The Weekly Reload Podcast

War continues to rage in Ukraine as Russia attempts to capture cities across the nation despite fierce resistance.

Part of that resistance has been made up of civilian volunteers who've gained new protections for their right to armed defense and been given guns by the military. Anthony Constantini, who received a master's degree in arms control and strategic studies from St. Petersburg State University, joined me on the show to discuss how this strategy of arming civilians represents a departure from traditional European views. And we talk about how it may play out.

Anthony wrote an analysis piece for The Reload on how this shift towards civilian gun rights may impact the entire region's attitudes. The situation strikes at the heart of what many gun-rights advocates have long believed: an armed populace is harder to oppress.

But the reality is the fight will be brutal and could last for a long time. Arming the public, especially when done as an invasion begins, is not a magic silver bullet that guarantees an easy win. There is no reason to envy the position Ukrainians are in right now, but they've given us many reasons to admire them.

Ukraine is unique and better positioned to employ volunteer civilian fighters than many in the west may realize, though. Anthony pointed out the country has been fighting a war with Russian-backed separatists for the past 8 years and volunteers have played a major role. Plus, the government has been actively training those volunteer groups and incorporating them into the military for a good while now.

The situation is moving quickly and there is no way to know how things will turn out. However, it appears the Russian invasion has not met its main goal of capturing the country's major cities and deposing its government. We don't know for sure how much the armed population is bolstering the country's military operations, but everything we've heard from the Ukrainian people thus far indicates they have the kind of resolve that will make it extremely difficult to keep them under Putin's heel.

Special Guest: Anthony Constantini.

Insurers for the defunct Remington Outdoor Company paid out a $73 million settlement to families of the Sandy Hook victims. It was the first time any gun company, even a bankrupt and dismantled one, has ever paid money to plaintiffs who claimed they were at least partially responsible for the criminal acts of a third party. It's an unprecedented situation that raises a ton of questions.

That's why I brought on one of the best gun writers out there: Bearing Arms editor Cam Edwards.

Cam and I go through the 6-year timeline of the case and talk about how we got to this settlement. The case was filed in 2015 with three different claims for how Remington was liable for the actions of the shooter. Two of those arguments dealt with how selling the AR-15, the most popular rifle in America, to civilians was unacceptable because the plaintiffs view them as "weapons of war." Those claims were tossed by the Connecticut Supreme Court.

However, the same court allowed the third claim that Remington's advertising violated Connecticut law and contributed to the lethality of the attack to move forward. The United States Supreme Court declined to intervene after that and Remington Outdoor Company filed for bankruptcy a few months later. That put the defunct company's insurers in charge of the case and they moved to settle almost immediately after that.

The nature of the plaintiffs' argument combined with a lack of evidence the shooter or his mother (who actually bought the gun) ever saw the advertising makes it difficult to understand the insurers' decision. I've offered up some explanation for it, but Cam had some additional insights I'd never thought of before.

He noted that the recent payouts to the Parkland and Sutherland Springs shooting victims may have played into the insurers' calculous. Those cases saw totals over the $100 million mark. Plus, a jury could be sympathetic to the victims and try to hold Remington accountable for what happened since it's difficult to find anyone else to hold responsible.

At the same time, Cam said the merits of the case seemed weak and people aren't inclined to blame a company when somebody uses their product to commit a crime. 

We also predicted how the settlement might impact the industry as a whole. Cam said insurance rates may go up and the success of the plaintiffs could inspire similar suits. However, he noted these kinds of suits have been going for decades already and the settlement did not set any kind of binding legal precedent.

Plus, Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss Beto O'Rourke's latest zig-zag on gun confiscation.

Special Guest: Cam Edwards.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R.) joined the podcast this week to discuss his approach to gun policy and why he thinks gun owners should vote for him.

We started off by discussing his background with guns. He talked about how he got into hunting and how members of his family have become concealed carriers themselves.

Kemp also explained getting permitless gun-carry passed this year is his top priority. He said he was confident the policy would pass this year because lawmakers will be more motivated after the rioting of 2020. He said voters would prefer his record to promises made by his primary opponent former Senator David Perdue (R.).

“I think that’s what people want,” Kemp said. “They want a governor that’s got a record of not only saying what they’re going to do but actually doing it when they’re in office, which is what I’ve done. Versus somebody like my opponent who promises everything, goes and does something differently or is a johnny-come-lately to the policy side of this.”

