Riding Shotgun With Charlie

#219

Liz Bush

Deputy Executive Director, 

NRA General Operations

I had a chance to film some shows with the NRA staff at the NRA HQ in Fairfax, VA. With time in my schedule, I asked a friend on the BOD who else I could have. She suggested Liz Bush. I wasn’t familiar with her name, but she’s got her hands on many things going on at NRA. It was great to have some time with her. I was in need of some NRA teaching materials, but wasn’t able to get those from HQ on this trip. They come from a warehouse somewhere else. 

Liz’s position at NRA is the Deputy Executive Director of General Operations. It covers everything that isn’t political. She works with everything from Community Engagement Departments to Women On Target to Friends of the NRA. She tends to the community outreach, clubs and range associations, education and training, law enforcement training division, competitive shooting, NRA Museum, the NRA range, shows and exhibits department, and even the Eddie Eagle program. Like she said, everything but politics! She may have donned the Eagle costume once. But there was a height requirement. 

Growing up, her family had a number of firearms and her father was into shooting where she grew up in south New Jersey. Eventually she and her husband moved to the DC metro area. She went into marketing and worked retail but didn’t enjoy it. Her father suggested applying for a job at NRA.

But when she got a job at NRA is when she really got into learning about firearms and shooting. She did go through much of the NRA Training Programs. And when there are changes within the programs, she gets to be part of the test case. She’s gotten really good at trap shooting and often her husband won’t go shooting with her. Doing a project with Mark Keefe (RSWC #216), Liz found she really likes the GLOCK 19. She talked her mother into buying one, too!

There’s a lot more programs than I know or even realize that the NRA offers. There’s a Youth Hunter Education Challenge. It’s the next level after a regular hunter ed course.There’s eight levels for challenge. This program has between 40-50 courses and reaches about 4,000 students. The NRA Day program is a mixed bag of all the disciplines for new shooters and gun owners. It’s like an open house for shooting. The clubs that host NRA Day have the flexibility to design the program to what they’d like to offer participants. The Women On Target hosts nearly 100 events a year and reaches 4,000-5,000 women each year. The Range Services department helps ranges and range owners who are looking to start or improve their ranges. 

One of the programs is the Friends of the NRA. I’ve been to a few of these around the country. The great thing about them is not just hanging out with like minded people and having something in common. The funds raised are split between the NRA and the state where the money is raised in the form of grants. 

Over the years with NRA, Liz has been moving through different departments and different areas. It’s fantastic to see that one job can lead to several different positions and cover lots of various aspects of keeping the organization going. The people that work at NRA HQ genuinely enjoy working for them and doing what they do. They’re there to support it’s members and get the word out about shooting, gun ownership, and the benefits it brings. 

We did talk about Phil Schreier (RSWC #182) the NRA Museum. Phil is a celebrity due to all his appearances on the History Channel and Outdoor Channel programs. And I need to find some time to get back down to take in the museum and all it has to offer. Maybe I’ll get some other folks from the NRA to hop in the stagecoach!

Favorite quotes:

“We really focus on the programs, any touch points with the members. Anything that gets them pulling triggers.”

“It says a lot about for the people and the community and camaraderie that we have as employees at NRA.”

“Eddie Eagle is probably one our most successful programs, reaches millions of kids a year.”

“Sporting clays is fun, it’s like a round of golf but for shooters.”

“We’re one big team and over the years learned what everyone else is doing.”

National Rifle Association

https://home.nra.org/

NRA Explore/NRA Programs

https://explore.nra.org/

NRA Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/NRA

NRA Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/nra/

Friends of the NRA

https://www.friendsofnra.org/

Second Amendment Foundation

https://secure.anedot.com/saf/donate?sc=RidingShotgun 

Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

https://www.ccrkba.org/

Please support the Riding Shotgun With Charlie sponsors and supporters. 

Dennis McCurdy

Author, Speaker, Firewalker

http://www.find-away.com/

Self Defense Radio Network

http://sdrn.us/

Buy a Powertac Flashlight, use RSWC as the discount code and save 15%

www.powertac.com/RSWC

SABRE Red Pepper Spray

 https://lddy.no/1iq1n

Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun With Charlie

#218

Jacek Waliszewki

Code Name: Spike, Author

Sometimes the planets all line up for me. I was in Knoxville, TN, for the Gun Owners of America’s G.O.A.L.S event. I was talking with Kirk Whatley from Samson Mfg. Kirk has been a friend for a long time. He was RSWC #005 back when I was learning how to edit video. Samson’s booth was across from Liberty Mfg’s booth. They have a pen gun. And at their booth was Jacek Waliszewski, author of Code Name: Spike. 

Jacek was born in Poland but he was raised in a revolution. His father co-founded the Solidarity Movement there and they kicked communism out of Poland. As an infant, his mother would put propaganda papers in his diapers that he would take to his father while he was locked up. It all had to be done before he soiled the diaper! He was muling documents for his father to read and sign. The family eventually came to the United States as political refugees during the Reagan years.

After moving around the country with his father’s job, Jacek joined the Army and went into Special Forces. He spent 20 years serving the country and he’s working on his second career and spending time with his own family. His second career finds him as a writer. He’s authored a book called Code Name: Spike. He was at the Liberty Mfg booth promoting his book because Liberty has a pen gun. And a story in his book involves the first real life use of a pen gun. 

