Riding Shotgun With Charlie

RSWC PitStop Tonya Taylor NRA FAL I didn't know what an FAL is. It's a Frontline Activist Leader.  I had a spot in my schedule and I put it out there. Tonya answered the call and came down and did a show at the NRA Annual Meetings in Houston, 2026. NRA FAL https://www.nraila.org/grassroots/volunteer/ NRA FAL Find Your FAL https://www.nraila.org/grassroots/find-your-frontlines-activist-leader/ NRA Website https://home.nra.org/  

RSWC PitStop Tes Salb HIVIZ Shooting Systems I got to catch up with Tes at NRA Annual Meeting in Houston 2026. Thanks to NRA for hosting Voices of the Second Amendment. Thanks to Beretta Holdings for sponsoring Voices. HIVIZ on FB https://www.facebook.com/HIVIZSights HIVIZ website https://www.hivizsights.com/ Tes Salb Shooting https://www.facebook.com/TesSalbShooting  

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #257 John & JJ Occhipinti North Jersey Friends of the NRA   It takes all kinds of people with all kinds of skills to make things happen. Running the second largest Friends of the NRA dinner in the country isn't easy, but John & JJ Occhipinti make it look like it is.    This year the North Jersey Friends of the NRA dinner is on October 7, 2026 at The Grove in Cedar Grove, N.J. There's a link below for tickets. I'm sure it's going to sell out.    John has run a successful landscaping business and is currently retired. His son, JJ, is in the financial services business. In 2023, they joined with the North Jersey Friends of the NRA planning committee. After the man who was running the event had to leave, it was up to them. The first year, they had 520, the second was 535. The goal for this year is 600! This father and son dynamic duo ran the second largest FNRA dinner at only their second time of running this event. This year, on the 250th anniversary of the United States, they want to raise $250,000 for the foundation.    The FNRA has had confusing issues. John Petrolino has covered it very well at Bearing Arms. But rest assured even with the Foundation changing its name, the money raised by the Occhipintis is going to the National Rifle Association and half of it is going to programs in the Garden State, which will focus on youth shooting.    I recently got to catch up with John & JJ at the Gun For Hire range in Woodland Park N.J. Both of these men are regulars there, setting up tables to get people to learn about the dinner. They shoot and train there regularly, too. Of course, Anthony Colando, the owner has been in the stagecoach with episodes #003 & #025.    John learned to shoot with his father with a shotgun his grandfather brought over from Italy to Ellis Island. JJ has the gun now. It's over 110 years old. Guns really are family heirlooms. Try that now! He went pheasant and rabbit hunting with his dad. John took JJ shooting and hunting by the time he was 10 years old. Of course, they didn't find a single pheasant.    As time went on, John got into pistols and reloading. JJ got into it in his late teens. What I absolutely love is that they have lives and careers outside of firearms. But their love of the Second Amendment and shooting keeps them involved in the community. Not everyone has to be an instructor, competitor, or have a YouTube channel. They're using the talents they have to help promote and raise money for the cause.    The first year, there were lots of 2A dignitaries from New Jersey. The second year, they had NRA EVP Doug Hamlin. This year the big person is going to be NRA President Bill Bachenberg. With the help from Colandro and the Gun For Hire radio show, they've done well to "bust cookies" of other gun stores, ranges, and local businesses to get them to donate. This is what it is all about, donating so that people can support the NRA and help the state and where they'd like the funds to go.    Both John & JJ will say that they didn't know what they were doing when they started. But they're smart and successful businessmen. They know how to market. They know how to talk shop to businesses. And they love shooting. Their friends and family will say that after the dinner, they go into hibernation for a couple months to recuperate. But when January rolls around, they're back at it. Looking for sponsors and donations. Of course, they get support from family for this while they're packing gift bags.    This is going to be a huge event! There will be items for women, kids, and possibly, a hunting dog valued at $10,000! There will be something for everyone. For sure, you won't leave hungry.  If you're in or near north New Jersey, New York City area, eastern Pennsylvania, even lower Connecticut, maybe Massachusetts, you need to attend and help them hit their goal. Yes, I'll be there, too!   Favorite quotes: "We want to show the country that New Jersey is to be reckoned with." "I said 'we've got that covered already'." "We didn't know how to run a fundraiser. We just shot from the hip." "Our goal, while lofty, is achievable. I want to bring in $250,000." Friends of the NRA https://www.friendsofnra.org/   North Jersey Friends of the NRA event https://www.friendsofnra.org/events/event-details?eventId=61658   NRA website https://home.nra.org/   Gun For Hire https://gunforhire.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 supporters.    US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com   Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc   Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

RSWC PitStop Jeff Yeager & Matt Kennerson Appleseed Project Jeff & Matt talk all things Appleseed Project at NRA Annual Meetings in Houston 2026. Thanks to NRA for hosting Voices of the Second Amendment.  Thanks to Beretta Holdings for sponsoring the Voices. Let's get the #StagecoachAcrossAmerica

RSWC PitStop Steve Bozich Bare Arms Steve updates us on what's going on with Bare Arms and his printing company. Thanks to the NRA for hosting Voices of the Second Amendment.  Thanks to Beretta Holdings for sponsoring Voices.

