Sheriff Wants Town's 'Gunslingers' Sober

[DaveM55]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/...n3946469.shtml

History re-enactors posing as Old West gunslingers here need to follow some modern rules, the sheriff says: Guns and alcohol don't mix.

A Storey County ordinance prohibits alcohol consumption by history re-enactors wearing a gun, but Sheriff Jim Miller said he's going to increase enforcement of the ordinance because some people have abused it.

"They want to drink and carry a gun and look like cowboys," Miller said. "But you can see how easy that would be for someone drinking to accidentally put a live round in there and hurt someone."

Under a program sponsored by the Virginia City Convention and Tourism Authority, volunteers dress in period costumes, including six-guns, and pose for photographs for tourists each summer.

Joe Curtis, a member of the authority board, said stricter enforcement comes after several people with felony convictions showed up in town dressed as gunslingers.

"If you have one of these guns and you have real ammunition, the potential for accidents is great," Curtis said.

The ordinance in this former mining town about 25 miles south of Reno requires gunfighter performers and other re-enactors to obtain a permit from the sheriff's office that includes a background check.

The weapon must be holstered and must remain empty of all ammunition at all times, unless someone is directly participating in a scheduled event. A group called the Virginia City Outlaws performs gunfights in an outdoor theater during the summer.

[knight0334]

oh brother... and just how many drunken shootings have occurred to justify that new restriction????

[FromMyColdDeadHands]

I think I can gaurantee the answer is ZERO!!! Just another politician trying to make himself look pro-active (i.e. restricting our rights for press)

[The Drew]

OMG!!! Someone might get hurt.... Call in the lawyers and busy bodies.... This practice MUST end before someone loses an eye...

[Whiskey Delta]

Do you guys really believe that prohibiting alcohol and firearms handling is such a bad idea? That really falls under "basic firearm safety" and the concept should not be a strange one to you.

Clearly, one should not have to endure a tragedy to do something about it.

Besides banning participants with firearms indulging in alcohol, there should be a moratorium on ANY Live ammunition for re-enactors.

There is a wild west show in OC Maryland, and the performers use .22 rugers (since they are so well built) carry .45 dummy cartriges in their holster rigs to look authentic. There is minimal chance of making a deadly mistake there. Furthermore, when people are demonstrating things for the PUBLIC they should be sober. Period.

Civ war and Rev War re-enactors go the extra step of having a commitment to NEVER put a ball in a BP firearm slated for reenacting.

Still, people get hurt at these enactments.


You guys should be aware that alcohol and firearms do NOT mix. We are not talking about re-enactors who are using dedicated blank firearms which cannot chamber a live round. These are unpaid volunteers who 'show up' which means there is less control over them than the paid actors in MD.

The simple fact that these guys are drinking and walking amongst the public with real firearms is enough of an assemblage of factors to cause the sheriff to act. Since the law is already on the books, it is clear that the organizers dropped the ball and the sheriff had to step in.

[tryzub]

How many people walk around doped up on crack or cough syrup, oh right we already have those....

[Whiskey Delta]

I'm sorry.

Did you have a point?

Are you trying to draw a favorable comparison to drug addled people 'walking around' as being a common enough phenomenon that we should embrace people with firearms doing so as well?

Do you support the notion that people should avoid alcohol when they are handling firearms?

Do you endorse safe gun handling or not?

Do you support a sheriff enforcing a common sense law that is already on the books when the promoter fails to do so?

Really,

what are you trying to say?

[tryzub]

sounds like to me that the Sheriff is taking cues from the Governor and getting squirlly when he doesn't need to.

[Rogue River]

sounds like to me that the Sheriff is taking cues from the Governor and getting squirlly when he doesn't need to.

WTF are you talking about???

[Whiskey Delta]

Sounds to me like the Sheriff has a problem on his hands.

People with firearms disabilities trying to carry amongst the public?

Re-enactors who want to handle firearms (including shooting them at each other and STILL imbibe alcohol?

This is a simple case of idiots ruining a good thing and creating a situation where the law has to come in and do things people should do on their own.

Alcohol and firearms don't mix. Do you have a problem with this?

Quite honestly, this is a non issue. He is enforcing existing law that has quite a common sense element to it..unless you drink and shoot guns a lot.

Tell me, since you see a problem with this sheriff, what exactly is your issue?

What range do you belong to that permits people to have alcohol in their possession or in their system?

Try that at a State Game Land or Public Range and you will lose your LTCF and pay a nice sized fine.


I'm sorry, I just don't see the oppression here.