EOTech presented with award during SHOT Show for exceptional firearms safety practices during media event
LAS VEGAS – February 4, 2013 – SHOT Show Media Day at the Range announces EOTech as the recipient of the Action Target 2013 Media Day Safety award. This award is given to the media day exhibitor that holds to the highest standards of safety during the shooting event on January 14, 2013. Each exhibitor was judged by a panel of safety auditors who scored each exhibitor on firearms safety practices during the event.
EOTech had a perfect score on criteria such as eye and ear protection, ammunition and firearms control, etc. But EOTech went above the scored criteria by having their own range officer at the shooting station and first aid supplies ready for use in case of an emergency.
EOTech was awarded the trophy at the Action Target booth during SHOT Show by representatives of SHOT Show Media Day at the Range and Action Target.
“We consider range safety an essential part of every live fire event,” said Amy Miller, Media Relations Manager at EOTech. “It is our goal to be industry leaders in every aspect of our professional execution, and the range safety standards we practice are not exempt from that mindset. We make plans well in advance and review them to make sure we have eliminated any unsafe practices before we reach the line of fire.”
From left: EOTech Customer Service Manager Mike Kroll, EOTech Pro. Staff Roric Padgett, Action Target Co-Founder Addison Sovine, Media Day at the Range Representative Kelsey Williams, Action Target Portable Target Manager Chad Burdette
Action Target, the sponsor of the award, is a leading global supplier of superior shooting range products, equipment, design, manufacturing and training for law enforcement, military, and commercial ranges. Action Target is recognized for developing innovative new firearms training technology and for having the experience to properly apply that technology to solve today’s safety issues on firing ranges all over the world.
“We have been a major supporter of Media Day at the Range for many years, and being the sponsor of the 2013 safety award is an honor for us,” said Chad Burdette, Portable Target Manager for Action Target.
In its seventh year, SHOT Show Media Day at the Range hosted more 120 exhibitors and 1,000 media members of the hunting and shooting industry. This award gave recognition to EOTech as an example of the importance of safely demonstrating products to the media on a live fire range.
“Live fire demonstrations are an essential part of explaining our products and technology,” Miller said, “and Media Day offers us the ability to put our products in the hands of over 1,000 of the industry’s leading writers and media personalities in an eight-hour period of time.”
EOTech was awarded a plaque for its exceptional firearms safety practices and given a free booth at next year’s SHOT Show Media Day at the Range.
For additional information concerning SHOT Show Media Day at the Range, contact Cory Cannon at [email protected] or Cathy Williams at [email protected].
About Action Target Inc.
Action Target Inc. is a privately owned business headquartered in Provo, Utah. As the world leader in shooting range technology with more than 4,000 products and 40 patents for the systems it designs and manufacturers, Action Target has installed thousands of shooting ranges across the United States and in 25 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.ActionTarget.com/store.
As with anything else in life, the ability to make an informed decision is based on the quality of the information you receive. The purpose of this article is to explore some of the claims associated with using water on steel funnel traps.
This information represents the opinions of Action Target based on the experience and observations of our range consultants and engineers. We encourage you to conduct your own research and speak with other users about their experiences with the various bullet trap technologies presented before drawing your own conclusions.
CLAIM #1: You can use any type of ammunition on a wet steel trap.
It has been reported that frangible ammunition may cause problems with wet funnel traps because the powder created by certain types of disintegrating bullets can mix with the water and harden into a cement-like substance resulting in an extremely difficult cleaning process.
CLAIM #2: Wet steel traps eliminate lead dust on your range.
If a bullet strikes an area on a wet steel trap where the water and oil mixture is flowing (like on the bottom plates), the amount of lead dust generated at the trap on initial impact may be reduced. But if the bullet hits on the upper plates where no water is present, lead dust can be generated much the same as on a trap where no water system is in use. Also, lead dust containment systems such as water are meant to deal with lead on the bullet trap itself. They typically have little or nothing to do with emissions at the firing line or other areas of the range.
CLAIM #3: Wet steel traps capture all pullets whole and eliminate splatter and ricochet.
