When Harry Met: Don Carlton, aka 'Buck D. Law,' gunfighter
He’s neither a lawman nor a dangerous outlaw, but Don Carlton is a gunfighter — a well-known gunfighter with calm nerves and deliberate eye, making him a fast and accurate shooter “feared” by his opponents. And that’s today’s story about the man known to many as “Buck D. Law.”
Carlton is a regular participant in a competitive shooting sport that originated in the 1980s at a shooting range in Orange County, California. They are multi-gun matches utilizing a combination of handguns, rifles and shotguns, all using real ammunition.
Competitors — both men and women participate — shoot on a variety of Old West-themed courses, firing for time and accuracy. They dress in appropriate theme or era costumes, and use gear and accessories mandated by the respective sanctioning groups.
It’s competitive shooting in the ways of the Old West, not the Matt Dillon man-in-the-street version seen on TV. These are computerized, timed shootings at random targets by highly skilled men and women from across Alabama and beyond.
Contestants move from space to space, maybe running from a porch to fire at their next target from behind a tree. The winner is determined by target accuracy in the quickest time. Electronic timers record the duration of each stage to one hundredth of a second.
Carlton, the guitar-collecting owner of a Rainbow City printing company, is one of Alabama’s best marksmen. Using either his six-shooter (a Ruger Vaguero), his 1873 reproduction Winchester rifle or a double-barreled shotgun (sometimes all three in a particular event), he’s won 10 state championships and five regional contests.
He competes in shooting events sanctioned by the Single Action Shooting Society, whose contests are held on the first Sunday of each month at Woodville, near Cathedral Caverns in Northeast Alabama.
According to its website, SASS is “an international membership organization formed in 1987 to preserve and promote the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting. SASS serves as the governing and sanctioning body for the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting and Wild Bunch Action Shooting worldwide — ensuring safety and consistency in the sport. SASS members share a common interest in preserving the history of the Old West and competitive shooting in a safe, fun, family-friendly environment.”
Participants must select aliases with an Old West flavor, such as Carlton’s “Buck D. Law.”
Carlton’s family is from Newton County, Arkansas. He was born in 1956 and grew up in the town of Lowell. “My parents are card-toting hillbillies,” he said with a laugh
When Walmart opened its first store, Carlton (then 5) and his family were there on its first day of business. Another highlight in his life came as a high school senior, when Bill Clinton spoke at his school's annual banquet, five years before he became Arkansas’ governor.
Carlton attended Northwest Arkansas Technical College. He’s had a variety of jobs, working as a school janitor for a city clerk and at a turkey processing plant, as well as delivering furniture and filling vending machines. He also learned accounting, a skill that got him a job at a poultry plant in Springdale, Arkansas.
He moved to Gadsden in 1978, working as an accountant for Spring Valley, “the chicken plant” in East Gadsden. He stayed in his position when Tyson Foods bought the plant (it’s now owned by Koch Foods), but moved through several jobs during the next 16 years: area manager, night shift manager, day shift manager and others. In 1986, Carlton started the first deboning process at the plant.
Guitar collecting was mentioned previously. Carlton got his first guitar in 1983 and began learning how to play it, practicing an hour a day. It was an Alvarez 5051 and is “still my favorite,” he said, although he now has about three dozen instruments in his collection.
His office is decorated with 12 guitars hanging on the walls. “I play by myself once in a while,” Carlton said, “but not in public.”
Carlton left the poultry business about 30 years ago when he bought a local printing company that became Arrow Graphics. Under his acumen, it quickly became one of the area’s largest printing, screen printing, banners, signs and advertising specialties vendors. He also has a Realtor license and makes investments in local real estate.
Before I end this story about Carlton ... uh, “Buck D. Law” ... a final note: You can watch him shoot all three of his weapons, free, on You Tube. Just type in his alias; it’s a fun few minutes.
Harry D. Butler, a former broadcaster, is a motivational speaker and author of “Alabama’s First Radio Stations, 1920-1960.” Butler periodically sits down with someone of note, then brings the conversation to readers.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Harry Butler profiles competitive shooter Don Carlton
