Range Commands / RO communications

[deacon12224]

A wise old RM once told me that if you want to chit chat with the shooter, you should do it face to face. Once you assume the position behind the shooter, you need to stick with the official commands. If you want to say, "Range is going hot", step in front of the shooter, look at the crowd and say it. I think most shooters are conditioned to get in "game mode" once they are at the start position and the RO steps around behind them. Body position and tone of voice can be just as important as what you say.

Same thing applies when you have a shooter loaded at the line and someone realizes they need to paint some steel or tape a target. Just step in front of the shooter and chat face to face until they get back from downrange. No need for any weird acrobatics.

At the Florida Open this year, nearly half of the 400 shooters were from other countries and most did not have a great grasp of English. Some of them were beng so careful that even after "Make Ready" they would still use hand motions to ask if it was ok to load up.

Edited March 23, 2012 by deacon12224

[lugnut]

Ok so I'll rock the boat a little. I'm an IDPA SO that has also become a USPSA RO in recent years. I play both games although historically I had shot/SO'd much more IDPA but I know what the USPA rules are. However the IDPA rules come to me almost subconsciously- sometimes I don't even realize what I've said to be honest- first and foremost I'm watching the shooter/gun. So yeah, when I run USPSA I occasionally use the wrong commands- damn it's hard to not say Slide Down! Hell I also use USPSA commands by mistake in IDPA sometimes.

I can understand that shooters are often times anal, I know I am, but I don't care if a volunteer gives me a Make Ready or a Are You Ready command. Standby is what I pay attention too. In a perfect world the MD would have access to plenty of wonderfully friendly and knowledgeable ROs- this isn't' always the case. Flame suite ON.

[aztecdriver]

Most of these situations can be addressed by proper stage management, not just giving the commands. I want 3 RO's minimum on my stages as CRO. Why? 1. Running Shooters and scoring ALL day without a break is A LOT of work, especially in the summer months in the South East. 2., a third set of eyes beyond scoring keeps order on things, 3. Paperwork is still a part of the match, and needs to be addressed. Things move faster and more efficiently when you have someone working the "backline", as I call it.

In the situations listed above, the timer RO runs the "frontline". Range Commands, shooter, Safety (all are responsible for safety, so let's not dig into minutia). 2. Score keeper tracks the "extra" stuff during the run and after scoring is complete, supervises reset of the stage. 3. The third guy situates the order, keeps an eye on the gallery and helps communicate with any other staff that need to address the stage (RM asks a question, needs to talk to the CRO, ask a question about an issue with a score ) and keeps these necessary things from disturbing the flow of the stage. In these situations, if you are concerned about "eyes and ears" or "Range is going hot" or saying ANYTHING to the squad like "next shooter to the line", the third RO can orchestrate it and not permit the confusion of the timer guy saying ANYTHING.

We had an unloaded start on our stage with staged magazines. The "backline" guy helped remind the "next shooter" to stage their magazines while we were scoring so when pasting was complete - we didn't have to wait for him (or her) to get those organized before or during "Make Ready". Timer RO could stand there at the table - when it was time to move - motion with their hand slightly and then issue "make ready".

There are ways to achieve the same things people are concerned with around safety and communication with the shooter and to do so with avoiding confusion and unnecessary issues. I call it SRM - Stage Resource Management. There's no confusing whether "Make Ready" was given if the timer RO had said nothing and the guy at the table says "Eyes and Ears, y'all".

Also, The acknowledgement of "are you ready" IS doing nothing. I usually give a quick nod just to get on with it. If I see a shooter nod - there's no waiting (outside of the obligatory 1-4 seconds between standby and the timer, which, we need to be conscious of because I saw several instances of sub second starts there). They want to get to it. We should help them get to it. After are you ready, you should only give enough time for a possible physical response to start to the command, and then move on. The rules are setup so a shooter can maintain their concentration without having to interact with the RO and we should respect that. My signal to the RO that I am ready to go is dropping my hand from the gun. This is clear - when my hand is on my gun, they can't start me and I am not ready. There are those that will raise their hand a few times to the gun to make sure it hasn't left their side - but most times it's very clear when they are done.

My biggest issue with shooters is those that are still fidgeting and moving about - but "Are Ready". The are waiting for the command but still shuffling their feet, moving their head around looking at targets. Sometimes they "cock and lock" at "are you ready". After they are done moving, i'll again ask - "are you ready"? It's not creeping, it's not after standby - I just take it as they weren't really ready and now they are. I try and educate those shooter as well - hopefully it will save them a penalty in the future.

