Membership in the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS) requires the registration of a unique name or alias under which you compete in Cowboy Action Shooting matches. The SASS Shooter's Handbook enforces certain rules in selecting an alias such as not using an alias which duplicates or could be confused with another registered alias. (See the Note at the end of this article if you wish to view or download the current Shooter's Handbook.)

SASS members are asked to select an alias representative of a character or profession from the old west or the western genre. You can be sure that the obvious names have already been taken. Harper H. Creigh, the founder of SASS, took the name of Judge Roy Bean (SASS #1). Other early names were General U.S. Grant (SASS #2), Tex (SASS #4), Lonesome Dove (SASS #12), and Cat Ballou (SASS #55).

The Shot Doc Story suggests that choosing an alias requires some creativity and, if you were to join SASS and select an alias in October 2014 and wanted an alias never used before, there would be over 101,000 registered names you couldn't use. (Note: if a person owning a registered alias dies or drops membership, that alias can be re-assigned to a new member if requested. Many prefer to choose an alias never used before.)

Below is a sampling of names people have chosen that I found interesting...or gave me a smile. The names were taken from back issues of The Cowboy Chronicle.

• Santa Klaus (SASS #28780) -- a name chosen by a member in Germany
• No-One (SASS #52804)
• Aneeda Bullseye (SASS #41909)
• Lead Dispencer (SASS #27115)
• Sassy Susie Q (SASS #59662)
• Papa Grande (SASS #62116)
• Lefty Gin Lizzie (SASS #101369)
• Walker Colt (SASS # 3035)
• Ramblin Rose (SASS #2811)
• Lusty Lil (SASS #4103)
• Helza Poppin (SASS #63974)
• Silver Tongued Devil (SASS #25577)
• Dan Nabbit (SASS #5537)
• Ima Darlin (SASS #56196)
• Ifin Ida Shotbetter (SASS #48552)