Gun Carts and Other Cowboy Action Shooting Accessories Must-Haves

There are other cowboy action shooting accessories that you’ll need after you’ve got the required firearms and Old West costumes squared away. Having these other stuffs will not only provide you safety, but also make your day at the event a lot easier.

Gun Carts

Unlike today, cowboys of the 19^th century had horses to carry their stuff – firearms, ammo, water, and other essentials. Since horses are no longer in vogue today as a means of lugging your CAS guns, ammunitions, food, drinks, cell phones, and other belongings, necessity dictates the use of a gun cart.

Not so long ago, the forerunner of the modern gun carts included little red wagons,  redesigned baby carriages, and even golf bags with wheels. The problem with these early gun carts is that long guns needed to be arranged horizontally for them to fit in, making the carts difficult to manage. They were hard to pull on rough or uneven ground. Putting and taking guns out of these carts can’t be done without causing inconvenience or discomfort to other contestants.

The difficulties presented by makeshift racks made it necessary to design a vertical gun rack. Vertically-designed racks made firearms, particularly rifles and shotguns, easier to move around without having to bother other members. What’s more, vertical gun racks create more room for other cowboy action shooting accessories and generally take up less space than their earlier cousins.

Modern Gun Cart Innovations

Many gun cart innovations soon followed. Inflatable tires were used to cushion the shock of rough uneven ground. These type of tires, however, made the cart topple over easily during sudden turns, and possibly damage your firearms. Additionally, inflatable tires tend to get deflated most of the time so the idea was junked.

Commercially-constructed gun carts can come with high price tags. One of the first commercial gun carts to hit the market is Cal-Graf. They are of sturdy construction and some of their early models are still in use today.

There are also affordable versions of the modern gun cart. One inexpensive brand known as The Simple Cart offers plenty of space for CAS stuff. It can be disassembled to easily fit inside the trunk of a car or SUV. The latest models include modified handle, front stand, and other features not found in earlier models.

Ear Plugs to Protect Your Hearing

Gun blasts on the shooting range can damage your hearing. For this reason alone, ear plugs would prove to be a necessary investment to prevent hearing loss. They could range from cheap disposable foam ear plugs to high-priced custom-molded hearing protectors. Expensive or not, ear plugs with high decibel rating is recommended. They  should be able to reduce sound by 31 dB or more.

Ballistic-Rated Shooting Glasses

Photo Credit: Glenn McKechnie

It’s not uncommon for accidents to happen on the range. Bullet fragments and hot gasses can come back and harm your eyes. Unfortunately, many CAS shooters fail to invest in good safety glasses. Would it be sensible to save on a few bucks rather than save your eyesight from injury.

Safety shooting glasses, preferably those with ballistic-rated lenses, should be a permanent part of your cowboy action shooting accessories. It can protect your eyes from ricochets and other unexpected fragment impact. It would be a great to invest on a pair of glasses with at least ANSI Z87.1 rating. Since bullet debris can come from any direction, a pair of shooting glasses with side shields would make a good investment.