Category: AT Short Article

RANGE DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN SEMINAR

Step by Step Process to Develop and Build Your Shooting Range

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to receive the best tools and information you will need to successfully complete your shooting range project. Attendance at the Range Development and Design Seminar allows you to meet with range consultants and other subject matter experts, visit local shooting ranges, and get answers to your questions about running a successful shooting range.

Topics Include

  • Experiences from Successful Range Owners
  • Range Design and Equipment
  • Identifying your Range Location
  • Navigating City Planning, Zoning, and Permitting
  • Lead Management Solutions
  • HVAC and Range Ventilation
  • Managing your Range and Retail Space
  • Public and Community Relations

MATCH™ (MODULAR ARMORED TACTICAL COMBAT HOUSE)

Action Target’s Shoot House featuring Auto Target Hit Sense Technology.

Action Target’s MATCH™ is a 360°, live-fire, ballistically safe, shoot house designed for teaching and learning close quarter skills, like room clearing and hallway navigation, with realism and safety.

AutoTargets enhances training and the shooting experience. Each lift unit can be placed as a stand-alone target, or daisy-chained from a single air supply. Because AutoTargets is portable, it can be placed in any configuration or incorporated into any terrain. It is effective in shoot houses, Hogan’s alleys, and other close quarters combat environments, as well as open- eld, long distance training courses. A pressure sensitive target version is also available for use with non-lethal ammunition projectiles.

AutoTargets

MATCH™ (Modular Armored Tactical Combat House)

Portable Bullet Trap

 

A Veteran’s Perspective

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Veteran’s Day is a time for Americans to remember and honor those that have fought as well as thank those that currently fight for our freedom. Undoubtedly Veterans Day is a different experience if you are a Veteran. We decided to ask Steve Owens here at Action Target what Veterans Day means to him.

Steve Owens, United States Air Force (28 years)

“To be perfectly honest, for me Veterans Day has mostly been just another day. I usually try to get through it unnoticed. I still become uncomfortable when someone thanks me for my service after noticing my retired ID card. It is not that I am not proud that I served, I guess I just remember too well the Vietnam days and how badly Vets were treated at that time. Despite having served in the Air Force for 28 years myself, when I think of “Veterans” I still picture people like my Father, Grandfather and a handful of uncles that served during WWII and a great uncle that survived the trench warfare in Europe while serving during WWI. Time and opinion being what they are, wars and warriors go in and out of fashion driven by the prevailing views of society at that moment. These opinions are but fashions, rolling as waves upon the seas forged by the tidal forces of public opinion. Sometimes we surf upon the crests, other times we drown in the depths of their troughs. At times the hero, other times the goat. That is often the lot of the veteran and so often one never knows which appellation to expect… except perhaps on November 11th.”

Join us in saying thank you to all of the men and women who fight to protect our freedoms! 

 

IDPA teams with Action Target to create official steel practice target

PT IDPA Practice Torso [square]Action Target announced today that it has partnered up with the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) to create the organization’s official steel practice target named the PT IDPA Practice Torso.

The new target, which is available for sale on Action Target’s online store (www.letargets.com), features a regulation torso shape including scoring zones with reactive swinging plates to provide instant visual and audible feedback for accurate shots.

“We were really excited to work with Action Target on this project because of their ability to take our requirements and come up with an innovative solution,” IDPA Executive Director Joyce Wilson said. “Specifically, we wanted a steel target that encourages shooters to focus on accuracy. To do this, we diminished the sizes of the down zero zones by two inches to encourage tighter groupings in training which can lead to better scores in competition.”

While the PT IDPA Practice Torso is designed specifically for competitive handgun training, it is built with 3/8-inch AR550 armor steel which can withstand any standard handgun round and is also rated for rifle use at 100 yards. It is also designed with the safety of the shooter in mind with no exposed bolts, clamps or brackets for a completely flat shooting surface that produces predictable splatter patterns and reduces the risk of ricochet coming back at the shooter.

The patent pending target hinge design of the PT IDPA Practice Torso.
The patent pending hinge design of the PT IDPA Practice Torso.

“A lot of work went into the design of this target,” Chris Hess, Action Target’s product marketing manager over steel targets, said. “Not only did we ensure that the torso dimensions of the target perfectly match IDPA regulation, we also created a new patent pending hinge design for the reactive plates that minimizes the number of parts needed and provides consistent reaction on every shot. This new design will soon be used on all of our reactive steel targets.”

The PT IDPA Practice Torso made its first debut at the 2014 IDPA National Championship held in Tulsa, Okla., where the prototypes were tested by competitors and IDPA executives. Two-time national IDPA champion and member of the Smith & Wesson shooting team Tom Yost was especially influential in the creation of the target and suggested improvements that led to the final patent pending design.

