Our first mechanical product is a trigger. It is a pretty cool trigger but really there are only so many ways you can make a trigger. However, the inspiration behind the OPAR is meaningful. It was born from experience hard won during trying times.
Brodie’s Story | Where the Idea Came From
My name is Brodie Renner and I retired from the U.S. Navy in early 2017. I was raised in a small ski town in Colorado, and took advantage of the freedom my parents allowed me. I enjoyed being outside, going hiking, skiing, rock climbing, mountaineering and I did it all over the southwest and Yosemite. After graduating from high school in ‘97, I joined the Navy and immediately after boot camp I began my 20-year Naval Special Warfare career.
Upon being assigned to the East Coast teams, I became a point man, NSW sniper, and lead climber in all environments, deepening my passion for the outdoors. I was part of countless “No Fail” missions conducted across the globe and garnered experience that no amount of money can buy.
After retirement, I went to work for my friend, Chris Dillon, the president of Dillon Aero, where I was tasked with managing our Non-standard Weapons Division. Chris and I would often discuss my time in the Navy and my numerous deployments. These discussions often focused on what worked or didn’t work as far as gear was concerned and the lessons that were inevitably learned from those 17 deployments. We did not know it at the time, but we were helping to lay the groundwork for a new venture now called “Dillon Rifle Company.”
One topic we were particularly interested in was the M4 safety lever. Over my 20 years of experience I’ve noticed a recurring issue with the mil-spec trigger and selector lever of the AR. The M4’s safety is simple. A throw of the thumb and the rifle can be switched from “safe” to “fire” and back to “safe” in an instant. Simple, but not fool-proof.
One account I’ll share occurred one night in Iraq during a helicopter insertion into an objective. I was going over our mission in my head. Where would I enter the compound, the last known location of the insurgents, where the secondary objective was, how and so on. A routine I had practiced a hundred times.
Suddenly I heard a gunshot and felt heat between my legs. I immediately thought we were taking fire–again. My good friend, fellow sniper, and one of the best operators our nation has to offer just had an accidental discharge because he changed his seating position on the ramp. Somehow during the 30 min flight his selector switched from “safe” to “fire” and when he adjusted his position his trigger got snagged on a button and fired the weapon. Because of the way we were packed in there the muzzle flash went off right between my legs and if I was a bigger man I would not have a second kid today.
Fortunately, no real damage was done to either myself or the helicopter. We continued toward the objective and completed the mission with no EAGLEs wounded or killed. That night could have gone very differently. Even among the ranks of the most elite operators using the best equipment available, mistakes can be made and accidents will occur.
It didn’t matter if we were patrolling the mountains of Kosovo, climbing over walls in Iraq, or carrying wounded teammates in Afghanistan there were too many times the selector switch moved to the “fire” position without the operator knowing. Due to our high level of training there was very rarely an accidental discharge but the possibility was always there. Even an act as simple as sitting in a cramped vehicle could result in a life altering situation. The Gods of bad luck and lousy timing do not care how good you are.
I’m incredibly honored to be part of this new company and to help develop the next generation of firearms and accessories. Our first product, the On Patrol AR or OPAR trigger, will make every soldier, operator, police officer, hunter, competition and recreational shooter safer.
The OPAR trigger can greatly decrease the chance of accidental or negligent discharges in the AR platform with minimal cost and without the need for additional training. This will add a level of safety that this platform has never experienced.
The OPAR trigger operates as a secondary safety within the firing sequence. Inside the trigger body is a set of features that prevent the trigger from being engaged without deliberate, straight rearward pressure. With the Dillon Rifle Company OPAR trigger, accidental discharges and the potential resulting casualties are reduced, making all operators better.
Brodie Renner | DRC Business Development
“Long Live The Brotherhood”
