Month: September 2010

Action Target International

AT Build MATCH in GermanyDid you know that we are an international company? For years we have been increasing our presence abroad. Countries around the world have been increasing their police and military forces to parallel their growing populations. With more officers and law enforcement staff, countries are turning to Action Target to provide the very best training solutions. With our diverse line of range-related products, we have been fortunate enough to be selected to build some of the largest shooting facilities in the world. We have designed, manufactured and installed indoor, outdoor and M.A.T.C.H. (Modular Armored Tactical Combat House) ranges for our international friends and US military bases located on foreign soil.

Pictured above are structures we built in Germany that utilize M.A.T.C.H. technology. They are just one example of the course and scope of our international efforts.

Action Target Provides Innovative Training WorldwideAlong with our range and steel target technology, we have been sought for practical application training solutions as well. Action Target has been able to supply some of the best military and law enforcement trainers from the US to provide a comprehensive training program using our range equipment. Our ability to provide training on the equipment we manufacture and install continues to set us apart. We can provide this service with the purchase of our systems for a limited or extended time. If you do not have a range and/or would like to discuss having some specific coursework delivered to your personnel, we would like to discuss the options available with you. We have the capacity to deliver the entire spectrum of shooting-related coursework. Our capabilities including classroom and nomenclature discussions to static live fire, non-live-fire, force on force, close quarter combat, tactical live fire all the way to the pinnacle of tactical combat house live-fire training. Basically, if you have a firearm-related training need, whether it is for equipment, instruction or both, Action Target has a solution. If you would like to know more, please contact the Action Target representative for your area. Their information is below.

Europe and Africa:
Rod Wilkerson
+801-705-9146 office
+801-367-0726 mobile
[email protected]

Latin America:
Walter Roese
+801-705-9174 office
+801-787-7445 mobile
[email protected]

Middle East:
Jason Xochimitl
+801-705-9112 office
+801-376-2722 mobile
[email protected]

Pacific Rim:
Steve Thomas
+801-396-1213 office
+801-602-0014 mobile
[email protected]

If you are with the US Military and want to discuss range options in the US or abroad, please contact the military representative for your area. Their information is below.

Eastern United States, Europe, Middle East:
Alan Denmark
+801-705-9186 office
+801-995-2062 mobile
[email protected]

Western United States and Pacific Rim:
Kelli Cutler
+801-705-9111 office
+801-319-1198 mobile
[email protected]

Whether you are looking for targets, targeting systems, range development, training or anything else, please let us know. Our international staff will be able to find a solution to your needs. Since we are always committed to service and producing the highest quality products, please provide any feedback you may have by clicking here.

Firearms Proficiency Skill Levels (Part Two)

Written by Benjamin Kurata

(Continued from last week…)The following are arbitrary levels and goals of shooting performance. I use the word arbitrary as I have chosen them with no other intent than to place a stake in the sand so that the shooter can think about where (s)he is and where (s)he wishes to go with his / her training. What follows can be applied to shooting paper targets on a square, flat range (SFR) up through diminished light force-on-force scenarios.

BEGINNER LEVEL:

Emphasis:

  • Basic skill development (consistency in shooting position, grip, sight picture, trigger manipulation, follow through);
  • Safe, correct gun handling skills.

Shooter Position:

  • Static, i.e.,
  • Modified Isosceles
  • Weaver
  • Chapman
  • Etc.

Conditions:

  • Bright, well lit.

Target(s):

  • Static, known distance from shooter, high contrast (bullseye, PPC, Q, etc).

Time:

  • Unlimited or generous.

Acceptable outcome or goal:

  • All shots impact upon designated target area (target face, scoring rings, qualification area, etc.). NO MISSES!

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL:

AT Firearms ProficiencyEmphasis:

  • Introduce / develop dynamic target / environment skills;
  • Introduce / develop dynamic decision making skills.
  • Safe, correct gun handling skills.

Shooter Position:

  • Static (see above) between 75% and 50% of the time (gradually decreasing);
  • Dynamic or moving between 25% and 50% of the time (gradually increasing).

Conditions:

  • Bright, well lit, 50% of the time;
  • Diminished light 25% of the time;
  • No light 25% of the time (requires auxiliary lighting source).