The gently sloping angles of steel funnel plates do help prevent bullet breakup on initial impact, but bullets can also fragment into small pieces once they enter the rear chamber and strike more steel surfaces inside. Also, many designs include a vertical edge at every seam where two chambers meet and are attached to each other. Deflectors are typically used to protect these vertical edges, and bullets can fragment more significantly if they strike these deflectors. Our observations would indicate that the degree of bullet fragmentation is mostly related to the velocity of the bullet. Slower pistol rounds may be able to be captured more whole when using a primary decelerant or lubricant such as water, but faster rifle rounds tend to disintegrate whether the water is present or not.
CLAIM #4: Wet steel traps are more environmentally friendly.
A doctor’s first and fundamental responsibility is to do no harm and to not make a difficult situation worse than it already may be. The same can be said for a bullet trap. Because lead disposal is already difficult enough for most shooting ranges, the last thing we thing a bullet trap should do is to complicate the matter by mixing the lead with other substances such as water, oil, chlorine, or antifreeze.
CLAIM #5: Wet steel traps function equally well indoors and outdoors.
Referring back to claim #4, it can be much more difficult to contain all potential contaminants generated by a wet steel trap on an outdoor range. Rain, snow, ice, wildlife, leaves, twigs, and other clogging debris can complicate matters when operating outdoors.
CLAIM #6: One piece welded funnel plates are better than modular funnel plates.
If everything is welded together on site, you can end up with a bullet trap that is much more difficult to service or repair should anything go wrong. Long, continuous sheets of plate steel can be more prone to stress fractures and cracking than shorter, modular plates. That is one reason why bridges and overpasses are often formed by bolting together multiple modular pieces. When modular funnel plates and joint systems are properly designed, you get a strong and maintenance-friendly bullet trap that requires no sacrifice of safety or performance.
CLAIM #7: Funnel plates mounted at a 12 or 13 degree angle function significantly better than funnel plates mounted at a 15 degree angle.
If a 12 or 13 degree slope is better than a 15 degree slope, then isn’t 11 better than 12? Why not drop to 9 degrees? Or 7? Since every degree you go down can increase the cost and the front-to-back size of the trap, there is a point at which you can reach the point of diminishing returns. All other factors being equal (steel hardness, bullet trajectory, etc.), our high speed video tests do not reveal any significant difference between impacts at 12 or 15 degrees. Although it is possible to install an Action Target trap with plates mounted at either 12 or 13 degrees, we believe 15 degrees to be optimal for most uses.
CLAIM #8: A 30-inch diameter in the circular deceleration chamber is better than a 26-inch diameter.
Following the same logic, why not use a 40-inch diameter? Why not 50? Again, it is important to weigh multiple factors such as performance, cost, and space. Action Target believes that the most important thing about a chamber is that it effectively contain rounds, that it have a good service life, and that it can be easily serviced if and when the need arises. We believe our chamber design achieves these values in an optimal way.
CLAIM #9: Wet steel traps don’t require much maintenance.
Regular maintenance should be expected with any bullet trap, regardless of the materials used. Just like anything else, range equipment must be properly cared for to keep it working.
The wet steel trap designs we have seen include a water pump, spray nozzle, and filter systems that should be regularly maintained. Potential debris like cardboard, paper, wood, and shotgun wads can certainly be a problem if they are introduced into these systems. Lead should be removed from the collection system and disposed of properly. And we recommend you account for any exposure the lead may have had to water, oil, chlorine, or antifreeze. Water sources should be maintained and you should deal with any potential sources of flooding or leaking. In some cases, an external settling pond or a drainage tank with a waste trap may be needed to keep contaminated water from entering the sewer system. Finally, you should consider any additional effect the potentially higher humidity may have on your ventilation system and any HEPA filters.
NOTE: None of the photos used in this article are of Action Target bullet traps.
Editors Note: This article was originally published in The Shooting Wire on December 5, 2012. It is being republished here with permission from Editor Paul Erhardt.
The Athena Gun Club is the range your range hopes to be when it grows up.