[IronEqualizer]

If this was the biggest complaint from the match then I think we did pretty well. Our ROs were all NROI certified and carried the same credentials as any other RO. I personally attached the range commands to all of our timers several years ago but we failed to let the ROs know that if they had a question that the commands could be found there. We will make a note to ensure that this gets corrected. I would really hope that you guys also took time to thank the ROs for working the match, unless the improper range commands is what directly caused you to have a bad experience or poor performance on a given stage. Also if you can find the time to post in this thread I would also hope that you can take the time to thank the sponsors for supporting our sport. We learn something new each year, and each year we will do our best to improve so that you guys may have the best possible match experience. I appreciate all that attended and supported USPSA at East Alabama Gun Club.

[Schutzenmeister]

Actually it was. I can't point to the exact time frame, but I started ROing in 88 and sometime in that time frame "slide down-hammer down" was part of the official range commands. Things change over time though, such as "load and make ready" is now simply "make ready".

As NROI became official and the rules started to be refined, things like slide down were dropped since it was really hard to hammer down with that darn slide in the way.

The question "do you understand the course of fire" was an attempt to build in some insurance from a shooter who screwed the pooch and then cried "I didn't understand, nobody told me, bla bla bla".

Sometimes things were winged. The MD at one of the Nationals instructed us to not allow loaded sight picures. I asked what rule I could refer to if challenged, and was told "it is my match and I said so". So, often things were inserted into range commands or rules were sort of "made up" so to speak in the old days. Heck sometimes rules are still made up

Gary

I more than happily yield to your longer-term memory ... If nothing else, it's an acknowledgement that you're an older fart than I am!

The point that I guess I'm trying to make is that AT LEAST since the 1995 book, "slide forward" has not been part of the lexicon. We really SHOULD be out of that habit by now. I know several folks in my local club who keep trying to use that ... Despite the fact our club didn't even START shooting USPSA until 1999! Arnie taught the first class they had in 2000 and I think I can guarantee he didn't teach them that phrase!

And in a side note to the Iron Equalizer ... I'd have to agree: If this is the BIGGEST problem y'all faced, ya had a good match!

[Sarge]

A few things

I thought this thread was about telling the Alabama RO's how good of a job they did so I was going to ignore it since I did not shoot the match.

Yes this is a volunteer sport and I offer to help whenever I can and I'm glad others do as well. I appreciate their efforts but this does not excuse giving incorrect range commands. My thought is that if you can't get a simple range command right how in the world are you going to be any good at scoring close calls, or dealing with gamers who want to push the limits of start positions etc. Range commands are the easiest thing we do when we RO.

"going hot", I'll be totally honest, is the dumbest damn thing I have ever heard. If you are shooting a USPSA match and you hear "make ready" what do you think that means? You better know what it means. Worrying about other shooters is not your job as an RO. NOBODY should ever have their glasses off at any time on an active range ANYWHERE! As for ears, look around and watch people who are talking pop their muffs down when they hear "stand by". It only takes one shot to teach me to pay better attention.

As for commands and rules changing over the years, or decades it seems, RO's need to stay current. Period. Gary Stevens is no spring chicken and has been around for quite a few "updates" and he took great pride in making sure we knew EXACTLY what to say and do as RO's when he taught us.

I for one may come off as rude when I RO, especially when I don't know the guy shooting. I sometimes wonder if any Benos members have walked away thinking I was a dick after ROing them at a major. When you come to the line I will rarely say anything other than the correct range commands. As a matter of fact if I find it necessary to talk to a shooter, especially after"make ready" I will gently put my hand on their shoulder before saying a word.

[twodownzero]

Worrying about other shooters is not your job as an RO.

Sorry Sarge but I have to disagree with you here. Safety is the primary reason for having Range Officers. I try to make it a habit to look down range and "worry" about other shooters as part of my routine. And yes, it's part of an RO's job to do so.

Individual responsibility is the "rule," but range officers are the second line of defense. It's our job to check the range before issuing "make ready."

Separately in response to this thread, if you utter anything to me other than the official range commands at a major match, expect to hear about it from me, probably right then and there. It is the responsibility of every range officer, especially at a major tournament, to use only the official range commands to shooters on the line. There is absolutely no excuse for an RO at a major match to not know, memorize, and use the proper range commands. We should have zero tolerance for that.

