Shows
The Weekly Reload PodcastHarris, DNC go Heavy on Guns in Contrast to Trump's RNCContributing Writer Jake Fogleman is on vacation this week. So, Reload Founder Stephen Gutowski hosts the news update. He gives a recap of how the Democratic National Convention approached guns. From the platform, to the keynote speeches, to an entire programing block in primetime on the final day the DNC highlighted gun control. Kamala Harris also called for a "red flag" law, universal background checks, and an "assault weapons" ban. That all contrasts with how Donald Trump and the RNC handled guns, which is to say they didn't really at all. I also go over the latest gun polling...
2024-08-2338 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastTrump Jr. Pitched to Lead NRA as Gun-Control Groups Outraise Gun-Rights MovementHost Jake Fogleman and Reload Founder Stephen Gutowski discuss an NRA board member pitching Donald Trump Jr. to become the group's new leader. Meanwhile, FEC records show the group continues to be outraised by gun control advocates. Plus, they cover the ongoing permitless carry push in North Carolina and the continued spread of gun store MCC bans in red states.
2024-04-2645 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastReport Finds Americans Own 717 Million ‘Large Capacity’ Magazines; DC Settles NRA LawsuitHost Jake Fogleman and Reload Founder Stephen Gutowski discuss Maine's new waiting period and background check laws, a new Iowa Bill allowing armed teachers, and an update on Colorado's push to ban "assault weapons." They also cover a new industry study showing the popularity of so-called large-capacity magazines, and why the government of Washington D.C. just settled its lawsuit against the NRA.
2024-04-1938 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastNew Biden Rule Casts Shadow Over Used Gun Sales; Tennessee Puts Gun Safety in SchoolsHost Jake Fogleman and Reload Founder Stephen Gutowski discuss an 85-year-old woman defending herself in a harrowing burglary, the perspective of a new Israeli gun owner, and Tennessee's new school gun safety program. They also cover how Washington's magazine ban was blocked and then immediately unblocked. Plus, they dissect how Biden's latest rule casts doubt over used gun sales and Stephen gives an update on farm life.
2024-04-1252 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastGun Sales Continue to Decline; Study Finds 2A Sanctuaries Resist 'Red Flag' OrdersOn this week's News Update, Jake Fogleman and Stephen Gutowski examine why gun sales have declined through the first three months of 2024.
They also highlight a California journalist's examination of the "assault weapon" ban, Massachusetts lawmakers taking gun discussions behind closed doors, and an AP poll showing Americans find gun rights important. Jake also details the findings of a recent study on Colorado's "red flag" law usage in "Second Amendment sanctuary" counties. Plus, Steve previews his upcoming range trip with students at the National Journalism Center.
2024-04-0447 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastExamining the Supreme Court's Renewed Interest in AR-15 Bans With Author Mark W. SmithThe Supreme Court is back in the spotlight because it showed a sign it might soon act on so-called assault weapons bans.
But the sign comes in the form of a complex legal maneuver that needs some explaining. That's why we have author and pro-gun lawyer Mark W. Smith on the show to suss out exactly what's going on and what it means.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who oversees the Seventh Circuit, asked Naperville, Illinois, to defend its ban on AR-15s and similar firearms against an emergency request to block the law. Smith said...
2023-05-081h 09The Weekly Reload PodcastThe Fate of 'Assault Weapons' Bans According to Gun-Rights Scholar David KopelAnother federal judge ruled on Friday that so-called assault weapons bans likely violate the Second Amendment.
So, the Illinois ban is blocked for now. But Washington's was just signed. And Delaware's 2022 ban is still standing. Elsewhere, bans on the popular guns, including the AR-15, have been forestalled by political reality.
Independence Institute's David Kopel understands the fight well having just gone through it in his home state of Colorado, where Democrats who control the government weren't able to push a ban over the finish line. But he has also filed many court briefs and written...
2023-05-011h 26The Weekly Reload PodcastFormer NRA Board Member Frank Tait on Reform EffortsThe NRA's 2023 Annual Meeting was last week. The group was resurgent, and leadership got a mostly warm welcome.
That doesn't mean the NRA's problems are solved. To the contrary, it still seems to be bleeding membership revenue at the same time it racks up increasing legal bills from dealing with multiple corruption suits over allegations of financial impropriety. That's why we have Frank Tait, who just finished his term on the NRA board, on the show this week.
Tait, who joined the board as a vocal critic of Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, admitted attempts...
2023-04-241h 25The Weekly Reload PodcastMass Shooting Patterns and Potential Solutions With The Violence Project's James DensleyThe beginning of the week featured another horrible mass shooting in America. This time at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky.
That's why I wanted to bring on one of the leading experts currently studying mass shootings. Metro State University Professor James Densley is one of the co-founders of The Violence Project, which has the most detailed and comprehensive database of mass shootings dating back to 1966. He is also the co-author of the book by the same name that outlines potential real-world solutions to the phenomenon.
Professor Densley explained why he believes the count they use...
2023-04-171h 19The Weekly Reload PodcastWe Answer Your Gun QuestionsIt's time for another Q&A podcast episode!
This week, we're taking some of the best questions from Reload Members. Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman joins me to offer up our best answers to those questions.
And those questions covered all sorts of topics. One member asked how realistic confiscation of at least some firearms, such as AR-15s, is and what protections against the federal government implementing such a policy exists. Another asked about the long-term prospects for the gun-rights movement, especially in blue states.
