Firearms Nation Podcast

What is it like to be a world champion?  How much focus and dedication goes into performing at that level.  Could you do it?  Could you do it knowing this might be the last time you were able to go to a world championship? Most competitive shooters in action pistol or USPSA (if you live in the US) know my guest as one of the best production class (that’s the somewhat stock guns) shooters.  Ben Stoeger has won 6 national championships (five of them back to back) but never took first on the world stage..until this year.  Ben achieved that goal but the win meant more to him.  Earlier this year he was diagnosed with cancer and had an operation to remove it.  Knowing that if it spread or reappeared he would never have the opportunity to get the world champion title.  Going into the World Shoot in France this year, Ben secretly kept that feeling to himself but he was under an extreme amount of pressure.  In this episode three takeaways from Ben are 1) what is it like to compete under enormous pressure?  2)  Why get

How do you go from being a computer playing kid to number 2 at a National Championship?  My guest today is Hwansik Kim, a 29 student raised in S. Korea.  Hwansik or “Chic” as his friends call him picked up a real firearm only four years ago and started competing a year later.  Today, he is sitting back after a great year taking 2nd at Optics Nationals and 5th at Iron Sight Nationals.  What kind of drive and determination does it take to rise to that level? Chic also shoots for Walther Arms as a sponsored shooter in addition to being a full time student.  One thing I learned about Chic was how devoted to God and his faith he is after surviving a horrific car crash which changed his life.  Chic spends hours a day not only practicing but studying videos of athletes from a variety of sports just to pick up their techniques for success. In this episode you’ll learn how you can dry practice WITHOUT a gun.  Why gripping the pistol as hard as you can will lead to predictable shots.  And finally, how to occupy your mi

The name Blackwater brings out the mystic of the money for hired mercenary, traveling to a far land to get involved in things best left to tough men.  The thrill a minute job speeding through the streets of a non-permissive environment trying to protect your client while being shot at.  Who signs up for this kind of work?  What are the job requirements? My guest today worked for the notorious Blackwater private security company.  Shannon Campbell was an avid martial artist who got into competitive shooting back in the early 90s.  Next thing he new, he was sitting in a van being taught how to protect high value ambassadors with teammates fresh out of the “Teams” or “Recon”.  Shannon thrived in this environment and spent years as a private security detail or PSD.  He left that side of the house and began working for a training company that specializes in teaching mostly State Department officials how to survive in areas of the world where the US is not the most liked. On today's show, Shannon explains what it’s

My guest this week is Shannon Smith.  Shannon just got back from the 2017 World Shoot in France.  The IPSC World Shoot takes place every three years and it’s comparable to the Olympics of the action shooting world.  Shannon is a grand master shooter in USPSA (United States Practical Shooting Association) shooting both open division (that’s the race guns with red dots on them) and limited division. Shannon is a National Champion in USPSA, a US Steel National Champion and Pro Am Champion. In addition he is a 8 time Florida State Champion, and finished 3rd in the world in 2008 and 12th this year. He is a professional shooter and works as the match director at the Universal Shooting Academy in Frostproof, FL. Before he ventured into competitive shooting, Shannon was in the Army in Special Operations as a Ranger.  There he was involved in small unit tactics, firearms training and attended several major schools. In this podcast we learn what it means to manage a match when shooting a competition.  What you should s

My guest this week is Aaron Cowan.  Aaron served in the Army and National Guard as an infantryman.  There he served as a rifleman and designated marksman in addition to learning small unit tactics and close quarter combat techniques.  After his service, Aaron became a private security contractor where he protected convoys, worked on personal protection details and also provided security during natural disasters. Aaron also advanced into the realm of law enforcement and swat officer on the federal level.  He quickly became a trainer for his department and is a member of the National Tactical Officers Association as well as a member of the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors. Despite his tactical background, Aaron is also versed in the sciences and a voracious reader.  He credits his upbringing that taught him how to always be reading and writing which translates into Aaron being outspoken with his ideas.  Aaron is the lead instructor for Sage Dynamics, a training company he founde