Houston’s Athena Gun Club is setting the bar very, very high. Photo: P. Erhardt
Located in Houston, Texas, with something like 100,000 oil industry execs within a few minutes drive, the Athena Gun Club is 39,000+ square feet of ranges, retails space, classrooms, and amenities that sets it far apart from other ranges you’ve visited.
The design and layout of Athena is the brainchild of CEO John Boyert, and his wife (and CFO) Susan Cho, who worked with Houston-based firm Acumen Design to create an overall space and flow – along with a non-traditional firearms shopping experience – that gives the club its very upscale feel.
Upon entering the club the first thing you notice is the front desk, which is more akin to one you’d find in a hotel lobby than at any gun club you’ve seen. It’s located in a huge, open foyer that’s brightly lit, inviting, quiet and immaculate.
It’s at that front desk where you are immediately greeted by one of the club’s 49 uniformed employees who project both professionalism and warm hospitality – again, more akin to that of a hotel than a range – and leave you with the feeling that this is the place you want to come and shoot.
And that first impression, the importance of it on you as a potential member, is something Boyert borrowed from Conrad Hilton’s book. Hilton, of the Hilton Hotels empire, knew a thing or two about the value of first impressions, and considering that the Athena Gun Club sits next door to one of the richest zip codes in the country, Boyert understands how valuable that first impression is to the success of his business.
The front desk looks like it came straight out of a high-end hotel. Photo: P. Erhardt
To put it simply, everything about the Athena Gun Club is geared towards creating a high-end experience for the visitor – regardless if you are a multi-millionaire executive in the oil industry or the clerk from the mailroom.
Great attention to detail has gone into giving each and every visitor a world-class experience. And why not? They want you to come back.
Boyert has pored over all the available data from the National Shooting Sports Foundation that they’ve compiled to help firearms retailers and ranges. With that data in hand, and Conrad Hilton’s expert observations, Boyert has envisioned the club to be the place you don’t visit just once a month to shoot, but every week.
He explained that the Athena Gun Club is going after “a demographic that other ranges aren’t even targeting” and probably never considered.
For instance, because of the oil industry and corporate rules they have established about firearms on their property, Athena Gun Club will store firearms for its Executive and VIP members. These are individuals who pay a hefty membership fee and a regular monthly fee which provides them access to seven private VIP shooting lanes, on-site firearms storage, a cigar room with fully stocked humidor, private entrance and gun valet services, on top of other amenities and Athena’s always attentive staff.
To the right of the front desk is the fully computerized rental counter. Photo courtesy of Athena Gun Club
A tour through the VIP area was like walking through the clubhouse or members locker room at a private country club.
In addition to luring in Houston’s business executives, Boyert is also targeting the corporations themselves by providing them a unique off-site meeting place where a sales team can easily have their meeting thanks to standard business tools like WiFi, AV systems, a conference room, and catering (of course).
Though a brand new business that just had it’s grand opening this past weekend, the Athena Gun Club has reached out to build relationships with other local businesses. Not only has Boyert sought out the advise of local restauranteurs – again stealing from the hospitality industry – but he has also lined them up to help cater Athena’s special events and the range’s soon-to-be-opened cafe.
I know what you’re thinking, “Will they have that fried baloney you keep mentioning?”
No, you’ll have to make do with food from the likes of Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches and Carrabba’s Italian Grill, as well as other local venues Boyert is reaching out to in order to better service the Athena Gun Club members.
If we told you it was a fine jewelry store you couldn’t tell the difference. Photo: P. Erhardt
Building partnerships is a key element of the business philosophy employed by Boyert and Cho to help them deliver on the Athena promise. One of those relationships, and perhaps the most important one after that with Acumen Design, is with Action Target.
You can’t have a gun club without a range and Boyert literally met with every major shooting range company before settling on Action Target and putting his faith in them to deliver the best shooting experience possible.
And that faith paid off big time as contractor issues put the gun club build-out behind schedule, forcing Boyert to turn a 12-week range install into a 4-week rush job for Action Target.