RSWC PitStop Dan Schmutter, Esq. Law Firm of Hartman & Winnicki Dan talks to us about a Knife Rights case he had recently.   Thanks to the NRA for having the Voices of the Second Amendment.  Thanks to Beretta Holdings for sponsoring the Voices!

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #255 Valentina Richardson Green Naturally Armed Sometimes, someone takes everything by storm and comes out of nowhere. I think this happened with Valentina, but I found out she was paying dues quickly. We've been following each other on the socials for a while and I know she's been working and doing classes at Gun For Hire range in New Jersey. We got a chance to meet at the Sig Academy in Epping, N.H. for a GOA National Women's Range Day event.  The following weekend she was in the home state of Massachusetts speaking at the Gun Owners Action League event. We had a chance to talk more there and we filmed a show the following morning. We drove to the Old North Bridge in Concord, MA, where the "shot heard round the world" was fired.  Valentina is pretty new to firearms, the 2A community, and advocacy. She grew up in Newark, N.J. Her father was in the military and was a police officer. With firearms in the house, she was taught that she wasn't supposed to touch them. That was the policy. End of story. There was never a push to get out and teach her or take her shooting.  She has a job in social services, training and employment. She got married and started a family.  As she was working her way up, she had to deal with lots of stress. Her friends decided that she needed a way to relieve some of the career stress. For her birthday, they took her to a shooting range, saying she looks like she would be good at shooting. As soon as she fired her first shot, she wanted more! She could feel the weight and stress of work leave her body with every round she fired.  Like many folks, when she gets into something, she really gets into something. She was on a quest for information and training. It took eight months to get a firearm identification card so she could possess firearms. Being in New Jersey, she also had to apply for and get a permit to purchase. Quickly, she bought a handgun, then a shotgun, then another handgun. When she bought her first gun, there was a woman at the store, which she thought was normal.  She was going about twice a month to go shooting and practice. While at Gun For Hire, she noticed how clean and neat the place was, how friendly everyone was. One day, the owner, Anthony Colando, started talking with her. Seeing how excited she was and how often she was coming in, he offered her a job. "This is where I need to be", she realized and took the job as a range safety officer.  Not seeing a lot of folks she could identify with, she wanted to do more and take a bigger role with firearms. First was becoming a range safety officer, then an instructor for NRA Basic Pistol and Refuse To Be A Victim.  In August 2024, Valentina felt like she wasn't doing enough. With women being the largest growing demographic in the firearm community, she decided to start a group that would help and guide women on their journey. The goal of Naturally Armed is to encourage, educate, and empower others. Offering group lessons and teaching people about being armed is what the organization does, but she also offers one on one lessons, teaching people about safety first, then gaining confidence in their skills.  At her courses in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Naturally Armed offers lots of items for people to take home. She's got handouts, color pages for young children, and even some stuffed bears. This means her group also offers courses for younger people, too. She's also got a line of branded clothes items at a printify shop.  It was great to get to know Valentina. The possibilities for her and her organization are endless and she wants to take it to the limit. You should follow her on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. There's a good chance she will be coming to your area in the future. Favorite quotes: "I needed a way to find a way to manage the stresses." "I want to do my part, be the change I want to see in the world." "The fact that I want to do this is reason enough that I should do it." "Naturally Armed: It's not just about firearms. It's about knowledge. It's about resources. It's the overall wholeness of a person." Naturally Armed Facebook page facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564430469978 Naturally Armed IG instagram.com/naturallyarmed75 Naturally Armed YouTube channel youtube.com/@naturallyarmed Naturally Armed Printify Shop naturallyarmed-shop.printify.me   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 supporters.    US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com   Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc   Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

PitStop Alex Ooley Forge of Freedom Podcast Recorded at NRA Annual Meetings in Houston in April 2026. Forge of Freedom website https://forgeoffreedom.com/ Forge of Freedom on FB https://www.facebook.com/forgeoffreedom Forge of Freedom on IG https://www.instagram.com/theforgeoffreedom  

PitStop Julie Golob I got to catch up with Julie at the NRA Annual Meetings in Houston in April 2026. Julie was the very first person I met at SHOT Show 2017. Julie Golob website https://www.juliegolob.com/ Julie on IG https://www.instagram.com/juliegolob Julie on FB https://www.facebook.com/JulieGolob/ Springfield Armory https://www.springfield-armory.com/  