Target(s):

  • Static, 50%;
  • Moving, uniform rate, known distance, 50%;
  • Uniform appearance 50%;
  • Non-uniform appearance (requiring shoot / no shoot decision) 50%.

Time:

  • Set time limits, challenging but achievable.

Acceptable outcome or goal:

  • No misses;
  • No no-shoot targets hit.

ADVANCED LEVEL:

Emphasis:

  • Sound decision making skills (shoot / no shoot);
  • Sound use of environment (cover, concealment, light, darkness, movement);
  • Safe, correct gun handling skills.

Shooter Position:

  • Static 20% of the time (behind cover, prone);
  • Dynamic or moving 80% of the time.

Conditions:

  • 100% diminished or no light (requires auxiliary lighting source).

Target(s):

  • 100% humanoid threat / no threat / varying levels of threat unless skill development is indicated – then bullseye, Q, etc.
  • Static but reactive, 50% (fire until threat is gone);
  • Moving, non- uniform rate, unknown distance, 50%;
  • Non-uniform appearance 100%.

Time:

  • Tight, dependent upon scenario. Shoot / no shoot available for short period of time before disappearing.

Acceptable outcome or goal:

  • Sound decision making:
    • Shoot / no shoot;
    • Use of environment / movement;
  • No misses on threat targets;
    • All shots in vital area or threat down (reactive)
  • No no-shoot targets hit.

Now, your first reaction upon reading this may be; “Nobody shoots at the Advanced Level.” Two responses:

1. Yes, there are entire people that shoot at the Advanced Level consistently, both as individuals and as teams. I will not be so arrogant as to claim that I shoot at this level, but I have had the benefit of training with individuals and teams that do.

2. As trainers, if we do not expect / demand better performance of those we train, will they ever improve? Again, as humans, we rise or fall to the level of expectation. So, as trainers, part of our job is to keep introducing more challenging, more realistic, and MORE DIFFICULT problems for the operator(s) to solve.

(Author’s Note: I started this article in 2000, but shelved it because nobody in my organization at that time was interested in discussing proficiency. Recently, a nationally published writer called and asked us about proficiency levels and evaluation, so it might be a good time to visit this subject again.)

*Note: Action Target has recently been offering firearm training manuals for sale at our online store. We only charge the cost to produce and ship the item. There are no hidden fees. We believe that your safety is that important, so we elect not to capitalize on the manuals. To get your own hard copies of these training manuals, please click here.

Firearms Proficiency Skill Levels (Part One)

Written by Benjamin Kurata

Three Men Engaged in Firearms TrainingWhen we talk about using firearms against lethal force threats, there is only one real measure of proficiency and an endless number of pseudo measurements. I do not say that in a negative way, as pseudo measurements save a lot of wear and tear on our personnel. However, we have to remember not to substitute the pseudo measurements for the real measurement.

The only real measurement of firearms proficiency in the realm of engaging and stopping lethal force threats is this: Did the officer / operator win the fight, and the threat(s) to the officer / operator lose the fight? Sub measurements of proficiency that fall under this can include:

  • Number of rounds fired / hits on threat(s);
  • Number of rounds fired by threat(s) / hits on officer / operator;
  • Unintentional hits on non-involved bystanders;
  • Unintentional hits on property (cars, houses, storefronts, etc.)

Any other measurement is a pseudo measurement. Within this broad area of pseudo measurements, some come closer to simulating actual fighting conditions and some have very little to do with actual fighting conditions. These include:

  • Qualification courses;
  • “Tactical” courses of fire;
  • Formal competition;
  • Etc.

Action Target Firearm ProficiencyPlease note that I do not see any of the above as a negative. Any time you are pressing trigger and getting hits on target you are reinforcing fundamental skills, and that is a good thing.

In my opinion, the most accurate, predictive live fire activity that the officer / operator can engage in short of an actual gunfight is force-on-force scenarios using dye marking cartridges and converted service weapons. Here, the hit ratio is very close to the actual hit ratio in gun fights. However, force-on-force scenarios have to be carefully scripted and controlled or they quickly degenerate into very expensive paintball games. An integral part of a well scripted scenario includes specific behavioral performance measurements that the trainer can document while the scenario is in progress.

We are all creatures of (1) comfort, (2) habit. We tend to do what is comfortable to us and avoid what is uncomfortable. If we receive enough positive feedback while performing what is comfortable to us, it becomes ingrained or a habit.

