Aims to be the Disneyland of shooting
Staccato — an award-winning, Florence-based manufacturer of high-performance pistols for both law enforcement and civilians — opened an 800-acre shooting ranch on County Road 233 earlier this year. The company hopes it will one day will have the reputation of being the “Disneyland of shooting.”
The ranch’s ever-expanding arsenal of experiences include indoor and outdoor ranges, run- n-gun courses, clay shooting and even fishing, alongside Staccato’s product store, manufacturing facility and headquarters. The Lone Star Hideout, a run-n-gun course based on a Wild West Town, will be a bookable experience offered at Staccato Ranch within the next few weeks.
The ranch is membership based, but non-members can book Experience Packages led by trained staff to get a glimpse of the Staccato’s offerings and test products. Complimentary tours of the manufacturing facility are offered and the retail store is open to the public.
Austin Farmer, Staccato’s director of marketing, said the company would like to turn the ranch into a place “where you’re having fun and learning something all in one.”
“Our goal [at Staccato Ranch] was to create the best shooting environment for people that appreciate the second amendment, for patriots, and for people who enjoy shooting,” he said. “Ideally, this is your one-stop shop. It’s your range and if you need any- thing [it’s here].”
A majority of Staccato’s staff are U.S. veterans or former law enforcement members. Mr.Farmer said the staff takes pride in their product and the experiences offered at the ranch, while respecting proper use of firearms.
“We do everything we can on the operations side to make sure that it is a safe environment. There’s a little bit of stigma around the gun world. So we wanted this to be a welcoming place,” Mr. Farmer said.
The company opened as then Georgetown-based STI, which was the original manufacturer of the popular 2011 pistol. Ownership changed about 10 years ago, with the intention of turning the 2011 pistol into something that could be used by both civilians, the military and law enforcement.
“We say we’re built for heroes,” Mr. Farmer said. “They rebranded the company to Staccato and really focused on creating the best shooting pistol in the world. [...] What most people notice about our guns is that it’s really smooth and easy to rack.”
The name was changed to Staccato, a musical term meaning a succession of notes, because they believed that is what the gun sounded when repeatedly fired. Now, Staccato pistols have been “duty-approved” and are used by more than 1,600 law enforce- ment departments and agencies. The shooting range at Staccato Ranch is also used by law enforcement organizations for training. Mr. Farmer said “world-class instructors” are brought in for this purpose.
Safety is paramount. Staccato pistols come standard with two safety features — a manual safety that can be disengaged with the thumb, and a grip safety that requires a particular wrist/hand placement before the trigger can be pulled.
In addition to offering training and shooting experiences, Mr. Farmer said the club focuses on creating a family-friendly environment. They recently stocked a pond on property with black bass so member’s kids can fish. In the future, they are hoping to have an outdoor fitness area and even an on-site restaurant.
“We don’t really pitch it this way, but I always tell people our goal is to be the ranch that you either can’t afford or don’t want to keep up,” Mr. Farmer said. “We can just be the spot where you show up, get to shoot and have a good time, then you don’t have to worry about cleaning up or the management that goes with it.”
The ranch is still being built out, but new experiences are being added over time. Staccato Ranch will start hosting a monthly Cosmic Clays Shotgun Shoot, which features glow in the dark clay targets. The shoots are open to non-members for $50 and to members for $25. There are shoots scheduled on November 22 and December 13.
More information about memberships and events can be found at https://staccatoranch.com.