Class Names: For Comment

[Drydock]

See Update below.   

[pony express]

hmmm... Actually looks more confusing than the last one to me. I thought the original one worked fine. If there's confusion about scout, maybe just call it Lever action, pistol cal and Lever action, Rifle cal.

[pony express]

All those letter codes could make my head spin. Kind of like when I wanted to shoot "Working cowboy" at a NCOWS match, One rifle, one pistol, should be simple. But then they had BP, Smokeless, one hand, two hand, and a couple of other subdivisions.

How about:

Milspec repeater
Milspec Single shot
Lever action Pistol caliber (Previously Scout)
Lever action Rifle caliber (Previously Militia?)
Civilian Single shot?? (Previously Buffalo Scout)Last few matches, I don't remember anyone shooting this one.
Forager
Staff Officer
Infantry, repeater
Infantry, ss

All with BP and Smokeless, of course. Gets rid of the "scout" designations, so folks shooting a Henry in uniform won't have anything to argue about.(Never saw anyone in a Turk uniform with one yet, though) Nobody seems to get confused about Forager, Staff Officer, and Infantry

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[pony express]

Looks better now that you wrote it out.

[Stu Kettle]

My thoughts are that it wasn't that confusing to start with once you realize that the shooting classes are weapon based, not costume based. I don't see any reason to change the names. A scout is a civilian, & if anyone had a problem being called a scout because they shoot a lever gun, they'll have an even bigger problem being called civilian.

[pony express]

Personally, I think the names like Scout, Infantry, Forager, etc. just sound more cool than "Military 2 gun repeater smokeless". I didn't care for "Marksman" and "sharpshooter", though. Nothing self explanatory about those. Milspec repeater and single shot were more understandable.

[Drydock]

Yeah, we thought so too, but I keep getting statements like: "I've got the right handgun, but I don't have a staff officer uniform"  Or  "I'd like to shoot infantry, but all my outfits have yellow stripes."  Or they've got a trapdoor, but their cowboy clothes means they have to shoot Scout . . .  And on and on and on.

Ennyways, keep commenting.  Nothings set, I just want to hear ideas.

[pony express]

Well, somehow we need to emphasize the point that UNIFORMS AREN'T REQUIRED, although we do like to see them. As Stu said, it's a shooting category just for scoring purposes. I don't know how to get that across, though.

[RattlesnakeJack]

With the exception of the names for the milspec rifle classes (i.e. Marksman and Rifleman .... even though I consistently compete in one of them, I still have trouble remembering "which is which" ....) I like the existing category names just fine. 

Keep in mind that, although we don't require any category to be shot in uniform (... let alone a uniform which coincides with that class ...) much of the current structure was intentionally designed to encourage the military theme of GAF as much as possible, and the category names were part of that .....

I suggest all that is required is a statement (emphasized by being capitalized, in bold print, or whatever) at the head of any listing of categories (on the website, in the Muster Guide, or wherever) making it as clear as possible that these are firearms-based "shooting classes" only, and that there is no uniform requirement for competing in any of them.   (All that then need be done is add that wearing of uniform is, of course, necessary for a competitor to win a uniform award, and that winning of such an award is one of the prerequisites to possible qualification for any "Brigade Champion" type of award at the event in question.  (I realize that this information is already there, but likely needs to be clarified and emphasized, judging from the comments and inquiries you have mentioned .....)

All that would remain would be agreeing on suitable names for the two primary milspec rifle categories ....  "Repeating" and "Single-shot" are the most obvious names, but lack the "period/military flair" of the other names .... Should we concentrate on trying to come up with appropriator one- or two-word names for those two categories?  Ideas?

My only other "beef" with the shooting categories as presently organized is the order in which the two milspec rifle categories are presented - it seems to me that it would make more historical sense to list the single-shot category first and the repeating category second .... and also the "black powder" division of each of these two categories before "smokeless".  I acknowledge that my view is undoubtedly prejudiced at least in part by my own category choice, but also feel that the present "reverse" order in which the categories are listed may unconsciously reflect the preferred shooting category of the primary draftsman of the categories .... (    )

If the mere order of shooting category presentation has any effect of emphasizing one category over the other (even minimally) I am strongly of the view that the sequence I suggest (single-shot before repeating, black powder before smokeless) is more consistent with the philosophy and goals of GAF.  Otherwise, I greatly fear that GAF could be in danger of evolving into little more than an "Immediately Pre-Expansion Era" shooting organization, with the "arms race" mentality causing participants to move toward the most modern firearms and ammunition they can use while remaining within the "Victorian Era" criterion ....