Going from Special Forces medic to Special Forces warrant officer, he got to spend time in the Nation Archives. Near George Washington’s flag and maps from Normandy, still with sand in them, he finds a leather bound book. The book was written by two men in the Office of Strategic Services back in 1946. The CIA didn’t declassify the documents until the 1980’s. He wondered how this memoir existed and no one knew about it. When they tried to publish it in 1946, the CIA and the State Department refused to let them release these secrets into the public. 

Jacek spent five years researching and working on this book. He cross referenced their Morse code messages. It even took him to England, where he found their secret Morse code messages. After chasing the background around the world, the Department of Defense finally cleared everything for the publication of the book. 

One of the truly amazing things he did was reach out to the surviving family members of Steven Bizic & Joseph S. Kosky to let them know about the history of their fathers and grandfathers. That involved hundreds of calls and emails to find everyone. The family members didn’t know these stories because they were super secret.  And it was a time when men didn’t talk about what they did during war. He had a chance to bring their lives full circle with this book. 

It’s amazing that he discovered the things that formed Special Operations.The OSS was the foundation of many of the other groups like Spec Ops and CIA. The stories could also change the history of the communists. There’s stories about how they would confiscate firearms from people, who would hand them over, because they think they’re doing the right thing. Then they immediately found out that the partisans were the judge, jury, and executioner. The people who surrendered their guns would then be shot with their own firearms as punishment. In another chapter, he talks about how the OSS were able to derail a train which ended up taking the lives of 200 Nazis.

This book reads like a novel. But a true history book that will keep you riveted and reading. To top it off, his next book is going to be how the same group of OSS were plotting to take out Mussolini. Somewhere, someone has Mussolini’s pistol.  

Favorite quotes:

“I like to say I was born into revolution.”

“It’s the first Special Operations memoir written after the war.”

“This book reveals all the things we did wrong in the war.”

“To give back to the Special Operations community, this is the legacy book.” 

“It’s more disturbing to know that it’s true.”

Stories By Jack website

https://www.storiesbyjacek.com/

Jacek Waliszewski on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/jw_jack_official/

Liberty Mfg

https://www.liberty-mfg.us/

Code Name: Spike on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/CODE-NAME-SPECIAL-FORCES-GROUNDBREAKING/dp/B0D52QP3G3

Second Amendment Foundation

https://secure.anedot.com/saf/donate?sc=RidingShotgun 

Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

https://www.ccrkba.org/

Please support the Riding Shotgun With Charlie sponsors and supporters. 

Dennis McCurdy

Author, Speaker, Firewalker

http://www.find-away.com/

Self Defense Radio Network

http://sdrn.us/

Buy a Powertac Flashlight, use RSWC as the discount code and save 15%

www.powertac.com/RSWC

SABRE Red Pepper Spray

 https://lddy.no/1iq1n

Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun With Charlie

#217

Desi Bergman

Not Me SD

I met Desi Bergman at GunProm held by San Diego County Gun Owners back in June of 2022. I met a lot of people that weekend. I may have been “over self-served.” But at Gun Rights Policy Conference in 2024, we got to meet again. And I’ll remember it this time. (Gulp!) I always plan on filming shows while I’m on a trip, and GPRC 2024 was no different. But I had to make changes to my plans. Desi and I caught up on the Friday evening social. I asked if she was interested in doing the show and she agreed to it. We headed to Coronado Island and got a selfie at Dog Beach.

As a young child, guns were always around for her and her family. Her grandparents owned a farm in central California. While her dad was out checking the property, she was the girl who was shooting at rabbits from the truck with a BB gun. Her father was a sheriff reserve and taught the kids to respect firearms, how to be safe, and how to shoot. One of her prized possessions is her father’s Colt Python. When her mother inquires about it, she keeps telling her it's in for repair. 

Having been in San Diego for 13 years, she discovered San Diego County Gun Owners about five years ago. I had Michael Schwartz from SDCGO on episode #153. Desi & Michael met at a BBQ for SDCGO. He was telling her about Not Me SD and how he was trying to get it up and going. She loved the idea and got involved in volunteering to learn more about it. When the virus that shall not be named hit,they needed someone to be more involved. She stepped up and took on the part-time role. There were some instructing certifications she needed and earned. Having them gives her more credentials for converting women to gun ownership. 

Not Me SD is a program for women who are survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. The program takes the women all through the process to get a CCW in California. They have scholarships for those in need. They teach the women all aspects of self defense, from situational awareness, pepper spray, and firearms. Since 2020, females are the largest growing demographic of firearms owners and those who are seeking out training. Not Me is a huge resource for women who want help. 

They have regular and monthly get-togethers for training and shooting socials, as they call them. This pairs women up with instructors. We do talk about the process to get a permit in The Golden State. There’s a quick and easy 30 question test to get the firearm safety card, which is step one. We did talk about what makes a good first gun for a woman. Of course there is no “correct” answer, but it was fun to talk about. Desi used a term about GLOCK that I hadn’t heard before. She called it the “Honda of the gun world.” Ya know, she’s not wrong. We also talked about the SIG P365 getting added to the CA roster and using red dots. 

