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Catching ejected cartridge a safety issue?


mfrits

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Not sure if this is the correct place for this question so feel free to redirect me. I hope there are one or two RO's here that can shed some light on this for me. For several years now, as part of my routine for clearing my gun at the end of a USPSA stage, I have been ejecting and stowing my mag and then ejecting the live round from my gun and catching it. I do this by turning the gun 90 degrees on its bore axis and racking the slide. This kicks the live round into the air directly in front of me and allows me to easily catch it with my left hand. I then drop that round in a pocket and rack the slide open again to show a clear chamber. In doing this I do not muzzle sweep myself nor does my gun point at anything other than the backstop. I recently shot a local match and had an RO threaten to DQ me if I did this again. He claimed "I saw a guy shoot himself doing that move once". Since I have been doing this for several years with no other RO objecting, I am thinking this guy may have just been a little up tight. Is there any actual safety issue here or just an RO with a different view on things?

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No, not a safety issue.

Yes, the RO doesn't know what he's talking about. Nothing about this in the rule book.

There is some controversy and many different opinions, though...but still no rule to support banning it.

Also a recent fairly long thread on this topic. A search should find it.

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Funny how the pros you see on T.V. never seem to get that same BS story or the warning, ain't it? Only the average Joe who is supposed to be awed at the expertise of the other competitors... Perhaps this is another "trash talking" issue?

BTW, I personally don't catch. Just sayin.

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News flash: some ROs are d**ks. Put a timer in their hand, & you have second coming right before your eyes. Not much you can do about it but say "yes sir, may I have another." Try not to let it get in your head & mess with your concentration, then he has really succeeded. I think some ROs forget they are there to safely assist the shooter thru the stage, within the rules.

As to the flip & catch, I don't do it. I have seen several ejector fires, & it just isn't worth the risk to look cool. One was a blown up gun, & another needed a Careflight ride to remove shrapnel. But I'd never be a d**ck to someone that does it.

Edited by OPENB
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I have seen several ejector fires, & it just isn't worth the risk to look cool. One was a blown up gun, & another needed a Careflight ride to remove shrapnel. But I'd never be a d**ck to someone that does it.

Thankfully I have never seen one. Are they more likely when covering the ejection port with your hand and slowly racking the slide or when quickly ejecting it up into (hopefully) the air?

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Need to figure out how to do the flip and catch from a PCC!

PCC? Nevermind, I just found it.

I personally don't like scrounging the ground looking for my lost round while the RO runs off and starts incorrectly scoring my targets. I don't like throwing away the round either and the move is is not prohibited so why even bother with the debate. But debate we will.

Edited by frgood
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The problem is not that the pros are treated differently. The problem is with the guy holding the timer applying his own standards rather the rules.

+1!

Exactly right and VERY well said! I wonder how it is these d**s are not "caitlenized" from the RO ranks? If you complain you're a whiner. If you do the "thank you, may I have more" you're done and the registration and all your practice, etc is down the tubes. The people that need to learn (those who may do something unsafe or unwise - which I do not consider this subject to be either) need to be taught correctly, not threatened. Right in the club's recollection is (are) those who have a history of that garbage and yet they are hidden, protected and remain on the line. Sometimes the other competitors even warn you when you come to a stage where one in an RO. To the thousands of GREAT ROs out there "Thank You!!" To you d**s, please go to Wally World and buy a life. We have seen the pros. You ain't them. IMHO, of course...

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I have seen several ejector fires, & it just isn't worth the risk to look cool. One was a blown up gun, & another needed a Careflight ride to remove shrapnel. But I'd never be a d**ck to someone that does it.

Thankfully I have never seen one. Are they more likely when covering the ejection port with your hand and slowly racking the slide or when quickly ejecting it up into (hopefully) the air?

All the ones I know of have been right handed shooters when they cant the ejection port up then rack the slide. If extractor tension is light the round falls off the extractor & down toward the ejector. Sometimes it can go off.

To be fair, the ejector fires I'm familiar with were jam clearing, not ULASC, but the mechanics were the same.

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OP, not everyone holding a clock is a certified RO. Did you ask the "RO" under what rule this would be a DQ? Because a rule has to be cited. You know from the get go, the guy is a clown, if has never seen the catch trick before.

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OP, not everyone holding a clock is a certified RO. Did you ask the "RO" under what rule this would be a DQ? Because a rule has to be cited. You know from the get go, the guy is a clown, if has never seen the catch trick before.

+1

In our RO class, it was demonstrated that some folks 'reach over' the slide when eject the round and this causes the AD as the round is deposited back into the chamber. We took the notice in stride during class. Ironically, the following day some of us witnessed that very occurrence by one of the competitors. Thus, with great confidence, we described what happened to everyone including the 'non-certified' RO at the helm that moment.

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I'm a CRO and I catch my last rd. When a competitors does that as long as they don't break any safety issues I don't care. Such as sweeping, muzzle more than 90 degrees. I've been a ro at nationals and CRO at multiple area matches. At the big matches I let the competitors do whatever they like until I have to stop them. At local I'll worn them if they're close, stop them when they cross line.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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I've never scolded anyone for catching their round unless they seemed more intent on that than their muzzle discipline. When I see people cover the ejection port and eject the round directly into their hand, I will mention the possibility of a detonation from the ejector. Several have said it never occurred to them and thanked me for telling them about it.

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As RO I am not comfortable with the whole flip and catch routine but since it is not forbidden it is allowed until the competitor sweeps him/her self or looses the 180. At that stage I become the messenger of the DQ.

Every action has a reaction.

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