My guest this week is Caleb Giddings.  Most people first met Caleb when he was a contestant on the first season of the History Channel’s Top Shot series.  Before he was on the show, Caleb served in the Coast Guard and was a competitor in a variety of competitive shooting sports.  He is a Five Division Master in IDPA and also competes in USPSA and NRA Action Pistol. After Top Shot, Caleb was part of Gun Nuts Media and worked in all forms of media for them. He was a host on the Powerfactor Show podcast and  More recently Caleb went back to the military and signed up as a reservist with the Air Force as a combat arms instructor, which is a perfect fit considering his background.  Caleb has some serious opinions on guns and gun ownership which he shares on his blog and YouTube channel.  He challenges the often phony or ridiculous claims perpetrated by internet commandos.  These challenges routinely lead to heated debates but Caleb stands by his opinions. On this podcast we get into: what it was like to be on a to

My guest this week is former Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan.  Shawn served in both Iraq and Afghanistan on SEAL Teams 2 and 8.  Once he finished his deployments he left the Navy and took a contractor position working for the CIA overseas.  Shawn has 14 years of combat experience and fighting terrorism.  While deployed he also help protect our athletes during the Olympics in Greece and developed a skill set to branch out on his own when he returned to the United States.  Shawn started his own training company Vigilance Elite where he not only teaches rifle and handgun shooting classes but also some tactics for survival to law enforcement and civilians. Shawn also is an Outreach Consultant for Veterans Advocacy Services, a organization that helps and supports Special Operations vets. Links mentioned in the podcast: Vigilance Elite www.vigilanceelite.com Veterans Advocacy Services http://veteransadvocacyservices.org/ Also, Click here for the 2016 Shooter’s Summit to get 23 of these kind of interviews with the top firearms

My guest this week is special forces veteran and firearms instructor Aaron Barruga.  After serving in Iraq and Afghanistan Aaron branched out to form his own training company, Guerrilla Approach.  He wants students to push themselves out of their comfort zone because that’s where the real learning begins. Aaron also has made a name for himself publicly questioning current training techniques and norms that have been propagated specifically on the internet.  These challenges of course have rustled a bunch of feathers but the truths he professes are only beneficial to all shooters. In this podcast Aaron explains the steps you need to take to respond if you are caught up in a terrorist attack, how to redefine what you see as training on instagram and use a critical eye and finally why competition will help you develop the tactical techniques you need as a shooter. Links mentioned in the podcast: Guerrilla Approach https://guerrillaapproach.com/ Aaron’s Blog https://guerrillaapproach.com/blog/ Aaron’s DVD on Vehi

Mike Hughes is a force to reckon with.  He played college football before he went on to become a patent attorney.  Along the way he got into pistol competitions and soon developed a dry fire tool called the Shot Indicating Resetting Trigger Training Pistol or SIRT pistol for short.  This tool is basically allowing people to dry practice with a trigger that can be adjusted and has two different color lasers coming out of it.  One red as the finger gets on the trigger and the other green as the shot breaks.  It is a great diagnostic tool for instructors as well.  The SIRT pistol comes both in a Glock and Smith and Wesson M&P styles and when I caught up with Mike at this years SHOT Show, he was proud to announce a Pocket Pistol form factor.  This allows the EDC crowd to get their reps in as well. Links mentioned in the podcast: https://nextleveltraining.com/ http://www.history.com/shows/top-shot/season-3 Also, Click here for the 2016 Shooter’s Summit to get 23 of these kind of interviews with the top firearm

Tim Kennedy is the closest thing we have to a real Captain America.  For those of you in a cave and don’t know who he is, Tim is an active duty Green Beret sniper.  Before he was a sniper, he was a door kicker in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.  After 9/11 he was so committed that he signed up for a program that has a pipeline directly into the Green Berets..as long as you passed some of the hardest selections the military has.   In addition to being an all around warrior, he has time to compete in this little organization called the UFC or Ultimate Fighting Championship.  As a middleweight fighter he is currently ranked 13th.  Most people retire from the military and then take on something like another job or become a pro fighter but did managed to stay on active duty and fight in UFC.  Is that all…   Hardly, recently he has found the time to hunt one of the most evil person to walk the Earth..Adolf Hitler.  Wait, you thought he was dead?  So did I until I did the research and learned that

