a person resembling Oswald firing a similar rifle at another range near Irving 2 days before the assassination.664

Although the testimony of these witnesses was partially corroborated by other witnesses,665 there was other evidence which prevented the Commission from reaching the conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald was the person these witnesses saw. Others who were at the firing range remembered the same individual but, though noting a similarity to Oswald, did not believe that the man was Oswald;666 others either were unable to state whether the man was Oswald or did not recall seeing anybody who they feel may have been Oswald.667 Moreover, when interviewed on December 2, 1963, Slack recalled that the individual whom he saw had blond hair,668 and on December 3, 1963, Price stated that on several occasions when he saw the individual, he was wearing a "Bulldogger Texas style" hat and had bubble gum or chewing tobacco in his cheek.669 None of these characteristics match those known about Lee Harvey Oswald.

Moreover, the date on which Price adjusted the scope for the unknown person was September 28, 1963, but Oswald is known to have been in Mexico City at that time; 670 since a comparison of the events testified to by Price and Slack strongly suggests that they were describing the same man,671 there is reason to believe that Slack was also describing a man other than Oswald. In addition, Slack believed he saw the same person at the rifle range on November 10 672 and there is persuasive evidence that on November 10, Oswald was at the Paine's home in Irving and did not leave to go to the rifle range.673 Finally, the man whom Price assisted on September 28 drove an old car, possibly a 1940 or 1941 Ford.674 However, there is evidence that Oswald could not drive at that timer and there is no indication that Oswald ever had access to such a car.675 Neither Oswald's name nor any of his known aliases was found in the sign-in register maintained at the Sports Drome Rifle Ranger though many customers did not sign this register.676 The allegations pertaining to the companions who reportedly accompanied the man believed to be Oswald are also inconsistent among themselves 677 and conform to no other credible information ascertained by the Commission. Several witnesses noticed a bearded man at the club when the person believed to be Oswald was there, although only one witness thought the two men were together; 678 the bearded gentleman was located, and he was not found to have any connection with Oswald.679

It seems likely that the identification of Price, Slack, and the Woods was reinforced in their own minds by the belief that the man whom they saw was firing a rifle perhaps identical to Oswald's Mannlicher-Carcano. The witnesses agreed that the man they observed was firing a Mauser-type bolt-action rifle with the ammunition clip immediately in front of the trigger action, and that a scope was mounted on the rifle.680 These features are consistent with the rifle Oswald used for the assassination.681 The witnesses agreed that the man had accurate aim with the rifle.682