He accused Perdue of supporting permitless carry out of political convenience.

“Anybody who gets into the governor’s race is now supportive of Constitutional carry,” Kempt said. “I would remind you that I was for it back when I campaigned back in 2017 and 18. I’ve got a strong Second Amendment record.”

Kemp also went after Abrams during our interview. He attacked her as somebody who wants to confiscate firearms.

“Well, I think if you really translate what she’s saying is she doesn’t want law-abiding people to have firearms and to be able to carry,” Kemp said.

He also said her objections to permitless carry were unfounded and said it was vital for gun owners that she not win the race.

“Obviously, those individuals shouldn’t be allowed to carry,” Kemp said. “The legislation would prevent that. But when you have people that break the law, they don’t really care about this. This is about letting lawful people be able to carry their weapon and protect themselves.”

He said he was the only candidate on the Republican side who could defeat her.

Oddly, both Perdue and likely Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams (D.) told The Reload they question Kemp's commitment to permitless carry since he was unable to pass it during his time in office. Each campaign fired back at Perdue's comments on the show. You can read more about the Perdue and Abrams exchanges in our reporting from Friday.

Kemp also talked at length about how he is bringing gun companies to Georgia, whether the state is turning purple, and how he believes Georgia Democrats have moved too far to the left on guns.

Plus, Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman joins me to talk about the Air Force being forced to compensate victims of the Sutherland Spring shooting and Beto O'Rourke backtracking on his pledge to take away people's AR-15s.

Special Guest: Brian Kemp.

On this week's episode, we drill down into the details of the internal financial document The Reload obtained from an NRA source.

Ohio State University Accounting Professor Brian Mittendorf joins the show to give insight into what the document says and what the massive drops in revenue and membership reveal about the future of the country's most influential gun group. He says the NRA has actually improved its financial position, but only by drastically cutting back on its core services. That puts it in danger of entering a kind of "death spiral" with fewer members leading to fewer revenue and services, leading to fewer members, he said.

Allegations of corruption against NRA leadership, including CEO Wayne LaPierre, and the effects of the pandemic have combined for a serious blow to the organization. With membership shrinking, revenues have dwindled. That's forced the gun-rights behemoth to make difficult choices about cutting its training, community outreach, competitive shooting, and many more programs.

Professor Mittendorf has followed the NRA's finances for years and said the internal document obtained by The Reload is one of the most in-depth accountings ever made public. He talked about the complex makeup of the group, its bankruptcy, its legal spending, and its fascinating debt payments. Plus, he talks at length about how new planned gifts have cratered despite being a major source of long-term revenue.

Plus, Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman provides a deeper look at the NRA's membership situation. Dues have fallen by half since 2018. Membership has continually declined since then. The NRA's internal accounting contradicts its public claim it reached 6 million members in that year. Instead, it was below 5.5 million at its peak and is now closer to 4.75 million.

I also explain why the NRA's financial situation continues to matter so much. Not just for NRA members and staff, but for everyone who cares about guns. The group continues to loom large over the gun-rights fight in America by dwarfing most other groups combined.

Special Guest: Brian Mittendorf.

Cody Wilson joins the show this week. He is the founder of Defense Distributed and one of the main innovators in homemade guns. His Liberator 3D-printed gun brought him to prominence years ago and he's continued to push the boundaries of what's possible in simplified gun-making with increasingly-common technology.

In fact, he and his company have even focused on making some of that technology more common. Defense Distributed is now selling the third iteration of its "ghost gunner" mill. The miniaturized CNC machine can finish AR-15 receivers from blocks that are about 80 percent finished.

And, now, it can do even more. It can actually take a raw brick of metal and turn it into a part necessary to make a receiver. They call it a zero percent lower.

I saw the mill in action at SHOT Show 2022 and Cody describes the inspiration behind the latest project. The ATF has proposed a federal rule change that would expand its authority to determine what constitutes a firearm receiver and, therefore, who would have to obtain a license to make and sell them alongside serializing the guns and keeping records on who buys them. The new rule would allow the agency to determine a wide scoop of unfinished gun parts are "readily convertible" to finished receivers, but the agency said it does not plan to try and regulate raw metal blocks.

That's the point where Wilson said he saw an opportunity to get ahead of the regulation even before its finalized. And the zero percent project was born from that idea. Now, the company has successfully created and rolled out a design to consumers.