Jon Dufresne is a former Army Ranger and now a firearms instructor.  He teaches for both Sage Dynamics and Frank Proctor (who was an instructor on the 2016 Shooter’s Summit.)  Jon’s focus as an instructor is not only on fundamentals but low light techniques and emergency tactical care. In todays podcast you’ll learn why more lumens (that’s the rating on flashlights) is better when you need to fight at night, the danger of setting up your gear wrong, and answering the question of do you really need iron sights. I had a great conversation with Jon and I hope you will get out of it as much as I did.. Links mentioned in the episode: http://www.sagedynamics.org/ http://www.wayofthegun.us/ Contact Jon: jon@sagedynamics.org Also, Click here for the 2016 Shooter’s Summit to get 23 of these kind of interviews with the top firearms instructors! shooterssummit.com And don’t forget you can connect with Firearms Nation or just stop by and say hi on these social media links: Facebook  www.facebook.com/firearmsnation Twitte

Ben Simonson is the owner and craftsman behind the company Boresight Solutions.  If you have a plastic framed gun, you probably already know about Boresight Solutions.  They were one of the first companies stippling (creating texture on frames) guns which forced the gun makers to develop better grips.  Boresight goes further in the custom work that you can do on the frames.  The work is very detailed and functional. Boresight Solutions is on Facebook and Instagram or you can check out the website at: www.boresightsolutions.com Also, Click here for the 2016 Shooter’s Summit to get 23 of these kind of interviews with the top firearms instructors! shooterssummit.com   And don’t forget you can connect with Firearms Nation or just stop by and say hi on these social media links: Facebook  www.facebook.com/firearmsnation Twitter  twitter.com/Firearms_Nation YouTube http://www.youtube.com/c/firearmsnation Instagram http://www.instagram.com/firearms_nation Or on the web at: www.firearmsnation.com JOIN THE NATION!

Ben Stoeger is a five time national champion in USPSA (action pistol).  He also is a world class competitor and firearms instructor.  Ben has written several books on shooting, dry fire practice and live skill training.  In addition he had time to produce two DVDs on shooting (“Training to Win” and “Practical Pistol Foundations”).  Finally, Ben has his own podcast “the Practical Pistol Show” where he co-hosts with Matt Hopkins and sometimes Tim Herron (both who were on this podcast..). This is a replay of the interview I did with him on the 2016 Shooter’s Summit.  This is slightly edited for time and content. Links mentioned in the episode: http://benstoeger.com/ Click here for the 2016 Shooter’s Summit to get 23 of these kind of interviews with the top firearms instructors! shooterssummit.com And don’t forget you can connect with Firearms Nation or just stop by and say hi on these social media links: Facebook  www.facebook.com/firearmsnation Twitter  twitter.com/Firearms_Nation YouTube http://www.youtube.com

Normalcy Bias is a mental state for people in a crisis.  It makes people underestimate the crisis and the effects of the crisis by thinking things will always be normal.  This keeps people from preparing… Wayne Black has provided security protection details for several high powered clients including the former Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld and Pamela Geller who was the target of the first ISIS attack in the US.  Wayne also worked Narcotics in Miami in the 80s during the Cocaine Cowboys era living Miami Vice.  His current company Wayne Black and Associates handle security, investigations and assessments for not only individuals but churches, synagogues and several US Sea Ports. Links mentioned in the episode: http://www.wayneblack.com/ Visit.. Click here for the 2016 Shooter’s Summit shooterssummit.com And don’t forget you can connect with Firearms Nation or just stop by and say hi on these social media links: Facebook  www.facebook.com/firearmsnation Twitter  twitter.com/Firearms_Nation YouTube http:/

Riley Bowman is the host of the Concealed Carry Podcast, a top 200 ranked podcast which talks and analyzes self defense shootings and discusses best practices when it comes to carrying a gun. Riley is also a NRA and Post Certified firearms instructor in Colorado and works full time at concealedcarry.com, a site that has news articles, resources and gear all in a one stop shop for people interested in learning how to safely and lawfully carry a gun. Riley is an advocate for the safe possession of firearms and helps promote gun rights through the podcast and website.  If you ever thought about owning and carrying a gun, take a listen to Riely here: https://www.concealedcarry.com/news/the-concealed-carry-podcast/ Visit.. Click here for the 2016 Shooter’s Summit shooterssummit.com And don’t forget you can connect with Firearms Nation or just stop by and say hi on these social media links: Facebook  www.facebook.com/firearmsnation Twitter  twitter.com/Firearms_Nation YouTube http://www.youtube.com/c/firearmsnation