“As a competitive shooter, this is exactly the kind of target I want to train with,” Yost said. “Practicing on steel helps build muscle memory for accurate shots better than anything else because it provides instant feedback that you can hear and see. Those habits built shooting on steel transfer perfectly to the official cardboard target.”

The PT IDPA Practice Torso comes with the buyer’s choice of a 1-foot, 2-foot, 3-foot or 4-foot stand and will begin shipping March 13.

Product Specifications:
–          As Low As: $339
–          Height: 5’ (with recommended 3’ stand)
–          Weight: 59 lbs.
–          Torso Dimensions: 12” x 25.75” (adjusted for target angle)
–          Reactive -0 Square Dimensions: 3” x 3”
–          Reactive -0 Circle Dimensions: 6”
–          Steel Grade: 3/8” AR550
–          Handgun Shooting Distance: 10 yards+
–          Rifle Shooting Distance: 100 yards+ using ammunition below 3,000 fps

 

About Action Target Inc.

Action Target Inc. is a privately owned business headquartered in Provo, Utah. As a world leader in shooting range technology with more than 4,000 products and 40 patents for the systems it designs and manufactures, Action Target has installed thousands of shooting ranges across the United States and in 40 other countries around the world. Action Target also designs systems and conducts firearms training for law enforcement and various military divisions. For more information on Action Target, visit www.ActionTarget.com. To learn more about Action Target products or to purchase items online, visit www.LETargets.com.

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Action Target Inc., 3411 S. Mountain Vista Pkwy, Provo, Utah 84606 USA
Contact: Laren Helms (801) 396-1212 Office / lhelms@actiontarget.com

Emergency Medical Action Plans for Live-fire Range Operations

By – John Krupa III

How many times have you been at the range and thought “What do we do if someone gets shot or injured during training?” You’d be surprised to learn that there are a lot of range facilities that do not have a posted Emergency Medical Action Plan (EMAP) in place to deal with serious on-site injuries! Sure, they may have a policy protocol established in their range operations manual, but who is responsible for executing it? Have they been trained appropriately on how to respond to medical emergencies and what resources are available on site to actually deal with serious injuries?

LETC [2014] 114

If you do ask that question at the range, most of the time the response will be to use the first-aid kit that is available on site and to call 911 for serious injuries. It’s obvious that there needs to be a much more detailed plan other than just slapping a band-aid on a wound and waiting for EMS to arrive.

It has been my experience when inquiring about EMAPs at range facilities that they are not all prepared to deal with serious medical emergencies and lack proper equipment and training to deal with trauma injuries.

So let’s explore some steps on how to establish a reliable EMAP and how it can be implemented so students, instructors and range staff alike will know these procedures and what actions to take at the onset of each training evolution.

Start out by acquiring medical supplies and build medical kits that can be easily identified and accessible on the range. I recommend building a First-Aid Kit, a Trauma Injury Kit and AED Kit.

The First-Aid Kit is typically built using a heavy duty plastic tool box or tackle box that is orange or yellow in color. Use an indelible black marker to write FIRST AID KIT on the front, back and sides of the box in large letters so it can be easily identified.

The First-Aid Kit will include all of the essential medical supplies that will be used for non-serious injuries and will be accessed regularly to treat small scrapes, cuts and other minor injuries. This kit should be monitored on a regular basis to ensure that used items are replenished.

TMS-R-AID

The Trauma Injury Kit is typically built using a heavy duty plastic tool box, tackle box or soft canvas bag that is RED in color. Use an indelible black marker to write TRAUMA KIT on the front, back and sides of the box or bag so it can be easily identified.

While this kit will rarely, if ever, be accessed (hopefully you won’t need to use this kit!) it should also be monitored regularly so items with expiration dates can be rotated out and replaced with fresh supplies.The Trauma Injury Kit will include all of the essential medical supplies that are needed to treat serious trauma injuries such as; hemorrhage control, deep lacerations, penetrating puncture wounds, gunshot wounds, sucking chest wounds and tension pneumothorax.

The Trauma Injury Kit should ONLY be accessed for serious injuries and by personnel that have been properly trained in TCCC (Tactical Combat Casualty Care) or training of equivalent level.

The AED Kit (Automated External Defibrillator) is something that every range facility needs to acquire and have available at all times. While AED units can be purchased new, with a little work searching on the Internet, you should be able to find a source that will donate a decommissioned unit for your facility.

The First-Aid Kit, Trauma Injury Kit and AED Kit should be kept on-site where the training is actually taking place and immediately accessible. These kits will be useless if they are kept in a range building down the road or in a vehicle parked 100 yards away!

