Grand Rapids, MI
THE BACKGROUND
While I was assigned to Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska, just north of Anchorage, I started to compete in the local 3-gun matches. I didn’t have dreams of becoming the next all-star, I just enjoyed the weekly running and gunning…and how it greatly improved my shooting skills. Not long after I started, I was part way through a stage, just after transitioning from my rifle to my pistol and I heard the RSO say “stop.” I froze, awaiting further instruction. “Unload and show clear” was the next command. The tone of his voice suggested I was about to receive some bad news…and I did. Just like that, I was disqualified from the match. Before he said anything else I already knew why. My rifle was loaded, I had left the safety switch in the fire position and continued downrange. That was it. It was totally my fault. All I had to do was engage the safety and I was good.
I was determined to never make such a simple mistake like that again. I practiced at home but found that it was a challenge–the safety switch locks once you pull the trigger. At first, I resorted to tapping my finger on the lower just above the trigger, and that was ok, but not very realistic. Locking the bolt back was an option…but it’s too easy to lose track and release the bolt on a mis-placed appendage. I eventually built a second lower that was exactly the same as my competition rifle but with the hammer removed. A costly ($400.00) solution but it worked. I could swap out the lowers and train with the safety running just like live fire. This also had three added benefits. The rifle was completely inert, the lower fits on any upper and I can run dummy rounds. This “hammerless lower” was a fantastic training platform and I used for years…
…but there had to be a way to do this without spending money on a duplicate lower (minus the hammer).
THE IDEA
In early 2021 I had a general concept of what a small device that holds the hammer back could look like. I had always wanted try out CAD software and 3D printing and this seemed like the perfect little “thingy” to get started with. By late summer (after 28 attempts) I had a working prototype. I could drop a lump of 3D plastic about the size of a shotgun shell into the trigger cavity and get the exact same effect as the hammerless lower…I wonder if I could (and should) re-produce this.
At $20.00 it has the exact same capabilities as the $400.00 lower. I could use it anytime and anywhere I had my rifle and the urge to dry fire struck me. So simple and so effective…I really thought I had built a better mouse trap for competition shooters everywhere. From the summer 2021 to late spring 2022 I took the “safety device for improved rifle dry fire practice” through the patent process and on 17 May 2022 patent 11,333,457 was granted by the USPTO.
As catchy as “safety device for improved rifle dry fire practice” is, I knew I needed a better name. A it turns out, RedCat was actually pretty simple to come up with. About halfway through the prototyping process I thought the shape resembled a cat. I even added fangs and ears to one of the prototypes in order to help a user orient the device when inserting it. (production model is a little more down-to earth). Red is the color of stop signs, fire extinguishers and other things that make you safe. So, just like that: RedCat!
There is actually a deeper meaning to the name…but I’ll cover that in a different article.
THE REALITY
I had no idea what I really had until I went to Shot Show in January of 2023. With about 250 prototypes in-hand, neatly packaged in dime-bags with a business card featuring my new company name and logo, I was ready to spark the interest of like-minded competition shooters at the show and potential buyers. I certainly did…but I also got the attention of many military, law enforcement, home defense and retail companies as well…from beginner to expert and everything in between. Each segment of the AR community benefits from the RedCat…in multiple ways. Shot Show had also revealed to me the how I could actually mass produce the product.
So, the little RedCat, originally designed for competition, would now be brought to market for an exponentially larger audience. Any doubt I had about mass production was long gone by the time we left Las Vegas.
THE PATH AHEAD
In 2023 we worked non-stop to get the RedCat into production…and in the spring of 2024, we now have inventory and are ready to take orders! So in April of 2024 we find ourselves ready to break into the firearms industry with a product that can improve skill and safety for everyone!
So…If you want to be better…there is no getting around the work. The RedCAT is simple. You put in the work and the RedCAT is there alongside you to get real results…at a fraction of the price. You don’t have to remove any parts from the rifle. Save your ammo and maintain proficiency by doing daily dry fire training…no matter your goal!
This small disabled veteran owned mom and pop is excited to partner with new companies big and small and look forward to doing business with you!
Written by Alex at M22 Tactical