Tag: total containment trap

Action Target Completes Build for Jay Henges Range in MO

Posted on by Action Target

In 1937, the Missouri Constitutional Amendment created the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) to “restore, conserve, and regulate Missouri’s over-stressed fisheries, forests, and wildlife populations.” The MDC administers more than 975,000 acres and maintains five staffed shooting ranges, along with more than 70 unstaffed ranges. These ranges experience tremendous use from Missouri locals, many who are active sportsmen and hunters.

One of the most visited of these staffed ranges is the Jay Henges range in High Ridge, MO, located outside St. Louis. Range Supervisor Jake Hindman estimates that the range, which opened in 1994, receives 20,000 shooters each year. This continual high volume of fire led to maintenance and containment concerns regarding the inevitable lead remediation on the dirt berms. These concerns caused the Department of Conservation to decide it was time to invest in a “Total Containment Range” to eliminate costly lead clean up and maintenance while ensuring that no fired bullets left the shooing range.

The solution was Action Target’s Total Containment Trap (TCT) – Version 4. Some features of the TCT include:

  • Complete access into deceleration chamber
  • Modular chamber plates which require no cutting or welding – all parts bolt together.
  • All rounds fired are captured and guided into the deceleration chamber to expend their remaining energy as they harmlessly drop into a sealed collection system for recycling.

The Jay Henges Total Containment Trap measures 160 ft. wide with 20 shooting positions designed for heavy rifle use from the 100 yard firing line. The trap also features a unique self-supported engineered boom system that integrates into the frame of the bullet trap chambers, creating a support to the upper bullet trap plates without the need for a stand-alone truss system.

In late 2010, the Jay Henges range reopened, showcasing their new look with full concrete walkways, target holders, a bullet trap, and overhead baffles. Action Target would like to congratulate MDC on completing 75 years of public service and for their example in leading the way towards safe outdoor education by providing top notch facilities for citizens throughout the State of Missouri. Many thanks also to Action Target Midwest Range Consultant Chris Hart and Project Manager Brian Sanders for a seamless transition to the new bullet trap.

To read more about the Jay Henges Shooting Range visit https://mdc.mo.gov/regions/st-louis/jay-henges-shooting-range.

Range Project Spotlight: New Range In Pinellas County, Florida

Posted on by Action Target

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office will soon train in their new state-of-the-art outdoor baffled firing range. This new range includes Action Target’s high quality outdoor Total Containment Trap with a Screw Conveyor collection method. Both innovative systems make recycling much easier by catching all fired bullets in one 55 gallon barrel.

The new outdoor baffled firing range has a variety of tactical target systems, creating a multitude of training scenarios and environments that increase the range’s ability to do more than simply “qualifying” police officers.

Both ranges at the Pinellas County Sherriff’s Office include the follow training equipment and scenarios:

  • Running Targets—Essential for training since real-life threats do not stand still
  • Turning Targets—Used to create training environments promoting quick decision-making on how and when to take the shot
  • Multiple Threats—Programming “multiple adversaries” into gun fights and combat courses enhances training beyond single threat scenarios

Each training technique and target system is controlled by SmartRange—a computer software system that allows replication of “real world” scenarios. When engaging in a gun fight, officers experience several physiological changes to their bodies. Training in these realistic scenarios replicates this type of stress to help the officers learn how to handle it in a way that is safe and successful. When the moment does arise to put their training into action, they will have already learned how to more effectively manage their stress during action.

The range design includes input from Lt. Pupke (Pinellas County Sheriff), Lt. Littlejohn, Sgt. Chaisson, and Action Target. Everyone involved is pleased with the results of this fine training center. Action Target hopes to hold a training seminar at the range this coming spring, inviting local agencies to come and enjoy some great training on some great equipment.

We are proud of the foresight and planning done by Pinellas County, their leadership, their officers, and the citizens they serve. Thanks to the efforts of this agency, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is now ready for anything the future holds for their department, putting the Action Target motto into action: “Better Equipped, Better Prepared.”