The next step is to establish a communication protocol to contact 911 for EMS response. While hard line phones may be on-site, they might not be immediately accessible on the range. I recommend assigning at least (2) range staff members or students with reliable cell phone service to keep their phones with them on the range in the event a 911 call needs to be made. Another option is to have a police radio on the range for direct contact with dispatch. Assign (2) people to emergency call duties in case one of them is the person that is injured.

Create a laminated handout, outlining the EMAP, that can be kept on the range and accessible with the medical kits. The handout should contain the physical address of the range facility, GPS coordinates (for Life Flight dispatch) and the direct phone number to EMS dispatch. The direct number is important, as a 911 call on most cell phones may not always reach the dispatch center for the area you are training at. Having the direct number to dispatch available, the people assigned to emergency call duty can preprogram that number into their cell phones.

Include the name, address and phone number to ER of the closest Level 1 Trauma Center in the laminated handout in the event the decision is made to use one of the vehicles on site to grab and go vs. waiting for an ambulance. Sometimes it may be quicker to drive someone to the local hospital vs. waiting for EMS to respond. If you do decide to grab and go, make sure a phone call is made to the hospitals ER in transition from the range to the hospital to notify them of what you have and ETA to ER.LETC [2014] 282

In summary, review the EMAP with everyone at the beginning of each training evolution during the range safety briefing. Show everyone in the class where the medical kits will be located on the range. Identify range staff that are TCCC qualified. Identify any students in the class that might have a medical skills background and recruit them to assist the range staff, should a medical emergency occur.

Assign at least (2) reliable people on the range to emergency phone call duties and verify the direct dispatch number, GPS coordinates and range address with them. Make sure they know where the laminated EMAP handout is located with this information.

Lastly, if a serious injury incident does occur, whether you decide to wait for EMS or grab and go to the hospital, be sure to secure the area where the incident occurred as responding LEO’s will be required to process that area as part of their investigation. It is also recommended that anyone that witnessed the incident remain on scene for LEO debrief.

If you follow these procedures and develop a sound EMAP, you’ll be ready to handle any emergency medical situation that occurs on your range.

As always, stay safe, remain vigilant and Fight to Win!

John Krupa III – Bio

John is a police officer with the Orland Hills Police Dept. (IL.) and has over 24 years of experience in law enforcement. He has previously served as a patrol officer, FTO and firearms instructor with the Chicago Police Dept. He is a recipient of the Award of Valor, Silver Star for Bravery and Distinguished Service Award for his actions in the line of duty. He is a certified Master Firearms Instructor from PTI and graduate firearms instructor from the Secret Service Academy, FBI, DEA and FLETC. He holds the rating of Distinguished Weapons Expert with the Department of Homeland Security and has presented numerous courses at training conferences across the country including ASLET, IALEFI and ILEETA. John can be reached at – jkrupa@teamspartan.com

John Krupa III

GunVote Campaign

As a voting member of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), Action Target supports the Gun Vote campaign. This campaign encourages citizens across the nation to vote for those who support gun rights. The NSSF provides up-to-date news and information on political races and politicians looking to impact the Second Amendment. The website also features RSS feeds to Senate, House, and Governor races, as well as links for voter registration, absentee voting information, news on the latest polls, and more. Everything you need to know about the Second Amendment and gun rights is in one place for Election Day. Visit the site for more information.

Choosing A Concealed Carry Course

According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the number of concealed carry holders increased 29% from 6.9 million people in 2010 to 9 million people in 2012. Whatever the reason or motivation, more and more people are making the decision to become a concealed carry permit holder. Making a decision to become a concealed carry permit holder is a big decision and can often be met with a lot of questions and possibly uneasiness, especially for those who may be new to the gun industry. Every state is different in their requirements and how they issue, but most states require a person to demonstrate competence with a firearm before they will issue a concealed carry permit.

One of the most common ways to do this is by taking a class. This may be a safety course, law enforcement or training course; whatever it is, they usually vary in curriculum and length. It may be appealing to take the shortest course and complete the minimum requirements, but most experts in the industry suggest against this.

Especially for those who are new to firearms and the gun industry, a concealed carry course can be a great introduction and foundation to understanding proper gun etiquette and conduct. A longer course can provide more range time and more instruction about state laws and regulations. An in-depth knowledge of state laws and the responsibilities associated with concealed carry can prevent costly fines and other issues that result in being ignorant about concealed carry laws. Many suggest thinking about why you want to get a concealed carry permit, and then finding the course that will help you achieve your objective.

It is also recommended that additional training be completed after the concealed carry course is over. When it comes to firearms, there is no such thing as too much practice. Many shooting ranges offer concealed carry courses along with other courses designed to enhance firearms proficiency. These ranges also offer special events and promotions such as Ladies Night where women can shoot at a discounted rate, or receive additional instruction from a Range Safety Officer.

Whatever the level of shooting expertise, taking time to choose a concealed carry course that matches your objectives and ideals will help to increase firearm proficiency and safety.