Still, Wilson faces significant legal battles across the country over state and federal attempts to block either the manufacture of personal firearms or even block sharing plans for how to make them. He provides an update on the state of the multiple lawsuits Defense Distributed is still embroiled in.

He also addresses why he decided to retake such a public-facing role at the company after he pled guilty to a crime resulting from him paying for sex with a 17-year-old girl, especially given the concerns unserialized guns are often used by criminals. Wilson said being the public face of the company is dangerous and he wasn't willing to have others take his place in that role.

Plus, Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss San Jose's first-of-its-kind attempt to force gun owners to pay an annual tax and acquire liability insurance.

Special Guest: Cody Wilson.

SHOT Show is back after being canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

I was able to attend the show and so was this week's guest Gabby Hoffman. Gabby has been one of the top outdoor writers in the country for quite some time. She also hosts the District of Conservation Podcast where I've been a guest several times.

Gabby and I compare how attendance at this year's show stacks up to years past, some of the covid mitigation efforts, and how a number of large companies dropping out affected everything. It was certainly a different experience than in years past, but it seemed fairly successful overall. The crowds weren't back to the level they used to be, but they weren't small either.

The understandable absence of some larger gun companies may have provided more of an opportunity for smaller companies to entice buyers. This is especially likely since there weren't many noticeable trends in the industry beyond the introduction of the new .30 super carry caliber. So, buyers looking to find stock two years into the pandemic may be willing to entertain offers from anybody with product. Companies like Sig, Springfield, and Berretta who decided not to attend, probably don't need the show to make sales while their smaller competitors may be more reliant on the exposure the show offers to grow their sales.

But, industry dynamics weren't the only thing on display at SHOT. Politics also made their way in. Gabby describes what she saw at the Governor's Forum where a collection of six Republican governors gathered to describe their approach to bringing in new gun companies. She said they each made their case to the industry that their state would do the most to incentivize and protect gun makers who relocated to their respective states, a big recent trend fueled by increasing hostility to the industry in the northeastern states many were founded in.

Plus, contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I talk about the return of "smart gun" prototypes with one even ending up at the show. And, he explains new details that emerged this week showing Dominion Energy was more connected to the shadowy PAC that tried to suppress gun voters in last year's Virginia election.

Special Guest: Gabby Hoffman.

On this episode, Director of Research at the American Economic Liberties Project Matt Stoller joins the show to talk about the ongoing ammo shortage and the resulting price hikes we've all been experiencing lately.

Stoller recently wrote a widely-circulated piece on his Substack arguing the market dominance of Vista Outdoors and Olin Corporation contribute to the supply problems and price hikes. Those companies own many of the most popular ammo brands including Federal, American Eagle, CCI, Winchester, and Remington. Stoller says the companies use consolidation, such as Vista's recent purchase of Remington's ammo business, to better control market supply and pricing.

We discuss how much of an impact tactics like that can have in the ammo market in particular--especially since Vista and Olin have major competitors such as Sig Saur and Hornady. This is especially true given that ammo is distributed through many small stores rather than large chain retailers which means it is more difficult for major ammo makers to try and manipulate distribution channels.

And, of course, the price of nearly everything has increased over the past few years. Clearly that is also driving up the material costs for ammo makers too. The pandemic has led to increased demand, strained supply chains, and surging prices in many industries across the board.

But, Stoller argues consolidation is just one piece of the puzzle and the ammo business is just one example of how it blunts market forces. He describes how the ammo market's high barrier of entry compounds the effects of consolidation and adds to supply constraints. Ultimately, he argues a few small companies dominating the market keep rising prices from quickly resulting in a rising number of suppliers.

In the end, that means record profits for Vista and Olin at the expense of the consumer.

I reached out to Vista and Olin for their side of the story but never received a response. I'd be happy to have somebody from either company on the show in the future, though.

Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman and I also cover the state agendas released by Everytown for Gun Safety. The leading gun-control group's top priorities in each state give a guide for the battles over gun policy coming in the new year and what they leave out may be just as interesting as what they included.

Plus, Reload Member Dr. Jackson Crawford shares his background and what first got him interested in firearms. As an authority on a specific, and sometimes controversial, topic himself, he talks about what The Reload does that made him want to join.

Special Guests: Jackson Crawford and Matt Stoller.