The same is true with shooting. We tend to rise to our individual level of comfort and then rationalize our level of performance. (“That’s close / good enough.”) We choose and repeat goals that we know we can routinely achieve.

(Author’s Note: I started this article in 2000, but shelved it because nobody in my organization at that time was interested in discussing proficiency. Recently, a nationally published writer called and asked us about proficiency levels and evaluation, so it might be a good time to visit this subject again.)

(This article continues in next week’s newsletter)

*Note: Action Target has recently been offering firearm training manuals for sale at our online store. We only charge the cost to produce and ship the item. There are no hidden fees. We believe that your safety is that important, so we elect not to capitalize on the manuals. To get your own hard copies of these training manuals, please click here.

Eliminating Lead in Indoor Ranges (Part Two)

Written by Clark Vargas

(Continued from last week…)There are inherent legal problems training with non-carry ammunition. The weight of non-lead bullets, are on average 25% less than that of standard lead projectiles by caliber and therefore accuracy is reduced at the firearms effective distances (long distances). Pistol harmonics and point of aim, likewise, change and occur at the shorter distance. So if a different practice round is trained with, the arguments can always be raised that it is different than the carry ammunition and the legal argument is created.

Military doctrine has always required engaging the enemy with mass firepower at the maximum effective distance of the firearm (whoever puts the most steel down range wins). Police trainers’ doctrine should also do the same. But, even if you are practicing and not hitting to the same point of aim with the duty and practice ammo, the lighter, non-lead practice ammo won’t do.

A lead-free indoor shooting rangeTraining with firearms requires developing proficiency at the weapons tactical or practical longest distances. That must be learned first. Close in rapid tactical drills come in second. However, if perceived recoil is different between a 100-grain and 140-grain bullet, a legal argument is again created.

Non-lead practice ammunition has no military value for combat. Lead again is and remains because of its weight and position in the periodic table, the main component for small arms projectiles of choice.

In our [Clark Vargas & Associates] opinion, LEO’s need to practice and qualify with what the less expensive issue ammunition or be subject to lawsuit, especially after a “bad” shooting incident. From a cost stand point, why shoot more expensive copper frangible and then have to qualify with lead on the same range when what you end up doing is contaminating the existing copper dust deposits with lead and then you can’t recycle any of it?

A lead-free indoor shooting rangeThe big break in ammunition technology, with respect to LEO training and environmental concerns, has only been the development of the lead heavy metal free reliable primers. Air sampling conducted at live shoots, with various totally encapsulated projectiles and lead free primer products is reported to have consistently proven to totally eliminate breathable lead exposure at the firing line.

The problem with the acceptance of the non-lead primed ammunition for tactical use has been that the non-lead primers are less sensitive than those with lead styphnate primer and increases the chance of misfires occurring, due to no ignition. This problem is being worked on. We certainly do not want misfires happening in a shoot out. Another problem is that non-lead primers were and are hydroscopic and may not store well.

Blount, Remington and Winchester as well as others, continue development with new ways of manufacturing propellant charges with non-metallic and non-lead bullets. Blount, CCI Blazer’s appear to be setting the standards in this area of technology with their more reliable lead-free primers. Lead free primers have little effect on velocity and points of aim, thus maintaining weight and velocity consistent to that of standard lead primed current carry ammunition.

A lead-free indoor shooting rangeIf a department is unwilling or unable to implement the lead management practices that we have known of for 12 years now, then perhaps they should use non-lead “green ammunition”. It should be realized though that the use of green ammunition is only one of the many alternative Best Management Practices for shooting ranges. It is not, however, the panacea and their use will have unintended consequences. The problems with non-lead alternative projectiles go far beyond the cost of the round. There are the ballistic performance shortcomings as previously discussed and yet unknown health and environmental risks. We know the risks for lead and know how to handle them.

A fine point, but points to be considered by the industry are non-lead ammunition. It is available to the military and law enforcement but is illegal for the public to purchase or possess. Frangible copper ammunition is not designed for hunting and if used, a brush buster shot or a bad hit would result in only wounding and animal cruelty. Non-lead ammunition is not accurate enough for competitive target shooting.

