SASS-A Brief History (extracted from the SASS website)
“Cowboy Action Shooting was first created in 1981 by Harper Creigh aka Judge Roy Bean, SASS #1. An avid shooter in Soldier of Fortune and IPSC type action shooting matches he called shooting buddies Gordon Davis and Bill Hahn and presented an idea to shoot their next match using western type guns. The rest, as they say, is history. Cowboy Action Shooting began at a shooting range in Coto de Caza, California. In the beginning, very loose rules were adhered to. But before long an assemblage of rules began to take shape and the new shooting sport evolved into what it is today. It wasn’t until 1987, however, that SASS, the Single Action Shooting Society was formed. By then the Wild Bunch was formed and a membership organization was created to preserve and promote the sport of Cowboy Action shooting. The Single Action Shooting Society is the governing organization of Cowboy Action Shooting worldwide. Today, with over 100,000 members, SASS is represented in all fifty states and 18 foreign countries. The organization endorses regional matches conducted by its more than 700 SASS affiliated clubs and promulgates rules and procedures to ensure safety and consistency in Cowboy Action Shooting matches. Most importantly, however, SASS members share a common interest for preserving the history of the Old West.”
“Since its inception, SASS has been owned and run by a board of directors known as the “Wild Bunch”. These individuals wrote the rules, created the membership benefits and developed The Cowboy Chronicle, monthly magazine of The Single Action Shooting Society. In the beginning, all rules for Cowboy Action Shooting were determined by the Wild Bunch. Today, things are much different. One of the early developments of SASS was the enlisting of Territorial Governors. These individuals were, and still are, voted in annually by members of their SASS affiliated clubs and given the responsibility of club representation. Until the last few years, Governors acted only as an advisory board. Today, however, it is the consensus vote of the Territorial Governors that determines any new rule change in the game.”
For additional information on SASS, you may visit their website or call them.
SASS
215 Cowboy Way
Edgewood, New Mexico 87015
877-411-SASS (toll free)
www.sassnet.com