USPSA Revolver - Checking headspacing after "Make Ready"?

[matteekay]

Hey, all!

 

I've searched around but couldn't find a specific answer on this. 

 

I shoot Revo (badly) in both USPSA and ICORE. In the latter, it's common practice after "Make Ready" to load the cylinder, close it, disengage the cylinder stop either by pulling slightly on the hammer or trigger, and spin the cylinder to check for high primers/headspacing. This is particularly relevant to me as I have a gun that gets finicky when moons aren't 100% inserted. Said gun also has no hammer spur so I have to apply pressure to the trigger to be able to spin the cylinder.

 

I wasn't clear if this would be legal in USPSA. On the one hand, I assume a lot of production shooters have to actuate the trigger to de-decock their guns, and you're allowed to take loaded sight pictures, even with your finger on the trigger per this thread/post: 

 

On the other, you could argue that your finger was on the trigger during the process of loading. Thoughts?

 

While it should be obvious, I guess it should be stated - if you cook a round off while doing this, it's an AD and DQ.

[ChuckS]

That is a specific exception from unsafe gun handling:

 

10.5.9 Failure to keep the finger outside the trigger guard during loading, reloading, or unloading. Exception: while complying with the “Make Ready” command to lower the hammer of a gun without a decocking lever, or while initially loading a revolver with a spurless hammer.

 

(thanks! I had to look that one up!)

[davsco]

as long as you don't muzzle anyone, break the 180, or light off a round, you can pretty much do whatever gun handling you want at make ready, including loaded sight pics, dry fire, holster and draw, etc.  but your squad mates will frown upon taking too much time.

[matteekay]

8 minutes ago, ChuckS said:

That is a specific exception from unsafe gun handling:

 

10.5.9 Failure to keep the finger outside the trigger guard during loading, reloading, or unloading. Exception: while complying with the “Make Ready” command to lower the hammer of a gun without a decocking lever, or while initially loading a revolver with a spurless hammer.

 

(thanks! I had to look that one up!)

 

There we go! Looks like I didn't get the right combination of words when searching. It's nice to have a specific rule number to quote if it ever came up. 

 

 

3 minutes ago, davsco said:

as long as you don't muzzle anyone, break the 180, or light off a round, you can pretty much do whatever gun handling you want at make ready, including loaded sight pics, dry fire, holster and draw, etc.  but your squad mates will frown upon taking too much time.

 

I'm a bad revo shooter - I'm fast during "make ready", I just take too much time for everything that comes after .

 

I think it's worth mentioning that loading a mag with your finger in the guard is also DQ-able per 10.5.9

[MikeBurgess]

I would suggest getting a moon clip checker and check all your moons prior to going to the line. Also if you are having high primers or powder under the star you need to work on your reloading, revos are not nearly as forgiving as autos in that respect. 

like said above you are welcome to test the make ready moon but unless you are only shooting 6 or 8 round stages you will be reloading and you do not have the chance to test that one.

[Bosshoss]

I check my moonclips at home before the match. 

I put something between the hammer and firing pin( I use the end of a inkpen) and this disengages the cylinder stop. You can open cylinder and close it and spin check the cylinder without ever touching the trigger.

I check EVERY moonclip this way before I go to the match.

There is more important things to be thinking about on the line at make ready than finding out you have a bent clip, etc. 

And not worrying about a RO that might freak out seeing you do this, even if it is legal.

[JAFO]

1 hour ago, ChuckS said:

That is a specific exception from unsafe gun handling:

 

10.5.9 Failure to keep the finger outside the trigger guard during loading, reloading, or unloading. Exception: while complying with the “Make Ready” command to lower the hammer of a gun without a decocking lever, or while initially loading a revolver with a spurless hammer.

 

(thanks! I had to look that one up!)

 

Not being a revolver shooter, I had always wondered why that was in there.  Now I know.

[matteekay]

1 hour ago, MikeBurgess said:

I would suggest getting a moon clip checker and check all your moons prior to going to the line. Also if you are having high primers or powder under the star you need to work on your reloading, revos are not nearly as forgiving as autos in that respect. 

like said above you are welcome to test the make ready moon but unless you are only shooting 6 or 8 round stages you will be reloading and you do not have the chance to test that one.

 

I'm not having a frequent problem with high primers. If I was and didn't know it, I'd want to find that out before the start buzzer and not when my cylinder locks up afterward.

 

And yes, you can only test the initial moon. That also means that you'd be verifying half of your ammo on most classifiers. 

 

 

1 hour ago, Bosshoss said:

I check my moonclips at home before the match. 

I put something between the hammer and firing pin( I use the end of a inkpen) and this disengages the cylinder stop. You can open cylinder and close it and spin check the cylinder without ever touching the trigger.

I check EVERY moonclip this way before I go to the match.

There is more important things to be thinking about on the line at make ready than finding out you have a bent clip, etc. 

And not worrying about a RO that might freak out seeing you do this, even if it is legal.

 

I try to check everything beforehand. That being said, I don't think taking the second or two to verify a clip is good before beginning a CoF is necessarily a bad use of time. Different strokes I s'pose.

 

In terms of the RO, I'd have the same response that I'd hope any shooter would give to me if I was running them - quote me a rule. Handily, we just determined that the "unsafe gun handling while loading" rule is the same one that that contains the revolver exemption.

 

 

58 minutes ago, JAFO said:

 

Not being a revolver shooter, I had always wondered why that was in there.  Now I know.

 

We're a special group, lol.

[pskys2]

On 7/9/2018 at 12:16 PM, matteekay said:

 

There we go! Looks like I didn't get the right combination of words when searching. It's nice to have a specific rule number to quote if it ever came up. 

 

 

 

I'm a bad revo shooter - I'm fast during "make ready", I just take too much time for everything that comes after .

 

I think it's worth mentioning that loading a mag with your finger in the guard is also DQ-able per 10.5.9

I always advise newer shooters, that the loading and unloading procedures are not timed, take your time and focus.

I find it fun? to take my time, being deliberate and try to relax while making ready.  Then "Exploding" on the start signal.  Just gives me a more thorough "rush" at the start of the course.

And the rush is what I live for...

[matteekay]

1 hour ago, pskys2 said:

I always advise newer shooters, that the loading and unloading procedures are not timed, take your time and focus.

I find it fun? to take my time, being deliberate and try to relax while making ready.  Then "Exploding" on the start signal.  Just gives me a more thorough "rush" at the start of the course.

And the rush is what I live for...

 

Same. When I RO, I'd rather someone takes twice as long under "make ready" and "unload, show clear" than they do to shoot the stage.

 

I don't take inordinately long under "make ready", but I am deliberate. Draw and get a sight picture on the first target, sometimes take one dry fire shot, then load a moon, check headspace and re-holster. It's just long enough to get into the right mindset (which is probably 75% of this game).

 

That's why I think it's a little silly that any shooter would have a problem with it taking too long. Especially when I have to watch the B-class Limited guys practice their draw about eight times before they even put a mag in, lol.