Riding Shotgun With Charlie

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #192 Quinn Cunningham FASTER Colorado   I’ve mentioned the “Olympic rings” idea before. It’s where I know person A and they know person B, but I don’t know person B. Ok, it's a classier version of the Six Degrees of Separation. In this case, I know Laura Carno (RSWC #188), and Laura knows Quinn Cunningham. If you missed The Gun Experiment Ep 83, Laura said Quinn is who she wants on her side in a gunfight. He is someone you’d want too and you could also train with him.    Laura was selling me on having Quinn in the stagecoach. Not a hard sell. She gave me some of his back story. Again, it’s a story that I’ve heard and read about. You may have heard it, too.  And you’ll hear it right from him at the end of the show.    Quinn is a SWAT officer, a FASTER Colorado instructor, and a competitive shooter, sponsored by Shadow Systems. An influence on what being a man is came from his brother in law. He showed Quinn about virtue, leadership, and shooting and marksmanship. He grew up in Nebr

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #191 Candy & Michael Petticord FASTER Saves Lives   In Detroit in the summer of 2022, I was giving time, energy, and effort to Rick Ector (RSWC #032) of LAID, Legally Armed In Detroit. Rick has instructors from around the country help at this event. Two of the people I got to meet were Candy & Michael Petticord. They’re both from FASTER Saves Lives in Ohio. Candy is also with Women For Gun Rights and A Girl & A Gun. She’s a busy woman!   As the mother of several kids, it was only about 6 years ago when she got into firearms. It was something her husband suggested she do.  She was hooked from the beginning. In the evening, she would sneak out of the house and not tell anyone she was going to the range. This spilled over into long weekends when she would take some advanced classes and be away for a few days.    At more than a few of the classes she took, she ran into issues. The issues, she found out, weren’t really issues with her; it was the instructors. I’m not sure ho

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #190 Charl van Wyk Author & Stopped Terror Attack   This was a once in a life chance that had to be taken. I was speaking at a pro- gun event outside of Boston. The emcee said there was a special guest, Charl van Wyk. I knew that name. Then he said van Wyk stopped a terror attack in Cape Town, South Africa, with a .38 Special five-shot revolver. I remember hearing this story from years ago. As I sat at the table waiting to speak, I Facebook requested him. When the speakers were done, I went right over to where he was and introduced myself. I told him about RSWC and said I’d love to have him on the show. I talked to the gentleman who was handling all of Charl’s plans. He was going to be free the next morning, but he was speaking at 2 events later in the day. I said tell me when and where I’ll be there!   I picked Charl up in Lexington, MA, before his first speaking engagement. It was a rainy day and I didn’t get any usable footage from the hood cam, but we did drive around the L

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #189 Sarah Riggle Attorneys for Freedom   I’ve been going to Gun Rights Policy Conference for years now. I love that it’s like a family reunion with old friends. It’s also great to meet new people. Sarah Riggle is one of the people I met right at the end. I just had lunch on the last day with friends and we were walking back into the hotel. We ran into Sarah and her friend Laura Snyder, who was a guest on the Polite Society Podcast. I wanted to have Laura on the show but she had to take care of things at home and she said Sarah would be good to do a show with. So I got the cameras and we filmed a show.    Sarah moved to the Phoenix area from Pennsylvania. She moved there with a long time friend about three years ago. This was her first GPRC. She’s currently working in marketing for Attorneys For Freedom. With plans to get a marketing and graphic design degree, Sarah ended up in the restaurant business for several years. Making the move was a chance to try something new somewhere el

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #188 Laura Carno FASTER Colorado   It seems like I’ve known Laura Carno since I started this journey. In 2019 at GRPC, she asked me and Derek Leblanc (RSWC #033) why we called each other “brother” and we weren’t calling her “sister”. Since then, she has been our “sister from a different mister”.  This year, I was going to Colorado for some personal stuff, and I was able to reach out to Laura to talk about FASTER Colorado.  FASTER, as it is known, is Faculty & Administrator Safety Training and Emergency Response.   Laura grew up in California with a very pro police and pro military family, but they weren’t necessarily a “gun family”. As a young woman in her early 20’s she was followed out of a gym by a big guy and her “spidey senses” went off. The only thing she had was a metal pipe for self defense. That was what opened her eyes and realized she may need to be able to protect herself.    Before FASTER, Laura was involved with some local politics and she wrote a book called Gov

