Firearms Nation Podcast

Have you ever wanted to shoot fast?  Or get better at your Bill Drills?  Do you know what a Bill Drill is?  That's 6 shots at 7 yards landing them in the A-zone of a USPSA target.  The standard goal is all 6 in under 2 seconds.  That is speed and accuracy.  Competitive shooter Isaac Lockwood is going for supersonic.  6 shots in under a second.  He is close.  At last year's Bill Drill Challenge at...

Luigi Li is currently running for USPSA (United States Practical Shooting Association) President and the election is going on right now.  Listeners of this podcast know that I compete in USPSA as it's one of the shooting sports that makes you a better shooter.  If you want to carry your gun every day or are required to because of your job, going out and competing is a great way to increase your sk...

In force-on-force training, participants engage in simulated scenarios where they face opposition from other individuals or teams. These scenarios involve using non-lethal training ammunition, such as paintball rounds or simulated munitions, to replicate the effects of real weapons without causing fatal injuries. The training can take place in various settings, including indoor facilities, outdoor...

Adam Haidary is a former police training sergeant and spent seven years in law enforcement.  One of the things he realized, was that police officers often had a hard time dealing with combative subjects and weren't really trained on how to do it.  Old-style control techniques that were not pressure tested, would fail and the situation could easily escalate to deadly force.  Adam created Effective...

Joel Turner, a renowned expert in the field of archery, is the focus of this fascinating podcast episode. As the founder of Shot IQ, a leading organization dedicated to training archers and improving their mental game, Turner has had a significant impact on the sport and its practitioners. With a background in psychology and a deep understanding of the mind-body connection, Turner has developed in...

In today's episode, we have the privilege of exploring the remarkable journey of JJ Racaza, a world champion in the thrilling sport of practical shooting. Born in the Philippines, JJ Racaza developed a passion for firearms and marksmanship from a young age. His fascination with shooting began with air guns and gradually evolved into a lifelong pursuit. Racaza's unwavering dedication and exceptiona...

The literary world is once again buzzing with anticipation as acclaimed author Jack Carr unveils his latest masterpiece, "Only the Dead." Known for his riveting storytelling and meticulous attention to detail, Carr has captivated readers with his previous novels, and this highly anticipated release is no exception. In this blog post, we'll delve into the intriguing world of "Only the Dead," explor...

Bruce Gray is a well-known gunsmith and competitive shooter who has been involved in the firearms industry for over 40 years. He is known for his expertise in building high-performance custom firearms and has worked with many law enforcement and military agencies to develop custom firearms for their needs. Gray's interest in firearms began in his early teens when he started shooting with his fathe...

John Lovell is a former Army Ranger and Special Forces soldier, as well as the founder of Warrior Poet Society, an organization dedicated to providing high-quality training and education in self-defense, firearms, and tactical skills. In this podcast replay from 2018, Lovell covers a range of topics related to self-defense, personal development, and current events, drawing on his extensive experie...

Steven Gould is a current law enforcement officer in a rural area of Massachusetts.  He is also the producer and host of the "Things Police See" podcast and the "Cops in the News" show.  Steven started these podcasts to share the police experience after working with several LAPD cops while working as a background investigator.  The stories he heard every day made Steven realize that he needed to s...

Wayne Black is a security expert. His company, Wayne Black and Associates handles executive protection, security and investigations for many high-profile clients.  Some of those clients also include churches and synagogues which now face threats every day.  Wayne has provided protection to former Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, as well as other celebrities.  He is a former law enforcement o...

BJ Norris started shooting and competing with he was only 11 years old.  He was a very competitive junior shooter and took many National titles.  BJ went on to earn a gold medal with the US National team in 2008 and has won the World Speed Shooting Championship many times.  In fact, I'm releasing this replay episode since the 2023 World Speed Shooting Championship is taking place at the end of Apr...

On April 11, 1986, there was a massive shootout between agents of the FBI and two dedicated, murderous, armed suspects.  The end result was two agents dead and several wounded.  This shootout changed the caliber choice for the FBI and numerous police agencies for many years and brought forward the classic topic of round "stopping power."  Mike Wood, the resident Firearms Nation historian, goes in...