We also explain how circuit splits work and...
2023-04-101h 15The Weekly Reload PodcastBruen is Outpacing the Effects of Heller (Feat. Pepperdine University's Jake Charles)This week, we're discussing the tremendous effect the Supreme Court's Bruen decision has had on the lower courts in a few short months.
Jake Charles, an associate professor at Pepperdine University, joins the show to give us an overview of his latest paper. In it, he comprehensively breaks down how many Second Amendment claims have been successful thus far and which ones have performed best. With 31 successful claims, the post-Bruen era has seen far more decisions against gun laws than the immediate aftermath of 2008's Heller decision.
Charles said he wasn't surprised by how much...
2023-04-031h 12The Weekly Reload PodcastYouTuber Reno May on His Win Over California's Handgun RosterThis week, California gun owners received positive news when a federal judge ruled the state's handgun restrictions are unconstitutional.
So, we decided to reach out to one of the most prominent plaintiffs in the case: YouTuber Reno May. He said he is happy with the outcome of the case. He even expressed optimism that the ruling might go into effect without an appeal.
Federal District Judge Judge Cormac J. Carney agreed with May and the other plaintiffs' argument that the state's "Unsafe Handgun Law" violates the Second Amendment. He found the requirement that all new...
2023-03-271h 12The Weekly Reload PodcastWhat Does President Biden's New Executive Order on Guns Do? (Feat. Heritage's Amy Swearer)President Joe Biden announced a set of new executive orders this week that could have wide-ranging effects.
But what does his order actually do? Well, that's what we brought Amy Swearer on to explain. She's the conservative Heritage Foundation's gun policy expert who regularly testifies on Capitol Hill.
She said three of the initiatives have the potential to have a severe impact on gun owners across America. The effort to broaden the requirement for those selling guns to obtain a federal license, the directive that federal agencies and the military try to add gun-control requirements...
2023-03-201h 11The Weekly Reload PodcastAshley Hlebinsky on the University of Wyoming's New Firearms Research CenterOn this week's episode, we're exploring a new effort to make firearms law and history a specific academic pursuit.
Ashley Hlebinsky joins the show to tell us about the University of Wyoming's Firearms Research Center. She is the former curator of the Cody Firearms Museum who helped found the new center. She explains what she and a top law professor at the school hope to accomplish with the effort.
Hlebinsky said the goal is to develop gun research as a unified topic of study. She said the center is hoping to bring scholars from around...
2023-03-131h 09The Weekly Reload PodcastNational Review's Charles Cooke on Florida's Desantis Pushing Gun ReformsCharles Cooke is back on the show this week.
The National Review senior writer is an expert on gun policy and politics. He is also a Florida Man. So, he's the perfect person to come on and talk about Governor Ron Desantis's (R.) latest push to institute new gun reforms.
Cooke said Desantis's push to implement permitless gun carry and banking reforms designed to pressure financial institutions into continuing to work with gun businesses is likely to succeed. Republicans have supermajorities in both houses of the state legislature and Desantis has worked more closely with...
2023-03-061h 20The Weekly Reload PodcastShould Gun Suicides be Counted as Gun Violence? (Feat. Gun Lawyer Kostas Moros)This week, we're examining the way that most gun-control groups count "gun violence."
Kostas Moros, a gun-rights lawyer, joins the show to discuss the piece he wrote for The Reload about why the decision to include gun-related suicides in those counts is misleading. He explained that the majority of gun deaths, and usually up to two-thirds of them, are suicides. He said gun-control activists' claims about the correlation between strict gun laws and lower levels of "gun violence" don't hold water without including suicides.
Moros argued states with strict gun laws often don't have lower...
2023-02-271h 02The Weekly Reload PodcastAuthor Mark W. Smith on the Post-Bruen Legal LandscapeWe're doing another unique episode this week.
Instead of exploring a specific story from the week, we're taking a step back and looking at the state of the legal fight over guns. That's why I reached out to one of the best legal commentators out there: Mark W. Smith. He is an author, lawyer, and host of The Four Boxes Diner on YouTube.
Smith gives us the state of play around gun restrictions in federal courts. He said there has been more significant movement from the courts in the seven months since SCOTUS handed down...
2023-02-201h 14The Weekly Reload PodcastForgotten Weapons' Ian McCollum on YouTube's Silencer Video TakedownsThis week we're focused on YouTube's erratic moderation of silencers.
The social media giant began deleting videos and even whole channels that featured silencers, often called suppressors, from their site a few weeks back. Then, after public outcry and an inquiry from The Reload, the company reversed course. But the damage to trust many gun creators had in the platform was already done by then.
Ian McCollum, who had one of his suppressor videos from Forgotten Weapons deleted, joins the podcast to talk about the ordeal. He explains how this is not the first time...
2023-02-131h 10The Weekly Reload PodcastMonster Hunter Author Larry Correia on Defending the Second AmendmentThis week we're trying something a little bit different.
Usually, we have a guest on to talk about a recent gun story we've been reporting on. I thought it would be a good time to shake things up a little bit. When New York Times best-selling fantasy author Larry Correia's agent reached out about his new non-fiction book on the Second Amendment, it seemed like a good idea.
Correia was amenable. So, I read his classic book Monster Hunter International and his new book In Defense of the Second Amendment to prepare for the conversation...
2023-02-061h 09The Weekly Reload PodcastBearing Arms' Cam Edwards on Pistol Brace Ban Updates and ATF InconsistencyThis week we have one of my favorite guests back on the show: Cam Edwards of Bearing Arms.
