Micah Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 For the lack of better judgement, I went to a past-its-prime Tuesday night "match" yesterday, and was immediately asked to set up the course of fire. I set up a little paper/steel ditty that was rejected by the shooters (One even said "I dind't come here to shoot the Nationals! ) So I rearranged it, but it wasn't tatical enough (at this point I remembered why I stopped coming) so half of the lights were turned off, and a fog (FOG?) machine was brought out. Having invested too much time to not shoot, I began to run people through the course of fire. Once the first person finished, I stated "If you are finished, unload and show clear...if clear. hammer down...holster." "We don't practice unsafe commands here!" the shooter shouted. "Our policy is to NEVER pull the trigger unless we are intending to shoot something." I calmly explained that this provided an additional layer of safety, just in case there was a phantom bullet hiding inside the gun. I ran the next shooter the same way, and this fired up the group. So I shot, dropped my hammer (LOOKOUT) and left. I have never felt so negatively about shooting in my life until last night. I am better now, and focused on my goals for next season. Thanks all for letting me vent. One can find not only answers and friends on these forums, but catharsis as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 Very sorry to hear that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 Sometimes people get so caught up in their own little world that reality retreats into the fog machine.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 The fog machine does sound kinda cool though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viggen Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 Must have been their Halloween match fot them to drag out a fog machine. Really, I never heard of a fog machine used at a match before...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 This is why National affiliation with USPSA or IDPA is so much better than matches run by guys who play by their own rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry White Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 I've shot a few matches that had fog, we didnt have any fog machine though. Hammer down dangerous? Sounds like a good place not to be.-----Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mda Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 This is why National affiliation with USPSA or IDPA is so much better than matches run by guys who play by their own rules. Well, the club is affilated with USPA at this time, but management has changed over the summer. I do not think that they will reaffilate in Feb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronEqualizer Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 PB maybe they just didn't like your man purse bullet bag. Seriously, you should use this as motivation. Next year when you make MASTER go back and rub it in their face. Use the HATE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Merriam Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 My small range can get kinda stuffy too. Guys complaining and back stabbing about petty stuff. I once saw a guy at the tues night indoor match fire a round in the floor 2 ft. from his toes (with a revover!)...he said he wasn't sure if he had any more bullets! Hammer Down works for me, especially around those too comfortable with each other and their guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 Hmm... fog machine... Sounds like something I'd better mention at the range for the winter league season. Hell, there's been crabbing and cheating and god-knows-what-all sometimes at past league matches. I'm not sure we can get away without it. It DID drive away some good people, though. It was--for me, anyway--also getting expensive. I've taken a sabbatical from matches. Might do one in the spring. I dunno. We'll see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L9X25 Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 Off topic but if you ever get the chance to shoot a match with a fog machine and a laser sight, it is a must! It really gives you a chance to see all the things that you do with the gun and places that you point it, intentionally or not. It was a fun and eye opening experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vlad Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 Fog machines are fun (my wife bought one for her Halloween props). I've thought of bringing one out to matches but I think despite the cool factor it would be a bad idea as it would not present the same challenge to each shooter. The fog is fairly hard to control and without a fog chiller it goes every which way. A fog chiller is not hard to build but it adds a new more complications, and then the fog lays on the ground, but then whats the point, as it wouldn't do anything to obscure the targets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemo Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 That's fogged up! Stay away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hitman Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 I think the range managment was in a fog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpspeed Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 Sorry you had a bad experience PB. Sounds like you did the best thing by walking away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 sounds pretty strange .....you are probably better off not sticking around.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Posted November 2, 2006 Author Share Posted November 2, 2006 Thanks for the empathy guys...it really was my fault expecting more than I should have. Although the fog machine was added to give the stage an "Element of reality...??", L9X25's comment has me thinking positively about the other night! Now when I reflect upon it, I can say that we were at a party Lasers, fog, techno music...It's a USPSA rave! Sometimes, the best practice still is spent at home dryfiring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Murphy Posted November 5, 2006 Share Posted November 5, 2006 I shot with a group once similar to what you experienced PBender. I rode the night out, made sure I didn't drink the cool aid while I was there, and never went back. Those fellows were in their own little world and pretty much thought the Delta force should come to them for tactical advice and training. God bless their deluded minds. About the fog machine: Shot a low light match where you were in a disco. Fog lights, strobes, colored lights and props. Very cool. One guy shot it with a gun mounted light and laser. He burned that stage down. It wasn't as much as a hinderence to seeing the targets as I thought it would be FWIW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uscbigdawg Posted November 5, 2006 Share Posted November 5, 2006 I love the, "what if you're in a dark (foggy) alley and you have only your carry gun?...(dun, dun, duh!)...WHAT DO YOU DO!". I think from a "tactical" perspective, I would have avoided the situation to begin with. Dark parking lots, ATM machines where 3-4 bad guys can walk up on me and any situation where shooting from my car is better than just running over them and/or driving away (I do drive a lifted Tahoe after all). That said, there are way too many weirdos out there that think that they are doing something good. The entire concept of thinking 'hammer down' is unsafe is simply...stupid. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cking Posted November 5, 2006 Share Posted November 5, 2006 It is amazing what some groups will come up with as safe when left alone too long. I went to carbine club match at public range once. It had a typical covered shooting lane. Everybody had there guns on table facing downrange. Except that they were all playing with there ammo, putting loaded mags in the gun. The whole time some poor fool is out front of them running a course of fire. I went back to my car watch for awhile. Half expecting somebody to get shot. Finally I just left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanM Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 I had my first little "hammer down" suprise a few weeks ago. I brought my Glock 35 out of storage to shoot. I was by myself and thought the gun was empty but just by force of habit, I always hammer down before I holster. BOOM, right smack in the middle of the A-zone Sounds like these guys need a refresher on the rules.....bummer. Fog would be cool. Then we can incorporate that with my car idea and it would be just like shooting in the CA Central Valley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbadaboom Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 Who needs a fog machine? Just make everyone shoot lead!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AikiDale Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 Don't you just hate it when the heretics think they have the one true religion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blkbrd Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 Who needs a fog machine? Just make everyone shoot lead!! Or those nasty Black bullets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now