The Missouri Shooter - Online Edition
A Quarterly Publication of the Missouri Sport Shooting Association
March, 1996
MSSA
P.O. Box 10170
Columbia, MO
65205
Introduction by Paul Fitzgerald
There are several things worth calling attention to in this issue
of The Shooter. We have match information as well as training
course dates listed, with contacts. Second, we continue to "go
electronic." Member Steve McGhee has prepared an Internet Web
page for the MSSA, and it is really super! If you don't have
your own computer and "surf the net" yet, find someone who does
and have them pull up the address listed. You'll like it, we
guarantee. Lastly, we are now exchanging our newsletter with
many other state associations. We have included material that we
find interesting from several of these, and we think you'll like
it. As always, we're interested in your comments (or complaints)
and we solicit your input. You can e-mail comments to:
P. Fitzgerald at [email protected] or
B. Sliger at [email protected].
Next MSSA Meeting: The association's next meeting of the board
of directors will be May 11, 1996, 10AM, at the Main
Headquarters, Mo Dept Conservation, 2901 W. Truman Blvd, Jeff
City. All MSSA members are welcome to attend.
Newsletter: The next issue of the "Shooter" will go out near the
end of June 1996. The cutoff date for material to be sent to the
editor & included is June 15, 1996.
Tournament Sponsors: We have listed match dates in this
newsletter from those received. It's not too late to send in
match info for summer & fall. We will publish a listing in the
Jun 96 issue of the Shooter. Submit all items (before May 30) to
MSSA, PO Box 10170, Columbia, MO 65205. Please include name,
address, and phone number of contact person. We thank all clubs
and sponsors for helping provide this service for competitors in
Missouri.
Membership Information: Please check your mailing label for
correct spelling, address, zip code, etc. If there is any error,
mail your old label with corrections to MSSA. The code on your
label indicates the year and month in which your membership
expires. The first two digits are the year, and the middle two
digits are the month. Members with expiration dates prior to
this issue will be deleted from the association roster one month
after delivery of this newsletter, unless a renewal is received.
SACMO Report, Rally Date There will be a gun rights rally in Jefferson City on Wed Mar 20, from 10:30AM-3PM. The rally will be led by the Second Amendment Coalition of Missouri (SACMO). According to SACMO President Greg Jeffery, rallies have proven to be very effective in our state legislature. In 1995 only one gun bill made it out of committee,
and rallies played an important part. Rallies held on weekdays have a greater effect because you can count on legislators being there,
and also it looks better if people take time to come during the week.
There may be buses running to Jeff City; for more info call SACMO at:
314-567-2081. ALSO, the SACMO Board of Directors is exploring the
possibility of revising it's bylaws to allow for SACMO chapters. The
details are not final yet, but if you're interested in starting a
chapter, give them a call.
Whatever happened to...
OK, here we go again. We ran this item in the last newsletter and
didn't get a single input. We're running it one more time, and if we
don't hear anything, we'll assume that these folks have been kidnapped
by aliens, never to return, and we'll remove them from the mailing
list.
Some of our Life Members have moved and have not notified MSSA of their
current address. If you have knowledge or any information relating to
the whereabouts of the following, please drop a note the MSSA.
Name & Last Known City (MO, unless noted) of Residence
Daniel Bub, Arnold
Thomas Murph, Keytesville
David Hoselton, Milan
Robert Ciuffa, Brentwood
Frances Lopata, St. Louis
Alphie Wright, Mountain Grove
Harian Watson, Eureka
R. Monahan, Larkspur, CA
Donald Christie, St. Louis
Blade Sights on Single Action Pistols
The Feb 1996 edition of Gun World magazine had a good article by Terry
Murbach called "Great Guns." The article was about Cimarron brand
single action pistols, and covered the means of figuring how much metal
to file off the front sight to raise the point of impact. Writer
Murbach says, it's a lot easier to file metal off than to add it. You
can do it by trial and error while shooting from a solid bench rest.
Better yet is to use a calculator to figure how much to take off the
front sight after your first test groups show that your gun is shooting
low. This is done easily by measuring how low your group is in inches
from target center, dividing that figure by the distance to the target
in inches, then multiplying the resulting figure by your sight radius,
also measured in inches. The resulting figure will tell you in
thousandths of an inch how much must be removed from the front sight to
bring groups up to the point of aim. When I file off a front sight, I
stop and test fire the gun after taking off half of what is needed.
Better to be safe than sorry. If you're still shooting low, carefully
measure and run a new set of numbers. You will be dead on very
shortly. (from Bob Sliger)
The 1996 "Challenge"
After a successful 1995 season, plans are underway for a great 1996
Missouri Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) State Championship.