There are few people who follow gun politics as closely as Cam. And even fewer are capable of the intelligent analysis he commonly offers. So, I'm glad he's back to talk about the complicated ins and outs of the ATF's recent rule proposals and public statements.
The ATF clarified several points regarding its upcoming pistol brace ban this week. It said foreign-made braced guns can be either dismantled or registered as short-barrel rifles to comply with the...
2023-01-301h 03The Weekly Reload PodcastPistol Brace Inventor Alex Bosco on the ATF's New BanThis week, we're diving into the details of the ATF's pistol brace ban.
That's why we have pistol brace inventor and SB Tactical owner Alex Bosco on the show. He gave his view on how many guns will be affected by the ban, whether any braced guns avoid the prohibition, and the legal case he's building against it.
Bosco said he believes there are at least 10 million braces in circulation despite the ATF's claim the number is closer to 3 million. He said the new rule appears to effectively reclassify all braced guns with rifled barrels...
2023-01-231h 33The Weekly Reload PodcastThe Problems With Gun Insurance Mandates According to Expert RJ LehmannThe podcast is back after a holiday and illness break. This week, we're covering the pair of gun insurance mandates that have recently gone into effect.
R.J. Lehmann, a senior fellow at the International Center for Law and Economics, joins us to discuss the details of New Jersey's gun-carry insurance mandate and San Jose, California's gun ownership insurance requirement.
He said the requirements, which are the first of their kind, won't accomplish the goal lawmakers have claimed. Namely, insurance companies can't provide coverage for criminal acts. That basically leaves damage caused by accidental shootings...
2023-01-161h 14The Weekly Reload PodcastGun Violence Archive's Mark Bryant on His Role in the CDC Gun Defense DramaLast week, we broke news of the CDC removing gun defense use estimates and a review paper it commissioned from its website after meeting privately with a group of advocates.
This week, we have one of those advocates on the show. Mark Bryant, executive director of the Gun Violence Archive, was involved in the private meeting with CDC officials. He attacked Florida State University criminologist Gary Kleck's estimate of 2.5 million defensive gun uses per year as misleading. And he said it was preventing new gun restrictions from making progress.
The CDC initially rebuffed the request...
2022-12-231h 15The Weekly Reload PodcastManhattan Institute's Robert VerBruggen on the CDC Caving to Gun-Control AdvocatesThe CDC came under fire this week after we broke news they had deleted defensive gun use (DGU) stats from their website under pressure from gun-control advocates. It's an extremely important story, but one that involves some complicated science.
So, I wanted to bring on somebody who has extensive knowledge of the topic to help us get a better understanding of the controversy. That's why I asked Manhatten Institute fellow Robert VerBruggen to join me. He has written about the strengths and weaknesses of different methods for estimating DGUs, including the Gary Kleck surveys at the center...
2022-12-191h 13The Weekly Reload PodcastGOA's Sam Paredes on Blocking Oregon's New Gun-Control LawOregon's gun-control ballot initiative has put it at the center of the fight over guns in America. As the political battle ended with victory for Measure 114 and the deadline to implement a non-existent permit-to-purchase system closed in, a new front opened in the courts.
Sam Paredes, a Gun Owners of America (GOA) board member and treasurer of the Gun Owners Foundation, was on the frontline of that legal battle. While multiple federal suits were unable to secure a Temporary Restraining Order against the law, GOA was able to convince a state judge the measure violated the Oregon...
2022-12-121h 04The Weekly Reload PodcastGeorgia State University's Timothy Lytton on How Guns Will Impact the Senate RunoffThe race that will decide the final balance of power in the Senate will be decided in a matter of days.
The contest in Georgia between incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Hershel Walker won't determine who controls the Senate since Democrats have already accomplished that, but it will determine how easily they can move forward with President Joe Biden's executive and judicial appointments. That will significantly impact gun policy for the next two years. So, we've got Georgia State University professor Timothy Lytton on the show to talk about where the race is headed.
2022-12-0554 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastNew York State Jewish Gun Club Founder Explains Their Suit Against the State's Synagogue Gun BanThis week on the podcast, we're discussing one of the many lawsuits currently trying to take down New York's latest gun-carry restrictions.
Joining us on the show is Tzvi Waldman to discuss the New York State Jewish Gun Club's challenge to the ban on guns in places of worship. He argued the law, which keeps even those who are licensed by the state and authorized by their faith leader to carry from doing so, is unconstitutional. And he said it puts worshipers at greater risk of attack.
Waldman said the law forces Jewish worshipers to...
2022-11-2157 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastBearing Arms' Cam Edwards on the Election's Impact on Gun PoliticsThe election is over, and it's time to read the tea leaves.
That's why I'm bringing Cam Edward from Bearing Arms back on the show to interpret the results. How did the races we were watching turn out? How much impact did guns have on them? How much impact will the election have on guns?
Cam says gun-rights advocates fared better than Republicans.
While Republicans couldn't regain control of the Senate and appear to only have barely recaptured the House, gun-rights positions in ballot initiatives outperformed even popular Republican candidates on the same...
2022-11-141h 02The Weekly Reload PodcastAxios's Josh Kraushaar on Guns and the MidtermsThe midterm elections are upon us.
As we've discussed previously, Americans are far less interested in gun policy than they were this summer. So, how will we be able to tell the effects of guns on the election? Axios Senior Political Correspondent Josh Kraushaar joins the show to talk about where we should focus our attention.
