VISTA — A new gun store in downtown Vista is sporting a firearms simulator like the kind police use for weapons training, but this one is open to anyone — not just law enforcement.
Empowered Firearms owner LeAnne Farmer says her store, which opened Tuesday, has the only such simulator in the county available for public use.
“We are passionate about training people who own a firearm,” Farmer said. “This fills a need for people to improve their skills.”
The store boasts two simulators: one for handgun practice and one for shotguns, focusing on skills such as skeet shooting. The handgun simulator also offers training for using pepper spray.
With an interactive screen projected on a wall in front of the shooter, each simulator looks like giant video game.
The handgun simulator has more than 450 scenarios. The guns are real but modified, and charged with carbon dioxide.
Customers can shoot at stationary targets or choose scenarios like a home invasion or an active shooter in a public setting. They can take on a gang of well-armed marauding thugs in city alleys or fire on attacking zombies.
And they don’t have to remain stationary. A customer can practice pulling a gun from a holster, or running and diving while shooting at the screen.
In some scenarios, the shooter comes upon a situation and has to decide who is — or isn’t — a bad guy. It’s not always obvious.
Lt. Michael Munsey, who runs weapons training for the Sheriff’s Department, said that he was unaware of any simulators open for public use in San Diego County, and wondered whether customers might use it for training or as a video game.
“If it (the simulator) is used the way it should be used — shoot, no-shoot scenarios or how to de-escalate a situation — those are good things,” he said. “We are all for training for everybody.”
Farmer said she finds the simulator helps those who are new to using firearms, especially women who might be intimidated by them.
“The simulators are a wonderful way to segue,” she said. “They’re much less stressful, and really build confidence.”
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