We now believe that zinc ammunition will be removed from the market place shortly so we won’t discuss that further. However, the Army’s tungsten “green bullet” a more recent debacle is a perfect example of the unknown risks of proposed “wondermetals”. On paper the tungsten metal compound proposed for the Army’s “green bullet” program looked great and development went forward. When real-world fate and transport studies were done, it turned out that the tungsten compound created unintended consequences worse than lead. Soil pH dropped as much as 5 full points, resulting in negative impacts on vegetation and organisms in the environment, as well as having 100% cancer rates in test rats. Can you imagine what could have happened if implemented for existing military ranges? The use of the Army’s “green bullets” on an existing lead range would have decreased soil pH and INCREASED lead mobility in large sites. Clearly not the intended result!

A Man Shooting in a Lead-free RangeThe Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, FLETC, has committed to 16 million rounds per year and is “the driving force behind the development of lead alternative ammunition”, but FLETC also has also acknowledged that lead alternative ammunition technology is NOT acceptable for duty use; they express a desire and opinion that it will be someday. FLETC developed their lead abatement strategy because of citations by EPA prior to the EPA’s development of lead Best Management Practices (BMP’s) and an EPA action due to FLETC’s past problems managing lead.

We have come through the zinc experiments and now in light of the Army’s green bullet test results, if, any assertion that non-lead ammunition is comparable to lead ammunition remarks is just plain wrong.

Balancing firearms training requirements vs. environmental stewardship is the balancing process the range design engineer and owner have to achieve. Completely eliminating an environmental risk is not possible. Minimizing risk certainly is.

I suggest totally encapsulated lead projectiles, non-lead primed ammunition for our designs. I take the common sense approach to the minimization of lead impacts on humans and the environment, and adopting range BMP’s as follows:

  • Utilize totally enclosed jacketed ammunition
  • Utilize lead-free primers
  • Install proper ventilation to assure adequate air movement and pressure in the breathing space and HEPA filter the air to be breathed
  • Instituting Range Operational Rules only proper ammunition used, wash hands, etc.
  • Eliminating lead dust generation at the bullet trap by proper choice of traps.
  • Recycle whatever you use

Utilizing the above BMP’s will eliminate 100% of the lead health safety problem in the range, due to projectiles.

Clark Vargas is a professional engineer and President of a successful 23-year-old civil/environmental engineering firm and has designed more than 30 shooting ranges in Florida, New York, Virginia, Tennessee and Kansas.

C. Vargas & Associates Logo

(NOTE: Action Target has republished this article in its entirety with the permission of the author.  Ideas, comments, practices, recommendations, etc. are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Action Target. Our line of indoor range products, which include our steel Total Containment and rubber traps, ventilation and dust collection meet and/or exceed all of Mr. Vargas’ recommendations/conclusions.)

If you have an article that you would like to see in our newsletter, please contact [email protected]

If you are interested in talking to a Territory Representative about your existing range or to discuss designing/building one, please click here.

Eliminating Lead in Indoor Ranges (Part One)

Written by Clark Vargas

The significant source of particulate lead in an indoor range is the ammunition used. There are four ways lead is generated in the shooting range.

The first and worst, also because of particle size, is the primer that starts the powder ignition. It contains the chemical lead styphnate and other heavy metals that insure a proper and reliable ignition.

The second, and second worst, because of particle size, is the lead burn of the lead bullet tail of jacketed ammunition. The hot propelling gases result in atomization of molecular lead possibly the most dangerous because of great gas volumes if in haled because of range eddy currents.

The third is the lead particles spiting out of revolvers and barrel friction on all firearms. It results in varying size lead particles downrange of the firing line on the floor. The lead will be picked up by shoes and tracked elsewhere, where they may or may not be ingested.

The fourth method, and the one that generates up to 95% of the particulate lead, is the lead bullet collision with the so commonly used, “hard” 30° to 45° incline steel traps.

It is just not prudent any longer to simply design hard steel bullet traps unless “tracer ammunition” is going to be used for machine gun training.

Just by changing the projectile to totally encapsulated copper jacketed projectiles, it produces a 97% reduction in lead particulate when compared to using solid lead bullets. The use then of both lead-free primers and totally encapsulated projectiles results in airborne lead being totally, eliminated at the firing lines and breathing zone.

Military and law enforcement are the high consumers of ammunition and will still continue to utilizes jacketed bullets with lead primers for some time to come. The many calibers of ammunition used and trained with are, the 9mm, .38, .357, .45 calibers, 5.56mm and 7.62x51mm. 12ga slugs and double ought buck. Ammunition comes from a variety of manufacturers.