Range Project Spotlight: Winston-Salem, NC

Posted on by Action Target

Designing and building ranges for many years with Action Target, Mike Stilwell has been actively involved in countless shooting range projects, including his own successful 16 lane commercial range, Rangemasters of Utah. Having 13 years experience of owning and operating an Action Target range is what made Stilwell an excellent person to help design and build a range for the Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD).

When Stilwell first became associated with the WSPD, they presented him with hand-drawn sketches, lots of notes, and passion to build a world-class indoor training facility. WSPD required more than the typical 25 yard police range. They wanted to build one of the longest indoor ranges found in their geographic region.

Stilwell first met the team from WSPD four years prior to this range build. He met Sgt. Bricker and Sgt. Hinson at Action Target’s Range Development Seminar held each year at Camp Butner, NC. Due to the lengthy process of getting their range started, Sgt’s Bricker and Hinson were no longer on the police force when the range was completed; however, the personnel change did not stop the project from moving forward. Stilwell is currently finishing the ranges with Sgt. Nelson and Lt. Watson to make the dream of building a world class training facility a reality.

The Winston Salem Training Academy is an indoor shooting range project currently being installed. It has two ranges, with one being 50 yards and the other 100 yards in length. There are tactical ranges with multiple Total Containment Traps–Version 4 (TCT4) bullet traps, with an open mouth throat for cross lane and tactical shooting. The TCT4’s have a screw conveyor lead collection system, inverted dual track runners, and 180 degree turning D-TaPS Target Systems. Both ranges are rifle rated and have 3/8” AR500 steel in the trap and on the baffles. The walls and ceilings are treated with PEPP acoustical material to ensure generous sound dampening, creating a comfortable area to practice shooting. The Winston Salem Training Academy is designed by the world-class A&E firm of Clark Nexsen with Dan Walker and Bobby Cummings taking an active role. The GC awarded the project was Branch & Associates from Roanoke, VA with Jerry DeVault as the Project Manager (PM). Clark Nexsen and Branch also designed and built the ranges at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), which ATI was fortunate to be a part of.

Action Target and Stilwell consider it an honor to be a vital part of this world-class facility and to work with all of the individuals who made this project happen. Special thanks goes out to the Firearm Instructors of Winston Salem, both past and present, Bryan Dahlberg—Project Manager for Action Target—and Jerry DeVault—Project Manager for Branch & Associates—for their long, tireless hours.

If you’re ever near the WSPD, give them a call to set up a date and time to take a tour of their new facility. If you are considering an indoor or outdoor range project and are in the Mid-Atlantic States region, contact Mike Stilwell at mikes@actiontarget.com

Other recently completed projects include:

  • South East Territory – Browns Ferry Police Department
  • South West Territory – Orem Police Department
  • South Central Territory – Midwest Police Department
  • North Central Territory – Green Bay Police Department
  • North East Territory – Montgomery Police Department
  • North West Territory – Three Sites
  • East Central Territory – Shooters Edge, LLC

Range Project Spotlight: Junction City, KS Commercial Range

Posted on by Action Target

Action Target is widely known for constructing the toughest and most challenging shooting range projects in the world. Working together as a team allows us to overcome various obstacles we face as we design, build, and create ranges for our clients. For example, Action Target was approached by the Federal Reserve Bank to design and build a shooting range on the 17th floor of a major office building in Chicago, Illinois. When considering the noise, ventilation, and other items associated with a range, constructing a range in a skyscraper surrounded by offices was a challenge, but not an impossible task for Action Target. Through careful planning and execution, we created a .50 BMG rated shooting range complete with three lanes, stalls, and retrievers.

Action Target Builds New Commerical Range in Junction City, KSAction Target’s challenging builds don’t end there. When Chris Hart, Action Target Range Consultant of the South Central Territory, was approached with an equally challenging range project, he welcomed the opportunity by stating, “It’s not every day that you install a modern shooting range in a building from the 1800’s.”

Every commercial shooting range project requires two key elements to get it off the ground- passion and hard work. When it comes to Godfrey’s Indoor Range, Todd Godfrey had plenty of both in reserve when he embarked on this project. Todd, an officer with the Junction City Police Department, envisioned opening a commercial indoor shooting range to serve not only the citizens of Junction City and his fellow police officers, but also the soldiers stationed at neighboring Fort Riley.