Personally, I find it extraordinary unprofessional when I see a video on Youtube of an RO at a major match not using the proper range commands. It reflects poorly on all NROI-certified Range Officers if something as simple as the range commands didn't sink in from our training.

And I don't think anyone thinks you're a dick, Kevin. You come across as a really nice guy. So much so, in fact, that I would have never guessed you were a 1SG!

Edited March 23, 2012 by twodownzero

[IronEqualizer]

A few things

I thought this thread was about telling the Alabama RO's how good of a job they did so I was going to ignore it since I did not shoot the match.

Yes this is a volunteer sport and I offer to help whenever I can and I'm glad others do as well. I appreciate their efforts but this does not excuse giving incorrect range commands. My thought is that if you can't get a simple range command right how in the world are you going to be any good at scoring close calls, or dealing with gamers who want to push the limits of start positions etc. Range commands are the easiest thing we do when we RO.

"going hot", I'll be totally honest, is the dumbest damn thing I have ever heard. If you are shooting a USPSA match and you hear "make ready" what do you think that means? You better know what it means. Worrying about other shooters is not your job as an RO. NOBODY should ever have their glasses off at any time on an active range ANYWHERE! As for ears, look around and watch people who are talking pop their muffs down when they hear "stand by". It only takes one shot to teach me to pay better attention.

As for commands and rules changing over the years, or decades it seems, RO's need to stay current. Period. Gary Stevens is no spring chicken and has been around for quite a few "updates" and he took great pride in making sure we knew EXACTLY what to say and do as RO's when he taught us.

I for one may come off as rude when I RO, especially when I don't know the guy shooting. I sometimes wonder if any Benos members have walked away thinking I was a dick after ROing them at a major. When you come to the line I will rarely say anything other than the correct range commands. As a matter of fact if I find it necessary to talk to a shooter, especially after"make ready" I will gently put my hand on their shoulder before saying a word.

I do not want any of our ROs chit chatting at the line but coming off as a "DICK" at the line is even worse. Sarge, these aren't recruits. We are in this for fun. ROs should be respectful, use the proper commands, and are there to ensure the safety and integrity of the match. Being a good RO has nothing to do with being a dick and I don't see where coming off as rude makes anyone a good RO or is good for the sport especially where new shooters are concerned.

[JakeMartens]

Again, something needs to be clear here.......

The RO can say "Range is going hot," "Do you understand the course of fire," and/or "Did you have coffee this morning?" The RO can say anything he wants PRIOR TO and AFTER the official range commands have been given.

So anything before "Make Read" and after "Range is Clear," is not a part of the range commands and thus isn't something to be confused as such.

Sorry but that is incorrect.

If you are the Range Officer on a stage there is the specific set of range commands to follow, and there is nothing that needs to be added to them.

If you are saying anything else in regards to actions on the range/stage you are incorrect. There are very specific reason for this.

If you are saying "Range going hot" "understand course of fire" those are commands and they do not belong on a stage at a USPSA match.

It is not like we are asking people to learn a paragraph of information

“Make Ready”

“Are You Ready?”

“Standby”

“Stop”

“If You Are Finished, Unload And Show Clear”

“If Clear, Hammer Down, Holster”

“Range Is Clear”

The sequence in which they are given is important because it starts and stops when other rules become enforced.

[Sarge]

I do worry about shooter's being back from down range. That is a given and part of being a good RO is being the last man to clear the stage. But I am not going to play nurse maid and worry about who does not have their muffs on.

As for being a dick I thought I was pretty clear. When you come to the line is not the time for us to catch up on the latest goings on on the forums! It's time for me to facilitate you negotiating the stage in a safe and enjoyable manner.

We can talk about puppies or whatever after we shoot.

Edited March 23, 2012 by Sarge

[ima45dv8]

I did edit the thread title to reflect a more general discussion as these issues arise at many, many matches.

=========================

I wasn't able to attend this year due to conflicts with work, but hope to make it next year. The good folks at EAGC do an great job with their matches and have sponsored more than one RO class in the last couple of years to ensure they have properly trained staff for the Sectional match.

