Announcing: Color Guard International

[LancerFi]

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It is funny that you're taping your rifle though, that also went out in the 80's, but last year I did notice Spirit and maybe Phantom with tape on their rifles.  People in drum corps not 2-3 years ago even knew rifles used used to be taped and have streamers!

It's good that you're taping your rifle.

What??? Nancy when you were throwing quads with a Crossmen's rifle last year, didn't you notice it was taped?

I know my guards have been taping rifles since I started teaching .......way back when and they still tape them. Or are you talking about "decorative" taping like guards did when we marched? Now that, like you say, went out in the 80s. Today, guards use strapping tape plus white vinyle tape for extra support. It's kinda of funny when you take all the tape off and see how many cracks are in the rifle......if it weren't for the tape, it would have fallen apart. b**bs

No Ms. Malibu, when I was doing one handed quads I noticed no tape, or maybe that's why it is so slippery...it's all coming together now.

Yes to beautify. No, never used a strapping taped, with tape over rifle, not in 94 either. Nor from 70-80 and I never noticed a crack.

Is that from throwing the equipment down to pick up another piece? As I know that the rifle is not used all that much. Of course I've never seen a band, so that may be the difference???

[LancerFi]

I can't find my own posts, because I'm Jeff for a day!!

[LegalEagle50]

I'm talking about the beautifying of the rifle. And no we didn't need more than 2 rifles a year normally. 1 practice and 1 competition, both in indoor guard and outdoor, and we never once needed ot reinforce with white tape or whatever you are now talking about. It's certainly not what I'm talking about! Nor did we in 94.

I'd love to know how you can get a grip with tape up and down the rifle if indeed that's what you're talking about.

Yes ours too got thrown around especially doing an exchange from the 40 to the 40 rehearsing in parking lots.

I'm very surprised, I'll have to count how long rifles are even kept in peoples hands to warrant what you're talking about!

Spitting into the leather gloves is how I got the traction I needed for the type of work we did, and catches we made.

So we're talking about 2 different things....sorry you and I are not talking about the same animal! B)

okay ~ so you meant decorative. i meant for requirements and protection of the equiptment. we got that straightened out now. just so you know, most circuits nowadays make you tape your equipment. to keep metal from scratching gym floors. i know i know, but isn't that what tarps are for? yes, but since not all schools have tarps, and you don't use the tarps on the warm-up gym floors, etc. you are required to do this (we at least in the 2 circuits i'm most familiar with).

secondly that's nice that you went thru 2 rifles a year. the groups i most commonly work with are beginner guards. they don't catch too well in the beginning. i find the Ultimate rifle to be the best when it comes to durability, but those kids manage to break them. be it showing off, pracitcing, or the occassional rifle that breaks because you look at it the wrong way.

i find no problen gripping the rifle with tape on it. i doubt you would either. as far as leather gloves and spitting into the palms, not needed. with either full fingered gloves or the cut-off fingers. both work fine - no spit needed B)

[LegalEagle50]

What??? Nancy when you were throwing quads with a Crossmen's rifle last year, didn't you notice it was taped?

I know my guards have been taping rifles since I started teaching .......way back when and they still tape them. Or are you talking about "decorative" taping like guards did when we marched? Now that, like you say, went out in the 80s. Today, guards use strapping tape plus white vinyle tape for extra support. It's kinda of funny when you take all the tape off and see how many cracks are in the rifle......if it weren't for the tape, it would have fallen apart. b**bs

No Ms. Malibu, when I was doing one handed quads I noticed no tape, or maybe that's why it is so slippery...it's all coming together now.

Yes to beautify. No, never used a strapping taped, with tape over rifle, not in 94 either. Nor from 70-80 and I never noticed a crack.

Is that from throwing the equipment down to pick up another piece? As I know that the rifle is not used all that much. Of course I've never seen a band, so that may be the difference???

i do remember the original rifle i was handed in 1981 was much heavier and made of a much more solid wood than the ones sold today. many that's why you didn't need to tape yours Nancy. the first ones i bought students of mine (1985 or 1986) were even a heavier wood that lasted longer. i can tell you if they didn't tape them today, you'd get maybe at best 2 weeks of rehearsals and shows out of every rifle.

and yes they are used alot in band, and in winterguard. but i also do find that in senior corps guard they are used an awful lot too. B)

[Malibu]

No Ms. Malibu, when I was doing one handed quads I noticed no tape, or maybe that's why it is so slippery...it's all coming together now.

Yes to beautify. No, never used a strapping taped, with tape over rifle, not in 94 either. Nor from 70-80 and I never noticed a crack.

Is that from throwing the equipment down to pick up another piece? As I know that the rifle is not used all that much. Of course I've never seen a band, so that may be the difference???

Yes, you could be right......I do seem to remember asking Chris why they hadn't taped them yet. I think the rifle was slippery because you didn't want to break your beautiful long red nails, so you didn't grip it like you normally would when catching.

With beginners who are constantly dropping them, it is best to reinforce them. As far as the grip, it doesn't really change.....for beginners, they don't know the difference. Plus with the new gloves guards wear today, they are padded and seem to have a better grip.....especially useful with sabres. B)

[LancerFi]

Shoot there was supposed to be a quote here....sorry!

You know what, LegleEagle50, I believe you are correct. They were made of wood! In the Reveries we kept the strap on with pennies but took off the trigger guard, trigger, and we bent down the site.

In 2-7 we took off all of the hardware except the nozzle, all of the other stuff was screwed into the wood. In both corps we then painted them.

So, when In 94 they handed me 2 rifles for the season, it felt like it was going "boinnnggg" everytime I did something. It just had a very silvery color looking bolt which did not open and felt like fiberglass or whatever they are now made of.