One of the amazing success stories from Not Me SD is of a woman who was shot in the neck twice by her ex-husband. Not only did she survive the incident but she got into firearms and self protection, she enjoyed learning and turned into a survivor. A big step for DV survivors is actually hearing the gun being fired. Her program has reached over 1,300 women. Everytime she is on a local TV show, she has more and more people reaching out to get training and education. 

California has a roster, much like Massachusetts. Both states have lots of restrictions and unconstitutional laws about firearms. We also have so-called assault weapon bans and magazine restrictions. 

Desi and I talked more about Not Me SD while we drove to Coronado Island. We grabbed a selfie at Dog Beach. San Diego is a beautiful place. The weather is amazing. It could be a perfect place, but the gun laws in Cali… Not so much. 

Favorite quotes:

“I was holding a gun since I was two years old and I could hold one.”

“I like to have all the qualifications because it help me articulate better when I’m teaching these classes.”

“GLOCKS are the Honda of the gun world.”

“We always end the day with a mag dump on the .22.”

“I believe that women should have as many tools as they can to protect themselves.”

Not Me SD

https://sandiegocountygunowners.com/notmesd/

Not Me CA

https://www.notmeca.org/

Not Me CA Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/NotMeCA/

Gun Owners Radio Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/sdgunowners

Second Amendment Foundation

https://secure.anedot.com/saf/donate?sc=RidingShotgun 

Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

https://www.ccrkba.org/

Please support the Riding Shotgun With Charlie sponsors and supporters. 

Dennis McCurdy

Author, Speaker, Firewalker

http://www.find-away.com/

Self Defense Radio Network

http://sdrn.us/

Buy a Powertac Flashlight, use RSWC as the discount code and save 15%

www.powertac.com/RSWC

SABRE Red Pepper Spray

 https://lddy.no/1iq1n

Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun With Charlie

#216

Mark Keefe

NRA Managing Director of Editorial & Public Affairs

Like everyone who has read any of the NRA’s magazines or watched American Rifleman, or even seen some shows on The Outdoor Channel or The History Channel, I’ve seen Mark Keefe for years. Emails between the NRA staff and me while setting up the show with Doug Hamlin (RSWC #213), I saw that Mark was on the email last. I had to ask if he would be available and interested. And he was.  I was pleasantly surprised when Mark came out before I interviewed Doug to check and make sure everything was good to go.

Mark has been shooting since he was young. His grandfather used to drink beef from a can. When the beer got old, they used to shoot the beer cans with the beer in them while using a BB gun. That’s quite a reactive target, for sure! As a young teenager, the family elders decided he was “old enough for the Thompson.” But it was only semi-auto until he was older. He also did some shooting in the Boy Scouts. 

In 1988, Mark wanted to be a Shooting Sports Director for the Boy Scouts so he could teach rifle, shotgun, and archery. To do this, he had to become an NRA Certified Instructor. In this process, he reconnected with Phil Schreier (RSWC #182). His interest in collecting historical firearms really took off. Mark told me the story about Phil getting a job volunteering at the NRA Museum and telling him that you never know where it will lead and you have to grow up sometime. The following year, Phil ended up offering Mark the weekend work at the Museum saying… you never know where it will lead and you have to grow up sometime. Mark has been there 34 years, and Phil has been there 35 years.

After being at the Museum a few years, he started as the assistant technical editor for some of the magazines. He worked through the ranks as associate technical editor, managing editor, and finally editor and he ran American Rifleman for 21 years. In the early 2000’s, he was encouraged to start a column so the readers could learn more about the NRA contributors. That was the beginning of The Keefe Report. He still kept reviewing guns, the current issues, and his regular duties.  

In the late 1990’s/early 2000’s, the NRA started having the staff and writers get out and gain experience with the firearms they were reviewing. That’s when Mark had the chance to travel the world and do some training and hunting. Learning to shoot a rifle at moving game is different from hunting in the United States. These hunting trips and experiences really gave them the chance to experience the usefulness and dependability of the firearms they were using. While using firearms in the field, he began to see why some of the designs of rifles or cocking methods or stocks were built the way they are. It made more sense once they put them to use in real situations. 

In the early 2000’s Mark was on a hunt with people from The Outdoor Channel. They told Mark there really needed to be an American Rifleman TV show. But he didn’t have a lot of video experience. He, his staff, and Phil came up with a plan to get the show going and what the content would be. He told me a great story about someone who went back to Europe and was able to find brass from rounds fired by Alvin York! It’s an amazing story!

Mark’s most recent title is the Managing Director of Editorial & Public Affairs. He’s got his hands in many things NRA and media related, from The Keefe Report to American Rifleman, but also keeping up with the new trends in social media. Mark is NRA to the core. And a firearm guy through and through. He told me after we were done filming that we didn’t even get to any of the hunting stores. I can’t wait for those.

Favorite quotes:

“I think he’s probably old enough for the Thompson.”

“You can’t really slap a rifle trigger, but you can pull it quickly.”

“We wanted to take people places they couldn’t go.”

“We blend the story of the people who used these guns.”

“We’re involved in things that we just don’t get credit for.”