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #187  Jim Stoker Firearms Owners Against Crime   I love when the Olympic rings of the 2A community  come into play and expands my circle. I was at the Rod of Iron Freedom Festival in Greely, PA, for may/be the 5th year in a row. I was running around with Rob Campbell & Amada Suffecool from Eye On The Target Radio. Amanda messaged me and said Klint Macro (RSWC #069) from Meet The Pressers & USCCA was here with Jim Stoker from Firearm Owners Against Crime and I needed to have Jim on the show. Jim and Klint were in western PA for an NRA event the night before. They drove hours to Greely so Jim could speak at the Rod of Iron event.    Jim is now the president of Firearm Owners Against Crime (FOAC). Their long time president and founder, Kim Stolfer, stepped down due to health issues and passed away earlier this year. FOAC has been involved in Pennsylvania only gun issues since the 1990’s, including reciprocity, castle doctrine, and licensing requirements.  Jim has recently reti

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #186 Jim Irvine FASTER Saves Lives   Jim Irvine and I have been trying to make this happen for a while. We finally filmed a show in Phoenix at Gun Rights Policy Conference, just before he had to speak. He helped start something that is near and dear to my heart, teaching school staff shooting, medical, and active shooter training. I’ve been working in public and private schools for longer than I’d like to admit. I was teaching at a public school on 9/11/2001 and it made me realize that I needed to learn to defend myself and my family. That’s when I got a license to carry and began my journey as a gun guy.    Jim has been a pilot for years. After September 2001, GRPC was almost canceled as there were hardly any flights. A group of pilots at GRPC got together and ended up changing legislation so that pilots could carry guns again on airplanes. At one point, they were required to carry guns because they were transporting mail. It kind of worked so it was voluntary then it sort of went

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #184 Alicia Garcia The Boomstick Babe   I had some personal business in Denver this past summer. Of course, I needed to film shows while I was out there, too. I reached out to Alicia Garcia and she said she was up for it! We met in person at NRA in Indianapolis in 2023 doing a march with the DC Project. I was really looking forward to meeting up in Denver. When I arrived, I met Alicia for breakfast at Snooze A.M Eatery. We got to talking and had a great time.      When fired up the AC and started the show. Alicia is a Colorado native. We start right out of the gate talking about cannabis and how it changed the economics of Colorado. Very much like firearms, there’s laws and restrictions. And people will find ways around them. She grew up around firearms but as an adult she made the decision that she isn’t going to be a closet gun owner. Afterall, if we’re going to try to get more gun owners, we need to let others know we are gun owners. We have to make it part of our everyday cultu

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #183 Jim Shepherd The Outdoor Wire, Publisher   At SHOT SHow 2023, I was in the media room with my good friend, The Pen Patriot, John Petrolino. We decided to only have a half a cup of coffee before we hit the SHOT floor. We ran into Alan Gottlieb and he asked if we were going to be around, he wanted to talk with us. We told Alan we would be there. When Alan walked away, we looked at each other and said “Let’s have a full cup”. While we were listening to Alan tell stories, Jim Shepherd came over. John & I didn’t know him, but Alan introduced us and said he would be a great guest in the stagecoach. We swapped contact info and I said I would be in touch next time I’m heading to Nashville. When I reached out to Jim, he said he would like to be on the show.   Jim and I were going to meet at a burger shop in Murfreesboro, TN, but they were closed for the week. He’s got so many amazing stories. He has employee badge #7 from CNN so he had a professional relationship with Ted Turner..