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #254 Rick Patterson CCRKBA Board Member & Liberty's Keystone   It's nice to be able to film a show that isn't too far from home. Rick Patterson is only in Connecticut. He's a board member of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. And he owns Liberty's Keystone. We had an interesting conversation about some of the goings on on the international level of firearms.    Rick has been involved with the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the CCRKBA, and even the SAAMI. Before all of that, he started off in the oil business. Hoping to be the VP of the company, he was passed over when the spot came open. A family member saw the ad for the NSSF job and he applied. Having the position filled already, he didn't get that job. But with his experience in environmental compliance, business planning, and whatnot, they had a position dealing with shooting ranges and offered that to him. Fortunately, he was a good fit and took this job.    While at NSSF, Rick was involved in creating their shooting range program, the 5-star shooting program, the Where To Shoot website. He also worked with the EPA and OSHA on lead management. While the Violence Prevention Center was out trying to shut ranges down with accusations of lead poisoning, his team worked to put together the science behind metallic lead in soils and a management plan.    Over the years, ranges were considered successful if they had a good number of members and raised money for their range and cause. But it's important for ranges to have plans to keep the range around for generations. The things Rick's team worked on changed how that was done and how it was developed.    Some of the stories Rick shares are about how local towns wanted to stop an indoor range. So the community pushed to have the parking lot be totally covered with double bullet proof protection and entirely covered. The issue with that is it will now be cost prohibitive to have a parking lot that way, thus not being able to build the range since it didn't meet the requirements the town wanted. Of course, there are people that will bring an entire unused cartridge into the police station and say it landed on their property just like that therefore the range must be shut down.    The executive director of SAAMI opened up and Rick was able to get that position. At the same time, the UN was getting involved with gun control. Under Rick's leadership, he was able to get NGO status for SAAMI and was able to have some input on topics that concerned firearms.    Some of the conversation was about Germany pushing for serialization of ammunition. One German company who had a patent on serialization was pushing for that to happen. But they didn't have to figure out how it's supposed to work, they just declare that it needs to be done. And that will be someone else's problem to figure out the solution.   Rick is a very knowledgeable man who has done many things with the groups and the UN. There's two sides to the UN, there's one side dealing with regulations and one that deals with politics. Eventually, the UN realized that even if firearms production ended and no one made another gun, there are going to be millions of them around for a long time. So they need to change their tactic and approach to going after something like ammunition.    We talked about the small arms treaty and other things at the international level, shipping regulated materials around the world, and much more. It was a very interesting conversation. There's so much more to what is going on than people know or even realize. We've got someone like Rick on our side, who understands how these things work. And he's worked hard to keep things going for us and our firearms.  Favorite quotes: "Sometimes success is just being able to stall it out before you get some draconian law passed." "A successful range is one that's here today, tomorrow, next week, next generation, serving the shooting public." "The countries that are the biggest offenders of the arms deals are not party to it." Liberty's Keystone Website https://libertyskeystone.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 supporters.    US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com   Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc   Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun With Charlie PitStop  The 2A Boys Keith Davis with James & Grant The 2A Boys https://the2aboys.com/ The 2A Boys on IG https://www.instagram.com/the2aboys/ The 2A Boys on YT https://www.youtube.com/@UCVKS_8KFjD7uFYcJlyx6S9g Recorded at NRA AM in Houston 2026.

Chad Barber NRA's America's Rifle Challenge NRA America's Rifle Challenge https://arc.nra.org/ Shooting Sports USA article https://www.ssusa.org/content/nra-america-s-rifle-challenge-beginner-friendly-ar-competition/

Riding Shotgun With Charlie PitStop Mike Harris Director of Public Policy, Gun Owners Action League https://www.goal.org/