National Rifle Association

https://home.nra.org/

American Rifleman

https://www.americanrifleman.org/

NRA Publications on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@NRApubs

NRA Explore/NRA Programs

https://explore.nra.org/

NRA Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/NRA

NRA Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/nra/

Second Amendment Foundation

https://secure.anedot.com/saf/donate?sc=RidingShotgun 

Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

https://www.ccrkba.org/

Please support the Riding Shotgun With Charlie sponsors and supporters. 

Dennis McCurdy

Author, Speaker, Firewalker

http://www.find-away.com/

Self Defense Radio Network

http://sdrn.us/

Buy a Powertac Flashlight, use RSWC as the discount code and save 15%

www.powertac.com/RSWC

SABRE Red Pepper Spray

 https://lddy.no/1iq1n

Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun With Charlie

#215

Keith Barry (KB)

51Fifty Rifles/Optimum

At the NRA Annual Meeting, I got a message from Frank Johnson to meet him at the 51Fifty/Optimum booth. I was asked to be on Frank’s show Range Report earlier in the year, so I wanted to meet him in person. At the 51Fifty booth was Keith Berry (KB). I was very impressed at how fast Frank was able to take down their AR style rifle. Legit, I looked away to see if my bag was still on the ground and the rifle was apart. They have a Rapid Access Cam that connects the upper and lower receivers. With the flip of a lever, similar to a safety switch, you can do the lock and take the rifle apart. 

Recently, I got the time to go out and meet with KB. He’s only in western Mass so it wasn’t far of a drive to get together. He gave me a tour of the building and how they build their rifles. They’ve got a room in the back where they do all their videos with a number of “wall decorations” as their backdrop. 

KB grew up shooting since he was young, like for years old! His father ingrained the safety rules at a young age, which gave him a strong basis on safe gun handling. He progressed from BB guns, to pellet guns, to .22 rifles. His father served in Viet Nam and was much of the inspiration and motivation for the beginning of 51Fifty. Their first rifle was a tribute to KB’s dad. Once he started making rifles, he would ask his dad what he would want for this part and for that part. That’s what KB was putting together just for his dad. One of his dad’s life long goals was to become a certified gunsmith, which he achieved before passing away. 

Many of the rifles made by 51Fifty have been made to commemorate things like the slaying of the five Dallas police officers a few years ago. They remade the rifle for his father and added some coating to make it look distressed and used. The company that worked with them asked them to join them at SHOT Show, which they were happy to go along with.

Before getting into the firearm business, KB spent 20 years doing printing. Due to health issues from printing, he needed a new career. He got into working in the auto industry and financing. Within a year, he got into helping non-compliant companies and did that in five states for the next 20 years. 

When KB was based in Texas, there was a lot of back and forth between the Lone State and the Bay State, where the parts were being built. Building parts were in Mass while painting and assembly was in Texas.  So KB and his wife moved to New England to help run the business and the shop from here. 

One of the things 51Fifty prides themselves on is listening to what their customers want. Their rifles are in several countries with their troops. When they give feedback to 51Fifty, they listen, take notes, and make changes. They’re addressing issues that have been around with the AR platform since the beginning and they’re working to make superior rifles for everyone, whether in the military, law enforcement, or civilians. At their first SHOT Show, a veteran was going by their booth in a wheelchair. He couldn’t believe how fast the disassembly of the AR was done. 

There are several big name folks that have the 51Fifty rifles. They make a lot of specialty rifles and they donate several of them to charities. One of their rifles is a .308 and is worth about $50,000. It only gets brought out for big charity events. The engraving on it is just incredible. They are doing a big event for SHOT Show 2025, so if you’re in the media, make sure you stop by and try out their rifles. If you can’t make it, please visit their website and check out all the cool and wild designs they’ve got. 

Favorite quotes:

“You take the curiosity away. You don’t make it taboo.”

“We need to do something to help these families.”

“Right now we’re not Goliath we’re David, but we want to slay Goliath.”

“If I had had this system, I’d still have my legs.”

51Fifty Rifles

https://51fiftyrifles.com/

51Fifty Rifles Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/51FiftyRifles

51Fifty Rifles Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/51fifty/

51Fifty Rifles X

https://x.com/OP51_usa

51Fifty Rifles YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@OP51USA

51Fifty Rifles LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/51fifty/posts/?feedView=all

51Fifty Rifles Truth Social

https://truthsocial.com/@51Fifty

Second Amendment Foundation

https://secure.anedot.com/saf/donate?sc=RidingShotgun 

Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

https://www.ccrkba.org/

Please support the Riding Shotgun With Charlie sponsors and supporters. 

Dennis McCurdy

Author, Speaker, Firewalker

http://www.find-away.com/

Self Defense Radio Network

http://sdrn.us/

Buy a Powertac Flashlight, use RSWC as the discount code and save 15%

www.powertac.com/RSWC

SABRE Red Pepper Spray

 https://lddy.no/1iq1n

Or listen on:

iTunes/Apple podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #214 News2A Shawn Abramson & Grant Kielczewski

Last year, I filmed a show with Shawn and Grant from News2A. Due to camera issues, we decided to scrap it and do it another time. That time was in Knoxville, Tenn, at the Gun Owners of America’s G.O.A.L.s event. Since we first tried this, Grant up and moved from New Jersey to middle Tennessee, so this was the ideal time to make it happen again. 