In 2008, Todd toured Kansas City PD’s 30 lane tactical indoor range with ATI Midwest Range Consultant Chris Hart and Bill Provencher from Carey’s Heating and Air Conditioning, as the two companies worked together to build this range several years earlier. After viewing the range, Todd decided that Action Target was the partner to have. With a visitor’s pass from Action Target, Todd attended this year’s SHOT Show where he secured everything he needed to run his range business, from firearm distributors to inventory software (we are also happy to help all of our future range clients attend the SHOT Show with us).

Junction City, KS Commercial Range Build by ATIFor this commercial range, Todd secured some prime real estate in downtown Junction City–three vacant buildings totaling 20,000 sq-ft. on a main thoroughfare. However, this perfect location came with one catch–the building dates from the 1800’s. Building a range in a building this old would be challenging, but not impossible, for Action Target. Using ATI’s detailed range drawings, Todd began building out the structure to accept the modern range equipment. His company (yes, Todd has three jobs!), Godfrey Construction and Renovation, LLC, installed new ceiling trusses and concrete work. He also remodeled the building with a new store front that includes a luxurious lounge area for those waiting to shoot.

To accommodate the expected high volume of shooters, Todd chose Action Target’s Total Containment Trap with Dust Collection Unit, Rifle Rated Ceiling Baffles, Digital Smart Target Retrievers with SmartRange Master Control System and Level III clear Ballistic Glass Shooting Stalls. To enhance the realistic training environment, he connected the SmartRange system to his P/A system so he can broadcast sound effects such as gunfire, screaming, and sirens. The range also has police light bars to simulate felony vehicle stops. Carey’s provided a fully automated range ventilation system guaranteed to meet all OSHA and EPA regulations.

Junction City, KS Commercial Range Built by Action TargetGodfrey’s Indoor Range opened to the public on July 31, 2010 and was named Junction City’s 2010 Business of the Year within five months of opening. However, that wasn’t enough for Todd–he then got creative with his extra space and installed a state of the art 6,000 sq-ft. 3D archery range. To further service his range customers, Todd leases 4,000 sq-ft. of retail space to Quantico Tactical.

If you’re ever near exit 296 on I-70 west of Kansas City, do yourself a favor and stop by to meet Todd and his great staff and send a few rounds downrange while you’re there. Todd is currently available for consulting on range franchise opportunities and the construction of range facilities.

www.godfreysranges.com
Godfrey’s Shooting and Indoor Archery Ranges Facebook Page

Other recently completed projects include:

  • Smith & Wesson Range – Houlton, ME
  • Watts Bar Nuclear Range – TN
  • Triad Gun Source Range – NC
  • Denton County Sheriff’s Department Range – TX
  • Atlanta State Penitentiary Range – GA

Action Target Completes SharpShooters Commerical Range Project

Posted on by Action Target

Commercial indoor firing range developments are a vital addition to any community. They not only provide a safe and accessible shooting location for private citizens, they also provide a firearms training facility for local law enforcement agencies. Action Target Range Consultant Robb Anderson recently completed the SharpShooters USA commercial shooting range project that demonstrated Action Target’s desire to provide shooters of all skills levels with an enjoyable and safe training facility.

The Sharpshooters range project began two years ago and, with the help of Tom Deets, Ken Burson and Action Target, became the most efficient, innovative and modern indoor shooting range in the Atlanta market.

Some of the features of the SharpShooters Range Project include:

  • Three separate bays with eight lanes in each bay
  • Bay #1 is a “Fixed Firing” range consisting of two 50 Cal lanes and six lanes designed for 223 and 308 rifle use
  • Bay #2 is a “Fixed Firing” range consisting of eight lanes designed for 223 and 308 rifle use
  • Both Bay #1 and Bay #2 are installed for ADA handicapped shooters
  • Bay #3 has a hybrid range design for public and Tactical Training for local law enforcement community
  • All three bays include the Mancom Instructor Stalls and are equipped with Mancom “Touch-n-Go” Target Retrievers
  • All rear and side walls are covered with PEPP acoustical tiles by Acoustical Services.