There are a few races where guns are playing a more prominent role. The ballot initiatives in Iowa and Oregon that deal directly with gun policy are obvious examples. The gubernatorial races in Texas, Georgia, and New York are...
2022-11-0754 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastOpen Secrets' Anna Massoglia on How the Gun Groups are Spending in 2022The midterms are just over a week away, and the outcome will have a significant impact on the likely hood of new federal gun restrictions.
If Democrats hold control of the House and gain seats in the Senate, the possibility they blow up the filibuster and pass new gun laws rises. If Republicans gain control of either house of Congress, the likelihood of new gun laws falls to near zero.
The gun groups know this, and they're spending as much as they can to push the outcome in either direction. So, this week, I've got...
2022-10-311h 05The Weekly Reload PodcastLooking Ahead at the Midterms With Bearing Arms' Cam EdwardsThe election is fast approaching, and they will determine control of Congress as well as the future of federal gun legislation.
So, this week, we've got Cam Edwards of Bearing Arms on the show to talk about the impact of guns on the midterms. Or, really, whether they will have much of an impact. After all, the most recent polling shows Americans have lost interest in the issue as the election draws nearer.
The gun groups have still raised and spent tens of millions thus far, with more to come. But they've all hedged their...
2022-10-241h 05The Weekly Reload PodcastThe History of Individual Gun Rights With Lawyer Kostas MorosOn this week's episode, we're doing something a little bit different.
Instead of interviewing somebody about something they wrote, I'm talking about a piece I wrote with my co-author. Gun-rights lawyer Kostas Moros joins me to talk about our look at what second-generation Americans thought of the Second Amendment.
We set out to answer a pretty simple question: did gun-rights advocates recently invent the idea that the Second Amendment protects an individual right?
The answer is no.
Moros explains how he used digitized 19th-century writings to show Americans have long viewed...
2022-10-171h 22The Weekly Reload PodcastManhattan Institute's Robert VerBruggen on the Murder Spike and Bad FBI Crime DataThe FBI just released its full 2021 crime report. So, this week on the podcast, we're talking about the spike in nationwide homicides.
That's why Robert VerBruggen from National Review and the Manhattan Institute is joining us. He's been writing about the ins and outs of crime data for years and has produced some of the most insightful commentary I've seen.
With data from the FBI, CDC, and elsewhere indicating a significant increase in murder over the past two years, VerBruggen walks us through the trend and its implications. He also explains why the FBI's data...
2022-10-101h 18The Weekly Reload PodcastWe Answer Your Gun QuestionsA lot has happened since the last time we took questions on the podcast.
We're living through a time of great change with guns in America. Sales moved to historic levels in recent years, and millions of people from demographics that have been traditionally less likely to own guns have decided to arm themselves. Mass shootings have shocked the nation and led to the first new federal gun restrictions in generations. At the same time, the Supreme Court has handed down a seminal ruling protecting the individual right to carry firearms in public while articulating a specific...
2022-10-031h 12The Weekly Reload PodcastGMU Professor Robert Leider on a Federal Judge Striking Down the Felony Indictment Gun BanWe're focusing on a new federal court ruling calling the federal felony gun ban into question this week.
That's why we've got George Mason University's Robert Leider on the podcast. He is an assistant professor at the Antonin Scalia Law School who has clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas. He has also written extensively about Second Amendment law.
He said District Court Judge David Counts was correct in his conclusion that the ban on those under felony inducement receiving firearms does not have a historical analogue. He said the same is true for the ban on...
2022-09-261h 18The Weekly Reload PodcastNSSF's Larry Keane on the Industry Reaction to New Credit Card Codes for Gun StoresThe gun industry is facing a new fight over financing for firearms.
Gun companies have long struggled to obtain and keep banking services in place despite government pressure in the form of Operation Chokepoint and private pressure from big banks refusing to work with them. But now, gun buyers are facing pressure too. Gun-control advocates convinced the organization that oversees credit card merchant codes to create one for gun stores in hopes of flagging "suspicious" transactions for law enforcement.
So, we have Larry Keane on to tell us how the industry is handling the change...
2022-09-191h 03The Weekly Reload PodcastGeorgetown Professor on His Groundbreaking Survey of Gun OwnersWe took a look at the largest-ever survey of gun owners this week. I covered the topline results, and Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman wrote an analysis for members on what the survey showed about AR-15s in American society. We plan to write quite a bit more on the study because of how much high-quality data is in it.
That brings us to this week's podcast. Georgetown Professor William English, who conducted the survey, joins us to discuss the details.
English said he wanted to update the evidence and address some common critiques of well-known...
2022-09-121h 04The Weekly Reload PodcastGun Makers Match Organizer Rob Pincus Updates Us on the 'Ghost Gun' Kit BanThis week we're looking at the practical impact of President Joe Biden's "ghost gun" kit ban. The ban went into effect just a few days ago. So, it's a good time to check in and assess the fallout.
That's why we've brought Rob Picus on the show. Rob is one of the key organizers behind the gunmakers match, a shooting competition for people who build their own firearms. He has become engrained in the homebuilding community.
He said companies that make 80 percent frames or receivers have begun to test the new legal landscape. At least...
2022-09-051h 13The Weekly Reload PodcastBearing Arms' Cam Edwards on the Upward Swing in Support for Gun ControlThis week we're talking about the implications of a polling trend and new political developments that should worry gun-rights advocates.