Jacob Paulsen ConcealedCarry.com Guardian Conference September 18-20, 2026 Oklahoma City, OK https://guardianconference.com/ Recorded at NRA Annual Meetings in Houston, Texas, April 2026

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #254 Alisha Curtin San Diego Concealed Carry & Gun Owners Radio   In 2022, I went to the San Diego County Gun Owners' Gun Prom with a friend. I got to meet lots of people at the event, many whom I've had on the show at some point. I'm sure I met Alisha Curtin then. She's been part of Gun Owners Radio for a few years now. I did a PitStop interview with her, which is already posted, and I got to film this interview where we get into things a little more with her. This was her first SHOT Show and she had a great time!    Alisha was raised in the San Diego area and met her husband in high school. At 17, she enlisted in the delayed entry program in the Army. The week before she was supposed to ship off for bootcamp, she re-evaluated the situation with her boyfriend and thought it was leading places just 4 months into dating. Just before SHOT Show, they celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary!   Her husband is in law enforcement and with a firearm in the home, he wanted her to be familiar with it. She really enjoyed it but, for him, shooting was just work. Eventually, she found that she was going to shoot and take training with her lady friends. Around 2012, she bought her own gun, a S&W .40 cal! Fortunately, it was a gun she rented, knew what she was getting into, and liked shooting.    During her pre-firearms career, Alisha was a high school teacher, covering biology, chemistry, forensic science, and criminal justice. The path to becoming an instructor was interesting. She was taking courses and another instructor took her in, said she would be good at this and mentored her. Then a range approached her and asked about having her teach courses at their facility. Instructing was a part time gig until the virus that shall not be named happened. The gun laws were changing and it seems like a good time to make a change.    As an instructor, she mostly works with women. Many times a woman takes a lesson and brings her husband's gun or buys a gun the store suggests she buys. But that often isn't a great choice for the ladies, something like a J frame snubby. The thought is if a woman isn't strong enough to rack a slide, then she's going to have issues shooting a revolver in double action.    Her business is called San Diego Concealed Carry. There are a couple of ranges where she teaches. In California to become a CCW instructor, there are three different paths one can take: the NRA path,  the BSIS (Bureau of Security Investigative Services) path, and the POST Police Officer Standard of Training). She's got all three of them. She also has all of the USCCA certifications, as well.    Certified with NRA, USCCA, and others, she offers several courses. Of course, there's CCW courses, the California DOJ initial course and renewal course, introduction to firearm courses, youth courses, self defense training, and the court mandidated courses, too. She keeps very busy and is very well versed in the Calif. gun laws and statues.    Besides everything else she does, Alisha was going to events hosted by San Diego County Gun Owners. I will say that having been to one of their events, they draw in huge numbers of attendees! In 2021, the capacity at Gun Prom was 999. If there were 1,000 people they would need "special requirements', if you remember. At one event, Michael Schwartz, head of SDCGO, and Alisha got to talking. He had some changes with Gun Owners Radio and asked her to be a co-host of the show. I've got to say, it's been a weekly listen for me for a number of years now, and I highly recommend it to everyone. She has her own segment called Curtin Call, where she talks about training.    Females are the largest growing demographic of firearm owners. It's fantastic that the ladies can take courses with someone like Alisha. It's also good that she can more than hold her own with the fellas, too. I'm sure she even shows a few of them up!   Favorite quotes: "I had a good time. I liked it, I enjoyed it. But for him it was work." "It's a big investment. You want to make sure it's the right gun for you." "Men, in general, do not  understand the things a woman needs in a firearm." Alisha on FB https://www.facebook.com/AlishaCurtin.Instructor/mentions/   Alish on IG https://www.instagram.com/rarcurtin/   San Diego Concealed Carry https://www.sandiegoconcealedcarry.com/   Gun Owners Radio https://gunownersradio.com/   Not Me CA https://notmeca.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 supporters.    US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com   Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc   Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

