Lawrence Ma Rod & Gun Club Pin Shoots

[otasan]

Beware. Their website invites the public to their 3rd Saturday of the Month pin shoots. BUT, if you are capable of shooting five pins with five shots at 50(!)feet, they are going to start dumping on you.

I drove 100 miles from Lebanon, NH down to their nice range, and it wasn't a half an hour until they added 3 pins to my tables, and then started taking rounds out of my magazines.

I was VERY GOOD about it. I just love shooting pins, no matter how much of a challenge it is.

After an hour undefeated, they just told me to sit down and not shoot. On a nice, sunny 16April2005, I had better things to do than just watch pin shooting. I left. For the first time in 27 years of competition handgun shooting, I was made to feel very unwelcome at a public shooting event. I did NOTHING to deserve it, except, perhaps, to shoot well.

And no, I wasn't using a $2000 pin gun and prancing around doing the "Rocky" dance. I was setting pins and staying safe. I was friendly, humble, and helpful. My firearm was a Springfield Armory M1911A1 .45 ACP uncomped with iron sights.

Envy is such an evil sin.

Also, they DO NOT ensure that the just-fired handguns are unloaded and safe before they send the pinsetters downrange. I witnessed a shooter leave an S&W .45 autopistol with its slide locked back over a LOADED magazine on the firing line table as the pin setters went downrange.

All it takes is one ND wounding or death, and that club is history.

[Cuz]

Beware. Their website invites the public to their 3rd Saturday of the Month pin shoots. BUT, if you are capable of shooting five pins with five shots at 50(!)feet, they are going to start dumping on you.

Also, they DO NOT ensure that the just-fired handguns are unloaded and safe before they send the pinsetters downrange. I witnessed a shooter leave an S&W .45 autopistol with its slide locked back over a LOADED magazine on the firing line table as the pin setters went downrange.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Note to self. Stay out of Lawrence, MA shoots. Thanks for the info. Glad I didn't make the 70 mile trek up from Seekonk. I don't have to worry about clearing the pins because I'm not that good. But, I want no part of an unsafe match.

LC.

[10mmdave]

Beware. Their website invites the public to their 3rd Saturday of the Month pin shoots. BUT, if you are capable of shooting five pins with five shots at 50(!)feet, they are going to start dumping on you.

Also, they DO NOT ensure that the just-fired handguns are unloaded and safe before they send the pinsetters downrange. I witnessed a shooter leave an S&W .45 autopistol with its slide locked back over a LOADED magazine on the firing line table as the pin setters went downrange.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Note to self. Stay out of Lawrence, MA shoots. Thanks for the info. Glad I didn't make the 70 mile trek up from Seekonk. I don't have to worry about clearing the pins because I'm not that good. But, I want no part of an unsafe match.

LC.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Otsan, sorry that happened, I remember another club that did that to you years ago (can't remember the name)

Mass Rifle in Woburn MA. is starting outdoor pin shoots in couple weeks,

basicly the 4th Sunday of the month.

Here's there web site http://www.massrifle.com/

I know it's a drive from Lebanon but we shoot tiered steel tables and no extra pins

or added time.

[GTOSHootr]

otasan,

I've never heard of such behavior. However, I second the recommendation of Mass Rifle. If I could find the time, I’d make the trip up there whenever I could. The shooters couldn’t be nicer and more welcoming. I’ve heard 10mmdave kicks butt up there, and I know hdgun and PMD do too.

Steve

[otasan]

Beware. Their website invites the public to their 3rd Saturday of the Month pin shoots. BUT, if you are capable of shooting five pins with five shots at 50(!)feet, they are going to start dumping on you.

Also, they DO NOT ensure that the just-fired handguns are unloaded and safe before they send the pinsetters downrange. I witnessed a shooter leave an S&W .45 autopistol with its slide locked back over a LOADED magazine on the firing line table as the pin setters went downrange.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Note to self. Stay out of Lawrence, MA shoots. Thanks for the info. Glad I didn't make the 70 mile trek up from Seekonk. I don't have to worry about clearing the pins because I'm not that good. But, I want no part of an unsafe match.