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #182 Phil Schreier NRA Museum, Director   In my formative years as a gun owner (then just a wanna be), I would watch The Outdoor Channel which had Shooting USA on it, shows on The History Channel, and other shows, too.  Any time a historical gun came up, Phil Schreier would be there with his white gloves on handling, talking about various firearms, and giving the history. When I “crashed” the NRA BOD party back in April, I got to introduce myself and tell him what I do. He said anytime I was in Fairfax, VA, he would be up for being on the show. Well, I was planning a roadtrip with John Petrolino, The Pen Patriot, and we made a pit stop at the NRA Museum and I was able to film a show with Phil.    Growing up, Phil was in a “Kennedy Democrat” household where firearms were encouraged but they weren’t prohibited either. He learned to shoot at Boy Scout camp, like other passengers who have been on the show. He fell in love with shooting the Mossberg .22 rifle. His grandmother told him t

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #181 Yuri Zalzman Philly Gun Range   Gun people are the best people. I will say this often. On a trip to Philadelphia, I had a change of plans. Nayara Andrejczyk (RSWC #171) and her husband and I had dinner and we were talking over dinner about my “gift of time”. She suggested Yuri Zalzman as a potential guest. He was available to make the time and we filmed a show the next day.    Yuri was born in Ukraine and raised in Israel. His father brought them to Philadelphia and he’s been there ever since. He passed on college for a few years but ended up pursuing a history degree and it was much more work than he thought. It was more than memorizing dates. There was a lot of reading and analysis of cause and effects. He calls it the “study of man”. Law school was more work that taught him the ultimate lesson which is to be efficient.    As a youth, he loved machines. He learned to drive stick shift at six, a front loader and shooting at seven. He used to fly planes and drive tanks, too. 

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #180 The DCP Gals & GOAL    On August 27, Gun Owners Action League hosted an event called The 2A Freedom Celebration. They pulled in some names you’ve seen on RSWC. Amanda Suffecool (#009), Holly Sullivan (#036), Jared Yanis (#051). And some locals like Toby Leary, (#143) Kerrie Ann Auclair (#139). We were able to film a show with a few of the local DCP gals, Moe Palmer & Bonnie Marshall. Mike Harris, Director of Public Policy, also joined us. Yeah… it was a car full of teal shirts!   There were several folks that sent some love GOAL’s way. Todd Eccles from Patriot Defense Podcast, Nikki Goeser, Michael Sodini, David Coy, Klint Macro, John Petrolino, and the closing video was Cam Edwards. Of course Jim Wallace spoke, Jon Green (#030 & #034), Mike & Angi gave away a couple rifles. And Garet & Jeff from the GOAL Podcast (#177) were there as well. It was really a great time. Lots of fun catching up with everyone. I’ve said for a long time, these kinds of events are

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #179 Todd Ellis NRA Board of Directors   Back in April I may have snuck into the NRA BOD party.  May have. It was suggested that I work the room.  Someone took me around to meet folks that I haven’t met and see if I could connect and maybe get them on the show. It’s fantastic to me when people I haven’t met come up, say hello, and want to talk. As I was sweeping around the room, Todd Ellis stopped me and asked when the episode with Nayara Andrejczyk (RSWC #171) was going to be published. Todd is an NRA BOD member, but also a Training Counselor. They were friends and she had done some training with him. We exchanged cards and I kept working the room.    I got home from NRA on a Monday morning. I had a live show to do that evening, then I was off for Philly to film some shows. There was a change in plans and I was given “the gift of time”. Having dinner with Naraya and her husband, we brainstormed who would be available to film a show in my newly found time. She reached out to Todd a

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #178 Robin Bartlett Author, Vietnam Veteran   It's a great feeling when someone recommends a passenger and it works out well. Robin Bartlett was referred to me. I reached out, did an introduction, and he sent me a copy of his book. After reaching out and setting up an interview date, we were able to make the show happen.    We start by talking about some of the nonsense that are New Jersey gun laws. To add to the “fun”, in New Jersey BB guns aren’t legal. And aren’t serialized, too. When he goes out to target shoot, Robin transports everything legally, of course, and keeps his paper with him as well.    At the age of 8, Robin was caught with .22 rounds, a hammer, and a chisel. He and his friends were opening the cases and lighting the gunpowder.  It was then his dad knew it was time for some gun safety lessons! (PS: Don’t Try It At Home!)  While living in Virginia, he joined the Davy Crockett Junior Rifle Club and started with a .22 rifle doing the NRA qualification program. He’s d

