer and cigar to help a shooter having issues that need that level of help. It's NOT my first day
This is turning into an anti-smoking issue and has not-one-dang-thing to do with shooting.
Cheers,
LG

[Camille Eonich]

This is turning into an anti-smoking issue and has not-one-dang-thing to do with shooting.
Cheers,
LG

It's not about smoking it's about being a good RO.  It's pretty simple really, if you want to smoke then just take a break from ROing for a few or lay your cigar down while the shooter is shooting.  It's common courtesy to give the shooter your undivided attention and it's your job as an RO.  When you have people shooting 15 and 20 second stages, if they need assistance dropping the cigar is just one more thing that you have to do before you can handle the problem.

In addition I'm sure that most that do not smoke would appreciate not having your smoke drifting into their eyes as they are trying to shoot. Really can you not do without having a cigar in your hand for the 30 seconds that it takes to run a shooter through a stage?  Especially so at a large match when someone may have invested hundreds of dollars in attending and are looking forward to a good finish.

Even when I smoked like a freight train I attempted not inconvenience others with my smoke.  Especially when smoking cigars.  It's easy enough to do, if you are standing upwind of someone while you are smoking and talking with them to move downwind if you notice you are smoking them out.  In return since I no longer smoke I'll just quietly and  politely move upwind of you if you are smoking and don't notice that you are smoking me out.  It's common courtesy and there is far too little of it left in the world today.

Now that you have got me started let me add, please don't throw your butts all over the range.

[Lumpy Grits]

So, this HAS turned into an anti-smoking PC-issue. Surprise-Surprise
Like I said.....NO ONE has EVER said a thing to me about my "sticks". EXCEPT, where to buy'em
Sounds like your on some kind of X-smoker mission, so be it. It's a "FREE" country
OH-BTW, Cigars are organic and the leaves(butt)like the ash break down PDQ. NOT like cig. butts that "live" forever....
Now, I have to go and pick out some cigars I want to take and get ready for the shoot this weekend So take care and keep on preaching.
Cheers,
LG

[Camille Eonich]

Whatever Lumpy, I mean you are the only person on this earth that matters right.

[Lumpy Grits]

Whatever Lumpy, I mean you are the only person on this earth that matters right.

That IS a two-way street, isn't it 
Cheers,
LG