So, I asked Cam Edwards of Bearing Arms to join the show. He is one of the most insightful gun writers on the planet and one of the few who has a solid understanding of national politics.
We talked at length about a recent AP poll that found support for stricter gun laws was at an all-time high and, more importantly, an upward trend. Since 2013, support has climbed 19 points. That's something that I argued ought...
2022-08-291h 11The Weekly Reload PodcastThe Second Amendment Foundation's Alan Gottlieb on Filing Gun Cases After BruenThe Supreme Court's decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen is going to have a monumental impact on the nation's gun laws. So, we've spent quite a lot of time talking about it on the podcast. We've talked to analysts and experts, including National Review's Charles Cooke and Duke's Andrew Willinger.
But we haven't talked to anybody who is directly involved in the legal fight. That's why Alan Gottlieb of the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) is joining the show this week.
His group is involved in dozens of cases across the...
2022-08-221h 12The Weekly Reload PodcastHow to Prevent Gun Suicides with Walk The Talk AmericaAbout two-thirds of gun deaths each year are suicides. It's an incredible challenge facing the gun-owning community. It's also one they've begun organizing to address.
One person leading that effort is Michael Sodini of Walk The Talk America. He joins the show this week to discuss how the industry and gun owners alike have partnered with mental health professionals to try and reduce the number of gun suicides each year.
Sodini said explained the way the program came about and how it fills an important gap. When he first attempted to use the resources of...
2022-08-151h 13The Weekly Reload PodcastYouTuber Reno May on His Fight Against California's Handgun RosterThis week we're taking a closer look at the latest lawsuit against California's unique handgun restrictions.
So, who better to talk to than one of the plaintiffs in the case? That's why I reached out to Reno May. He has joined the suit claiming California's ban on "unsafe" handguns violates the Second Amendment.
May's case comes after two previous challenges to the law have failed. Plaintiffs in the new case, which include the California Rifle and Pistol Association, argue the Supreme Court's New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen decision calls for renewed...
2022-08-081h 11The Weekly Reload PodcastDuke Law's Andrew Willinger on Bruen's FalloutThis week we're bringing in a fresh perspective on the Supreme Court's landmark decisions in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.
I've talked with National Review's Charles Cooke and Cam Edwards of Bearing Arms about the case and its likely fallout on previous episodes of the podcast. It's only sensible to try and get another credible voice who looks at the situation from a different point of view.
Andrew Willinger, the new executive director of Duke University's Center for Firearms Law, was gracious enough to fill that role. He gave his interpretation of w...
2022-08-011h 12The Weekly Reload PodcastCam Edwards of Bearing Arms on the House 'Assault Weapons' BanDemocrats on the House Judiciary Committee voted to move an "assault weapons" ban for the first time in decades this week.
The move came as a bit of a surprise. Democrats haven't passed an assault weapons ban at the federal level since the original one expired in 2004. They didn't include one alongside the other measures in the gun-control package they passed in the wake of the Uvalde shooting.
So, I brought Cam Edwards from Bearing Arms on to discuss the changing tides. Cam is one of the most insightful pro-gun writers out there and has...
2022-07-2559 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastThe Agent Behind the FBI's Active Shooter Report Discusses Potential Solutions to the ProblemWe've seen some of the worst acts of mass violence in American history this summer.
That's why I wanted to bring on an expert in active shooter situations to give some insight into what causes these events and how they might be prevented. There are few people with a better understanding of the situation than the person who created the FBI's research program on active shooters: Katherine Schweit.
She literally wrote the book on how to stop the killing.
Schweit created the FBI's definition of "active shooter." While most media or activist counts...
2022-07-181h 16The Weekly Reload PodcastA Liberal New Yorker Explains Why She Wants a GunThis week we're starting to examine the real-world effects of the Supreme Court's Bruen decision.
With New York's restrictive gun-carry law being struck down, more people will actually be able to carry in the state. So, it's essential to understand who some of those people are and why they want to carry in the first place. That's why we have Laura E. Adkins on the show.
Adkins recently wrote an opinion piece for The New York Times on her desire to arm herself.
As a single woman living in New York City, she...
2022-07-1159 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastA Q&A On the Supreme Court Gun Decision, New Federal Gun Law, and ATF RegulationsThanks to the first major Second Amendment ruling from the Supreme Court in over a decade and the first new federal gun restrictions in a generation there's a lot of uncertainty about America's gun laws. So, we thought it was a good time to answer some of your questions.
Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman and I took submissions from Reload Members on their most pressing concerns. We got questions on everything from how the ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen affects the other pending gun cases before the Court to how stable the new...
2022-07-041h 09The Weekly Reload PodcastNational Review's Charles Cooke Reacts to Supreme Court and Senate Gun NewsTwo of the biggest gun stories in decades came to a head this week. The Supreme Court's anticipated Bruen decision invalidate "may issue" gun carry permit laws nationwide just before the federal government passed its first new gun restrictions in a generation. These shifts are monumental.
That's why this week we're joined by one of the top pro-gun thinkers out there: National Review's Charles Cooke.
Cooke has already written extensively on the ruling and the legislation. He said both would have far-reaching consequences.
He argued the ruling puts the Second Amendment back on...
2022-06-271h 00The Weekly Reload PodcastPolitico's Burgess Everett Gives Insight into How Senate Gun Talks are UnfoldingSenate gun negotiations carried on this week after encountering a few speed bumps.