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #177 The GOAL Podcast Garet Holcomb & Jeff Strider   Finally, I was able to get together with Jeff Strider and Garet Holcomb from The GOAL Podcast. Jeff & Garet are both board members of Gun Owners Action League. I’ve known them for some time and we’ve run into each other at all the GOAL events, of course, and at the SIG Academy in New Hampshire, too. I do need to say that we filmed this before HD.4420 was released as a bill.  We talked about how the Gun Law Listening Tour was going and speculated how it was going to turn out. Now we know.    The GOAL Podcast is also ranked in the top 5% of all podcasts according to John Petrolino’s (RSWC #093) recent Bearing Arms article. Besides that great news, Jeff & Garet enjoy doing the podcast and fortunately the roles on the podcast does not have anything to do as GOAL board members and they’ll keep doing the show when their terms expire.    Garet grew up in California but got the gun bug in South Carolina when he was a young m

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #175 John Kolis Instructor & Author, Pistol Practice   I noticed on my social media that “Pistol Practice” was coming up more often in my feed. Then I get a text from a friend who says “John Kolis wrote Pistol Practice. He’s in your area and just did Rob Beckman’s podcast. You should have him on your show.”. I tuned in to Beckman’s (RSWC #109) Firearm Trainer’s Podcast to check him out and knew he would be a good fit. We texted back and forth. Then before one of the “Gun Law Listening Tour” stops, John & I met up for a drink.  Then we had a few drinks with some other friends afterwards, too.    John & I met up at the Weston Shooters Club in Weston, MA, and we headed to On Target Firearms in Dracut, MA, to do some shooting. After a quick warm up, John proved to me that his book, Pistol Practice, truly works!  We shot one of the games from his book and he way outshot me! He’s been working on getting his book across the country and in the hands of instructors. So if you’re

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #174 Tom King New York State Rifle & Pistol Association National Rifle Association BOD Member   Last summer, I thought it would be good to have Tom King on the show before the NYSRPA v Bruen decision. I messaged him and he said yes to being on the show, but I didn’t follow up. This past April at the NRA Annual Meetings, Anthony Colandro (RSWC #003 & #025) introduced us and said I should have Tom on the show. With the summer here and the anniversary of the NYSRPA v Bruen decision, I figured it was a good time to film a show!    Tom grew up in an anti-gun household. His father was a pilot in World War 2 and didn’t want to have anything to do with guns when he got back. However, Tom learned to shoot, earning a merit badge in Boy Scouts.    Eventually, a friend asked Tom if he wanted to be the Legislative Director of NYSRPA because Tom and his wife owned a company that delivered memos to politicians. Reluctantly, he agreed to the job. After one year in this position, the then-p

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #173 Jose Morales Philly Firearms Academy   My familiarity with Jose Morales’ name started years ago. I’ve always been a fan of the Gun For Hire Radio podcast. The main host, Anthony Colandro (RSWC #003 & 025), would often bring up Jose’s name as someone helping with production of the show. Last summer, I was in Detroit for Rick Ector’s (RSWC #032) Ladies Event. As I was introducing myself to the other instructors, I met Jose. I kept running through my mind “how do I know his name?” Then it hit me! Gun For Hire Radio! So I went back up and said I knew his name and finally put it together. Like it is meeting with gun people, it felt like old home week.    Jose grew up in New York City and said his mother had a gun. At the time he didn’t know how difficult it was to get a gun as times were different. He spent 3 years serving in the Army and ended up in Philadelphia. He’s had a few careers, of course, doing non-gun stuff, until he decided that after taking several friends shooting