Buying and selling online is a wonderful thing, I just love the idea of being able to sit at home or work, browse around until I find just what I'm looking for and at the right price and purchase it (like the new drover coat I ordered Tuesday). Then there's the whole anticipation thing too, you wait anxiously until the delivery guy or gal pulls up to your house and drops off your package, its just like christmas!

Why bring this up? Because I think that the internet may be about as important to CAS growth as anything. I'm lucky enough to live an hour away from a really nice cowboy store called Tonto Rim where I can buy all the duds and stuff I need for shooting cowboy (except guns). They make custom hats and have a really nice selection of boots as well as all the clothes you need. But then, not everyone is so lucky. Most cowpokes are going to have to order their stuff and that's where the internet has to of really changed this sport. I can't imagine trying to find all the cool cowboy stuff by browsing through the Chronical and calling the merchant to request a catalog, then waiting, browsing the catalog and ordering by phone, you get the picture.

You can find any and everything you need on the internet to go shoot and have it delivered to your door or to your FFL dealer. Yes, you can buy guns online via merchants or by individual classified or auctions, just ask Judge as he's just got a purty 66 yellowboy that I'm jealous of. Buying stuff isn't the only benefit to CAS that the internet offers, you can go to one of the forum websites and discuss CAS topics, rule changes, techniques and just find other friends if that's your thing. I like to visit the SASS Wire to read about the various guns and gunsmithing/reloading related stuff as well as get suggestions on more places to buy gear. Clubs can post or email scores, you can check weather forcast to decide what to wear, get directions to a new range, register for shoots and much much more.

It isn't all sunshine and lollipops, there's some aspects to the internet that I don't like. I think people say things when they are hiding behind their computer and the distance it provides that they wouldn't say face to face. I try not to say anything that I wouldn't say in person, but Its really easy to do and its one of the things that turns me off on the wire. That and I think some people just post on the wire to see their own posts, they're probably the same kind of folk who talk just to hear themselves, you know?

Kind of ironic really, this sport that harkens back to the days of yore is thriving in large part to the most recent of innovations, the internet.