Grand Rapids, MI
The RedCat is the result of a disqualification I earned during a 3-Gun match. I started to compete in 3-Gun competitions while I was stationed in Alaska about 10 years ago. Some friends were into it and had convinced me to give it a go. I think it was my third or fourth match. I was starting to get confident and feeling like I was on my way to being the next Daniel Horner!
Halfway through the second stage my dreams came crashing down. Right after I’d transitioned from my AR to my pistol: the words “STOP…unload and show clear,” echoed ominously from my RSO. As I holstered my empty pistol and the RSO declared the range safe and then it hit me…the safety switch on my AR was in the wrong position and my day was over!
“Safety switch?” I asked. “Yup.” My RSO confirmed. Sure enough, we verified the safety selector on the AR I had just transitioned from was in the fire position with a round in the chamber.
Being disqualified sucks but it’s also a valuable teaching moment. My habits had me one step away from a negligent discharge…and I had a lot of work to do to correct that and make sure it didn’t happen again.
Back then, I built a second practice rifle with the hammer removed. It was a great training tool because I could practice the controls and they’d act as if they were live. Now, with the safety selector free to operate I could dry fire train on the AR the right way. That was a $400.00 solution – just for the new lower with the hammer removed. It quickly became a $2000 solution because once you have the new lower you just need the new upper to finish the rifle. Seriously though, I thought there had to be a better way to practice.
So, about three years ago, I came up with the RedCat. At $20.00 it has the exact same capabilities as the $400.00 lower. I could drop this in my AR at anytime and anywhere the urge to dry fire struck me. Simple, effective, portable…and cheap. That’s why I created the RedCat.
Perhaps the biggest thing about the RedCat is the benefits go way beyond training for competition. From beginners to experts, recruits to tier 1 operators, on your own or in a large group; all benefit from the realistic training the RedCat provides…and that’s the reason I’m bringing it to you!
Written by Alex at M22 Tactical