Russell H. Datson IV is the new Vice President of Sales for Springfield Armory.

Datson will be working closely in this new role with Peggy Hickenbottom, Vice President of Distribution & Customer Service.  He  brings more than two decades of sales management experience to the position. Datson has held key sales roles within the firearms industry including with Leatherman Tool Group, the Freedom Group Family of Companies, Liberty Ammunition, LaserMax and more.

Most recently, Datson held the position of Director of Sales & Customer Service with L3 Harris Technologies-EOTech, where he managed commercial, military and law enforcement sales for both the domestic and international markets. In this role, he supervised a team of five national sales managers and 90 independent sales representatives.

“We could not be more proud to have Russ as part of the Springfield Armory team,” says Steve McKelvain, President of Springfield Armory. “The depth of knowledge and experience he brings to this extremely important role no doubt will support and strengthen the company’s continued success.”

Wood Joins Sellmark as General Counsel, Director

Jared Wood has been hired as General Counsel and Director of Business Enhancement  for Sellmark Corporation.

“Sellmark’s leadership team is one of the best in the industry and Jared joining our company makes it even better,” said James Sellers, founder and CEO.

From Fort Worth, Texas, Wood graduated from Baylor Law School in 2011. Prior to joining Sellmark, Wood was in private practice in Dallas, specializing in corporate and securities transactions with focuses on the manufacturing, financial services, transportation, and energy industries.

Van Stee Joins SureFire as Law Enforcement Sales Manager

Justin Van Stee has joined SureFire as Law Enforcement Sales Manager for the company's eastern region.

Van Stee will engage with SureFire distributors, dealers and customers in the eastern half of the United States.

“I’m excited to join the SureFire team and help gain market share in the law enforcement marketplace,” he said. “This is a core SureFire customer base, and I have 25 years of experience selling into it. I’m very passionate, and with my law enforcement experience I can relate to what our men and women in uniform face in the performance of their duties. Their lives depend on SureFire products, and I look forward to expanding our market by using my existing contacts and developing new ones.”

Van Stee has 25 years of experience in law enforcement, firearms, and public safety sales, having held such key roles as a Manufacturer’s Representative, National Sales Manager, Director of Sales, and Principal/Owner.

Van Stee received a BS in Electronic Engineering Technology from Excelsior University in 2000. His professional experience includes several years as a part-time law enforcement officer, and an armorer/instructor for FN, Sig Sauer, Stag Arms and other high-profile companies in the industry. Additionally, he is a court-recognized expert witness in RADAR, LIDAR, alcohol and drug testing, and an instructor for chemical munitions, impact munitions, use of force, and less-lethal tactics.

Based in Ohio, Van Stee will be working remotely. He will report to Jeremy Rosenberg, SureFire Vice President of Sales and Marketing. 

Primary Arms Optics Receives NTOA Ratings

Primary Arms Optics has received six new ratings from the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA), which evaluates products based on performance in tactical law enforcement applications.

These ratings cover many of Primary Arms’ 2020 releases, including the SLx® 3x Gen III Prism, the SLx 5x Gen III Prism, the SLx MD-25 Red Dot Sight, the GLx® 2x Prism, the GLx 2.5-10x44 FFP Rifle Scope, and GLx 30mm Rifle Scope Mount.

The NTOA’s testing draws from real-world performance, evaluating products by their build quality, ease-of-use, design features, and practicality for law enforcement operations. These tests cover weeks of analysis and trial usage, grading products according to at least 6 of 13 major evaluating criteria. To pass, the product must average at least a 3 across all criteria. Special recognition is granted to products that perform exceptionally well, achieving ‘Silver’ rating with a 4-4.49 average, or a ‘Gold’ rating with 4.5+.

This year, Primary Arms submitted six new products for evaluation, and each product came back with a positive recommendation by the NTOA assessors. The first positive recommendation came for the SLx 3x Gen III Prism with ACSS CQB-M2 5.56 Reticle. Recognized for their exceptional performance, the SLx MD-25, GLx 2x Prism with ACSS CQB-M5 5.56/.308/5.45 Reticle, GLx 2.5-10x44mm FFP Rifle Scope with ACSS® Raptor M2 Reticle, and GLx 30mm 0 MOA Rifle Scope Mount received silver-medal recognition from their evaluators. The SLx 5x Gen III Prism with ACSS Aurora® M 5.56 Reticle went on to receive gold-medal recognition, the highest possible ranking with an average score of 4.52 out of 5.

Evaluating officers noted the 5x Prism’s durability and image quality, which is supplemented by a versatile magnification and intuitive reticle design.

“We’re proud to see that this year’s new products performed well with the National Tactical Officers Association,” says Terry Mears, Primary Arms’ Director of Product Marketing. “Law Enforcement is one of our highest priorities in developing new products that exceed expectations. The NTOA’s ratings confirm that we’re bringing professional-grade quality and technology at consumer-friendly pricing.”

For more information about these products or for ordering information, please visit the Primary Arms online retail site or contact your local rep.

Bangers LP Partners With SB Tactical

Bangers LP has partnered with SB -Tactical, the originator and innovator of the forearm Pistol Stabilizing Brace.

Since its founding in 2012, SB -Tactical has developed the most robust and featur-rich product portfolio revolutionizing pistol brace technology across a wide range of host platforms.

“We look forward to working with the SB -Tactical team to support the continued growth of their product line by increasing their distribution capability through Bangers loyal independent dealer base," said Shane Wheaton, Bangers Director of Marketing and Business Development.