WTAG Segment with Danny Ferrantino on 5.1.2026 Tune in via iHeartRadio on Fridays at 4 pm eastern.

WTAG Segment with Danny Ferrantino 4.10.026 Tune on in iHeartRadio on Fridays at 4 pm eastern

Join us at the New England Firearm Advocacy Conference. Saturday, May 30. 2026 Chicopee, MA https://secure.anedot.com/ccrkba/nefac

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #253 Lizzie Jackovich Firearm Owners Against Crime   Nearly everywhere I've gone for the last several years, I try to film an episode with someone. I've been going to the Great American Outdoor Show which is held in Harrisburg, PA, in the dead of winter and presented by NRA. Lizzie and I met at a Waffle House with some friends and did the show on the way to the GAOS. Yes, I'm surprised there was a WaHo close enough for breakfast. It was about 7 degrees outside when we met. And it was very windy!   Lizzie is a volunteer with Firearm Owners Against Crime (FOAC). FOAC is led by Jim Stoker (RSWC #187) and Klint Macro (RSWC #069 & #201). They're fighting all the time, like everyone else, with the anti-gun politicians. Lizzie is in it to make things better for her children and to make sure they don't lose the Right to Keep & Bear under her watch. They've got two groups, the ILLEA, Institute for Legal, Legislation, and Educational Action  and their Political Action Committee. The "crime" part of FOAC isn't "regular" crime; it's the crime of the politicians they're fighting.    For those who may be interested, the Pennsylvania carry permit is pretty easy to get. You need to fill out an application and give them a $20 bill. I went to central PA a few years ago to the Tommy Gun Warehouse and I drove a bit further to get my PA permit while I waited. It took an hour.    Lizzie has a history of gun owners and shooters in her family. Her grandfather was a chief of police. Her dad became a police officer, too, but he had several careers. As a young man, her dad was a Marine sniper and very much into shooting and fishing. As a young girl, Lizzie was into archery, joined the boys teams, and embarrassed them.    When she was older, she had some things happen in her life. When the police were called, they would often tell her "you're safe now" or "it's over, you're ok". But she didn't feel that way. That made her decision. She knew about firearms, but not enough to know what she was doing. She knew to keep her finger off and in a safe direction. Her first shots were with a Desert Eagle and that was a turn off, but then she went to a .22 and things were better. Finally, she settled on a 9mm.    Once she was comfortable shooting, she started thinking about carrying and that was something new to learn. She took some courses with Klint, started to draw from the holster and progressed through the program.  With her new skill and interest, she wasn't sure about instructing, but she was taking friends and family to the range. But she knew she needed something so she became an RSO through the USCCA. In the future, there could be some instructing for her. She could be a great advocate for female shooters. The hunger for learning and passing on is something Lizzie would enjoy.    We talk about some current events (from January 2026). It was hard to explain to folks that carrying two spare magazines isn't excessive or out of the norm for some folks. I have come around to believe that you need at least one spare mag for malfunctions.    With the FOAC events, Lizzie started running the gun bash. It's an event that raffles and auctions off firearms. It's a day to spend with others who are like minded and enjoy the shooting sports. They've also got the famous Wall of Guns! They hold these twice a year and it's all up to her!   There's lots of amazing volunteers working with groups all around the country. Lizzie was giving up a lot of time, in the cold weather, to spend at the Great American Outdoor Show. She was there all weekend. And I'm sure she'll be back next year and the year after that.    Favorite quotes: "Act like your rights depend on it…because they do." "That's the whole point; get unafraid. When you stay comfortable, you don't grow." "It gives me so much purpose. I can't think of a better organization to be giving my time and energy to." Firearm Owners Against Crime https://foac-pac.org/   FOAC-ILLEA https://foac-illea.org/   FOAC-ILLEA Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FOACILLEA/   FOAC Facebook https://www.facebook.com/foacpac/   FOAC on X https://x.com/FOACPAC 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 supporters.    US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com   Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc   Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun With Charlie PitStop John Meyer Team One Network Recorded at SHOT Show 2026. 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 supporters. US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun With Charlie PitStop Trampas Swanson Swanson Media Group Swanson Training Group Armed Lifestyle Magazine Recorded at SHOT Show 2026. 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 supporters. US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #252 Jason Schaller The Rogue Banshee, For the Love of Guns Podcast   I was able to catch up with Jason at SHOT Show 2026. He's been hard to catch up with to have on the show. He lives in Montana and I haven't made it there yet. Special thanks to Michael Schwartz (RSWC #153) for letting us use his stagecoach for the show.    Jason grew up outside of Philadelphia. His dad had him shooting by age 7, going from BB guns to .22 then to .357. When he turned 21, he bought a GLOCK 17 and joined the GSSF, GLOCK Shooting Sports Foundation. He got his father into the GSSF and they used to compete. When his father passed, he let it go by the wayside. Years later he was married, he bought his wife a gun and got her into the GSSF but it wasn't something that kept her interested so he kept going by himself. With time and age setting in, he's doing more steel challenge shooting.   For 10 years, Jason was a "kitchen table FFL". He was doing cerakoting for people, but he charged people to take the gun apart and reassemble it. It was easier for him to make a video taking the gun apart and sending his clients the video so they could disassemble and reassemble it. That's how his YouTube channel started. At one point, the ATF agent came in and told Jason he was selling 2.3 guns per day. The kitchen table activity was able to fund the channel.   With the YT channel, everything he does is educational. When things changed politically, he noticed more videos were being watched, particularly the 80% builds. When the frame and receiver rule hit, everyone wanted to watch the videos while they could. After a while, he started doing some reviews and those were doing good. But since he was doing some gunsmithing and building, he had some sponsors. Doing interviews was something else he started doing on the channel.    Finally, he started getting some pushback from the videohost website due to selling items. Eventually, he had to part ways with the sponsors as their items were the things he was getting channel strikes for. To get  away from getting strikes, he started the For The Love of Guns Podcast. Having some Toastmasters experience, talking and connecting with others was something he was good at. He's finally figured out that deep cleaning is the way to keep the channel going without issues.    