Shawn grew up in a mostly non-gun house, but he and his brother took any chance they could to go out and shoot with their father’s friends. At 18, getting an FID and joining the NRA was on the top of the things he wanted to do as an adult. For Grant growing up in the Midwest, guns were just tools. Also buying his first gun at 18, he spent years just being a casual shooter. In the last five years, things changed for him. He’s been more active in taking courses and in helping others get started on their gun owning path. He’s been working more towards becoming a better instructor. 

Shawn and Grant were both New Jersey guys with an idea to start a website with a focus on the Garden State.  News2A (N2A) was launched after the Bruen decision in June 2022. New Jersey finally caved, kicking and screaming, to allow their peasants to have pitchforks. And allow them to carry their pitchforks. For a while, it was a hotbed of overreaching government having a post-Bruen hissy fit. There were lots of things going on. The gents thought there needed to be a place where people could get the up to date and correct info on the goings on.

We spend some time talking about the differences between states like, New Jersey & Massachusetts, versus other states, like Florida & Tennessee. It is bad in Jersey. You cannot carry in sensitive places so you have to disarm in your car and do a lot of administrative loading and unloading. Post Bruen, New York and New Jersey really tried tamping down the rights and abilities of gun owners. 

When the guys started getting more involved, they went to Trenton to watch the testimonies and see how the sausage is made. And it ain’t pretty. None of the things we may have been taught in school, or from Schoolhouse Rock, really happens like that. It was an education and eye opening for them. 

At one point, John Petrolino, RSWC #093, reached out to me and asked if I wanted to do some writing. He said that N2A was looking for writers and contributors for their website. He said I could send things to him to edit, then I could pass it along to N2A. In the meantime, he wrote to Shawn and Grant, saying that maybe they could publish some of my writings there. It’s been a great outlet for me as a writer. I was able to cover the nonsense of the Gun Law Listening Tour in early 2023. 

The website is chock full of writers. Covering topics of politics, gun rights, training, editorials. They’ve got about eight writers plus Shawn and Grant contributing to the site. Some I’ve had on the show and some still need to get in the stagecoach. They also have sections on the site that are great resources for Jersey residents, where you can carry, how to carry, how to apply for everyone. And, of course, safety tips, too. 

Let me tell you, the gun folks from Jersey have aggravation in their blood about their process, licensing scheme, and the nonsense they have to deal with. There’s only a handful of states that the Bruen decision really affected. These states are the most egregious about doing their best to make sure that lawful and responsible citizens have a hard time with owning, possessing, and carrying firearms. Fortunately, they’ve got Shawn and Grant putting in time, love, and money in keeping everyone informed and on top of the situation. 

Favorite quotes:

Shawn: “You meet the right people, too. They have the right values. They’re just friendly people willing to help others in general.”

Shawn: “They only care about making sure their party’s agenda happens.”

Grant:”We’ve tried to take this very complex information and make it as applicable to people as possible.”

Grant: “I know people underestimate the value of training.”

News2A Website

https://www.news2a.com/

News2A Twitter/X

https://twitter.com/News2ATeam

News2A Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/news2a/

News2A Gab

https://gab.com/News2A

US Law Shield (Code:NEWS2A)

https://www.uslawshield.com/?affid=ad008c31-331d-11ef-bda8-0615552639c3

Second Amendment Foundation

https://secure.anedot.com/saf/donate?sc=RidingShotgun 

Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

https://www.ccrkba.org/

Please support the Riding Shotgun With Charlie sponsors and supporters. 

Dennis McCurdy

Author, Speaker, Firewalker

http://www.find-away.com/

Self Defense Radio Network

http://sdrn.us/

Buy a Powertac Flashlight, use RSWC as the discount code and save 15%

www.powertac.com/RSWC

SABRE Red Pepper Spray

 https://lddy.no/1iq1n

Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun With Charlie

#213

Doug Hamlin 

NRA, Executive Vice President

It’s not everyday you get to interview the Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association, let alone take him for a drive around Fairfax. But when the chance comes up, you take it. I owe a huge Thank You to Amanda Suffecool for making the connection. It’s pretty cool when Mark Keefe, who I’ve seen on TV and in magazines, comes out to make sure everything is ready for the interview. 

Like many folks, firearms were a family tradition for Doug. He learned to hunt from his grandfather and they had a “healthy collection” of firearms, many which were military surplus. When he was old enough, Doug joined the Marines. The years in service were very beneficial in forming the self confidence that people need. It also taught him that life is competitive and that you need to step up or step out. 

After the Marines, he had a friend who was working with Petersen Publishing Company in Detroit. His friend was doing well. He asked his friend to put in a good word at the Petersen headquarters in LA. He got to meet with Mr. Robert Petersen and was offered a job at Guns & Ammo magazine in the late 1980’s. Mr. Petersen, of course, is the largest donor to the National Firearm Museum at NRA HQ.Petersen was a big role model and mentor to Doug. He moved from ad sales to publisher in 4 years. 