Lucas Apps is the host of the Triangle Tactical Podcast, which is a weekly show that covers all things USPSA or IDPA.  Lucas has done gun and gear reviews as well.  Recently he has expanded the podcast into three shows:  the main podcast, Junk Science and a live Q&A.  If that’s not enough, he has a Patreon news show for folks who support him. Lucas is a supporter of gun rights and talks about those issues as well on the show. Check out the podcast and other shows here: https://triangletactical.net/ Visit.. Click here for the 2016 Shooter’s Summit shooterssummit.com   And don’t forget you can connect with Firearms Nation or just stop by and say hi on these social media links: Facebook  www.facebook.com/firearmsnation Twitter  twitter.com/Firearms_Nation YouTube http://www.youtube.com/c/firearmsnation Instagram http://www.instagram.com/firearms_nation Or on the web at: www.firearmsnation.com JOIN THE NATION!

Yong Lee has been a law enforcement officer for over 28 years and a firearms instructor for 25 of those years.  He also is on the departments SWAT team for the past 11 years.  In addition he is the departments Firearms Training Coordinator, Chief Firearms Instructor, and Use of Force instructor.  He is a Certified Analyst and instructor for the Force Science Institute who’s mission is to analyze countless shootings in law enforcement and are often called to testify in trials involving firearms and shootings. Yong competes in USPSA for the past 25 years and has achieved GrandMaster classification in four divisions (Limited, Limited 10, Open and Production).  He shot for Team SIG and now shoots for Team Gray Guns. Check out his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/yleegm or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/yong.lee.75?fref=ts Click here for the 2016 Shooter’s Summit shooterssummit.com And don’t forget you can connect with Firearms Nation or just stop by and say hi on these social media links: Faceb

My guest today is a writer, instructor and competitive shooter.  Joe Dawson writes about guns and gear for Recoil magazine, Breach Bang Clear and Modern Service Weapons.  He teaches swat officers and military guys how to reach out and touch bad guys at long distances with a rifle and he also competes in PRS and Action pistol sports.  I found his articles really capture his personality and look online if you are interested.  We talk about long range shooting, how to keep our kids safe and then get into the cult of firearm instructor personalities. Links mentioned in the episode: www.recoilweb.com http://www.breachbangclear.com/ http://modernserviceweapons.com/ shooterssummit.com And don’t forget you can connect with Firearms Nation or just stop by and say hi on these social media links: Facebook  www.facebook.com/firearmsnation Twitter  twitter.com/Firearms_Nation YouTube http://www.youtube.com/c/firearmsnation Instagram http://www.instagram.com/firearms_nation Or on the web at: www.firearmsnation.com JOIN TH

My guest today is an attorney, an author, competitive shooter and tv guest host.  Andrew Branca has been a lifelong shooter and reached master class in IDPA.  Knowing that there was a lot of misinformation on being involved in a self-defense shooting, he focused his legal career to learn the subsection of criminal law the deals with use of force and defending your life.  He quickly became a subject matter expert on the laws of self-defense and has been quoted in major newspapers and on nationally syndicated broadcast shows.  He recently became a guest host on the hit tv show on the Outdoor Channel, “The Best Defense”. Andrew has written the go to book called “The Law of Self-Defense” which is in it’s 3rd edition and that is the name of his website. Finally, Andrew teaches classes around the country on this topic and was a guest instructor at the prestigious Sig Sauer Academy. This is probably the most important episode of the Firearms Nation Podcast.  If you have to draw your gun and defend your life, knowing

Tim Herron is a grandmaster level shooter in USPSA and has won the Missouri State Championship 4 times in a row.  He also has won his division (Single Stack) at 3 Area Championships.  Time has been shooting since 2010 and struggled in B Class for many years until he learned how to practice.  Before getting into shooting, he competed in SCCA which is racing stock cars.  Tim is a mechanic by trade and also has a passion for bourbon and fine cigars.  Tim was part of Team SIG from 2014-2016 and now shoots for Federal Premium and Atlas Gunworks.  Tim is also a guest host on the “Practical Pistol Show” with Ben Stoeger and Matt Hopkins. Links mentioned on the show: https://www.federalpremium.com/ http://atlasgunworks.com/   And don’t forget you can connect with Firearms Nation or just stop by and say hi on these social media links: Facebook  www.facebook.com/firearmsnation Twitter  twitter.com/Firearms_Nation YouTube http://www.youtube.com/c/firearmsnation Instagram http://www.instagram.com/firearms_nation Or on th