That's why I had another top Capitol Hill reporter on the show. This week, I'm joined by Burgess Everett of Politico. He has spent decades reporting on and talking to the key senators at the center of the gun deal.
Everett said that while the deal has a lot of momentum, he's seen many so-called must-pass bills fail. He said that red flag grants being expanded to non-red-flag laws and how gun prohibitions should be extended to those that commit violence against...
2022-06-201h 07The Weekly Reload PodcastPunchbowl's John Bresnahan on Senate Gun TalksThis week we have one of the top Capitol Hill reporters on the podcast.
The House passed a package of gun-control bills and bipartisan discussions in the Senate have been making progress towards a deal. So, I wanted to bring on Punchbowl Co-Founder John Bresnahan to give us a breakdown of where this is all really headed. Bresnahan has been reporting on the Hill for as long as anybody, and nobody else has a better view of what's going on.
He said Senators John Cornyn (R., Texas) and Chris Murphy (D., Conn.) are the key...
2022-06-131h 16The Weekly Reload PodcastActive Shooting Response Trainer Mike Willever on Mistakes in UvaldeThe more we learn about the law enforcement response to the Uvalde, Texas school shooting, the worse it looks.
After an initial exchange of fire with the shooter, police waited upwards of an hour to storm the room he was in and neutralize him. I've taken multiple active shooter training courses, and this response appears to go against everything people have been taught for decades. It also seems to have given the attacker the opportunity to kill more children.
But I wanted to bring on somebody even better versed in both active shooter response training...
2022-06-061h 08The Weekly Reload PodcastQ&A on the NRA and Fallout From the Uvalde ShootingWith so much going on this week it felt like the appropriate time to do another Q&A episode.
Contributing Writer Jake Fogelman joined me to answer some of the most pressing questions from Reload members. With the NRA Annual Meeting taking place in Houston, Texas just a few days after a horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, there is a lot to discuss.
Members wanted to know how gun owners can best respond to attacks like this. What are some policy solutions? What's the best way to avoid bad-faith fights without completely ceding the...
2022-05-301h 09The Weekly Reload PodcastDavid French on Red Flag Laws in the Wake of the Buffalo MassacreDavid French has long advocated for the adoption of red flag laws to prevent mass shootings. In the wake of the Buffalo shooting, where an unused red flag law may have stopped that massacre, he seemed like a good person to discuss the policy's advantages and drawbacks.
French argued red flag laws, otherwise known as Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO), provide a kind of stopgap between releasing somebody who is troubled and going through the more complex process of involuntarily committing them. He said they provide a way to intervene with somebody who has demonstrated they are...
2022-05-231h 04The Weekly Reload PodcastAllen West Explains Why He's Running Against Wayne LaPierreWe have an exclusive interview with Allen West for you this week.
He announced on Monday he would accept the call of current and former board members to challenge Wayne LaPierre for the control of the NRA. He will be pitted against the long-time head of the organization in a fight for the group's future. The results will determine how the NRA moves forward after years of controversy coupled with financial and legal struggles.
West says the gun-rights group is in desperate need of reform. He pledged to bring transparency to how the group handles...
2022-05-1654 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastLara Smith On the Liberal Gun Club's MissionLara Smith joins the show this week. She's the national spokesperson for a stereotype-defying group: The Liberal Gun Club.
Smith talks at length about the group's philosophy. Rather than focusing on gun bans or restrictions, they believe in addressing the root causes of violence. They lobby against strict new gun-control laws and for alternative approaches to solving gun violence.
She said the group has grown substantially over the past two years as the number of new gun owners has increased, especially those from demographics that skew more liberal. Smith argued that trend will impact not...
2022-05-091h 03The Weekly Reload PodcastNAAGA President Philip Smith Criticizes Biden's ATF ShakeupPhilip Smith of the National African American Gun Association (NAAGA) joins the podcast to discuss President Joe Biden's recent moves to change ATF leadership.
Biden recently picked a second nominee to head the agency. Then he demoted the acting director and replaced him with a third candidate. Smith said NAAGA is unhappy that Marvin Richardson, a Black agent with 33 years of experience, has now been passed over three times for White candidates who are less qualified for the permanent director position.
Smith said Richardson is well-liked by ATF agents and the industry alike. He argued...
2022-05-0253 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastCam Edwards on President Biden's Controversial ATF MovesCam Edwards of Bearing Arms joins the show this week after the ATF saw a significant shakeup.
After President Biden announced he would nominate a new permanent director last week, he took to punishing the acting director. Marvin Richardson, a 30-year career agent, was moved down to acting deputy director for the last few months of his time at the agency. The move comes just a month after gun-control advocates and The New York Times attacked Richardson as too friendly towards the gun industry.
Cam argues those complaints were weak. He says the gun-control groups...
2022-04-2558 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastGhost Gunner's Cody Wilson Responds to Biden's 'Ghost Gun' Kit BanPresident Biden went hard after "ghost guns" and the companies that make them this week. So, on this episode, we've got one of the most prominent men who is squarely in his sights: Defense Distributed's Cody Wilson.
Wilson is a pioneer in 3D-printed guns having developed the first prototype called The Liberator. His Ghost Gunner mini-CNC machine is among the popular ways to finish the unfinished gun receivers commonly available on the market.
As such, he read through the entire 364-page final guidance on the new ban from the ATF. We discuss the ins and...