[G.W. Strong]

Rattlesnake Jack said it better than I could. His thoughts are exactly my own.

I have really struggled with the Rifleman/Marksman thing. I finally developed a memory aid. It goes like this:

1. Chuck Connors was The Rifleman on TV.
2. Chuck Connors shot a repeater.
3. Since it was Holywood it is, by definition, wrong.
4. Therefore repeaters are not riflemen.

I know that his gun would be civilian but it is how I remember the difference.
I think Mil Spec single shot and Mil Spec repeater are much more useful titles.

[Niederlander]

I tend to like mil-spec single shot and mil-spec repeater myself.  It does seem that we need to re-emphasize that shooting categories are based on the rifle you shoot, NOT the clothes you shoot in.  I've noticed the shift to repeaters versus single-shot, but I don't know if that is based on a desire to go faster or just what people are interested in.  Since you only shoot against those in your category it really doesn't matter how overall fast you shoot, just how fast you are in your category.  My problem is that I love them all!  I love shooting my '68 Springfield, but I love shooting my Krag or a Long Lee as well.  Unfortunately, I don't usually have time to shoot in two different categories.  I would personally like to see more people shooting Indian Wars rifles again, but I would guess that will come around again as people cycle through their rifles.

[Pitspitr]

I like the "Cool" sounding names  we have, but I like that the "BP Mil-Spec-Singleshot"  way of naming the classes presents less confusion for the new folks.

My memory aid is:
Remington Rolling block = Rifleman

[Drydock]

I've been taking turns myself, last year with the Trapdoor and Black, this  year with the Krag.  Next year I'll be back to Black, have not decided if it will be the Trapdoor or my Spencer.  It'll be the 1 gun (Infantry) class again I do know.

[Pitspitr]

I jump around a bit too.
Right now With my new Cavalry shell jacket (Thank you Lt. Col. Strong!) I'm thinking about shooting my Spencer in the BP Mil-Spec Repeater class.

[Drydock]

-Military Single Shot- 2 gun BP and smokeless

-Military Repeater- 2 gun BP and smokeless

-Military Rifleman- 1 gun BP and smokeless

-Military Handgunner- 1 gun BP and smokeless

-Milita- Civilian Rifle Caliber Repeater and any GAF handgun, BP and smokeless

-Scout- Civilian Pistol caliber repeaters and Single Action revolver, BP and smokeless

-Buffalo- Civilian Single Shot and Single Action Revolver, BP and smokeless

-Forager- Single Shot/Double barrel/lever action shotgun and Single Action Revolver, BP and smokeless


Jack, note that BP is always first, and smokeless is always with a small "s".  

[Drydock]

I'm also thinking (take cover) of a possible modification sometime in the future, though I might like to try it out with the 1 gun rifle class:

Instead of dividing by powder and action type, simply divide by powder, with one caveat: If your rife was designed for Smokeless, then you shoot smokeless.  No loading your Krag with BP just to run against the Trapdoors.

This puts the Spencers and Vetterlli's against the Martini's and Rolling blocks, just as in history.  And where they'd be the most competitive.  I don't think these early repeaters have much if any advantage over the Single shots, especially in the Skirmish format. Particularly if you made both start empty!  It might also make some folks load up Black to avoid running Trapdoors and such against later design repeaters like the Krag or Mausers.

For a Cowboy format it might be different, but no reason we can't have a Skirmish rule for the Skirmish format . . . I think . . .

[Stu Kettle]

Please don't drop the "Scout" designation for the lever action & buffalo classes.  It is no more difficult to remember than "Militia" and fits better with the military theme of GAF.

[Drydock]

Well, with all the other names now pretty much self explanatory, we could go back to that I suppose.

[Niederlander]

How about Military Single Shot, (Black Powder), Military Single Shot (Smokeless), Military Repeater (Black Powder), etc.?  Keeps it pretty simple.

[pony express]

Instead of dividing by powder and action type, simply divide by powder, with one caveat: If your rife was designed for Smokeless, then you shoot smokeless.  No loading your Krag with BP just to run against the Trapdoors.

That could possibly allow , say, a Long Lee to compete against single shots, though, since it was originally loaded with BP? Same with a Portugese Kropatschek (gotta get one of those someday), also first loaded with BP. Not that we have tons of these rifles showing up at a match-yet.