Red Dawn Tactical owner turns passion into business

MOSES LAKE - Chad Scriven enjoys talking about firearms.

It's a passion he's made into his new Moses Lake business, Red Dawn Tactical, which offers custom firearms manufacturing and gunsmithing services.

Red Dawn Tactical is located at 723 W. Broadway Ave., inside the former Dunn Auto Electric building.

The business had a soft opening this week. The grand opening is set for July 23.

The front wall of Scriven's business is lined with rifles reflecting different eras of American warfare.

A display case shows a tactical flintlock rifle updated into a creation all Scriven's own.

It was the same type of firearm used in James Fenimore Cooper's book "Last of the Mohicans."

One of Scriven's employees, Chris Bacon, says Scriven took "250-year old technology and added the bells and whistles."

The rifle isn't considered a modern firearm, Scriven explained.

Before he completed the updates during 39 hours of work, the gun looked like a two-by-four piece of wood and a chunk of steel.

Now the gun's stock has a smooth, finished look, with cleaner, newer looking components.

Scriven even carved a small shape of Daniel Boone on the stock.

Scriven and his other gunsmiths, Bacon, Joe Aull II and Richard Downing Jr., can make a gun "from the ground up," Scriven explained.

Bacon and Aull met Scriven at the Colorado School of Trades, where they received gunsmithing training.

They liked what Scriven had to say about his potential business and agreed to come to Moses Lake.

Downing and Scriven met in the military.

Bacon added they can do simple repairs, the latest and greatest and fabricate parts of necessity.

Although they have a physical business location, they plan on also doing business from their website, www.reddawntactical.com.

Contracts for government subcontractors already started coming in through the website.

There are a few gunsmiths in the area, but no one has a shop for repairs and fabrication, Scriven explained.

There's been a need for a shop since the former Ranch & Home closed its shop, he said.

Red Dawn Tactical has also helped disabled or ill hunters through Youth Outdoors Unlimited.

"We're trying to give back to the community," Scriven said.

For the past three months, people have stopped by their shop in droves to see what is going on, Bacon said.

They've received a warm response from community and law enforcement members.

In talking with law enforcement, it sounds like "we'll be building them some toys," Bacon said.

In the future, the business wants to offer firearms instruction training, basic pistol and shotgun operations courses.

Scriven has plans to improve the facility as they go.

He grew up in Moses Lake and is a 1990 Moses Lake High School graduate. His parents and siblings still live in Moses Lake.

He retired from the military after 20 years and moved back to Moses Lake earlier this year to start his business. He last served in the 19th Special Forces Group.

Although he hasn't run a business before, he retired as a noncommissioned officer in the Army. He ran many missions and soldiers.

He is running the business similar to the military.

Red Dawn Tactical's hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

For more information, visit www.reddawntactical.com or call 509-350-5400.

Correction: In the June 27 article, "Red Dawn Tactical owner turns passion into business," the grand opening date for the business was incorrect. It is July 23, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., not July 12, as previously reported.