Share This Article
Tired of those high ammunition prices Mountain Home gun owners? Well, there’s good news!
Brian Ades, a retired Senior Chief with the U.S. Navy, has teamed up with his son and other experienced veterans to create Reactive Tactics, the city’s first-ever simulated training center for new and experienced shooters alike.
The new training center is located at 1322 Bradley Dr. Suite #5, across from Phoenix Rising Martial Arts.
“So, we’ve got live-fire courses that we’re going to end up doing,” said Chris Ades, one of the instructors at Reactive Tactics. “It’ll kind of take everybody from pistol all the way to rifle, and it will just be training. So, anybody that’s never even looked at a gun can come in here, start off from scratch, and read into the training that we had.”
With two Laser Shot SIMranges, Reactive Tactics offers simulated training courses via laser pistols and rifles and propane blowback laser rifles and pistols.
Laser Shot SIMranges uses short-throw projectors to display various courses on a projection screen, allowing gun enthusiasts to run through various courses without expending any ammunition. Courses can include simulated shoot houses and simulated courses from the Internation Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC).
The training center also offers Judgemental Training Software for first responders and concealed carry holders. This software puts trainees through a simulated situation, where they are required to determine if they should draw their firearm and shoot.
Some scenarios include an attempted kidnapping in a school classroom and a robbery at a storage unit. Scenarios are often intense, with actors behaving realistically on the screen. Judgmental Training Software has grown popular over the years and is used by various police academies and departments around the country, including the Black River Technical College Law Enforcement Training Academy in Pocahontas, Arkansas.
“It’s really next level for police officers and security,” said Brian Ades, owner of Reactive Tactics. “If you take our concealed carry class or you are a concealed carry holder, then we have concealed carry judgemental training.”
Chris Ades said the Laser Shot system allows new firearm owners to become acclimated to shooting a firearm without the fear of recoil and a live range.
The center offers guests a variety of simulation gun models, including Glock 17s, Sig Sauer P320s, Smith and Wesson M&P 15s, and AR-15s. All models come in either the laser-only configurations or the propane blow-back laser models, which simulate real recoil.
“It’s great for fundamentals,” Chris Ades said. “People that have never fired weapons before get this recoil, and they’re scared. With this, it’s all fundamentals like trigger pull and grip.”
After retiring from the U.S. Navy in 1998 as a Master-Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician (Bomb Tech), Brian Ades moved his family to Mountain Home.
In 2008, Brian accepted a job with Blackwater USA and spent the next 13 years providing both personnel and force protection in support of U.S. Government operations. He is a certified NRA “Refuse to be a Victim” and “Basic Pistol” Instructor and Range Safety Officer (RSO).
After leaving Blackwater, Brian returned to Mountain Home full time and spent the next few years mulling over the creation of Reactive Tactics after witnessing the lack of firearms training in the Twin Lakes Area, despite the large gun enthusiast crowd that lives here.
With the help of his son, Chris Ades, a former Army EOD technician who now serves as an OGA security contractor, and veteran police officers Mike Armstrong and Jay Nichols, Brian was finally able to open his training center in January.
Altogether, the crew at Reactive Tactics has over 20 years of firearm experience.
“There was just no real training,” Chris Ades said. “There’s a bunch of guys who go through the NRA, you know? I went through this course, and I’m certified, but what experience is there? We really wanted to bring legit training to the area.”
Chris Ades prepares to run through a simulated course at Reactive Tactics. The center offers guests a variety of simulation gun models, including Glock 17s, Sig Sauer P320s, Smith and Wesson M&P 15s, and AR-15s. Photo by Chris Fulton/MHO.
Chris Ades practices with a AR-15 styled CERT gun. Photo by Chris Fulton/MHO.
Chris Ades runs through a simulated shoot house at Reactive Tactics. The center offers a variety of simulations, including judgement simulations for officers and concealed carry holders. Photo by Chris Fulton/MHO.
Chris Ades practices his math skills with CERT pistol at Reactive Tactics. Photo by Chris Fulton/MHO.
Simulated ranges at Reactive Tactics cost $25 to rent per half hour, with an additional $1 charge for each extra person. Hour-long rentals go for $45. Up to eight people can use one range at a time. Laser CERT guns are included.
For those wishing to practice with propane blow-back guns, pistols run $10 with two free mags, while AR-15 models run $15. There is an additional $2 per propane magazine charge for each refill after the first two magazines.
Shooters are encouraged to bring their own gun belts and concealed carry holsters to practice with. No real firearms are allowed on the range.
Reactive Tactics also offers various training classes throughout the year, including classes for handguns, rifles, home defense, close-quarters battle, women’s only training, and private lessons.
Reservations are preferred.
For more information, please contact Reactive Tactics at 870-405-4155 or visit their website here.