2022-04-181h 06The Weekly Reload PodcastThe Washington Post's Radley Balko on the Killing of Amir LockeAuthor and Washington Post Columnist Radley Balko joins the show this week to talk about how police militarization impacts gun rights.
Balko has spent a career documenting questionable police tactics, and he provides some unique insight into the Amir Locke case. Minneapolis Police killed Locke during a no-knock raid in February because he reached for a gun during the confusion caused by his apartment door being kicked in without warning. Locke wasn't the subject of the warrant and had no record, but he ended up dead.
Now, the police officer who shot him has been...
2022-04-111h 19The Weekly Reload PodcastNational Review's Charles Cooke on Florida Permitless Carry and Biden's Supreme Court NomineeFlorida is going to have a special session where Governor Ron DeSantis (R.) says he hopes permitless gun-carry is added to the agenda. So, who better to bring on the show to discuss this news than Florida Man Charles Cooke?
The National Review senior writer joined the podcast to give some insight into the state of the proposal. He said it will likely be an uphill battle to get the policy through the legislature even with the backing of DeSantis. He also explained the unique nature of Florida's gun laws which lag behind those of other red...
2022-04-041h 08The Weekly Reload PodcastErick Erickson on how Guns Might Decide the Georgia Governor's RaceNationally-syndicated radio host and author Erick Erickson joins the show this week to talk about the Georgia election, NRA, and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Erickson, who lives in Georgia, has closely followed the gubernatorial election. The Republican primary has been particularly heated this year with former-president Donald Trump enticing former-senator David Purdue to run against incumbent Brian Kemp as a form of payback over rebuffed attempts to flip the 2020 election results. With Kemp facing stiff opposition he's turned back to a policy he first ran on in 2018: permitless gun-carry.
Whether Kemp can get the bill over...
2022-03-281h 06The Weekly Reload PodcastInterviewing the Lawyer Who Dismantled America's Stun-Gun BansRhode Island's statewide stun-gun ban was overturned by a federal court this week. It was the last of its kind, and the latest to fall in what's becoming a systemic dismantling of the prohibitions across the country.
The effort to liberalize stun gun and taser laws wasn't undertaken by any of the major gun-rights groups or civil-rights organizations. It hasn't been backed by anyone with deep pockets. Instead, it's been something of a passion project for a lawyer who started off with a $10,000 budget.
That lawyer is Alan Beck, and he's our guest on this...
2022-03-221h 13The Weekly Reload PodcastReload Members Q&AWe're doing something different this week.
Instead of interviewing an expert on a single topic, we're letting Reload members interview us on a bunch of different topics. It's our first Q&A episode!
Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman and I answer questions on a wide range of stories. What is going on with gun laws and armed civilians in Ukraine? How could it affect American gun politics?
How much control does Wayne LaPierre have over the NRA board?
What's happening with President Biden's pistol brace ban proposal? How does grandfathering play into...
2022-03-141h 06The Weekly Reload PodcastFormer NRA Board Member Rocky Marshall on the Group's Legal StrugglesThe NRA will not be forced to close down due to the New York Attorney General's corruption suit.
However, the case remains active. So, former NRA board member Rocky Marshall joined the show this week to discuss the internal fight over the corruption allegations against NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre and other members of leadership.
Marshall is one of the few board members to publicly oppose LaPierre and make efforts to remove him from leadership. Last year, he became the first person to run against LaPierre for Executive Vice President.
He said...
2022-03-0556 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastAnthony Constantini On Ukraine Recognizing Civilian Gun Rights as Russia InvadesWar continues to rage in Ukraine as Russia attempts to capture cities across the nation despite fierce resistance.
Part of that resistance has been made up of civilian volunteers who've gained new protections for their right to armed defense and been given guns by the military. Anthony Constantini, who received a master's degree in arms control and strategic studies from St. Petersburg State University, joined me on the show to discuss how this strategy of arming civilians represents a departure from traditional European views. And we talk about how it may play out.
Anthony wrote...
2022-02-2846 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastCam Edwards on How Bad the Sandy Hook Settlement is for the Gun IndustryInsurers for the defunct Remington Outdoor Company paid out a $73 million settlement to families of the Sandy Hook victims. It was the first time any gun company, even a bankrupt and dismantled one, has ever paid money to plaintiffs who claimed they were at least partially responsible for the criminal acts of a third party. It's an unprecedented situation that raises a ton of questions.
That's why I brought on one of the best gun writers out there: Bearing Arms editor Cam Edwards.
Cam and I go through the 6-year timeline of the case and...
2022-02-2159 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastGeorgia Governor Brian Kemp on Why Gun Owners Should Re-Elect HimGeorgia Governor Brian Kemp (R.) joined the podcast this week to discuss his approach to gun policy and why he thinks gun owners should vote for him.
We started off by discussing his background with guns. He talked about how he got into hunting and how members of his family have become concealed carriers themselves.
Kemp also explained getting permitless gun-carry passed this year is his top priority. He said he was confident the policy would pass this year because lawmakers will be more motivated after the rioting of 2020. He said voters would prefer his...
2022-02-1453 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastOSU Accounting Professor on NRA Revenues Falling by Half Since 2018, Legal Fees Ballooning in 2021On this week's episode, we drill down into the details of the internal financial document The Reload obtained from an NRA source.
Ohio State University Accounting Professor Brian Mittendorf joins the show to give insight into what the document says and what the massive drops in revenue and membership reveal about the future of the country's most influential gun group. He says the NRA has actually improved its financial position, but only by drastically cutting back on its core services. That puts it in danger of entering a kind of "death spiral" with fewer members leading to...