Last May, forty young people tested the eight "challenges" at Cedar
Creek Rod & Gun Club near Columbia for two days. Thanks to a great
volunteer staff, the events went off without a hitch. Great support
was appreciated from the Missouri Dept of Conservation. Also providing
support was MSSA, Timber Ghost Camoflage, Missouri Bowhunters Assoc,
Arnold Rifle & Pistol Club, Moser's Pheasant Creek Ranch, and the MO
Conservation Agents Assoc.
Sponsorship for 1996 will be provided by
the Missouri Hunter Education Instructor's Assoc. The NRA foundation has given the Missouri YHEC program a substantial grant. Archery Big Bucks of Missouri has also made a donation for 1996. The date for the 1996 Championship is May 25-26, at United Sportsmen's Club in Jefferson City. As many as 100 competitors are expected as the program grows and becomes better known.
Volunteers are needed to help staff the 1996 Championship. They need scorekeepers, range staff, and help with many other important duties. If you can volunteer to help on one or both days, contact Sandy Hedges, Asst State Director. Newsletters, brochures, information sheet, rule books, and 1996 entry forms are available from Sandy or Jan Morris, NRA YHEC State Coordinator.
State competition is open to all young hunter education graduates, ages 11 through 18, in either individual or 5 member team competition with an adult sponsor. Last year, prizes valued at hundreds of dollars were given to participants, as well as Olympic style medallions and a team trophy. The "challenges" include: 22 rifle, sporting clays, archery, muzzleloader, orienteering, hunter safety trail, wildlife identification, and a written hunter responsibility exam. If you know of a young hunter education graduate, let them know about this program or put them in touch with Jan Morris or Sandy Hedges. (from Mr. Jan Morris)
1996 Match Schedules
After requesting match sponsors to send in their match schedules in the
last newsletter, we received the following:
Bucksnort Shooting Club, Marshall
Apr 27-28 Spring SB Prone
May 4-5 Spring HP
Jun 1-2 State HP
Jun 8-9 SB Prone Regional
Jun 22-23 State Service Rifle
Jul 20-21 Regional HP
Sep 14-15 State SB Prone
Sep 28-29 State SB 3-Pos
Oct 5-6 State Long Range HP
Contacts
High Power: Dale Strannigan
Smallbore: Harold Miederhoff
Green Valley R&P, Columbia
Mar 17 State Indoor Conv Pistol
Apr 21 Outdoor Conv Pistol
Jun 16 Outdoor Conv Pistol
Aug 18 Outdoor Conv Pistol
Sep 15 State Outdoor Conv Pistol
Oct 20 Outdoor Conv Pistol
Contacts
Conv. Pistol: Kent Finlay
McDonnell Douglas R&P, Weldon Springs
Apr 13 Long Range Blackpowder
Apr 27 Highpower
May 19 Highpower
May 25 Smallbore 3-Pos
Jun 1 Long Range Blackpowder
Jul 13 Highpower
Aug 18 Highpower
Aug 24 Smallbore 3-Pos
Sep 28 Long Range Blackpowder
Oct 20 Highpower
Nov 16 Highpower
Contacts
HP & SB: Sheila Daniels ([email protected])
Blackpowder: Paul Fitzgerald ([email protected])
Pioneer Gun Club, Kansas City Area
1st Sun Open
Sat after 1st Sun Cowboy Action
2nd Sun SB Silhouette, IPSC handgun, Tactical Shotgun
3rd Sun Benchrest
4th Sun Blackpowder-muzzleloader, handgun, cartridge rifle
Lafayette Gun Club
2nd Sun Cowboy Action
Contacts
Pioneer/Lafayette: J.K. Chester
Cowboy Action Shooting
Cowboy Action Shooting is a multi-faceted sport in which contestants
compete with firearms typical of those used in the taming of the Old
West: single action revolvers, lever action rifles and double barrelled
side-by-sides, pre-1899 pump or lever action shotguns. The shooting
competition is staged in a unique, characterized "old west" style. It
is a timed sport in which shooters compete for prizes and prestige on a
course of different shooting stages. Each scenario, as they are
called, features an array of situations, many based on famous incidents
or movie scenes, in which shooters must test their mettle against steel
plates. In one scenario, for instance, a shooter sits at a saloon
table twirling a tin cup like a pistol. At the sound of a beep, they
must set the cup down and fire two blasts from a shotgun under the
table. They must next retrieve a derringer from under a hat and engage
two more targets. Leaving the derringer on the table, the shooter
heads for cover behind a bar. After firing five rounds at targets from
one pistol, the shooter must then fire another set of five shots from
a second revolver. Once the last shot is fired, the shooter's elapsed
time is recorded. Cowboy Action Shooting was started in southern
California by several gun buffs who grew tired of the typical combat
and paramilitary shooting competitions. They formed SASS (Single Action Shooting Society), the governing organization of Cowboy Action
Shooting. Today, with more than 5,000 members worldwide, SASS is
represented in every state. One of the unique aspects of Cowboy Action
Shooting is the requirement placed on costuming. Bedecked in the most
authentic and well-researched items, shooters and spectators alike join
in the revelry and pride of preserving a page in American history by
dressing the part. Cowboy Action Shooting was born out of enthusiasts
anxious to recreate the look and feel of the late 1800's. Fashion is
critical to completing the look and they won't settle for less. In
addition to the clothing, each participant is required to adopt a