Luckily, I still had my 3 or 4 rifles from marching junior corp. Unfortunately, I had to take off all of the beautiful tape work from my 80 rifle because we were using just plain white. Why we didn't tape them that year, I don't know (I mean the way you and Malibu are discussing).

Off topic for one second, are you a JD?? Always wondered about your name!!

Thanks for that info!

Nancy

Edited May 8, 2003 by LancerFi

[Malibu]

You know what, LegleEagle50, I believe you are correct. They were made of wood! In the Reveries we kept the strap on with pennies but took off the trigger guard, trigger, and we bent down the site.

In 2-7 we took off all of the hardware except the nozzle, all of the other stuff was screwed into the wood. In both corps we then painted them.

So, when In 94 they handed me 2 rifles for the season, it felt like it was going "boinnnggg" everytime I did something. It just had a very silvery color looking bolt which did not open and felt like fiberglass or whatever they are now made of.

Luckily, I still had my 3 or 4 rifles from marching junior corp. Unfortunately, I had to take off all of the beautiful tape work from my 80 rifle because we were using just plain white. Why we didn't tape them that year, I don't know (I mean the way you and Malibu are discussing).

Off topic for one second, are you a JD?? Always wondered about your name!!

Thanks for that info!

Nancy

Nancy,

When your alumni friend came over this weekend, she brought with her a '78 Lancer rifle......it was made of wood, but not like the wood they are made of today. It was short and very heavy......which would make it more durable and not really need reinforcement.

The rifles they make today are made of wood but most are very light compared to the rifles "back in the day."

Ya know a long time ago, there were some companies making rifles out of fiberglass.....now they felt like bricks! b**bs

They had the fake trigger and all!

[LancerFi]

No Ms. Malibu, when I was doing one handed quads I noticed no tape, or maybe that's why it is so slippery...it's all coming together now.

Yes to beautify.  No, never used a strapping taped, with tape over rifle, not in 94 either.  Nor from 70-80 and I never noticed a crack.

Is that from throwing the equipment down to pick up another piece?  As I know that the rifle is not used all that much.  Of course I've never seen a band, so that may be the difference???

Yes, you could be right......I do seem to remember asking Chris why they hadn't taped them yet. I think the rifle was slippery because you didn't want to break your beautiful long red nails, so you didn't grip it like you normally would when catching.

With beginners who are constantly dropping them, it is best to reinforce them. As far as the grip, it doesn't really change.....for beginners, they don't know the difference. Plus with the new gloves guards wear today, they are padded and seem to have a better grip.....especially useful with sabres. B)

Didn't he say they had just gotten some "used" ones from _ _ _ _ _ _ ?

OR were those flag poles? This was in 01 I think that he said they had just gotten some equipment....so maybe they hadn't gotten a chance to tape them!

By the way in 93 when I went to look for white gloves....(mine just from finals-1 show in 80 were cracking from being spit on and the sweat) I ended up having to buy golfers gloves. Although it was difficult to find a left and a right. I didn't have the ones with the fingers out, but some people did, it looked kind of funny with the fingers out only because we were in full regalia....

[LegalEagle50]

not a J.D., just a paralegal. one who is working on an appellate brief right now and that's why i keep running here for my sanity. and if it sounds like i'm pleading my case, it's just the overflow from this mess i'm working on.

FYI ~ rifles are still made out of wood. just a (i think) softer lighter wood which keeps their prices reasonable for the average high school student. i know that (back to the budgeting thing) when i did my budget for this year that sabers are incredibly expensive now and rifles are cheaper than they were 10 years ago. and either way with strapping tape and white vinyl tape you usually can get a decent lifespan out of a rifle.

but there are always those occassion mishaps that make them head for the scrap heap. you know the ones i mean :P Scene: right after practice; Member: "Mom Mom you've GOTTA watch this!!" Mother: "Are you sure this is a good idea?!?" Member: "OH YEAH!! I didn't miss a single one at practice." :D Instructor: "UM UM WAIIIIIIIIT!!!" but doesn't get the "T" out in time and watches the rifle go up, Up UPPPPPP, higher than the member has ever tossed before and comes down at a rate of speed that sends the member, Mom, the Instructor and all other parties present in the parking lot running for their lives. usually you look and see what was once a rifle and now a lovely pile of toothpicks remaining in its place. B)

told ya i work mostly with beginners b**bs they keep it REALLY interesting some days. :P

[LancerFi]

oh my, I'm working for an attorney and the Chief Compliance Officer who is also a Senior V.P. But I'm getting no where, so I thought I would look into paralegal. But I haven't studied since 1977... so I'm a little worried...OK I can PM about that some time.

Anyway, I guess then you do go through a lot of equipment. That's only natural when you're learning. I've heare a few stories from Malibu. Like when she's ready to pull her hair out of her head?!? ^0^

I just have to ask you and I ask her all of the time....how do you do it, how do you not strangle them, how is it ever good enough, where does that patience come from?

When they asked me to teach the rifle line in 82 I said yes, then after a week a lot of thinking things went through my head like when I was teaching the Lancer Cadets Winter Guard. I expected them to be as good as a senior corps and would get very upset inside if they could not get it the first time. Meanwhile these were young ladies who eventually made the senior line at 12 and 13. A 13 year old in our 1980 rifle line. Makes ya kind of feel like, I'm old and she's that good? What???

Anyway, I cannot believe those things I have at home are wood. I believe you and I'm certainly not going to saw one in half, but they do feel very hollow for wood...."boing"

Glad you come back here to keep your sanity, if that's at all possible. I believe I've been on this so much for the last month that if they get a print out of the time I've spent on the internet, I'd be fired on the spot!!