LC.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Otsan, sorry that happened, I remember another club that did that to you years ago (can't remember the name)

Mass Rifle in Woburn MA. is starting outdoor pin shoots in couple weeks,

basicly the 4th Sunday of the month.

Here's there web site http://www.massrifle.com/

I know it's a drive from Lebanon but we shoot tiered steel tables and no extra pins

or added time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It was Georgetown, but they were nice about it. They gave me extra pins, but they did not take rounds out of my magazines. There was also no sour grapes there. They also ran a safe shooting match, with eye and ear protection required and no loaded firearms on the firing line with pin-setters downrange. I remember Georgetown with nothing but fondness.

I still have a hard time believing what I saw at Lawrence, even though I did indeed see a loaded gun on the firing line while pin-setters were going downrange. They also do not require eye protection, which is mind-boggling at a pin match.

As for MRA, the last time that I came down there (120 miles) for an advertised handgun pin match, they did not have it due to a scheduling conflict. So, I am not in a hurry to drive down there again for an advertised pin match, especially with the gasoline prices as they are. It is a long, long way too go to be told that there is no match.

I may have to give up pin shooting altogether, with the lack of competitive matches within 100 miles of Lebanon, NH. Pioneer in Dunbarton has Steel Challenge back, as well as IDPA. If the politics and black flies aren't too bad, I'll get back into IDPA.

Thank you for your invitation, anyway.

[pmd]

Otasan,

You may want to try MRA again.

I started shooting the Action shooting game about two years ago and I must say we in Massachusetts are very, very, very fortunate to have a club like MRA. We shoot two matches almost every week (Sunday's and Monday's) all year round.

The matches dio change weekly which is great - We shoot pins (on regulation steel tables), knock down steel (team + indivual events), static steel, Icore style matches, plate rack matches, centerfire rifle matchs, 22lr matches and more.

For about a year now Richy Frazier (aka: MassMan) has been running the program and has been doing a great job. Some matches are as small as 8 shooters and other matches draw well over 40 shooters.

I can see your frustration with driving 120 miles for a match - I have driven 15 miles to a match with the wrong pistol and was extremely frustrated - well frustrated with myself - right match wrong gun

As with most clubs everything is volunteered base. Posting and communicating schedules can be a problem when you need to rely on non-shooting volunteers to update both GOAL Message and the Club's websites.

Richy has been doing a great job with posting quarterly schedules, passing out hard copies of the schedule to shooters, and providing updates to the MRA web master. I know he's tried to rectify the info in the rear section of the GOAL Message - but I don't think they have it updated yet.

If you do decide to try Mass Rifle Association in Woburn MA again you should refer to the web ste http://www.massrifle.com or e-mail MassMan or me.

Goodluck!

Paul

[10mmdave]

Otsan, sorry to hear about that cancelation, that stinks

I don't remember the reason why but don't think you'll see that happen again.

With that said, the first Pin match of 2005 (5/22/05) will have a 1-1.5 hr start delay

due to a club work party day. Work party finished by 2:00 pm and then pin

shooting begins, might not get to the shotgun side match due to the late start.

[SRT Driver]

otasan,

You didn't mention if the local "pin master" started whining because someone could beat him/her.

Too bad you couldn't stick around and see who "won" such a match .. joke whichever the case may be.

[otasan]

otasan,

You didn't mention if the local "pin master" started whining because someone could beat him/her.

Too bad you couldn't stick around and see who "won" such a match .. joke whichever the case may be.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The local "pin master" who did indeed start the whining was the guy who left the loaded S&W Performance Center .45ACP on the firing line . . . .

The event really was a challenge. Pins at 50 feet are really small!

Anyway, there was no one there who could hit them clean, even though they have been shooting there for at least two seasons. I was lucky that my M1911A1 was sighted in for 50 feet. Then again, if they weren't sighted in, I would have missed a lot more - making me more acceptable to the whiners. Who knows?