AT Installs Total Containment at Sharpshooters Range

Action Target installed both the Total Containment Steel Bullet Trap and Containment Baffles for each firing range.

AT Installs Mancom Instructor Stalls

All three bays include the Mancom Instructor Stalls and are equipped with Mancom “Touch-n-Go” Target Retrievers.

The SharpShooters Range has quickly become a popular favorite among Atlanta’s shooters and law enforcement. Recently, 20 agencies participated in a two day seminar – Modern Firearms Training – that allowed attendees the opportunity to give back to the communities that supported this range.

In a testimonial, a member of SharpShooters USA wrote:

“Since the doors were opened to the public, your staff has made it their policy to ensure everyone feels welcome. It is obvious they intend to make the experience comfortable and enjoyable to all comers. Yesterday I had the privilege to witness a situation that took that attitude to a unique level.

In the lane next to mine were a father and son. The son appeared to be in his early teens. It was obvious they were a bit new at this and enjoying a genuine “father-son” afternoon together. Each took turns with a pistol and one could sense they found the experience both new and exhilarating. I noticed a short lull in their shooting and soon realized it was because they were changing weapons. They had an AR.

Moving away from my lane to dispose of a spent target, I saw Range Safety Officer Shaun Kennedy stepping forward to ensure all was about to go well. As I approached the trash can, the father and I exchanged a nod and I asked if that was his rifle. “No, it is a rental. We are visiting from Canada and don’t have access to anything like it there. This may be the only chance my son will ever have to shoot one.” As the dad and I stood back closer to the wall, Shaun continued a brief explanation to the son of the mechanics and safety issues of the weapon. From the gentle manner with which he talked to the young man you could see his intent was to ensure the son was comfortable, safe, and confident enough to enjoy what he was about to experience. The youngster thoroughly enjoyed what followed while a very proud father watched. The look passed between them after the last round was fired was priceless. They asked if they could have a spent casing. Shaun retrieved one with a broom.

For all the right reasons, nothing happened that you should be aware of. Nothing went wrong. An alert Safety Officer made certain of that.

For all the right reasons, something happened that you should be aware of. An alert Safety Officer made certain two novice shooters, a father and son, went home with a newfound sense of shared pride from what they accomplished and an afternoon of great memories.

Kudos to your staff.”

Congratulations to all the SharpShooters USA Staff and Robb Anderson for a job well done!!!

Other Recently Completed Projects:

  • Belmont Firearms & Range, NH (Matt Brinkerhoff)
  • Federal Reserve Bank, Memphis, TN (Jason Snell)
  • Duke Nuclear Energy Plant, NC (Mike Stillwell)
  • Houston Police Department, TX (Aaron Ludwig)
  • Ankeny Police Department, IA (Chris Hart)

If you are interested in our products and are in the south-eastern states, contact your Regional Representative Robb Anderson. For all other areas, please visit our Contacts Page to find the territory manager for your area.

Contact Info for AT Robb Anderson

ROBB ANDERSON
801-377-8033 ext. 124
801-319-0977 cell
robba@actiontarget.com

Free Webinar – Choosing the Optimal Bullet Trap: The Total Containment Trap

Posted on by Action Target

Choosing a bullet trap is one of the most important aspects of designing and building a shooting range – an area you simply cannot afford to cut corners in. Unfortunately, it can quickly become overwhelming to determine the best, safest, most reliable, and most economical solution to fill your range’s needs. Luckily, Action Target is hosting a free 30-minute webinar entitled “Choosing the Optimal Bullet Trap: The Total Containment Trap” to help you understand what to consider when making a decision and why the Total Containment Trap is the most advanced, most effective, and safest bullet collection and disposal system available.