Although lead-primed, jacketed ammunition is the standard, it won’t be long before reliable non-lead primers become the new standard, along with totally encapsulated lead projectiles.

Hard bullet traps are the major reason, as much as 95% of for the unintended generation, of lead in dust and waste streams in firing ranges. Most existing bullet traps terminate the bullets energy with a metal to metal hard collision generating heat, lead slatter and fragments and dust.

Softer termination schemes such as the 12° to 17° dry or wet funnel type traps with deceleration chamber and/or swirl chamber or snails are much gentler and produce no dust.

There are three antiquated metal bullet traps most common and still in use today; the escalator type, the venetian blind type and a “pit and plate” type. Each of these type backstops has advantages and disadvantages, however the net results remain the same: hard impacting lead projectiles on hard steel, causes extreme fragmentation of the lead and production of lead dust. Gene Fabian reported in 1996 that a full 20% of the lead bullet weight shot downrange on hard steel backstops do not end up as large enough lead pieces that can be recycled. A full 20% of the lead turns to small fragments, powder and molecular lead not captured in the trap. It ends up as settled dust or in the bag house. Downrange contamination becomes the major reason that hazardous conditions have resulted in firing ranges. Unless, these steel bullet traps are frequently maintained and HEPA vacuumed, lead dust accumulates to the point that it becomes stirred each time the ventilation system is used. It has been observed that human overexposure in such cases can occur even in the absence of shooting.

The major improvement over the antiquated steel traps discussed above are the soft traps of 30° and less angle plate dry or wet funnel type bullet traps. The collision is a lot softer on projectiles since bullets impact the plates at a 12 to 17 degrees or less incline and slide into a swirl or deceleration chamber. Any dust that is produced can purportedly be vacuumed by an exhaust fan and directed to a filter chamber or washed into a water oil mixture.

Two problems can occur with the dry-funnel design. The first is, the shooting range is designed as a negative pressure room that can easily overcome the bullet traps aspiration fan capacity and may result in lead dust settling in the range room anyway.

The second problem that occurs is that over the life of the trap, lead smearing will occur even with jacketed and hollow point ammunition. When the range is finally closed, all the steel will have to be disposed of as hazardous waste or cleaned.

Because of the concern for lead dust generation at steel bullet traps, the bullet trap manufacturers have made efforts to do research and develop new traps. In 1989, Ron Coburn designed a funnel trap utilizing water and oil film on the impact plates to totally eliminate the dust generation from the projectiles impact on the steel impact plates. Although very effective in reducing downrange contamination, it is believed to increase long-term maintenance cost. Cost, due to the creation and the recovery and disposal of a hazardous water oil waste, increase in humidity and clogging of the recirculating system with paper bits. That has made it difficult for designers to fully accept this method as being the answer to bullet traps. However, it has promise aesthetically. Increased (oil/water) humidity in the range, we are told by users, makes the range seem slippery and paper pieces in the water that make it a past the screens stops flow and burns out the pumps.

Probably the closest to desirable to date of the soft traps that works best are the low volume shooting chopped rubber traps. These bullet traps capture projectiles intact and allow for full recovery without generating a mixed waste stream. The bullet trap is constructed on a concrete sloped floor or preferably with a steel support frame and a soft rubber sheet front, which allows all bullets to penetrate intact 4 to 6 inches into the matrix. The space created between the steel and rubber sheet is filled with pieces of recycled rubber tire sidewalls. Bullets pierce the front rubber sheet and then the square rubber pieces stop the bullet intact through friction by about 6” deep from the surface. The bullets and the rubber pieces are periodically extracted from the bottom through a slide gate fully intact, ready for recycling. The trap must be recycled monthly to preclude the hard armorizing packing of the rubber surfaced with lead. Once every 18 months or so, the rubber must be shoveled out and a complete sifting must be done. These traps can also catch fire so a fire retardant is added to eliminate that condition. If these traps, which are labor intensive, are not maintained they wouldn’t work as intended.

Tests performed on soft rubber traps reveal that there are no lead emissions generated at the trap; furthermore, the rubber pieces do not exhibit a hazardous characteristic for lead under the RCRA TCLP definition. The rubber material can be reused for the life of the trap and not result as a hazardous waste upon closure.

