January 5, 2026

Blue Trail Range GM Talks Community Involvement On QCC “Commerce & Community” Podcast

When it comes to connecting with communities and disseminating information, podcasts are a force multiplier. New and established brands, organizations and individuals alike have embraced this medium to great effect. One of them is Blue Trail Range, a historic, family-owned facility based in Wallingford, Conn., established in 1945 and featuring 120 outdoor shooting positions, a three-acre shotgun field, 10-lane indoor range and retail store.

Recently, Blue Trail Range sponsored the inaugural episode of the Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce (QCC) “Commerce & Community” podcast. Blue Trail Range General Manager Kyle Overturf sat down with QCC Executive Director Renee Miller as the podcast’s first guest and shared the history of the range and its expansive development to better serve customers.

Throughout the episode, Overturf admirably represented the firearm industry by highlighting Blue Trail’s emphasis on safety, customer service, inclusion, community involvement and serving youth shooters in New England — showcasing several aspects of the Gun Owners Care® campaign.

A Success Story

Now in its 81st year as a public shooting range, Blue Trail traces its origins to even earlier — previously serving as a testing site for Lyman Gun Products. It has remained in the Lyman family ever since, today owned by Deborah Lyman. Blue Trail became a woman-owned business in 2017, following the unexpected passing of David Lyman, Deborah’s husband of 40 years.

In 2018, Lyman hired Overturf to serve as the range’s general manager. At the time, Overturf had recently retired from a 32-year career with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection as Colonel of the Environmental Conservation Police. His son participated on a local high school rifle team and was coached by Lyman, often training at the facility.

Following Overturf’s retirement, Lyman asked him to join her team — and it has been a win-win for both parties. In the podcast episode, Overturf credited NSSF’s resources as an early key to his success in a new environment.

“When I first came into the store, I had no business experience — I had a lot of leadership and management experience — and we needed a new point-of-sale system,” he said. “We do a lot with the NSSF, and I’ve learned a lot from them through management classes and a lot of training. One of the classes I took, I realized pretty quick our store was a hobby shop, very specific to the .22/smallbore/target shooting [customer].”

In his first years as General Manager, Overturf spearheaded an extensive modernization of the shooting facility, which included a remodel of the north end of the shooting range, the installation of a new HVAC system, refurbished retail store interior and construction of a 4,500-square-foot maintenance building and state-of-the-art training center.

These improvements not only resulted in a better range experience for customers but also garnered an NSSF Four-Star Range Rating in June 2023.

Warm Welcome in Seconds, Not Minutes

Several times throughout the podcast episode, Overturf spoke of Blue Trail’s approach to welcoming and serving first-time customers — often receiving positive feedback from Miller, the podcast host.

“We want to be the ones that help them choose that first firearm, the one that is right for them,” Overturf said. “We pride ourselves in not just selling something but trying to work with the client very specifically to fit their needs.”

To better serve customers, Overturf has instructed his team to listen more than they speak when interacting with a customer.

“I don’t want to hear my staff talking a lot, I like to hear the customer talking,” he shared. “We have a script we’ll run down, which the first thing we’ll ask is, ‘What do you want your firearm for? Is it something for home protection, target practice, carry or is it a combination?’ And then we work from there.”

Overturf has heard personal anecdotes from women visiting the store who share how they were ignored for several minutes at another facility.

“Customer service is something we really push. We want you to be greeted and spoken [to] and feel comfortable in the first 30 seconds you walk into our store,” he said.

At Blue Trail, Overturf has strived to develop a diverse staff, reflecting its customer base.

“One of our priorities is to just be inclusive, we want to see everybody come into our store — every different group you can think of,” he said. “We hope our staff reflects our patrons.”

Building Community

In Connecticut, a prospective handgun owner must complete an approved safety course to apply for the Connecticut State Pistol Permit. Blue Trail regularly hosts these classes, which includes classroom and live-fire training. Overturf informed that between 2,500–3,000 individuals take the class per year. Often, Blue Trail is successful in bringing in repeat guests to receive one-on-one training after they’ve received their permit. This not only brings in additional revenue for the store but also ensures that more gun owners are educated and better trained.

On the podcast, Overturf cleared up a common misconception that a range is a “free for fall” with no oversight. On the contrary, Blue Trail’s cadre of trainers and Range Safety Officers (RSO) maintain a watchful eye and safe environment.

“It’s very structured, it’s very safe. We always have at least one RSO on duty at the time and they’re not just monitoring range activity,” he said. “They help a lot of shooters; whether it’s a malfunction with their firearm, training issues, [helping to] sight-in a firearm, our RSOs are a wealth of information. We have clients [who] come on very specific days because we have specific RSOs on duty that day. It’s a very safe environment.”

To further build community, Blue Trail hosts monthly educational seminars. Overturf shared these two-to-three-hour “mini classes” are free to fellow Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce members.

Additionally, Blue Trail has a robust presence in the youth shooting sports community, hosting safety classes for children and annual high school state championship events (three local high school shooting teams train regularly at the facility, as well). The Blue Trail Range Junior Rifle Club, which has been running for years, meets weekly and currently has 50 participants ranging from ages 12 to 18.

“It’s a great program. It teaches them responsibility, respect and discipline — all within our program,” Overturf said.

An emphasis on safety and bettering the community are two core tenets of the Gun Owners Care campaign, which was established by NSSF in 2020 to unite gun owners and the firearm industry to combat the negative image by the media. Blue Trail Range supported this effort by sponsoring its local chamber of commerce’s first podcast and sharing with the public how gun owners are making a difference in saving lives and making communities safer. #GunOwnersCare.

Learn more at GunOwnersCare.org.