While I often ask an RO to repeat Make Ready if I'm not 100% certain of what I heard due to being double-plugged, I easily transition between the role of RM, where I eagerly hope that all of the RO's deliver the range commands exactly, and that of a competitor who just goes with the flow of what I hear between "Make Ready" and "Range is Clear". When I'm shooting I don't plan to let things like, slide forward...drop the slide...drop the hammer...holster up...etc. to derail my day.

[justaute]

Mark -- good call on editing the thread title. Thanks. Nice discussion here.

I did edit the thread title to reflect a more general discussion as these issues arise at many, many matches.

=========================

I wasn't able to attend this year due to conflicts with work, but hope to make it next year. The good folks at EAGC do an great job with their matches and have sponsored more than one RO class in the last couple of years to ensure they have properly trained staff for the Sectional match.

While I often ask an RO to repeat Make Ready if I'm not 100% certain of what I heard due to being double-plugged, I easily transition between the role of RM, where I eagerly hope that all of the RO's deliver the range commands exactly, and that of a competitor who just goes with the flow of what I hear between "Make Ready" and "Range is Clear". When I'm shooting I don't plan to let things like, slide forward...drop the slide...drop the hammer...holster up...etc. to derail my day.

[Strick]

Again, something needs to be clear here.......

The RO can say "Range is going hot," "Do you understand the course of fire," and/or "Did you have coffee this morning?" The RO can say anything he wants PRIOR TO and AFTER the official range commands have been given.

So anything before "Make Read" and after "Range is Clear," is not a part of the range commands and thus isn't something to be confused as such.

Sorry but that is incorrect.

If you are the Range Officer on a stage there is the specific set of range commands to follow, and there is nothing that needs to be added to them.

If you are saying anything else in regards to actions on the range/stage you are incorrect. There are very specific reason for this.

If you are saying "Range going hot" "understand course of fire" those are commands and they do not belong on a stage at a USPSA match.

It is not like we are asking people to learn a paragraph of information

“Make Ready”

“Are You Ready?”

“Standby”

“Stop”

“If You Are Finished, Unload And Show Clear”

“If Clear, Hammer Down, Holster”

“Range Is Clear”

The sequence in which they are given is important because it starts and stops when other rules become enforced.

If the "make ready" and "range is clear" is what starts and stops the enforcement of the rules and the beginning and end of the stage then what the RO says before and after that is not relevant. Saying a RO caused you to draw your gun because he said "range is going hot" seems a bit disingenuous.

If you are going by that strict a usage of range commands then the RO would be required to remain silent the whole match, other than the approved range commands, because someone might draw their gun if they heard him/her say potato salad while talking about lunch.

[Skydiver]

Although, I prefer to stick strictly to the range commands, there is a case when I break away from them (other than for multi-string CoF's).

The exception is when the shooter has gotten into the start position and I say "Are You Ready?". If I get a positive response, I move on to "Standby". If don't get a response, I wait about a second, and then move on to "Standby". If during the 1-4 seconds before I hit the buzzer, the shooter shifts their feet, or twitches, but not necessarily creeping under 10.2.6, I say "I'm sorry, let's try this again. <Pause> Are you ready?". I know that it breaks from the established range commands, but I'd rather not get the competitor's adrenaline pumping and their mind wondering what did I do wrong if I say "Stop". I want to help the competitor stay focused on the course they are attempting, but I'd also like to give everybody an equitable start. (If I observe that during "Make Ready" that the shooter obviously has tremors, I don't go through this exception.)

[lugnut]

I did edit the thread title to reflect a more general discussion as these issues arise at many, many matches.

=========================

I wasn't able to attend this year due to conflicts with work, but hope to make it next year. The good folks at EAGC do an great job with their matches and have sponsored more than one RO class in the last couple of years to ensure they have properly trained staff for the Sectional match.

While I often ask an RO to repeat Make Ready if I'm not 100% certain of what I heard due to being double-plugged, I easily transition between the role of RM, where I eagerly hope that all of the RO's deliver the range commands exactly, and that of a competitor who just goes with the flow of what I hear between "Make Ready" and "Range is Clear". When I'm shooting I don't plan to let things like, slide forward...drop the slide...drop the hammer...holster up...etc. to derail my day.

+1 I'm with you here. I'm focused on what I need to do at the buzzer! Plenty of things have distracted me just before the "Are you ready?" and it's not usually the RO commands. If so I simply respond "No" and take another sec or two...

[sperman]

Again, something needs to be clear here.......

