This past weekend, while much of the Saber Tactical team was attending the British Shooting Show and traveling home, we received the heartbreaking news that our friend, teammate, mentor, and innovator, Val Simmons, passed away suddenly on February 14, 2026, his 72nd birthday.
We wanted to take a moment before posting publicly. A moment to reflect. A moment to grieve. And a moment to honor Val properly, not just as a competitor or product designer, but as the man who helped shape Saber Tactical into what it is today.
Val Simmons was a steady hand and sharp mind behind a team of innovators at Saber Tactical. As Thayne “Red Panda” Simmons’ father, he brought decades of marksmanship experience, mechanical intuition, and quiet confidence to everything he touched. On the firing line, Val was known for his calm focus and disciplined shooting fundamentals. He earned multiple finals appearances and top-tier finishes at national events through preparation, consistency, and an unwavering respect for the craft of precision shooting. This respect was a source of many of the ideas that Team Saber Tactical has brought to life through the products we produce.
Off the firing line, Val’s impact was even deeper.
Working closely with Thayne and other expert shooters within Saber Tactical’s inner circle, Val was a key figure in Saber Tactical’s product development from the very beginning. He tested prototypes under real match and hunting conditions, scrutinized fit and ergonomics, balance, and repeatability, and pushed every design to earn its place. Many of the chassis, rails, and accessories trusted by shooters around the world today carry Val’s fingerprints in ways most people will never see. But as a company, we see it every day when you all share stories of how you are using our products.
Throughout his life, Val was a creative innovator at heart. Long before airgunning became his focus, he was known for seeing problems as opportunities and building practical solutions with his own hands. Whether in the shop, on the range, or in competition, that inventive mindset followed him everywhere. He brought the same curiosity and discipline to every pursuit, quietly refining ideas, pushing performance, and setting a standard that others naturally followed.
Beyond his technical brilliance, Val was a mentor and a builder of people. One of the greatest things Val and Thayne created together through Saber Tactical was not just products, but community. A community that includes Team Saber Tactical shooters, industry partners, and a global network of customers who don’t just use our products—but help shape them. Val believed deeply that the best ideas come from shooters in the field, in competition, and in real-world use. That philosophy of listening, refining, and improving lives on in everything we do.
Val’s broader life reflected the same values he brought to Saber Tactical: faith, family, service, and generosity. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He gave freely of his time, his skills, and his heart in his work, in his family, in his church, and in his community.
Though we will miss Val deeply, his presence will continue to be felt. In every competition air rifle that settles perfectly on a barricade in competition or on a fence post while hunting. In every accessory that performs exactly as it should, perfecting precision. In every shooter who finds confidence through equipment built with experience, care, and intention. The echoes of Val’s impact will ripple through this sport for years to come.
We are grateful for the time we had with him, for the wisdom he shared, and for the legacy he leaves behind, not only in Saber Tactical but in the lives of everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
Rest easy, Val.
Your work lives on.
- Team Saber Tactical and DonnyFL