 

Other Things to Consider When Thinking about Concealed Carry:

Keep your firearms clean and operational. It is recommended to clean your firearm after each shooting session and check for any worn or broken parts.

Keep firearms out of reach of children (or anyone else that should not have access to them).

Tactical training is highly recommended. Look for courses in your area and sign up.

Let it be known to very few people that you concealed carry.

 

LETC 2014: A Week of Advanced Firearms Training

Action Target’s Law Enforcement Training Camp (LETC) is the best value in law enforcement firearms training. With over 20 years of traditionLETC 2013 - 082 and experience hosting LETC, Action Target has created a week long training experience designed to aid department firearms instructors in their training effectiveness and skill – and pass those skills along to officers in their own agencies. This four day training event will be held September 8-12, 2014 at Action Target headquarters in Provo, Utah. This year’s courses include:

  • L.E. Small Arms Combination
  • Reactive Shooting
  • Ultimate Shotgun
  • Rapid Deployment Rifle
  • Shoot, Move, Communicate
  • Shoot house Instructor Orientation
  • Training for the Fight with the PistolLETC 2013 - 006
  • Practical Shooting while Moving
  • Emergency Medical Response
  • L.E. Precision Rifle
  • Modern High Speed Pistol and Knife

Action Target has selected some of the best firearms instructors in the industry including instructors from Safariland Shooting School, Hoffner’s Training Academy, Spartan Tactical Training Group and others. These instructors offer decades of experience in firearms and tactical training. Click here for more details about the courses offered.

$550 tuition includes:

  • Four days of world class firearms instructionLETC 2013 - 037
  • Official certificate of completion
  • Six meals including a BBQ and closing banquet
  • Networking with industry training professionals
  • LETC collectible t-shirt

LETC is limited to the first 160 paid applicants, and classes are first-come first-served. Slots are filling up fast, so register today. While primarily geared toward law enforcement firearms trainers, all law enforcement officers are invited to attend. Join us for a week of top-notch firearms training. Click here to download the registration form, and email academy@actiontarget.com with any questions or concerns.

 

 

Georgia Gun Club Opens First 100-Yard Indoor Rifle Range in Georgia

Georgia Gun Cub hopes to change the way people in the surrounding area think about indoor shooting ranges. Building the first 100-yard indoor rifle range in Georgia seems like a good start, but they aren’t stopping there. Adopting the tagline, “You’ve never shot like this before,” the goal is to give customers an unparalleled experience when shooting at the club. Georgia Gun Club is doing this through high-quality equipment and taking the country club approach to the shooting range business – an approach that is becoming a widely accepted concept across the country.

Georgia Gun Club’s nearly 40,000 square foot facility includes an indoor shooting range, member’s lounge, classrooms, simulation theater gunclub190-3324986480-Oand retail space. The range is outfitted with Action Target equipment and has a total of 28 lanes. There are eight 100-yard lanes reserved specifically for rifle use and the other 20 lanes are 25-yards long. The range is not only for the shooting novice or enthusiast, but is also designed for local Law Enforcement agencies that need a place to complete training and certification. Action Target retrievers, turning targets and full panel clear ballistic shooting stalls provide a quality experience for each shooter who visits the club.

The Action Target Total Containment Trap’s unique technology collects bullet rounds while simultaneously reducing ricochet and lead dust build up. Overhead safety baffles are in place to catch errant rounds and provide an added level of noise abatement and safety. The integrated ventilation system also ensures the air is free of lead contaminants and maintains a comfortable temperature inside the range.

The club offers several training courses including personal protection, home firearm safety and basic pistol, rifle and shotgun courses. ThereGGC portico sign 2 is a full-time gunsmith available to help customers and nationally certified instructors who are also Range Safety Officers.

A theater room with video enhanced simulator training and an impressive retail space only add to the overall experience of the club. Although the space is full of amenities, Georgia Gun Club stresses their overall goal is a safe environment.

“I am pleased to have designed and led the effort of bringing a safe and family friendly shooting facility to the Atlanta metropolitan area,” said Verne Fowler, Managing Partner. Fowler continued saying, “We have worked hard to ensure that this shooting facility is unmatched in its capabilities and overall experience for the customer.”

THINKING ABOUT BUILDING A SHOOTING RANGE?

Building a shooting range can be an overwhelming process. Your time and resources deserve a partner who will listen to your ideas and turn your dreams and plans into a successful, thriving business. If you are considering building a range, talk to the Action Target Range Consultant in your region, and he will be happy to help you find the right equipment to fit your needs and budget. You can also use our Request a Quote form to get started on your range project today.

Please note, the tips included in this message have been found to be helpful for many clients throughout the years but may not apply in all situations. Please use judgment in determining which tips will be helpful in your particular situation.