During an interview talking about outdoor mentorship for women, he gets yet another strike. All the stuff he was doing, the reviews, the interviews, and the smithing is done on the same channel. The host started taking 30 episodes a day. He was getting hammered with two strikes and they were keeping them on the record. Revamping the show and the layout, he's changed it to a deep cleaning channel. Despite the issues, he loves doing the channel and having an outlet.    There were some Montana state senators that were upset about the 80% content he was producing. They wrote a letter to YT to take the content down. The next morning, Jason noticed his numbers were down. He wrote to his senators and they did almost nothing. Then he decided to write to the Montana AG Austin Knudsen, who likes suing the federal government. None of the videos were doing anything illegal, just the host didn't like them. AG Knudsen ended up sending a Schoolhouse Rock video explaining to the other senators how bills become laws.    Jason's channel really is a useful resource for the community. He's got all kinds of content and a wide variety of projects he's done. And he's had to fight the powers that be. All the while, keeping a good attitude about the battles. During the day, he has a job doing IT security, so he's pretty handy with tech. And that job gives him the ability and skill to know he has to find the limit, and the way around what they don't want content creators to be doing.   Favorite quotes: "When political turmoil hits people are hitting my videos." "The firearm transfers were paying for the YouTube channel." "I have a long time to build a business to retire."   The Rogue Banshee website https://trb.fyi/   TRB YT https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRogueBanshee   TRB FB https://www.facebook.com/TheRogueBanshee/   TRB IG https://www.instagram.com/theroguebanshee/ 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 supporters.    US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com   Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc   Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun With Charlie PitStop Ryan Cleckner Sniper & Author Recorded at SHOT Show 2026. 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 supporters. US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun WIth Charlie PitStop John & Vicki Farnam Defense Training International FlexCCarry Recorded at SHOT Show 2026 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 supporters. US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense.  Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun With Charlie PitStop Sarah Joy Albrecht Hold My Guns Recorded at SHOT Show 2026  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 supporters.  US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #251 Craig DeLuz   I'm not sure how long I've known Craig but it has been several years. We finally made it happen in Salt Lake City, UT, at the Gun Rights Policy Conference. He does a show with Mike Piwowarski (RSWC #104 ) called The Rundown. But he's also had Coffee with Craig, a morning show that keeps you up to date on the goings on with 2A and conservative issues.    Craig grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. He had a twin brother and the only thing they really shared was parents. They were the opposite in nearly every way, from the positions they played in football to where they went for college, to their political beliefs, to their career choices. Despite their upbringing, Craig leaded towards conservatism while he was in college studying finance.    In college, he decided that he was going to run for student body president. One of his professors said they'll never have a black student body president. That's what he pursued and won the election by less than 1% of the vote. The experience led him to realize he believed in individual rights and responsibilities, entrepreneurship. These were values he was raised with even though his parents were Democrats.    The experience of getting elected got him more interested in politics. This led to getting involved and leading several groups and working in the legislature. Eventually, he crossed paths with Brandon Combs, who was the founder and President of Firearms Policy Coalition. Since FPC was looking for someone to do some media  and have someone with experience and knowledge of the legislature, they hired Craig to do just that.   At 40 years old, he purchased his first firearm. Not growing up with firearms in the house, they didn't have firearms when the kids were young. But once the kids were teens, they decided it was time. Gun ownership in California means you have to know a lot of legal topics about owning, possessing, and carrying. It was then he realized that the Golden State was infringing on his, and everyone else's, Rights. In 2012 after Sandy Hook, California dropped over 50 anti-gun bills. His career took the path to being a lobbyist and advocate.    The NRA Director for California, Ed Worley, told him the legislature was kabuki theatre. So Craig decided to put on a show. Each side gets two people and two minutes to state their case for the debate. He was able to put his theatre background to use. The battle out there means you have to get used to "winning the argument, but losing the vote."  Using the clips from the debates, they were able to get more people informed about the nonsense going on.  The shows in the kabuki theatre parlayed into starting things like Coffee with Craig, where he did morning videos about the goings on in California, the gun community, and other news topics. This was the start of people doing channels about the goings on in the gun community and more personalities out there putting out content, stories, and headlines. It was after this that he started doing The Rundown with Mike, which was a daily show. Craig has also started Uncommon Sense Media Group that helps people with their socials, website, video and audio recording, and public relations for media shows and companies.     In 2024, Craig ran for Congress. He didn't make it but he's going to run again in 2026. The toughest thing is dialing for dollars, making the calls to ask for money and support. He says it's the worst part of running for office but it is necessary.    What I really enjoy is finding out more about what people do. Craig has been at it a long time. Studying finance. Raising a family at a young age. Working in politics. Doing media. Hosting a couple of shows. Starting a media group. But he doesn't get tired of doing the work he's called to do.    Favorite quotes: "If this is theatre, I'm going to put on a show." "In places like California, you have to pass the bar to be a gun owner." "I thought the 14th Amendment meant I was supposed to have the same Rights as anybody else, the next guy. I clearly don't have that." "You don't realize your Rights are being infringed upon until you go to exercise it." Craig DeLuz website https://www.craigdeluz.com/   Craig on FB https://www.facebook.com/craig.deluz/   DeLuz for Congress FB https://www.facebook.com/DeLuzForCongress/   Craig YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@CraigDeLuz   The Rundown YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@TheRundown-s3r   Craig IG https://www.instagram.com/craigdeluz/ 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 supporters.    US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com   Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc   Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Talking with Danny Ferrantino on WTAG on 4.3.2026 in Worcester, MA

