On this week's 2nd Best Gun Podcast, we got to hang out with the president of Maxim Defense and find out all the company lore, which may or may not include ninja grappling hooks. Maxim started with just one employee in 2014 —Michael Windfeldt, who is still at the top of the ever-growing company a decade later —and we find out how this small shop became a household name and one of the biggest disruptors in the industry. Here are some timestamps if you want to jump ahead:

00:15 Grand poo-bah
01:01 Florida roots, DPMS water
03:15 PDW/CQB demands, Gemtech and JP Rifles
05:20 10x10 basement booth at SHOT '16
07:45 Right place and right time to pick up a suppressor R&D team
10:20 Pivoting
12:15 Vacuums and Silicon Valley proving ground
14:00 Ninja Warrior Enterprises
17:20 How it all comes together
22:45 Brace yourself
25:30 From idea in the morning to prototype in the afternoon
29:05 PDX pistol will be big for 2026
30:01 Maxims are becoming plot points in TV shows
32:20 Pushing the envelope on two-stamp guns
41:15 New cartridges offer challenges that are worth it