shooting alias appropriate to a character or profession of the late
19th century, a hollywood western star or an appropriate character from
fiction. Such colorful characters include Doc Bones, Buffalo Chip,
Sara Sota, Judge Roy Bean, Bucolic Bob, and Southpa Ma. Their costume
is then developed accordingly and many of the event participants gain
more enjoyment from the costuming aspect than from the shooting
competition itself. To find out more about Cowboy Action Shooting, or
to join up and become a part of it, write to: Single Action Shooting
Society, 1938 N. Batavia St, Suite C, Orange, CA 92665, or call 714-
998-1899. Membership for SASS is $45 with annual dues of $30. (from
The Firing Line, California Rifle and Pistol Association, Ken Amorosano, Oct 1995)
Internet Stuff (Surf City!)
Click here to go to the MSSA Hotlist of Links page!
Missouri Conservation Atlas
I recently purchased an excellent reference, the "Missouri Conservation
Atlas." It is a large format (11" x 14") manual of 264 pages which has
maps of all of Missouri's counties, detailing all state owned land.
Included are descriptions of these lands, and information on what the
regulations are; ie. acreage, what is and is not allowed, etc. The
price of the manual is $15, and can be ordered electronically through
the MDC internet homepage (see our links page) or at this address:
Missouri Dept of Conservation
P.O. Box 180
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Grants Available for NRA Training Counselors
Any active NRA-certified Instructor who belongs to MSSA and would
qualify for Training Counselor appointment is invited to apply for
scholarship funding through MSSA as soon as possible. The NRA has
tentatively scheduled a workshop in the Kansas City area for May 16-19. Course fees (registration and books) are expected to run about $350. To request funding, send MSSA a brief letter describing your training /
teaching activities, personal info. (address, phone, etc.), how you
would expect to apply your training if selected (MSSA Training Team,
etc.), and an estimate of the financial need you're asking MSSA to
fund. Send all information to: MSSA, P.O. Box 10170, Columbia, MO
65205. Also, please IMMEDIATELY notify the NRA that you'd like to be
put on the mailing list for this class by calling 1-800-NRA-3888 and
asking for Gloria Brooks.
DCM Sale of Surplus Remade M14 Rifles
MSSA recently received a letter from the Virginia Shooting Sports
Association concerning the sale of M14's through the DCM. It was a
good letter, so here it is:
We in the Virginia Shooting Sports Assoc, a DCM affiliated
organization, have been making a preliminary series of contacts within
the government and Congress to determine the possibility of obtaining
the release of surplus remade M14 rifles to be sold through the DCM
program. We are reasonably encouraged with the results to date and
feel it is time to seek the concurrence and support of all affiliated
clubs and state organizations.
As all of you are probably aware, with the pending passage of the
FY96 National Defense Authorization Bill, the Director of Civilian
Marksmanship Program (DCM) will undergo a significant change in
government organization type. It will change from a partially
appropriated fund activity to a 501(C)(3) nonprofit corporation. The
major significance of this is that, although the government will
continue to make surplus rifles, ammunition, parts, etc available for
sale through this organization, there will no longer be any government
funding. Funding for the future must come from tax exempt public
donations plus "the sale of arms, ammunition, targets, and other
supplies and appliances."
In order to successfully continue the firearms safety and
marksmanship training, plus competition, for our youth and qualified
civilians, additional sources of sales revenue to the DCM Program would
be most beneficial. Surplus caliber .30 M1 Garand rifles will continue
to provide a partial source of the required funding. The surplus M14
rifles (7.62mm/caliber .30) in the DOD inventory, over 200,000 at last
count, represent a very desirable additional revenue source. The basic
problem with the standard M14 is it is capable of both semi-automatic
and automatic fire. Under the definitions of the National Firearms
Act, the M14 is classified as a machine gun and is therefore now
illegal to purchase. Our friends at Anniston Depot have developed a
remanufacturing process which would remove the automatic fire
capability from the M14 such that it would not be possible to readily
restore this function. This process would not impact on the safety,
reliability, or the inherent accuracy of this fine rifle. However,
this solves only one part of the problem.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) interprets the
National Firearms Act such that once a rifle has been classified as an
automatic - it will forever be so classified - no matter what is done
to change or modify it. As such, even a "remade" M14 would be illegal
to own. The only way to change this is to have Congress change the
present definition of a machine gun. ATF has indicated they would
accept the following sentence being added to the machine gun
definition: "The term shall exclude remade 7.62mm M14 receivers which
are not readily restorable as determined by the Secretary of the
Treasury or his delegate."