I am glad that it is all behind me now. I just wanted to warn my fellow shooters in New England about a very dangerous shooting match that is open to the public in Lawrence, MA.

[otasan]

Otsan, sorry to hear about that cancelation, that stinks 

I don't remember the reason why but don't think you'll see that happen again.

With that said, the first Pin match of 2005 (5/22/05) will have a 1-1.5 hr start delay

due to a club work party day. Work party finished by 2:00 pm and then pin

shooting begins, might not get to the shotgun side match due to the late start.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

2:00 PM? That's great! I can still go to church on Sunday morning in Newport, NH, and do a lazy drive down there. I think that I can do it!

[otasan]

Otasan,

You may want to try MRA again.

I started shooting the Action shooting game about two years ago and I must say we in Massachusetts are very, very, very fortunate to have a club like MRA. We shoot two matches almost every week (Sunday's and Monday's) all year round.

The matches dio change weekly which is great - We shoot pins (on regulation steel tables), knock down steel (team + indivual events), static steel, Icore style matches, plate rack matches, centerfire rifle matchs, 22lr matches and more.

For about a year now Richy Frazier (aka: MassMan) has been running the program and has been doing a great job. Some matches are as small as 8 shooters and other matches draw well over 40 shooters.

I can see your frustration with driving 120 miles for a match - I have driven 15 miles to a match with the wrong pistol and was extremely frustrated - well frustrated with myself - right match wrong gun

As with most clubs everything is volunteered base. Posting and communicating schedules can be a problem when you need to rely on non-shooting volunteers to update both GOAL Message and the Club's  websites.

Richy has been doing a great job with posting quarterly schedules, passing out hard copies of the schedule to shooters, and providing updates to the MRA web master. I know he's tried to rectify the info in the rear section of the GOAL Message - but I don't think they have it updated yet.

If you do decide to try Mass Rifle Association in Woburn MA again you should refer to the web ste http://www.massrifle.com or e-mail MassMan or me.

Goodluck!

Paul

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The last pin match I went to (Chester, NH) I left my magazines at home! I had to borrow two odd magazines. Thankfully, they worked.

You indeed are most fortunate to have a well-rounded club like MRA. I wish that I lived in southern NH wish the rest of the Bay-Staters ; I'd go to MRA a lot more often.

Thank you for the links and advice. I am going to try to be at your 22May05 pin match at 1400. I will bypass Lawrence, MA with pleasure!

Yours,

Mitchell A. Ota

[10mmdave]

Mitch ! ! ! I forgot, Chester NH is running pin shoots again, maybe not your caliber

of compitition but closer than Woburn, MA don't know the dates off hand.

[otasan]

Mitch ! ! ! I forgot, Chester NH is running pin shoots again, maybe not your caliber

of compitition but closer than Woburn, MA don't know the dates off hand.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've been going to Chester the past two years, and I have seen the competition increasing as time goes by.

The pin shooting course of fire is way too easy. One gets seven seconds to shoot five pins, and the shooter starts with handgun up and on target! There are six trips to the table, so the possible score is 30. Several shooters usually get 30, so a shootoff, man-on-man decides things. The shoot-off is the only excitement all day.

The revolver event is far more competitive. Most folks have six-shot revolvers, and the seven-second limit makes reloading a problem. There are far fewer 30's.

I'll not be going to Chester as often. I work on every fourth Saturday, and with gas prices the way they are, I would rather have a chance to at least win some $ to cover the entry fees ($10 per event) and the 180-mile round trip. They hand out tiny trophies now, which must cost them no more than $10 each.

[otasan]

New Rules at LR&GC:

http://www.lawrencerodandgunclub.org/pinshoot.html

Ex post facto, that is.

There is still no notice that firearms will have to be VERIFIED as unloaded prior to anyone going downrange, and the director has the "discretion" (read "discrimination") to handicap (read "penalize") good shooters.