The RO can say "Range is going hot," "Do you understand the course of fire," and/or "Did you have coffee this morning?" The RO can say anything he wants PRIOR TO and AFTER the official range commands have been given.

So anything before "Make Read" and after "Range is Clear," is not a part of the range commands and thus isn't something to be confused as such.

Sorry but that is incorrect.

If you are the Range Officer on a stage there is the specific set of range commands to follow, and there is nothing that needs to be added to them.

If you are saying anything else in regards to actions on the range/stage you are incorrect. There are very specific reason for this.

If you are saying "Range going hot" "understand course of fire" those are commands and they do not belong on a stage at a USPSA match.

It is not like we are asking people to learn a paragraph of information

"Make Ready"

"Are You Ready?"

"Standby"

"Stop"

"If You Are Finished, Unload And Show Clear"

"If Clear, Hammer Down, Holster"

"Range Is Clear"

The sequence in which they are given is important because it starts and stops when other rules become enforced.

If the "make ready" and "range is clear" is what starts and stops the enforcement of the rules and the beginning and end of the stage then what the RO says before and after that is not relevant. Saying a RO caused you to draw your gun because he said "range is going hot" seems a bit disingenuous.

If you are going by that strict a usage of range commands then the RO would be required to remain silent the whole match, other than the approved range commands, because someone might draw their gun if they heard him/her say potato salad while talking about lunch.

Hypothetical, but not unreasonable scenario.

At stage 1 the RO tells the shooter "Make it hot." Shooter understands what he really meant was "make ready." The shooter also has in the back of his mind that maybe the RO staff at this match isn't up on proper range commands.

At stage 2 the RO tells the crowd "we're going hot." Since the shooter is double plugged, he thinks he has another RO who just told him to "Make it hot" and draws his gun.

As has been said several times in this thread. The RO should use the proper range commands, and ONLY the proper range commands. If the squad is milling around at the scoring table, feel free to have all of the conversation you want. If the shooter is near the start position, the only words out of your mouth should be "Make Ready."

[Sarge]

Again, something needs to be clear here.......

The RO can say "Range is going hot," "Do you understand the course of fire," and/or "Did you have coffee this morning?" The RO can say anything he wants PRIOR TO and AFTER the official range commands have been given.

So anything before "Make Read" and after "Range is Clear," is not a part of the range commands and thus isn't something to be confused as such.

Sorry but that is incorrect.

If you are the Range Officer on a stage there is the specific set of range commands to follow, and there is nothing that needs to be added to them.

If you are saying anything else in regards to actions on the range/stage you are incorrect. There are very specific reason for this.

If you are saying "Range going hot" "understand course of fire" those are commands and they do not belong on a stage at a USPSA match.

It is not like we are asking people to learn a paragraph of information

"Make Ready"

"Are You Ready?"

"Standby"

"Stop"

"If You Are Finished, Unload And Show Clear"

"If Clear, Hammer Down, Holster"

"Range Is Clear"

The sequence in which they are given is important because it starts and stops when other rules become enforced.

If the "make ready" and "range is clear" is what starts and stops the enforcement of the rules and the beginning and end of the stage then what the RO says before and after that is not relevant. Saying a RO caused you to draw your gun because he said "range is going hot" seems a bit disingenuous.

If you are going by that strict a usage of range commands then the RO would be required to remain silent the whole match, other than the approved range commands, because someone might draw their gun if they heard him/her say potato salad while talking about lunch.

Hypothetical, but not unreasonable scenario.

At stage 1 the RO tells the shooter "Make it hot." Shooter understands what he really meant was "make ready." The shooter also has in the back of his mind that maybe the RO staff at this match isn't up on proper range commands.

At stage 2 the RO tells the crowd "we're going hot." Since the shooter is double plugged, he thinks he has another RO who just told him to "Make it hot" and draws his gun.

As has been said several times in this thread. The RO should use the proper range commands, and ONLY the proper range commands. If the squad is milling around at the scoring table, feel free to have all of the conversation you want. If the shooter is near the start position, the only words out of your mouth should be "Make Ready."

Amen! And not at all an unreasonable scenario.

[Nik Habicht]

I understand 8.3.2. I understand that it is suggested. My question is why would it not be mandatory to respond in the affirmative?

Think about if you were in a hospital bed in a coma and the Dr. said, "I am going to take you off of life support, ok? Don't worry, no response is the same as a response in the affirmative.".