One of the persistent debates in American gun politics is over AR-15s and other "assault weapons." Policy around ARs has stagnated since the federal assault weapons ban expired in 2004. However, gun-control advocates have begun to expand proposals into outright confiscation, with Beto O'Rourke being among the most prominent.

Now, our neighbors to the north are testing out these expanded proposals in practice. It isn't going well so far. Program costs have already run over budget for the buyback portion of the mandatory buyback and details for it haven't even been announced yet despite a looming April deadline to turn in the affected guns.

As a result, very few Canadian gun owners have actually turned in their ARs a year and a half after the ban was announced.

To get a better idea of what's at play with the confiscation effort and how it's likely to play out going forward, I had Ian Runkle on the podcast to give us his perspective as both somebody affected by the ban and an expert on Canadian gun law. Ian is a Candian gun-rights lawyer who has litigated many cases involving the country's complex gun laws. He also owns AR-15s.

We talk at length about how the government has effectively incentivized people not to turn in their guns to this point and how he expects they may go about enforcing the confiscation order once it does go into effect. We also discuss the differences between gun culture in the United States and former commonwealth countries such as New Zealand and Australia. Ian weighs in on whether Canadians are more likely to resist the confiscation effort than their commonwealth cousins due to their proximity to their more rebellious American neighbors.

Ian explains how the national registry of AR-15s and other targeted guns in Canada will make resistance difficult for many. But, he says he expects the guns on the ban list which aren't registered will see a far lower compliance rate. He said that's especially true for a number of guns that people may not even realize are banned under the order given its vague wording.

We also discuss the impact the policy is likely to have on Native Canadians and how it mirrors the disparate impact of gun law enforcement in the United States.

Plus, Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman details how permitless carry just got a big boost in Georgia thanks to the impending gubernatorial election. And we look at how many millions of guns were sold in the United States during 2021.

Special Guest: Ian Runkle.

One of my favorite YouTubers joins me on this week's episode of the podcast. Ian McCollum has built Forgotten Weapons into the premier firearms history publication.

His videos documenting some of the world's rarest and most interesting firearms have been viewed nearly a billion times. His depth of knowledge on guns dating to the early 19th century is unrivaled and his ability to explain the unique, and often complex, mechanisms unique to hundreds of different guns from across the globe is impressive. And the way he is able to connect the development of the gun with the historical context to create a compelling story sits at the core of what makes his channel so successful.

We talk about what motivated Ian to get into making gun videos and how he chooses which guns to make videos about. What is it that makes a gun a Forgotten Weapon? What is it about a gun's history that makes it interesting enough to grab hold of millions of eyeballs?

We also get into what it's like to run a successful gun channel while YouTube is continually cracking down on gun content. How does Forgotten Weapons deal with not being able to rely on YouTube for ad revenue?

Plus, Ian discusses whether there were guns throughout history that should've been more popular than they were. He also talks about where gun design is headed and whether something like the Laugo Alien is going to lead to new innovation through the rest of the industry. 

Special Guest: Ian McCollum.

On this special Christmas edition of the podcast, Guns Out TV co-host Shermichael Singleton joins me to talk about how his show exemplifies how the gun world is changing.

He and his co-host John Keyes are black gun owners and Shermichael explains how they consciously work to represent the proud tradition of black gun ownership in America. He talks about how icons from previous generations, including the Deacons of Defense, have inspired the show and what the pair are trying to accomplish with it. We also discuss how gun owners have been becoming younger and more diverse over the past several years. We talk about how that impacts the industry and what kinds of offerings and experiences are being offered out there these days.

Going through those experiences and reviewing the new guns being put out there is a big part of Guns Out. The show captures how fun the shooting sports can be. That's the main thrust of what Shermichael and John do in the show.

But, they don't disregard the political side of guns either. They are enthusiastic backers of Gun Owners of America and they've made videos that explore how proposed legislation could affect the guns they enjoy most. Plus, Shermichael has an accomplished background in Republican politics having served on campaigns for Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, and Ben Carson.

He also regularly appears on MSNBC. We get into what it's like to go on a channel that features a lot of people who strongly disagree with him on guns. And he explains why he believes it's important to be in spaces like that.

Plus, we talk about my appearance on one of the first episodes they ever filmed and the new season they're premiering on the Warrior Poet Society Network early next year.

Special Guest: Shermichael Singleton.