Crusader Tactical • Broken Arrow Gun Shop
Our Mission
Crusader Tactical’s mission is to redefine the typical gun store experience for everyone who walks through our door….and for them to leave knowing they came to the right place.
Danny Jones, Owner
Danny Jones got into building his own guns because, like many enthusiastic gun owners, he wasn’t happy with the ergonomics and appearance of his first rifle. It had the usual crappy quad rail with sharp edges, and after deciding to replace it, he discovered how easy they were to customize and work on.
Danny is a builder. From constructing water and sewer plants, houses and other large-scale structures, a motorcycle, and a long list of other projects, he has always managed to find something to build with his hands. Fabricating and customizing truly unique firearms was simply a natural progression, and although it started as a hobby it quickly became a passion.
Danny was handed a Red Rider BB-gun around the age of 8. It didn’t take him long to realize that shooting is fun. Like many people, he progressed to .22LR, shotguns, and then to centerfire rifles.
A few years ago, he was introduced to long-range precision shooting. “There’s nothing like ringing steel at 500, 600, even 900 yards. There’s so many variables to consider, and I like the challenge. I like doing things that force me to push my OCD to the absolute limit.”
The biggest influence in Danny’s professional life was his father. He (Danny) went to work for his dad at the age of 14, digging ditches. “My dad taught me that business comes first, and play comes second. He taught me the importance of looking a man in the eye, and when you shake hands on a deal, you hold up your end of that deal — even if it costs you. My father taught me to take care of those who keep you in business — both employees and customers.”
When asked about success, Danny believes that, “Being successful in business is nothing more than hard work…and then more hard work. If you think you can skate by on luck, you’ll never be successful.”
How was Crusader Tactical born?
Still working for his father, Danny was made a partial owner of the company when he was 22 years old. About 4 years ago, a competitor showed an interest in purchasing their construction business, forcing Danny to start thinking about what he’d do after he “retired” from the construction industry. After some thought and discussion, he and Andy decided they wanted to do something with firearms because, well, because they are awesome!
Since Andy had formerly been a federal firearms instructor and Danny had plenty of business experience, together they formed Crusader Tactical. Its completely different from what either of us has ever done, but, hey, who doesn’t like a challenge?
What does Crusader Tactical look like in 5 or 10 years?
“I’d like to see Crusader Tactical be successful, but more importantly, Andy and I want to change the typical gun store experience completely. For a long time, many brick-and-mortar gun stores have perpetrated a bad reputation and ruined the gun buying experience for a lot of people. Walking into a gun store should be just like a kid walking into a toy store! We try to keep things simple — we treat our customers the way we want to be treated, and we do our best to help each person make an informed, educated decision so they feel confident when they leave our shop. Customer education is very important to us, and we believe that Crusader Tactical will grow successfully if we simply treat people right, and serve every person who walks through our door instead of making them feel like they are doing us a favor by walking into our shop.”
Andy Shidell, Owner
Andy Shidell graduated from Mustang High School in Mustang, OK in 1980. He attended University of Oklahoma, earning a BA in Law Enforcement Administration in 1984. Andy also earned 18 hours in accounting at TCC, and subsequently attended OU Tulsa, earning a Masters in Human Relations in 2003.
In 1985, Andy began working at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in 1985 and rose to the title of City Rental Manager. In 1990, he began working for Oklahoma Department of Corrections as a probation and parole officer. In 1992, Andy was hired by the United States Probation Office in Tulsa and worked in all three units — supervision, investigations, and pretrial supervision. He also served as a financial crimes and violent offenders specialist.
Proper training has always been very important to Andy. So, when he became an assistant firearms instructor in 1997, he started to feel as though he was stepping into a calling. His formal firearms instructor training began in 2000 when he attended the two-week U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services System Initial Firearms Instructor Certification Program. Finally that same year, Andy became the District Firearms Instructor, a position he held until his retirement in December of 2015.
Throughout his career as a firearms instructor, Andy was constantly looking for ways to expand his experience and proficiency with firearms and tactical training. In 2001, Andy attended the Glock Firearms Instructor program and armorers course. Andy is currently a certified Glock armorer and is required to renew that certification every three years.
Andy’s Relationship with Firearms
Andy has always been around firearms. “As a kid, my friends and I would roam fields outside of Mustang…shooting BB guns, 22 rifles, and shotguns. However, I didn’t learn how to effectively shoot a handgun until I attended the police academy basic training in 1990.” After he started carrying a gun every day, he primarily focused on becoming a better marksman — training as often as possible.
“I was named the district firearms instructor in part because I was (and still am) a very accurate shooter,” says Shidell. “It was later that I discovered the joy and fulfillment I received in coaching and training others to become better and safer shooters. This is why I applied for [and obtained] a CLEET certification and Oklahoma Self Defense Act (SDA) certification as an instructor when Danny and I started Crusader Tactical.”
When asked whether or not he loves what he is doing at Crusader Tactical, Andy responds, “there’s no greater place for a man to be…than to be where he knows he is suppose to be.”
Andy has two adult-aged daughters and a sweet 10-year-old yellow lab.