About the Webinar

During the course of the presentation, Addison Sovine, co-founder of Action Target, Inc. will:

  • Give critical information and tips for those considering a new bullet trap
  • Answer common concerns regarding bullet traps
  • Outline what to consider when building a new bullet trap or modifying their existing trap
  • Present an overview of the Action Target Total Containment Trap
  • Explain why Action Target is an invaluable partner in shooting range planning and construction

Event and Registration Details

When: Thursday, May 12, 2011
Time: 11:00-11:30 A.M. (MST)
Where: Online
Cost: FREE
Registration Link: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/464282150

Whether you are actively looking for a new bullet trap solution, or simply curious about what goes into making the bullet trap construction process a success, you can’t afford to miss this informative and entertaining webinar. →Register Now

Five New Action Target Products Revealed at Shot Show 2011

Posted on by Action Target

Action Target was recently represented at Shot Show 2011 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV from Jan 18-21. The overall scope and size of our booth represented the overall growth success of our company for the last 25 years. The amount of traffic generated this year was astounding. We hardly had a minute to catch our breath and we are grateful for it.

Many of the attendees were drawn in by the impressive design of our booth. It stood 20 feet tall and 60 feet wide, contained two meeting rooms, impressive graphics with accurate reductions of a Modular Armored Tactical Combat House (MATCH) and Total Containment Trap (TCT).

Here is a photo shot of our both taken about an hour before the show opened on the last day:

Action Target Sales and Marketing Teams

We rolled out many new targets, systems and concepts during Shot Show 2011. Some included:

  • Reactive Target System (RTS) – These self-healing targets are best fit for close quarter live fire engagements. We wanted to create a viable solution to meet the significant demand we have received from organizations and agencies all around the world. Some of the benefits of the RTS are the ability for the target to fall when struck, count the hits a target takes in a cost effective manner and you will not need to manually count the holes anymore during qualifications. Major benefits of the RTS include the ability of the target to fall when struck and the ability to count the number of hits to a target in a cost effective manner rather than manually counting the holes after qualification rounds. We devoted an entire article to this innovative product line last week.
  • Real Terrain Range (RTR) – Chuck Habermehl helped to develop the concept of the Real Terrain Range to bring a complete realism to training scenarios. At Action Target, we scoured the globe looking any current option narrowing our focus to a company that has been designing Hollywood movie sets for years. Their unique approach and materials allow pullets to pass through a simulate such as a rock, tree or wall causing no ricochet, splatter, inhalation or visibility hazard if any negligent discharge occurs. The RTR design allows Action Target to recreate any training environment you need.
  • FlexTact by Hufcor – FlexTact is the quickest and easiest reconfigurable shoothouse on the market today. As the exclusive worldwide distributor of FlexTact, Action Target was fortunate to have this small example of the system in the booth along with Hufcor’s training staff. The FlexTact increases the quality of your training and throughput and can benefit law enforcement, military and fire departments. The panels are suspended by an overhead railing system which allows you to recreate any building layout in minutes. There are panels are designed with doors, windows and graphics to truly enhance the realism. This is a great compliment to Action Target’s MATCH.
  • Pelvic Torso – The Pelvic Girdle was one of two new steel target prototypes brought to the show. It received a great response, and gave us the opportunity gather feedback that we will put to good use as we continue working on this target as a training solution. This prototype can be added onto an existing Action Target Hostage , IPSC Torso or Full-Size IPSC Torso target. It easily bolts onto the stand, has no welds and replicates the pelvic girdle.  There are two swinging plates that will react when hit. With many agencies training on disabling drills, the Pelvic Torso is the only steel target on the market that addresses this training need. Look out for an article on this product next week.
  • Sport Rack – As a world leader, Action Target has been asked time and again for a portable plate rack. Our existing Plate Rack has the highest quality and design that organizations all around the world over have used with much success. It is however, difficult to carry for long distance shooting which is why we were excited to announce our new Sport Rack. It looks just like a miniature version of our larger model, but it does not have true plate rack properties. The Sport Rack has four inverted round target heads, with no welds, so that when struck they swing upward, similar to the target movement on our horizontal dueling trees . Once again, there was a great deal of interest in this prototype, and look out for a full article about it in two weeks.

If you are interested in the Sport Rack or Pelvic Girdle and would like to add your name on our waiting list to be notified when they are for sale, email chadb@actarg.com. If you have questions or are interested in speaking to one of our Range Consultants, please Contact Us.