Eventually Petersen moved Doug over to publish MotorTrend Magazine, which was a very important property to Petersen Publishing. Being a bit of a car guy, this was a good fit. The day after getting the new job, Petersen jetted him off to the New York auto show. Doug got to travel the world with Petersen, including trips to London. Often, they’d stop at Purdy and Holland & Holland to “make an investment”. Many of these investments happen to be in the NRA Museum. His NRA roots run deep!

Having lunch with Ken Elliot, his former boss at Petersen, it came up that Joe Graham was retiring from NRA Publications. Ken asked if some NRA folks, including Wayne LaPierre, could join them for lunch. Having Doug as the executive director of publications came up in the conversation. He started the position in early 2014, and spent 10 years working as publisher. 

When LaPierre stepped down in February, there were going to be changes on the Board. There were the “old guard” and the “reformers”. It came down to Doug and Ronnie Barrett. Doug speaks extensively on what happened at the meetings and election. Getting back to NRA HQ after the election and with almost no sleep, Doug got right to work.

Doug has ignited a spark to the staff. Everyone at NRA has a much brighter outlook on the future of NRA. They’re working to rebuild the trust with membership, as well as grow it to what it was just a few years ago. There’s only a small percentage of gun owners who are members. With around 100 million gun owners and only 4 million NRA members, there's a lot of room for expansion.

The NRA has several publications and over 40 programs. Things from helping ranges get started, Eddie Eagle, lobbying in every state, several websites,and training. Their publications have been rebranded as NRA Media, and Mark Keefe is the leader there. (And the interview with Mark will be dropping soon!) With all their media, they’re reaching 20 million people a month!

We do need a strong and stable NRA. I’ve said this several times, the NRA is taking the arrows from the antis while the other groups are doing work. The antis don’t know about the other groups since they are smaller than the NRA. I did get a chance to interview a few others at NRA while I was there. Everyone loves their jobs at NRA and enjoy working there. It’s good to see and hear this. Like I said, we need a strong NRA. 

Favorite quotes:

“You better step up or step out.”

“They also understand the significance of a strong NRA. It benefits the entire industry when you have a strong NRA.”

“You can count on us. You can trust us.”

“NRA is a tremendous institution and we’re doing a lot to get us back on track and rebuild our membership.”

National Rifle Association

https://home.nra.org/

Friends of NRA

 https://www.friendsofnra.org/

NRA Foundation Grants

https://www.nrafoundation.org/grants

NRA Explore/NRA Programs

https://explore.nra.org/

NRA Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/NRA

NRA Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/nra/

Second Amendment Foundation

https://secure.anedot.com/saf/donate?sc=RidingShotgun 

Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

https://www.ccrkba.org/

Please support the Riding Shotgun With Charlie sponsors and supporters. 

Dennis McCurdy

Author, Speaker, Firewalker

http://www.find-away.com/

Self Defense Radio Network

http://sdrn.us/

Buy a Powertac Flashlight, use RSWC as the discount code and save 15%

www.powertac.com/RSWC

SABRE Red Pepper Spray

 https://lddy.no/1iq1n

Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun With Charlie

#212

Irv Gill

Blackbelt Ammunition

I love it when a plan comes together. I was heading to New Jersey and it was a vacation week, so I had some extra time. I’d been in contact with Irv Gill from Blackbelt Ammunition and we were able to meet at Tanner’s Sports Center in Jamison, Pa. I met Nayara Andrejczyk there last year to film a show with her. It isn’t too far from Reading so we all met there. 

Irv has been a long time shooter and hunter, like many folks. His grandfather taught him to shoot and he got his first .22 rifle around 12 years old. During his junior high and high school years, he joined the rifle team. He bought some muzzleloading handguns and it felt like reloading since you have to apply all the components of ammunition. He also started casting his own bullets as well. By 18 years old, he got his mom to buy him his first revolver. 

When he was younger, he got into hunting boar with handguns. It was much more exciting because you have to get a little closer to the animals. During those years, he got into reloading his own ammunition. Then started loading it for friends and family, too. 

This led to getting some single stage presses and reloading ammo. He does say that no one really saves money by reloading because you end up shooting more and needing more supplies. Even though it works out to be a few cents a round and you’re shooting more, it’s more about control of the ammo and the bullet. 

Irv is also a black belt in martial arts and has been practicing for years. He even wrote a book about the martial arts. Self defense training in its various forms is something he’s been doing his whole life. Back in 2020 when things changed, he decided to take this hobby of making ammunition and making it a real thing, a real business. He wasn’t sure what to call it. While his wife was napping one day, she woke up and said it should be Blackbelt Ammunition. His plan was to cater to local gun stores who had a hard time keeping stock. Then he met a woman who helped Blackbelt with online sales. 

After studying various types of bullets and ballistics, he decided it was time to move forward and make this dream come true. Irv compares his ammo to small batch micro brews or whiskeys. He isn’t cranking out thousands and thousands of rounds. He’s got small batch ammo that specializes in self defense and not bulk target ammo. I love that he calls the big ammo companies “Rem-Fed-Chester”, short of Remington, Federal, and Winchester. They can produce all the target ammo but he’s got them beat for self defense ballistics. His bullets expand more and transfer more energy to its intended target. Another good thing about being a small business and doing small batches, if he wants to make a change, it doesn’t take too much work. 