The choice of bullet trap also very much affects the ventilation design and cost. Rubber traps require two (2) stage filtration and steel backstops require three (3) stage filtration. Both require HEPA filtration as the last filter.

LEO’s need to train with their carry ammunition. In my opinion, round nose totally encapsulated ammunition introduced in the 1960’s or jacketed hollow point with no lead primers fit that bill, both at economic prices. They are fully equivalent, ballistically to any of the duty ammo. That is what I recommend in my designs.

Ammunition manufacturers have taken the initiative but perhaps sometimes in the wrong direction, at the behest of the Federal Government over the last 12 years, to research lead-free bullets and lead-free primers. “Green ammunition” is the result.

“Lead free bullets”, the “Green Ammunition” are the politically correct, all encompassing terminology applied that does not offer much definitive information on how to solve the problem. Green ammunition includes zinc ammunition, frangible copper ammunition, solid copper ammunition, soft nose zinc ammunition, jacketed wound zinc ammunition and jacketed tungsten ammunition, etc. Each provides alternatives for trap and ventilation design but does not eliminate the recycle problem and each has unintended consequences. Bullets manufactured out of non-lead ingredients appear to pose less of a risk to humans, when the ammunition also incorporates lead free primers, but pose equal or greater risk to the environment than the lead munitions.

None of the metals used for “green ammunition”, when out of place, are environmentally benign. For example sintered copper bullets the one “green bullet” out of the bunch, which still seems viable turns to fine powder upon impact with the trap or steel target. The fine copper now has to be collected and recycled in its entirety or environmental problems will result. Copper acts is a fungicide and is detrimental to marine organism larvae.

When zinc projectiles are used and are shot into existing lead deposits, the value of the lead deposit goes to zero since that deposit can no longer then be recycled. It must now be disposed of as hazardous waste. We also understand that shortly wound zinc projectiles will no longer be manufactured. How many recyclable lead deposits on ranges have been ruined and are now hazardous waste, because zinc bullets were used?

(This article continues in next week’s newsletter)

Clark Vargas is a professional engineer and President of a successful 23-year-old civil/environmental engineering firm and has designed more than 30 shooting ranges in Florida, New York, Virginia, Tennessee and Kansas. He also is President of the Florida Sport Shooting Association, the NRA’s official state association. He shoots conventional and international pistol competitively and has been invited to shoot for the U.S. Pistol Team try-outs. Mr. Vargas is Past President of the Gateway Rifle and Pistol Club, a 2,200-family member shooting club in Jacksonville, Florida, an endowment member of the NRA, and the NRA’s 1999 Achievement in Range Development Marlin R. Scarborough Award recipient.

(NOTE: Action Target has republished this article in its entirety with the permission of the author.  Ideas, comments, practices, recommendations, etc. are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Action Target. Our line of indoor range products, which include our steel Total Containment and rubber traps, ventilation and dust collection meet and/or exceed all of Mr. Vargas’ recommendations/conclusions.)

Knoxville’s New Shoothouse

AT Provides Shoothouse for Knoxville Police Action Target would like to announce the newly completed Live-Fire Shoothouse for Knoxville Police Department, Tennessee! Located at Knoxville PD’s outdoor training facility, this project is the latest addition to what is already a very impressive training site, including an outdoor firing range, simulation rooms, and driving track.

A special thanks goes to Knoxville PD Sgt. Keith Debow, City and State Officials, Chris Rutledge at MBI Architects, Project Manager – Chet Carbaugh with Richardson Turner Construction, Action Target Great Lakes Territory Manager – Jason Snell, Action Target Project Manager – Mark Ostebo, and many others for a job will done!

Action Target Installs Shoothouse and CatwalkEquipment provided and installed by Action Target includes the following:

  • 1200 sq. ft., rifle-rated, live-fire Shoothouse
  • 2 Breach Doors
  • Portable Bullet Traps
  • Catwalk

Congratulations to Knoxville PD and all those involved!

