Story from our local rag, The Reporter, posted this morning:
A new business owner in Vacaville has long-range plans of serving gun owners' needs, aiming to both equip and educate shooters.
Ed
Tubbs, who is also assistant Dixon fire chief, recently opened Center
Mass Shooting Range and hopes to complement the gun shop and range with
several firearm education classes. The 12-lane range is on Commerce
Circle in the old home of the Shooting Gallery which closed last year.
Tubbs
has worn both badges, been a hunter for years and is president of a
local Mule Deer Foundation chapter. Guns have always been something
he's interested in, so he decided to make it his business.
"It's
something I believe in and enjoy," he said. "It was always one of those
things that I said 'Man, that would be great.' We're giving it our best
shot, so to speak."
As for the name, center mass refers to the middle of a target.
"It came from how I learned to shoot," he said. "I'm old school. I learned to aim for center mass."
Helping
him out with the venture are friends like fellow enthusiasts Lee Smith,
who brings with him a long record of working as a range master and
safety man around guns. Don Mort, former police chief of Dixon will
also be tapped to teach courses in first-time gun ownership and home
protection.
Like the previous tenants did, Center Mass
will offer a hunter safety course and has plans to teach a class for
women gun owners, taught by and for women, Tubbs said.
"If you educate properly and effectively, you eliminate
fear," he said. "It's key to better educate those that want to get involved. Education is the first tool we can use."
The
courses likely won't start until the first of the year, Tubbs said,
because getting certified with paperwork will take some time. He
learned that this month when dealing with the hurdles of government,
forcing a delay on his shipment of guns and ammo.
That
hasn't stopped the store from filling special orders. Tubbs said he is
confident that the business will thrive, even given the economic
climate. He also said ammo and guns are still high in demand and the
nationwide ammo shortage is starting to come to an end.
"This
is a great industry with great support. You always have niche. That's
who supports you," he said. "I don't think this is a bad time."
Instead
of being a hindrance, Smith said the bad economy has led to more folks
turning to crime which has some on edge. When that happens, he said,
folks tend to protect themselves.
"I think a lot of people
are taking it back to basics," Smith said. "Back to protecting
themselves. They think 'What I have is all I've got.'"