What are we asking of you and your organization? First, we would
like your assurance the action we are taking has your concurrence.
Secondly, if you do concur, we would suggest you contact your
respective members and seek their action. Nothing motivates Congress
more than communications from their constituents. Individual letters
are best. Form letters are not nearly as effective. The basic message
to be communicated is:
- You support the DCM Program.
- You want the remade M14 to be available through the DCM Program.
- You want the definition of a machine gun to be changed to
specifically exclude the remade M14 receiver which is not
readily restorable.
Copies of letters sent to Congress should be sent to the DCM at the
address below, to keep them appraised of our collective efforts to
support them as they support us.
Director of Civilian Marksmanship
20 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Room 1205 Pulaski Bldg
Washington, DC 20314-0100
Training Courses Available At Green Valley R&P, Columbia
Mar 8-9 NRA Personal Protection $50
Mar 16-17 NRA Basic Rifle $50
Mar 22-23 NRA Basic Shotgun $50
Mar 24 NRA Home Safety $50
Mar 29-30 MDC Hunter Educ. 0
Jul 26-27 MDC Hunter Educ. 0
Sep 28 NRA Home Safety $50
Oct 4-5 NRA Basic Pistol $50
Oct 11-12 NRA Basic Muzzleloader $50
Oct 19-20 NRA Basic Rifle $50
Oct 25-26 NRA Hunter Educ. 0
John Skaggs, Dir of Range Operations, 573-696-3738
Steve McGhee, Chief Instructor
Columbia Public Schools Adult Educ Program, 573-886-2289 or -2291.
NRA Training Courses Available at Arnold R&P, Arnold
Mar 23-24 Personal Protection
Apr 20-21 Basic Pistol
May 18-19 Basic rifle (.22 cal)
Jun 8 Home Firearm Safety
Jun 22-23 Basic Shotgun
Jul 13-14 Personal Protection
Aug 17-18 Basic Pistol
Sep 21-22 Basic Rifle
"Jack Booted Thugs" Didn't Originate at NRA
The NRA was criticized for using the term "Jack Booted Thugs" in
describing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms in a mailing.
However, the phrase did not originate with the NRA. According to the
Aug '95 issue of American Survival Guide article "We the People" by
Michael Pietranoni: "As far back as 1979 a congressional report called
the agency 'out of control' and suggested that it be abolished. In
1981 Rep John Dingell, Democrat from Michigan said of the BATF: 'If I
were to select a jack-booted group of fascists who are perhaps as large
a danger to American society as I could pick today, I would pick BATF.'
(from The Hawaiian Rifleman, Sep 95)
Benjamin Air Rifle Essay Contest
The Benjamin/Sheridan Corp is sponsoring an "Air Gun Memories" contest.
In 750 words or less, contestants are asked to describe the oldest air
gun they own, how they got it, and any memories of shooting it "way
back when." The grand prize winning entry will receive a four day/3
night trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, for a family of four. The
grand prize winner also will receive a new Benjamin 397 air rifle and
accessories. Entries should be sent to the AIR GUN MEMORIES CONTEST,
Benjamin Sheridan Air Guns, P.O. Box 460023, St. Louis, MO 63146.
Entries must be received by June 1, 1996. For a complete set of rules
write Benjamin Sheridan, Routes 5 & 20, East Bloomfield, NY 14443.
(from Alabama R&P Assoc, Jan 96)
Good Shooting Pays Off
(Kansas) Michael McNulty started in the 4H Air Rifle program before
being introduced to the International Olympic Air Rifle Program, made
available through the Kansas State Rifle Assoc sponsored junior camp.
Mike, after a couple of seasons earned the invitation to the Olympic
Training Camp at Colorado Springs. He twice won the Helen Marsh
Traveling Trophy at the KSRA Junior Rifle Camp, presented for
marksmanship. Now he has earned a five year scholarship at the Univ of
Missouri in Kansas City (UMKC) for Smallbore Rifle and International
Air Rifle. Mike's scholarship is for $111 per credit hour taken and
his out of state tuition will be waived. He is responsible for books &
housing.(from Kansas State Rifle Assoc, Oct/Nov 95)
Check out the December '95 'Shooter.
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