Riding Shotgun WIth Charlie  PitStop Grant Cunningham Revolver Aficionado Recorded at SHOT Show 2026.   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 supporters. US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Talking with Danny Ferrantino on WTAG from 3.27.2026 in Worcester, MA Segment 2

Talking with Danny Ferrantino on WTAG form 3.27.2026 in Worcester, MA Segment 1

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 supporters. US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Talking with Danny Ferrantino on WTAG in Worcester, MA, on 3.20.2026 Segment 2

Talking with Danny Ferrantino on WTAG on Worcester, MA.

PitStop with Braden Langley at SHOT Show 2026. 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 supporters. US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

PitStop with Alisha Curtin at SHOT Show 2026!   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 supporters. US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense.  Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565  

PitStop with Erica Chin & Jess Adanich from WOMA at SHOT Show 2026. 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 supporters. US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #250 John Correia Active Self Protection   This is a momentous episode! First, I didn't think, or know,  that there would ever be 250 episodes of RSWC. I started the show with an idea, a couple GoPros, and no knowledge of how to edit video. Second, that I'd ever get John Correia on the show! I got to have Neil (#116) and Stephanie (#112) Weidner on the show back in 2021. They both work at Active Self Protection. We've had an ongoing joke that I had them on but didn't want to have John. This year at SHOT, we made it happen.   John grew up in the San Francisco area. He's a 49ers fan and "gold and red 'til he's cold and dead." There wasn't much shooting or hunting going on, living with his mom and her parents for a while. His dad did own firearms, but it was mostly for duck hunting and not something John did with him. Around 13, he did some recreational shooting and occasional hunting with his paternal grandfather on his biological father's side. However, this man was a prohibited possessor despite owning some firearms.    At 19 years old, John joined "Uncle Sam's Canoe Club" and was a nuclear reactor operator. And he also got married.  Boot camp provided almost zero shooting, other than a converted AR into a .22. During candidate school, he was rear ended by a drunk driver, which messed up his back, and two years later, he was out of the Navy. After the injury, he was the first person to use the vocational rehabilitation education for a religious education. He cranked out 96 credit hours in 3 years as that's what the program paid for. Helping people is what he wanted to do and has done in several ways.    From 2003 until 2018,  he was pastor at a small church of about 150 people. Making ends meet, raising a family, and earning the Master's degree, kept him very busy. Going to seminary, he was also working as a retail manager at a video game store. When the PS3 and Xbox360 came out, there was lots of talk about people mugging managers to get the consoles. Arizona was a shall issue at the time. To be able to protect himself, he got the wrong gun, the wrong ammo, and the wrong holster and started carrying.    His son was doing martial arts as an activity and wanted dad to join him, but John kept pushing it off until the end of grad school. Having had a gun in the house for a few years, he realized that having a gun was a 'non-zero risk' for the family. As we all know, training is expensive. So he pursued becoming a firearm instructor to be able to have some tax write offs.    For a while he was living a dual life as a pastor and a firearm instructor. There was some crossover content on his socials, so he started a page just for gun activities. One evening he brought a video of a self defense scenario to work out how to combat it at martial arts. That is how the Active Self Protection YouTube channel sprouted.   There's much more to his origin story. It all blends in together with martial arts, wanting to teach, and building a community. I love hearing stories about how people start taking action and making things happen. John and his ASP team create content to publish every day. It's not always easy being a creator, working around being an expert witness and all the other activities. He's had to hire new people then more people to keep things going so that he can focus on what he's good at. ASP has a YouTube channel. A second YouTube channel. Their own app. And a conference.    Getting together with John at SHOT this year was great. I'm glad he was able to make the time. It's been nearly five years of talking about doing a show and finally making it happen. It's great that it's a big guest for the 250th episode.   Favorite quotes: "I didn't grow up in the church. I didn't grow up as a Christian… Jesus picked me up and shook me real hard." "If I'm going to have a gun in the house, it represents a non-zero risk to my family." "I could be the John Madden of on-camera violence." "The beauty of being self employed is you can pick any you want to work your 70 hours a week." "Religion can be a highly dangerous thing. And yet, I don't want government to license to can practice religion." Active Self Protection YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ActiveSelfProtection   ASP Website https://activeselfprotection.com/   ASP Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ActiveSelfProtection/   ASP Instagram https://www.instagram.com/activeselfprotection/ 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 supporters.    US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com   Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc   Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

  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 supporters.    US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com   Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc   Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Catching up with AG Knudsen at SHOT Show 2026!

WTAG segment with Danny Ferrantino on 3.6.2026

Catching up with Danny Ferrantino on WTAG in Worcester, MA, on 2/27/2026

Catching up with Danny Ferrantino on WTAG in Worcester, MA, on 2/20/2026

Catching up with Danny Ferrantino on WTAG in Worceseter, MA, on 2/6/2026

Catching up with Danny Ferrantino on WTAG in Worcester, MA on 1/30/2026

Catching up for Freedom Fridays at 4 with Danny Ferrantino from WTAG in Worcester, MA!

Riding Shotgun WIth Charlie PitStop Charlie Brown MKS Supply NRA Board of Directors, 2.0 Candidate