For those familiar with the Utah-based Action Target, a company with one of if not the best reputations in the industry, it will hardly come as a surprise that not only did the Action Target team get the new state-of-the-art ranges – 26 lanes in all – installed in the 4-week window, but they did it without additional staff or going over budget.
Boyert’s appreciation for Action Target is apparent in the way he speaks about their work as one of their customers, and it reflects the way he sees Athena Gun Club’s members speaking of the club.
In picking other industry partners whose work and reputation reflects the appropriate image for the club, Boyert chose carefully when selecting the brands he’d carry in Athena Gun Club’s store.
When you decide to back everything you sell to your customers with a lifetime warranty you had better pick the right brands. In a retail space laid out more like an Apple Store with gun kiosks reminiscent of SHOT Show displays (instead of those dreary standard glass gun cases), you’ll find Glock, Smith & Wesson, HK, Sig Sauer, Wilson Combat, Kimber, SureFire, Magpul, Galco and others.
This is what retail product merchandising should be. Photo: P. Erhardt
And all of it at prices competitive in an area serviced by numerous firearms retails, including no less than 20 Academy locations.
It’s difficult to fully capture the essence of the Athena Gun Club experience but it’s one that is totally different than what most shooters have come to expect from their local indoor range. It is refreshing and hopefully inspires other range owners to up their game.
Of course, the obvious question is can an upscale shooting club of this nature survive as a going business concern. I asked Boyert directly how long he thought it would take to reach profitability considering the tremendous investment made in the facility by him and his shareholders. While I fully expected a three, four, or even five year response, I was delighted to hear not only does he see it taking one year, but that expansion to new locations is part of the vision for the future of the Athena Gun Club.
With something like 4,000 people visiting the facility during its grand opening, it looks like the Athena Gun Club is well on its way. And I won’t be surprised if more than a few industry execs find their way to the new club next year when they gather in Houston for the annual NRA Show.
….Hmmm, what an interesting place to hold a new product introduction and media event during the NRA Show.
It’s that time of year again where the entire firearms industry gets together in Las Vegas for a whole week of fantastically exhausting SHOT Show fun. Here at Action Target, we’re putting the final touches on our booth and loading up for a week in Vegas. If you’re attending SHOT Show this year, make sure to stop by and check us out (booth numbers 10564 and 10562). Here’s a look at what we’ll have going on.
The event kicks off Monday the 14th with the SHOT Show Media Day at the Range held at the Boulder Pistol & Rifle Range in Boulder City. Action Target is the official target sponsor of Media Day at the Range and will be providing brand new steel targets for new firearm demonstrations and, of course, entertainment. More than 1,000 media members from the hunting and shooting industry will be present at the range for a full day of shooting demonstrations, product releases, and firearms fun.
Because there will be hundreds of live firearms at the range, safety is absolutely paramount. To promote gun safety, Action Target will be presenting the 2013 Action Target Safety Award. This award will be given to the exhibitor that holds to the highest standards of safety during SHOT Show Media Day at the Range. Each exhibitor will be judged by a panel of safety auditors who will give scores based on firearms safety practices during the event. The award will be presented to the winner at Action Target’s booth (10564) on Wednesday at 10 a.m.
This year we will also be debuting new products like the whole line of Rimfire Targets specifically designed for .22 rimfire ammunition. In addition to the Rimfire Spinning Jack, Rimfire Plate Rack, and Rimfire Dueling Tree, we’ve added seven new reactive targets to the line. All of the new targets will be available for purchase online and in our SHOT Show booth starting January 15th. Take advantage of our free shipping offer by purchasing any of our portable targets in the booth.
In addition to free shipping, our booth will feature several industry celebrities like NUTNFANCY, Gene Pearcey, Rob Leatham, and more! NUTNFANCY will be in the Action Target booth all day Tuesday. Stop by to get an autograph and a picture.
Even if you aren’t attending SHOT Show this year, you can still be a part of the action by following our updates on Facebook Facebook and Twitter. We’ll keep you posted on all the product releases and industry news.
As with anything else in life, the ability to make an informed decision is based on the quality of the information you receive. The purpose of this article is to explore some of the claims associated with using water on steel funnel traps.