Shannon Smith, if you don't know him, is a multi-division Grandmaster shooter in USPSA.  Shannon has won the national championship in the Limited Division as well as multiple Florida State championships.  Shannon also was talented enough to make TEAM USA for three World Shoots.  Before Shannon got into competitive shooting, he was a spec ops veteran serving in the Ranger Battalion.  Currently, Sha...

Bennie Cooley is a 3 Gun National Champion many times over.  He also competes in the PRS (Precision Rifle Series) and NRL Hunter competitions.  A man of the mountains, he excels at these outdoors, long-range rifle shooting challenges.  Bennie has also worked at the Department of Energy on their SWAT team and trains most of the Tier 1 units.  Besides being a passionate competitor, Bennie also enjoy...

Les Kismartoni is a phenomenal competitive shooter.  Just don't give him a hot dog with ketchup on it!  He is from Chicago where good hotdogs have other accessories like pickles, mustard, and relish.  That being said, Les is a Distinguished Master in IDPA and a Grandmaster in USPSA, which means the boy can shoot.  His gun of choice is a Beretta 92 from Langdon Tactical and he shoots both iron and...

Do you want to be the best competitive shooter, soldier, and protector?  I was lucky to sit down with Matthew Little who is not only a former Army Special Forces veteran, a former Chicago police SWAT officer, and a competitive shooter but the author of an exciting new book.  It's called, "The Way is in Training" and it covers everything you need to know about shooting and more!  Grappling, low-lig...

Larry Correia is not just a NY Times Bestseller or sci-fi fantasy writer, but he is also a huge advocate for the 2nd Amendment.  Larry has been involved with firearms for over 30 years as a firearms instructor, competitive shooter, and gun store owner.  Recently, Larry felt the need to write his new book "In Defense of the Second Amendment" as an educational book for both gun owners and folks that...

Yong Lee is back dropping more knowledge bombs in 2023. Yong is a 5 division grandmaster shooter in USPSA. He recently retired as a 30-year veteran police officer, swat operator, and firearms instructor from his department. Now, Yong is traveling to other police departments teaching their instructors and officers how to shoot a gun with a red dot. In today's episode, Yong covers: –How to bump fire...

Christian Sailer won the 2022 IPSC World Shoot in the Open Division. He is 22 years old. How did he do it? Christian started shooting when he was a "short" kid of 13 when his mom took him to the range the first time. He then started competing and learned what it took to win a match. Through his extreme passion and goal setting, Christian went on to win Area Championships and then National Champion...

Keith Garcia is a 3 Gun champion. He made a name for himself winning the 3 Gun Nation championship back when "they" allowed it to be on NBC Sports. Keith always distinguished himself as a very fast and efficient shooter with a pistol, rifle, and shotgun. Keith also retired from a long career as a police officer and firearms instructor. In this episode, I catch up with Keith at the 2023 SHOT Show a...

Dave Benton also known as "Boon" was one of the Global Response Staff of the CIA working in Benghazi during the terrorist attack on September 11, 2012. During that attack, Dave and his partners attempted to rescue the US Ambassador and defend the CIA Annex while completely outnumbered. This account was told in the book "13 Hours" as well as the great movie of the same name. Sarah Adams also worked...

What does it mean to train to "obsession, dedication, and madness"? 4 time grandmaster practical shooter Yong Lee says it took him to train six days a week, 2 hours each day to make GM. Yong is a retired police officer, SWAT team member, and firearms instructor. Yong also competes in USPSA as a grandmaster in 4 divisions. In this episode Yong explains: -What it takes to go from a C-class shooter t...

Eric Grauffel is now a 9 time World Champion. There is no one like him in shooting sports. He has dominated practical shooting for over 20 years. What makes him so special? Why does someone consistently win? Is Eric ever going to lose? I was able to talk with Eric at his new training academy and range in France, over the internet. In this episode Eric talks about: -How he prepared for the World Sh...