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #247 Lauren Snyder & Joey Hamby Attorneys On Retainer   Sometimes the universe dictates the timing of doing a show. I met Lauren Snyder at Gun Rights Policy Conference in Phoenix in 2019. I was able to film a show with fellow Attorneys On Retainer employee, Sarah Riggle RSWC #189, but we didn't have time for Lauren. At GRPC in Salt Lake City in 2025, we were able to make it happen. But we also got to have Joey Hamby, one of the AOR attorneys who specializes in self defense cases. We're also able to get it out just before they have an AOR conference in Mesa, AZ, in February 2026.   Lauren first hit my radar a number of years ago. While at a Second Amendment rally in Phoenix, she connected to Cheryl Todd (RSWC #060) because they both have a vintage look. She got involved with Women For Gun Rights when it was called The DC Project.  There is a video out there of her testifying against gun bills in Arizona. But after the politician said he didn't think people should be carrying, she sat in front of him and then he had to retract what he said and told her he didn't mean she shouldn't carry. Of course, this was the first time she ever testified for anything and she was thrown right into the mix of it.    Growing up on Long Island, her family wasn't really into firearms. Working at a tattoo shop when she was young, she met a few guys who were Ron Paul libertarians. They also taught her about firearms and safety, but the process in New York was very difficult to exercise her rights. Not really knowing anything other than Democrats and voting for John Kerry in her first election, she quickly turned to the libertarians and the idea of true freedom.     Eventually, Lauren found herself living in Florida and got more into firearms. She made more friends and got into shooting and carrying. There wasn't a lot going on for any activism at the time. After meeting her now-husband on Facebook, she moved to Arizona to be with him and got much more involved. With Women For Gun Rights, she has made the trip to DC to lobby and talk with politicians. She didn't think she had a story worth sharing but she did have a stalker and that was when she started taking firearms, training, and self defense more seriously. That is the story she shares with us.    Joey Hamby has been a hunter and shooter since he was a kid. He was a junior life member of the NRA, so yeah, since he was young. He loves shooting, hunting, and going out and plinking. Since 1994, he's been practicing law. One of the things that separates AOR from other services is that they are not insurance. They are a legal team that specializes in self defense.    Over the years, he's had many interesting cases, of course. He tells us about some of them. But he really gets into why it's important to have training and knowledge if you're going to carry. There have been more than several cases they've taken where they defend someone who has the moral imperative to defend themselves or their family but end up being wrongfully charged for doing so.    We really get into things with Joey and self defense of all types. If using self defense of any type is involved, there are things that are going to happen with the defender where they're treated like the criminal until things can be sorted out. Often we think self defense is going to be cut and dry, but it can and does get messy for everyone involved. Joey does a wonderful job talking about this and some current events.    There's a lot to self defense. Everyone needs to have an attorney in their phone address book. If you don't, get one. Join a program like AOR. Meet the attorneys for that program and get to know them. You're really doing yourself a favor.    Favorite quotes: "I was a willful participant in the indoctrination into libertarianism." "I know I have physical limitations… so my ability to protect myself…are very important to me." "If we don't remain in the legislative process…these are the people who are going to erode our rights." "There's a lot of differences, but all we do is self defense." "You need to plan in advance. You also need to plan what's going to happen afterwards." "If you use a weapon in self defense, you should just expect to get arrested." Women for Gun Rights  https://womenforgunrights.org/   https://www.laurenliberty.com/ https://attorneysonretainer.us/ https://attorneysforfreedom.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.    US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com   Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc   Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #246 Nolan Howard 617 Defense It took a while before I was able to have Nolan Howard on the show. In the meantime, he had stories about him and 617 Defense in the Boston Globe and he was on Bearing Arms' Cam & Co a few times. I'm glad we finally got a chance to do an interview. We've run into each other at a few events hosted by the NRA's state affiliate, Gun Owners Action League. In the fall of 2025, Nolan hosted a Friends of the NRA dinner in Boston, which I don't think ever happened before.   Nolan grew up in Boston and the Metrowest area of Boston. Like many young kids, he played video games like Medal of Honor and learned about firearms through them. Having firearms in the house wasn't something they did. But when President Trump was in office the first time, he knew something wasn't right and it was probably time to learn about firearms and get into them.  He went to a local shooting school, Mass Firearms School, where I cut my teeth as an instructor and started shooting regularly. He had a friend who helped, mentored, and guided him though shooting and starting 617 Defense. Being in the black community, there was a lack of opportunity to go shooting at a range. Boston is a "range desert" with only one range and zero gun stores in Boston proper. His objective was to keep others in the black informed on what is going on with the firearm community. Most of the ranges in Massachusetts are private clubs. There are only a handful of public ranges across the Commonwealth.   His route to being an instructor was through the NRA's Home Firearm Safety, Basics of Pistol Shooting, and becoming a Range Safety Officer. After becoming a certified instructor, he teamed up with others and started offering classes. He's done classes in Boston, but moved onto the Mansfield Fish and Game, which is about an hour from Boston.  For a while, Nolan was working with the National African American Gun Association (NAAGA). They do classes monthly for its members and keep them up to date on goings on with the political climate in the firearm community. Since we filmed this show, he's moved on and is working on his own group.   We spent some time talking about Chapter 135, the law "Modernizing Gun Laws" in Massachusetts. It has been nothing but a sham. It goes after the license to carry holders and gun owners by turning them into criminals for homemade firearms and carrying pre-1994 so-called high capacity magazines. It makes the training more challenging, too, for instructors like Nolan. The new requirements have live fire, a written exam, suicide prevention, injury prevention, and disengagement training. Once the law went into effect, neither the state nor the state police had any type of curriculum for instructors. They have until April 2026 to develop this.  When the topic comes up, people want to talk about national politics. But Nolan wants to get people focused on local politics. These are the people that can affect how things happen around you and affect you directly. But many citizens just vote in the presidential elections. The local politicians don't see how the gun law changes don't make any changes in how things are done and let criminals back out on the street.  The politicians also don't understand that the laws make more hurdles for the folks who take training and pass background checks. Adding live fire is also going to drive up the cost for instructors, which gets passed onto the consumer. This makes classes more unaffordable and time consuming. However, people do need to train and practice with their firearms.   Overall, I think Nolan is doing a great job in Boston. He's getting lots of local and national recognition for the time he's been involved as an instructor. He's busy teaching classes and taking classes to be able to offer more to his clients.    Favorite quotes: "How can I be different from every other instructor? How can I keep up with current events?" "As most black people, we don't focus on the local politics. Some do. Not Many."| "You want to shoot one round for 10 minutes? Ok." "How come they don't give us this information? I say cuz they don't want you to know."   617 Defense Website https://617defense.com/  617 Defense IG https://www.instagram.com/617defense/  617 Defense YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@617Defense  617 Defense Facebook https://www.facebook.com/p/617-Defense   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.   US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free https://www.uslawshield.com   Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc   Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565