One of his newest rounds is the Red Devil. It’s for customers in New Jersey. In the Garden State, someone cannot use hollow point or hollow tip ammo. If there is an insert in the tip, then it is ok to use or carry. Another brand has a red ball inserted into the tip. Blackbelt has a steel BB that they use for the Red Devil. He’s been in contact with the powers that be in New Jersey to make sure it will be ok to sell there. If you’re in Jersey, check Blackbelt’s social media. Irv and his team are often at local gun shows selling ammo. 

This is a good episode. It’s great to hear someone who has a dream and makes it happen at any age. Irv obviously loves what he’s doing and he’s doing a great job at it. Please check out his socials and buy some of his ammo. 

Favorite quotes:

“You have to dedicate time to it.”

“I got into martial arts because I’ve always been into self defense.”

“I got into martial arts so that you didn’t have to shoot somebody.”

“We don’t need more regulation. We need smart regulation.”

Blackbelt Ammunition

https://www.blackbeltammunition.com/

Blackbelt Ammunition Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/blackbelt_ammunition

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089942570085

Second Amendment Foundation

https://secure.anedot.com/saf/donate?sc=RidingShotgun 

Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

https://www.ccrkba.org/

Please support the Riding Shotgun With Charlie sponsors and supporters. 

Buy RSWC & GunGram shirts & hoodies, stickers & patches, and mugs at the store!

http://ridingshotgunwithcharlie.com/rswc-shop/

Dennis McCurdy

Author, Speaker, Firewalker

http://www.find-away.com/

Self Defense Radio Network

http://sdrn.us/

Buy a Powertac Flashlight, use RSWC as the discount code and save 15%

www.powertac.com/RSWC

SABRE Red Pepper Spray

 https://lddy.no/1iq1n

Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun With Charlie

#211

Dick Heller

Heller v DC

Back in 2018, I was heading to hear some friends speak at the Heller 10 Celebration hosted by Second Amendment Institute. I got a call from one of my friends and she said “we’re going to Heller’s house”. I wondered “who’s we? Is it her? Am I part of we?”. She called back and I got to go hang out at the Heller resident. The next day, I found myself being asked/told that I was going to give an impromptu speech on the Supreme Court Steps. I’ve seen Dick at a number of events and got to film this show on our way to go shoot sporting clays at the M&M Hunting Preserve in New Jersey. He was the keynote at a fundraiser the night before. We shot clays with John Petrolino (RSWC #093), Gabby Franco (RSWC #), and Eric, who was helping get Dick around for the weekend. 

We’ve all heard of the Heller decision. We all know what happened in the Heller case. It’s been cited and referenced in cases upon cases. It’s referenced in the McDonald v Chicago and NYSRPA v Bruen. If you haven’t read that “magnificent Scalia decision”, you need to do some homework. 

The Heller case was ruled in 2008, but it started years before. Getting a case to the SCOTUS takes time and money. And lots of both. Several years before, Dick was friends with a fighter pilot and instructor and Vietnam veteran. He was also an Olympic shooter in 1980. Dick rented him a room. So he came over with a truck full of guns, which was illegal at the time, and said they’re all going to jail. The friend got the guns out of DC and decided that he was going to go to law school to fight this nonsense. Heller said he was going to become a cop and they’ll give him a gun to protect them, but he won’t be able to protect himself. This is the beginning of the case. 

When the case was done, Heller had to sign 12 more papers for another case just so the lawyers would get paid. He points out that the government pays to fight us with our own money in the form of taxes. And we also have to pay with our own money to fight the government. Heller’s team of lawyers were able to win the case despite the unlimited funds that DC has. 

The case went to a federal court since it was a Constitutional issue. But it didn’t rule in Heller’s favor the first time. So they appealed to the DC Circuit Court. There they prevail. During one of the trials, the opposing attorney admits to the judge that they just don’t want guns in DC. The lawyer hadn’t seen or heard the news that crimes in DC at the time was rising and a very violent city to live in.

Heller also shares that with his ruling in 2008 and with Sandy Hook happening in 2012, he was posed with what kind of influence his case could have been responsible for that incident. Ultimately, each individual has to be responsible for their actions. His ruling shouldn’t, and didn’t, have anything to do with other acts of evil people. 

For years now, Heller has been associated with Gun Owners of America because they are the group that will not compromise our rights away. He’s been to a number of the Coalition of New Jersey Gun Owners and Women for Gun Rights events up and down the east coast. And he’s been to several of the other national 2A events around the country. If you get a chance to see him and hear him speak, you need to take that. He’s a national treasure. And you can hear some of his story here. 

Favorite quotes:

“Everybody out there can do a little bit of something.”

“The city has unlimited funding in the form of our tax dollars… with which to hurt us with our own money.”

“You don’t whimp your way to the Supreme Court.”

“In the arrogance of government, they thought they would have the high court voting on their side of the law.”

“Sometimes you have to pull up your big  boy pants and understand who you are and what you’re doing.”

