About

I have been working in the firearms industry since 2001, where I was introduced to action shooting sports, 3 Gun in particular.  I have been competing in action shooting sports since 2002, attending many of the major competitions around the country.  I view competition shooting as a valuable activity for personal development and gaining professional knowledge into how to improve firearms products and make them more user-friendly and effective.  Combining the practical use of firearms with testing out new product ideas and technology is one of the things I enjoy most about action shooting.
 
I began my career in the firearms industry in 2001, working for Cavalry Arms Corporation as a part-time assembly worker.  Cavalry Arms Corporation was most well known for its monolithic polymer receiver, the CAV-15.  Throughout my time there, I was involved in the development of new products, including the CAV-15 MKII.  By the time Cavalry Arms Corporation closed in 2010, I was Vice President of the company.
 
In 2004, I was one of the founders of Trooper Division, which is now an equipment division at some 3 Gun and 2 Gun matches.  Troopers must carry all their guns, ammunition, and equipment they use for the duration of the match, start to finish, on their person. Their guns must work the entire time, or they must have the tools to fix them; no replacements are allowed.  The benefit of this extra challenge is absolutely no limitations on guns and shooting accessories.  I enjoy the additional physical and logistical challenges of competing in Trooper.
 
In 2006, I started my SinistralRifleman YouTube channel.  I was one of the first channels posting action shooting match content and demonstrating the use of newer firearms technology, including optics, mag-fed shotguns, and red dots on pistol slides.
 
In 2006, I founded the Independence Day Action Rifle Match and ran that event through 2011.
 
After Cavalry Arms Corporation closed, I worked for Cavalry Manufacturing until the fall of 2012.  I then went on to freelance writing for RECOIL magazine, consulting for other manufacturing companies, conducting firearms and armed guard training, and working as an independent sales rep.
 
In 2015, I began working for KE Arms as the sales and marketing director.  Over time, my role expanded to be more of a general manager position.  Starting in 2019, I began work as the KP-15 program manager, which was a critical component of InRangeTV’s What Would Stoner Do Project.
 
From 2019 to 2025 I was the match coordinator/director of InRangeTV’s Brutality matches. These were an expansion of the 2 Gun Action Challenge Match format into a major national level event.
 
In 2023, the owners of KE Arms LLC retired, and I formed a new entity, Kinetic Energy Arms LLC, to continue forward with the product lines I helped create. 
 
Today, I am the director of Kinetic Energy Arms LLC, and regularly post match and shooting related content to my Youtube and Instagram
 
I encourage all gun owners to seek out some form of competition shooting. Anyone can become reasonably good at it if they devote the time and resources to do so.  Winning, while nice, need not be your goal; bettering yourself through the pursuit of excellence is something we all can achieve.
 
I also believe in universal civil rights, in particular relevance to my work, that the second amendment is for everyone regardless of race, creed, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.  For my rights to exist, your rights must also exist.  2A4ALL.
 
Russell Phagan
aka SinistralRifleman