TFB Behind the Gun Podcast

On today's episode of TFB's Behind the Gun Podcast, we sit down with Ian and Will of Stuff & Things Inc. (STIncUSA) — familiar faces from TFBTV's GunCon coverage, now getting the full interview treatment. This one's a behind-the-scenes look at how a small outfit like STIncUSA came together and how they operate: the origin story, the day-to-day of designing and building products most companies wouldn't bother with, and how they've turned that approach into some of the more talked-about releases in the firearms space. We also get the first real details on their still-early ST-579 — a modular, serialized chassis/lower design in 5.7x28mm and .22 variants that they've been showing in prototype form at GunCon. If you've only seen their gear in action, this is the conversation that explains how it gets made and what inspired all of it.

Follow Stuff & Things Inc.:

• Website: https://stincusa.com
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@stincusa
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Stuff-and-Things-LLC-100076393565629/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stuffandthingsinc/

On today's episode of TFB's Behind the Gun Podcast, we welcome back Jonathan Wild, founder of Wild Arms Research and Development, to talk about his newest venture: Wild Arms Solutions. Johnny built his name on meticulously researched DIY launcher builds and the companion books that came with them — now he's taking that expertise into military contract work, developing drone-threat countermeasures through the new outfit. We dig into how that opportunity came about, what skills transfer from replica weapons research to active defense programs, and what he's able to tell us about where counter-drone technology is headed.

• Wild Arms on YouTube
• Wild Arms on Instagram

On today's episode of TFB's Behind the Gun Podcast, I'm happy to welcome back Harrison Benson, founder of Double Tap Coalition, a USCCA-certified firearms training organization based in Stockbridge, Georgia. Harrison and Double Tap's mission is straightforward: educate, train, and empower responsible gun owners of all backgrounds and skill levels, from first-time shooters to those looking to sharpen advanced skills.

Since his last appearance in episode 175, Harrison has been busy. Today we talk about his new range facility, how his training resume has grown, and he shares some candid thoughts on the current state of the training market, including what gear he's seeing students show up with and what that says about where the industry is headed.

• Double Tap Coalition: https://www.doubletapcoalition.com

• Double Tap Coalition on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doubletapcoalition

On today's episode of TFB's Behind the Gun Podcast, I'm happy to welcome Earle Pope, founder and owner of Chestnut Mountain Manufacturing, a new company out of Brevard, North Carolina. Earle founded Chestnut Mountain in 2024 with a goal of bringing well-vetted, quality-controlled versions of hard-to-source products to market, starting with their OKP-7 reproduction optic. The OKP-7 is a faithful recreation of the classic Russian-pattern reflex sight, built for real AK-platform rifles and pistols, available in Picatinny and dovetail mount configurations and two reticle options.

Today Earle and I talk about how Chestnut Mountain got started, what went into sourcing and vetting the OKP-7, and what the company has in the pipeline next.

• Chestnut Mountain Manufacturing: https://www.chestnutmountainmfg.com

• Chestnut Mountain on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChestnutMtnMfg

• Chestnut Mountain Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chestnutmountainmfg/

In this episode of TFB's Behind the Gun Podcast, I'm happy to welcome Jeremy Hammons and Drew Markel, the founder and co-owner of One Horse Firearms, a 100% American-made AR-15 manufacturer out of Brownstown, Indiana. Jeremy is a U.S. Army veteran with over a decade of experience in engineering, machining, and firearms industry leadership, while Drew brings a background in sales, strategy, and supply chain. Together they've built One Horse around a simple premise: no imported parts, no corner-cutting, no excuses.

We dig into the One Horse origin story, what drove them to launch a domestic rifle manufacturer in 2025, and cover the current lineup, including the OH-15 and the recently announced One Horse Express, a factory-built rifle built around the Atrius Forced Reset Selector.

• One Horse website: https://theonehorse.com

• One Horse on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theonehorsefirearms

This week, Dave and I dig into how the Safariland and Haley Strategic partnership actually works behind the scenes, and he shares some stories from a recent media event held at the Haley Strategic facility where the recently released IncogXS got its first real public outing. We also get a few hints from Dave about some exciting upcoming holster projects in the pipeline at Safariland that we think you'll want to keep an eye out for.

Learn more about the IncogXS and Safariland's full holster lineup:

• Safariland IncogXS: https://safariland.com/products/incog-xs-iwb-holster

• Haley Strategic Partners: https://haleystrategic.com

Scott Ergas of Petersen's Hunting joins the show this week to recap the NRL Hunter Leupold Relentless Rifleman match in Madras, Oregon, break down North American hunting, and discuss how precision rifle sports create better hunters while inspiring the next generation. He also takes some time to share some thought-provoking experiences from teaching his daughter to hunt and some reflections from his childhood before looking ahead at the challenges facing hunters and Second Amendment advocates nationwide.

• Scott Ergas on Petersen's Hunting

• Petersen's Hunting official site

• Follow Petersen's Hunting on Instagram

• NRL Hunter official site

Born from a drive to build upon the success and fun of the original NRL Series, the NRL Hunter is a national series focused on real hunting skills, time management, and gear familiarity that is not only fun but also actively helps you become a better hunter and marksman. Today, Travis shares the story behind NRL Hunter, important gear and information to have before your first match, explains the various participation divisions, and what's next for the rapidly growing sport in the coming years.

• Find NRL Hunter Matches Near You: https://www.nrlhunter.org/matches/hunter

• NRL Hunter official site: https://www.nrlhunter.org/

• NRL Hunter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nrlhunter/

• NRL Hunter Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nrlhuntercommunitygroup

• The NRL Hunter Podcast

• NRL Hunter YouTube Channel

Vladimir Onokoy returns to Behind the Gun to discuss his new book From Balkans to Babylon: Zastava AKs of Yugoslavia, Serbia, and Iraq — and more importantly, the personal story behind writing it. From his extensive field experience to the inspirations that drove him to document this rich Kalashnikov lineage, Vlad encourages others to act on their own instincts to share hard-won knowledge like he intends to do in his new book coming out soon.

• Vladimir Onokoy on The Firearm Blog: https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/author/vladmir-o/

• Safar Publishing (pre-order the book): https://www.safar-publishing.com/product-page/from-balkans-to-babylon-zastava-aks-of-yugoslavia-serbia-and-iraq

• Vladimir Onokoy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/machaksilver

• Vladimir Onokoy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vladonokoy/

• Contact Vladimir: [email protected]

Emmanuel Barron of American Steppe, Kyle (@molasses_marmot), and Kalen of Rotating Bolt Industries (Colorado FFL and boutique AK builder) sit down for an enthusiastic, no-holds-barred conversation on the AK platform—its global variations, real-world performance, and how the Kalash compares to everything else out there.

From classic ComBloc guns to modern custom builds and all of the AK offshooots, the trio dives into reliability stories, design insights, gunsmithing perspectives, and why this rifle continues to earn such dedicated fans.

• American Steppe Gear: https://americansteppegear.com/
• Kyle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/molasses_marmot/
• Rotating Bolt Industries: https://rotatingbolt.com/