If you are in the Great Lakes area, please contact the Territory Manager, Jason Snell, otherwise visit our contact page to find the territory manager for your area:

AT Contact Jason Snell with Map801-377-8033 ext. 158
801-809-6966 cell
[email protected]

Action Target on YouTube

Just a little over a year ago, we started seeing orders to our online store with comments related to a YouTube video about our steel targets. Such comments included, “I saw your target on the Nutnfancy Channel and I had to have one,” and, “You [PT Practice Stand] received a great review from Nutnfancy.” Since nobody here at Action Target had placed a video on YouTube, we investigated to find out who Nutnfancy was and what was being said about our target. The Nutnfancy Project (TNP) was what we discovered.

The first video about our  was a huge success. So, we thought it would be a great idea to invite TNP to our main office and manufacturing facility in Provo, Utah to show his viewers where and how the PT Practice Stand is cut, fabricated, packaged, inventoried and shipped. It was our pleasure to host TNP and the result of that visit was a 36 minute video and narrated tour of the entire production plant, which was also posted on YouTube. His video gives all viewers a great background on Action Target and reveals the inner workings of our manufacturing facility.

Here is some information about Nutnfancy:

Nutnfancy’s Profile (as of this writing):

  • Channel Views: 6,666,577
  • Total Upload Views: 39,839,145
  • Style: Educational
  • Joined: July 09, 2006
  • Subscribers: 82,834

Nutnfancy Channel

“Welcome to The Nutnfancy Project or TNP. I am an INDEPENDENT reviewer of “dangerous things” like knives, guns, tac gear, and other stuff I dig. I also review a variety of outdoor equipment. My focus is on high quality stuff that I like, that lasts, and delivers exceptional service for the price paid. I believe all gear should be systems based, integrating into a “Philosophy of Use” (POU) that has been planned by the user. I have provided several foundational videos that discuss these POUs with the gear. My primary charter at TNP is a consumer advocate for my valued subscribers and I steer them towards the good deals and good dealers. As TNP continues to grow, this commitment will not change… only the ways I can best achieve it.

“My reviews are based on my own varied experiences but admittedly I am not the end-all expert. My reviews are based in logic and experience but also my own preferences. This provides a rudder to TNP as I steer us through the maze of many gear options. I may miss stuff here and there but hopefully my vids show the well-reasoned logic and experience that form their foundation. I never rest with my own “systems” either; always striving for perfection when technology provides advancements. Also I’m always learning from my subscribers who are smart in their own gear applications.

About Me:

“Each video represents my views at the time it was made. I am always striving to improve the accuracy, entertainment value, fun level, and quality of my videos.

“Gear reviews are the basis of TNP. But along they way I show many outdoors adventures with the TNP Crew. I encourage defense of good people, our freedoms, making good memories with family and friends, investing your time wisely, and being responsible.

MY INTENDED AUDIENCE FOR TNP: Targeted towards Law Enforcement and Military, my reviews are also intended for responsible civilians too and I fully support the concept of an armed, free people. I also acknowledge and thank my audiences around the world that sadly do not enjoy our freedoms in the US.

WHO IS NUTNFANCY?: US Military, 19 yrs and counting. I keep these associations and the specifics vague for MANY valid reasons (death threats). But they are real and not made up as people have discovered.

THE NUTNFANCY MISSION: To have fun and to help good people around the world learn about quality gear and not get ripped off. I enjoy helping cops, pilots, soldiers, and good citizens everywhere navigate the bewildering array of offerings and disinformation about it all. I will help you zone in on the good stuff and the good suppliers. I also like to encourage responsible and wise use of these items in the defense of good people. I encourage political activity to preserve our freedoms. I’m not trying to be better than anyone else, act like my opinion is the best, be a poser, be Superman, save the world, invent the cure for cancer, or act like the expert of experts. I’m just doing my thing, sharing my takes, having fun, and keeping it real. My promise to my subscribers is to keep my critiques real, honest, and as accurate despite the hater, hyena, and brand myopic flak.

“THE ITEMS: The majority of items reviewed are NOT mine as I have several professional and retail sources for them.

DEATH THREATS: Yep these exist against me and my family (graphic ones)…punishment for TNP’s success I guess. I remain focused on the positive message of TNP and remain focused on serving my subscribers with cool adventures, quality information, and realness. I thank my TNPrs for the support against these unfounded criticisms and possessed critics that let Verilioness and myself move TNP forward!

“REVIEW REQUESTS: I get thousands of these but will only be able to do some of them. Some items are just hard to get and others I just don’t care for and it would just be a negative review. Also this is just a hobby for me (can you believe it?!) and as such I try to keep it fun..