Heller Foundation

https://www.hellerfoundation.org/

The Heller Decision

https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/usrep/usrep554/usrep554570/usrep554570.pdf

Gun Owners of America

https://www.gunowners.org/

Coalition of New Jersey Firearm Owners

https://www.cnjfo.com/

Second Amendment Foundation

https://secure.anedot.com/saf/donate?sc=RidingShotgun 

Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

https://www.ccrkba.org/

Please support the Riding Shotgun With Charlie sponsors and supporters. 

Buy RSWC & GunGram shirts & hoodies, stickers & patches, and mugs at the store!

http://ridingshotgunwithcharlie.com/rswc-shop/

Dennis McCurdy

Author, Speaker, Firewalker

http://www.find-away.com/

Self Defense Radio Network

http://sdrn.us/

Buy a Powertac Flashlight, use RSWC as the discount code and save 15%

www.powertac.com/RSWC

SABRE Red Pepper Spray

 https://lddy.no/1iq1n

Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun With Charlie

#210

Don Mann

SEAL Team 1, 2, & 6, Author

It’s great when someone calls you and says “Hey, Don Mann is looking to do some media. Can I give him your contact info?”. The answer is “of course”. Thanks to Rich Yumul from Gun Owners Radio for reaching out. I called Don and talked with him. I had some time off from work and it was easy to plan. 

I’d heard of Don’s name. A couple people I knew have been on his TV show, Surviving Mann.  It’s a reality competition show that involves lots of shooting and lots of physical exercise. I listened to the show with my friends on the drive down to the Blue Ridge Mountain area of Virginia. It was very enjoyable to listen to, more enjoyable if I was able to watch. 

I headed up the mountain to Don’s house.The house faced the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s a spectacular view! Besides being a SEAL, an author of 23 books, and hosting some TV shows where he sets the mission, Don is a motivational speaker. This really is a mix of all the things I like. It’s like Jeff Cooper meets Zig Ziglar. 

Don was raised in New England. He joined the military at a young age.. As a young man, he enjoyed working out.  He knew he wanted to become a SEAL but he also knew it took lots of work to get there. He spent several years training and preparing to get into BUD/S. It also took him a few tries before he was able to succeed. 

Not completing BUD/S training gave him the chance to develop a method of success. Working this way gave him a way to think and achieve his goals. He talks about the macro goals and  micro goals you need to achieve success. This worked for his training, but it’s worked in several other ways, too.

The overall goal of everyday for Don is to do four things everyday. If he can do those, he can be better and get better at everything he does. And he emphasizes that anyone can, and should, do these four things. These things will make you better and make you a better person.

One of the things he enjoys is physical training. He really enjoyed pushing himself to and beyond his limit. When he wasn’t training the SEALs he was off doing high adventure. Things like Ironman competitions, climbing Mt Everest, and just all around pushing his limits. He likes to find out what the limit is and just get to that line then back off. 

When he retired, he was approached to write a book about firearms. Obviously, he is very well versed in all things gun related. After writing the book, the editor had to cut it down because it was too much. The result is called The Modern Day Gunfighter and it’s just over 400 pages. 

With all his SEALs experience, he was asked to write a book about being a SEAL, but he can’t really talk about what they did. So he developed a fictional book about life as a SEAL and some potential missions in the future. That went well and became a series of books, each book having new characters and a new nemesis. 

He was offered a reality show. Don was to train them all then face all of them in an elimination contest. With contestants in the 20’s and 30’s, he had to convince the producers it would be better if they did the training, eliminated contestants, then had a final mission to rescue someone. This is a show called Surviving Mann. Currently, Season 3 is out there for people to watch. He did say that maybe I could come for an All Stars season, but only to record interviews. Whew! I’d never survive. 

This really was a motivational episode. Don has careers writing books, filming TV shows, and as a motivational speaker, too. I get the RSWC is about people in the firearm community, but having someone that is inspiring as Don Mann, it’s truly an honor to have some time with him and get his uplifting stories out for everyone to hear. 

Favorite quotes:

“The SEALs were everything and more than ever I could wished for a lifestyle and a career.” 

“I’d think ‘Today was hard, but it wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be’.”

“It just proved to him that he can do a lot more than he thought he could.”

“You have to have the mindset and the ability to think real big.”

“The only way to do it so people don’t get hurt is to make training really easy. But then you go to war and you’re going to get slaughtered.”

Don Mann Website

https://www.usfrogmann.com/

Don Mann Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/usfrogmann

Don Mann Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/us_frogmann/

Don Mann Speaker website

https://speakerdonmann.com/

Surviving Mann

https://survivingmann.com/

The Mission

https://www.usfrogmann.com/the-mission

Second Amendment Foundation

https://secure.anedot.com/saf/donate?sc=RidingShotgun 

Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

https://www.ccrkba.org/

Please support the Riding Shotgun With Charlie sponsors and supporters. 

Buy RSWC & GunGram shirts & hoodies, stickers & patches, and mugs at the store!

http://ridingshotgunwithcharlie.com/rswc-shop/

Dennis McCurdy

Author, Speaker, Firewalker

http://www.find-away.com/

Self Defense Radio Network

http://sdrn.us/

Buy a Powertac Flashlight, use RSWC as the discount code and save 15%

www.powertac.com/RSWC

SABRE Red Pepper Spray

 https://lddy.no/1iq1n

Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565