Butch McEwen, alias Cord Wood, believes in a better time in history – a time when &uot;bad guys&uot; got what was coming to them and the men in white hats finished first.

And on the first Saturday of every month, he and the other members of the Natchez Sixgunners revisit that time.

&uot;The purpose of our group is preserve a place in time when the good guys always won,&uot; said McEwen, &uot;a time when good and bad were more clearly defined.&uot;

The Natchez Sixgunners is the local chapter of the Single Action Shooting Society, SASS. And it is definitely more than just a gun club.

&uot;We only use guns, authentic or reproductions, that would have been used … (in) the years between 1860 to 1898,&uot; said McEwen.

These include guns such as McEwen’s Rueger Colt or his 100 year-old Winchester.

And in keeping with the historical aspect of the group, each member – male or female – must register an alias with the national society.

&uot;The name cannot be a duplicate of anyone else nationwide,&uot; said Keith Tillman of Harrisville. &uot;And with more than 35,000 members that can be a challenge. Most of the old cowboy names, such as Jesse James, or Indian names are unavailable.

&uot;So now most people try to make their alias a historical name or have it go along with what they do for a living, like McEwen. He is in the wood business with International Paper and Judge Charlie Vess, he goes by the name Euby D. Judge.&uot; said Tillman, who works for the state gaming commission and goes by the alias Pair A. Dice.

Tillman is a member and the president of the Mississippi Peacemakers of Mendenhall, one of three SASS chapters in Mississippi. He and several other members drive to Natchez to join in the monthly shoot.

The morning begins with prayer and a safety meeting, where everyone is reminded of the rules of the course. Then the day’s scenarios are described.

Set up in the field are steel targets, ranging from the infamous &uot;men in black&uot; to livestock. Each month, the SASS members line up to take aim and fire at the targets which are rearranged to depict an actual historic event or scene from a popular western movie. The group uses steel targets because members use only low velocity lead ammunition which flattens out into slugs when it hits the steel. The course is divided into two scenes, and the members split into two &uot;posses.&uot;

As the groups assemble the cry &uot;the range is hot&uot; is heard and members reach for their safety glasses and ear plugs before they reach for their guns.

&uot;We are first and foremost about safety,&uot; said McEwen. &uot;Our goal here is safety, fellowship, fun and winning in that order.&uot;

Course safety marshals keep a close eye on the &uot;shoot out.&uot; A shooter cannot load his gun until it is his turn on the course. Then they load their guns at a table under a marshals careful eye, take their turn on the course and unload their firearms in the presence of a marshal.

Participants are timed as they shoot through the course and any misses they have are counted against them to obtain their score. Once on the course, shooters are serious as they take out the bad guys.

&uot;Take that, you low-down, dirty, river scum,&uot; says Pair A. Dice as he draws his gun and takes aim

&uot;This is one of the few sports where men, women and juniors can compete evenly,&uot; said Marty Douglas of Jackson, alias Diamond Lily. &uot;This sport is not one of strength or speed, just accuracy.&uot;

Of course, it’s also about the good guys winning.