“RESPONDING TO COMMENTS AND PMs: The demands of my real jobs and keeping the TNP going often prevent my replies to your messages. Most of my edited videos take 1 to 3 days to create. I do this in between my military, other job, friend, and family commitments. Moreover I am constantly engaged in my own gear projects which I usually share with you in video form. Yes I’m maxed out but I have a strong work ethic and will continue to produce hundreds of more videos full of adventure, fun, good times, and useful information. But answering the PMs sadly takes a backseat to this production priority. I strive now to answer more Channel Page Comments so others may benefit from the discussion. I will give video updates on the Project every quarter!

“THE FUTURE: I have several imitators on YouTube that use my exact reviewing style, gear mix, and verbiage as they try to duplicate TNP on their own YT Channel. That is flattering but I doubt anyone will ever duplicate the breadth, personality, and heart of TNP. Also TNP will grow bigger as time goes on and I will use that clout for you to get good gear at good prices. I am humbled by the popularity of TNP but it will never go to my head. I remained focused on the TNP mission of realness in gear assessments, fun, the preservation of liberty, and promoting and protecting the good things in life.

“YOUR SUPPORT: BIG THANKS for clicking on my advertisers which support the TNP. I thank them too for supporting us! That revenue goes to gear acquisition for reviews and helps preserve my independence. Thanks for your nice comments, the good ratings, slapping down the dummies for their stupid and sometimes hateful comments, and especially the subscriptions as this feedback encourages me to make more.

“FREEDOM: Patriots belong in the NRA. Please join and keep membership current.

“The Nutnfancy Way: “It’s not about following the crowd, but about creating the path that the crowd will follow.” -LJ Garcia ///TNP LLC”

For Nutnfancy’s Practice Target video, click here.

For Nutnfancy’s video of his visit to Action Target, click here.

Chicago’s Gun Ordinance

Action Target Suppots Second Ammendment FoundationRecently, Action Target joined the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) in filing a lawsuit in federal court against the City of Chicago’s new gun ordinance. The lawsuit asserts that the city is depriving its residents of their right to keep and bear arms by banning public gun ranges while at the same time requiring range training for handgun owners. Action Target’s decision to enter this lawsuit was given much consideration prior to taking action.

If you would like to read Action Target’s Press Release regarding this lawsuit, please visit our media page.

New Partnership with Hufcor, Inc.

As an industry leader in providing affordable, effective and relative training solutions, we have partnered with Hufcor, Inc. to offer their FlexTact movable wall training system with our other line of products. This system is currently for non-live fire training. Since non-live fire training can really be conducted anywhere, what is so great about this system? It’s simple.

The system can be completely be reconfigured within minutes. For example, in a matter of a few minutes, you can transform your office scenario to a warehouse then into a residential setting. If you need to serve a high risk warrant and want to realistically structure your breach training, the physical layout of the residence can be duplicated with the FlexTact system.

Hufcor, Inc. and Action Target have entered into an exclusive sales agent agreement to represent the FlexTact® moveable wall systems to markets throughout the world. FlexTact® training systems are only available from Action Target to the commercial, military and law enforcement communities. The FlexTact system compliments our core expertise in live fire ranges and shoot houses such as the Modular Armored Tactical Combat House (M.A.T.C.H.) live fire structure.

The FlexTact system employs the following:

  • Rugged 16 ga. welded steel frames resist impacts
  • High Pressure Laminate surfaces are easy to clean and resist impacts
  • Quickset bottom seals hold walls in place during exercises
  • Overhead architectural aluminum tracks allow panels to move smoothly and quickly into place
  • Side bulb seals allow panels to be configured quickly
  • Specially designed passdoors for entry exercises
  • Optional window inserts and glass walls panels for diversified training scenarios

“Our strength is our 25 year experience within the law enforcement and military firing range and shooter supply markets and the various sales channels that are present within these markets. We are not operable partition experts by any means. We understand the intricacies of our niche, not on how to install tracks and panel systems. By combining our companies’ reputations we truly have an unstoppable combination for selling reconfigurable simunitions shoot houses,” said Jerrod Kermath, with Action Target’s Office of Market Development.

For additional information on FlexTact, please visit our shoothouse page or contact your area’s Territory Manager by clicking here.