I realize that it isn't the same thing, but due to the rather serious and dangerous nature of our sport, I wouldn't think it would be out of the question to require a response.

Those are two very different situations. Basically as the RO you don't want to affect the competitor's attempt at the stage. Competing successfully has both physical and mental components -- and different folks have different levels of tolerance to "chatter."

Clearly you can't R.O. without speaking to the competitor. The idea is to balance that -- to have the RO say exactly what is required to safely start and stop the competitor's attempt, no more, and no less.

The competitor already heard your "Make Ready" command. He prepped his gear, and assumed the required start position. You ask "Are you Ready" to confirm that he is -- creating an opportunity for him to say something if he's not ready. Absent such a comment you proceed with the countdown to the beep....

[Nik Habicht]

Chris,

I was the RO you approached and I did appreciate the "constructive criticism" and the way you did it, it was thoughtful and well intentioned. The one question I have is, I know "Range is going Hot" is not a valid range command, however safety is a priority so how do you prepare the other squad members, spectators, etc. for the beginning of a COF without some sort of announcment. I for one, sometimes tip my ear protection up when taping and or scoring and you sometimes forget and get disracted, so hearing "Range going Hot" reminds you to put your ears on. looking to learn, that was my first major match, and had a great time shooting and RO'ing!

John

The squad, and the staff, at a major at least will hear "Make Ready" as well and understand that it's about to get noisy.....

No real need to add to that....

[Nik Habicht]

Again, my question is not how the rule is written or the definition of "ready".

What about the guys that take their hand off the gun, assume the position, then proceed to practice grabbing the gun two or three times? It can get annoying if you are asking each time if they are ready.

I am going to continue giving a simple head nod when the question is asked. Guess what? I plan that head nod into my routine and it doesn't screw me up in the least to do so.

And that's great if it works for you. I'll be happy not to nod -- because where it does it stop? With the next RO, who wants a verbal acknowledgement?

Officiating is an art -- so yes, I wait a beat after the hand comes off the gun to make sure I'm not asking the question too soon, i.e. in the middle of a handmotion back to the gun.

Different competitors have different routines -- letting them follow theirs within the rules is the basis for good officiating....

[Nik Habicht]

Again, something needs to be clear here.......

The RO can say "Range is going hot," "Do you understand the course of fire," and/or "Did you have coffee this morning?" The RO can say anything he wants PRIOR TO and AFTER the official range commands have been given.

So anything before "Make Read" and after "Range is Clear," is not a part of the range commands and thus isn't something to be confused as such.

True ... But in so doing it HAS happened that the shooter misunderstood what the RO said and THOUGHT he was told to Make Ready. This is especially problematic on noisy ranges and/or with shooters whose first language is not English. (BTW - That's NOT a crime!)

Ideally if an RO is going to say anything other than the range commands at the beginning, he's standing directly in front of the competitor when he does it -- not alongside/behind the competitor....

[Schutzenmeister]

Ideally if an RO is going to say anything other than the range commands at the beginning, he's standing directly in front of the competitor when he does it -- not alongside/behind the competitor....

Amen ... And woe unto the shooter who draws his gun to load it while I'm standing IN FRONT of him!!! (I've never actually found a shooter quite THAT brain-dead!)

[ima45dv8]

Officiating is an art -- so yes, I wait a beat after the hand comes off the gun to make sure I'm not asking the question too soon, i.e. in the middle of a handmotion back to the gun.

Different competitors have different routines -- letting them follow theirs within the rules is the basis for good officiating....

Very well said, Nik.

[ima45dv8]

Ideally if an RO is going to say anything other than the range commands at the beginning, he's standing directly in front of the competitor when he does it -- not alongside/behind the competitor....

Amen ... And woe unto the shooter who draws his gun to load it while I'm standing IN FRONT of him!!! (I've never actually found a shooter quite THAT brain-dead!)

Yeah. In my experience, I've stood directly in front of fire-breathing competitors who were cocked-and-locked and ready to rock, and had very pleasant, congenial chats about....other things. I haven't yet had anyone try to draw their blaster with me at their 12:00. I picked up that tactic from Flexmoney right here on these forums.

Deacon12224 said an old RM trained him that way. Who the hell is he calling OLD???

[aztecdriver]

Deacon12224 said an old RM trained him that way. Who the hell is he calling OLD???

I'm sure he's referring to the experience level - not the actual age, my friend.