2022-02-071h 10The Weekly Reload Podcast'Ghost Gun' Pioneer Cody Wilson on How He Makes AR-15s From Blocks of Raw MetalCody Wilson joins the show this week. He is the founder of Defense Distributed and one of the main innovators in homemade guns. His Liberator 3D-printed gun brought him to prominence years ago and he's continued to push the boundaries of what's possible in simplified gun-making with increasingly-common technology.
In fact, he and his company have even focused on making some of that technology more common. Defense Distributed is now selling the third iteration of its "ghost gunner" mill. The miniaturized CNC machine can finish AR-15 receivers from blocks that are about 80 percent finished.
And...
2022-01-311h 00The Weekly Reload PodcastRecapping the World's Largest Gun Show With Outdoor Writer Gabby HoffmanSHOT Show is back after being canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
I was able to attend the show and so was this week's guest Gabby Hoffman. Gabby has been one of the top outdoor writers in the country for quite some time. She also hosts the District of Conservation Podcast where I've been a guest several times.
Gabby and I compare how attendance at this year's show stacks up to years past, some of the covid mitigation efforts, and how a number of large companies dropping out affected everything. It was certainly...
2022-01-241h 03The Weekly Reload PodcastMatt Stoller Argues Industry Consolidation Contributes to the Ammo Price SurgeOn this episode, Director of Research at the American Economic Liberties Project Matt Stoller joins the show to talk about the ongoing ammo shortage and the resulting price hikes we've all been experiencing lately.
Stoller recently wrote a widely-circulated piece on his Substack arguing the market dominance of Vista Outdoors and Olin Corporation contribute to the supply problems and price hikes. Those companies own many of the most popular ammo brands including Federal, American Eagle, CCI, Winchester, and Remington. Stoller says the companies use consolidation, such as Vista's recent purchase of Remington's ammo business, to better control...
2022-01-171h 08The Weekly Reload PodcastCanadian Gun-Rights Lawyer Ian Runkle on AR-15 Confiscation EffortOne of the persistent debates in American gun politics is over AR-15s and other "assault weapons." Policy around ARs has stagnated since the federal assault weapons ban expired in 2004. However, gun-control advocates have begun to expand proposals into outright confiscation, with Beto O'Rourke being among the most prominent.
Now, our neighbors to the north are testing out these expanded proposals in practice. It isn't going well so far. Program costs have already run over budget for the buyback portion of the mandatory buyback and details for it haven't even been announced yet despite a looming April d...
2022-01-091h 00The Weekly Reload PodcastForgotten Weapons' Ian McCollum on the Appeal of Collecting FirearmsOne of my favorite YouTubers joins me on this week's episode of the podcast. Ian McCollum has built Forgotten Weapons into the premier firearms history publication.
His videos documenting some of the world's rarest and most interesting firearms have been viewed nearly a billion times. His depth of knowledge on guns dating to the early 19th century is unrivaled and his ability to explain the unique, and often complex, mechanisms unique to hundreds of different guns from across the globe is impressive. And the way he is able to connect the development of the gun with the...
2022-01-031h 06The Weekly Reload PodcastGuns Out TV's Shermichael Singleton on the Changing Face of Gun CultureOn this special Christmas edition of the podcast, Guns Out TV co-host Shermichael Singleton joins me to talk about how his show exemplifies how the gun world is changing.
He and his co-host John Keyes are black gun owners and Shermichael explains how they consciously work to represent the proud tradition of black gun ownership in America. He talks about how icons from previous generations, including the Deacons of Defense, have inspired the show and what the pair are trying to accomplish with it. We also discuss how gun owners have been becoming younger and more diverse...
2021-12-2740 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastDebating Gun Salesman Turned Gun-Control Activist Ryan BusseRyan Busse joins the show this week to talk about his transformation from Kimber sales executive to Giffords senior advisor.
Busse spent decades in the firearms industry but left last year and has now published a tell-all book slamming his former employer, Kimber, and many former colleagues. Kimber has since denounced him, and many I've spoken to in the gun-rights movement have questioned how important he was to the company and the industry as a whole. Still, his book has received a great deal of attention throughout the media.
After reading the entire book, I...
2021-12-201h 03The Weekly Reload PodcastProfessor Evan Bernick on Charges Against the Michigan School Shooter's ParentsOn this episode, I talk to Northern Illinois University College of Law professor Evan Bernick about the unprecedented charges against the parents of the 15-year-old who allegedly murdered 4 of his classmates in Michigan late last month.
We discuss his recent piece in The Washington Post warning of the dangers of the case. Bernick is skeptical of the logic being employed by prosecutors to charge the parents with negligent manslaughter in an attempt to hold them responsible for their son's criminal acts. He argues the prosecution could set a troubling new precedent that will be used against vulnerable...
2021-12-131h 03The Weekly Reload PodcastThe Heritage Foundation's Amy Swearer On California's Magazine Confiscation Law Being UpheldThe Heritage Foundation's Amy Swearer joins us this week on the podcast. As a Second Amendment policy wonk at one of the top conservative think tanks in D.C., she provides some salient critiques of the logic behind many of the most prominent gun-control policies.
We talked about the reasoning in the Ninth Circuit's majority opinion upholding California's magazine confiscation law as an example of that logic. Amy explains why she believes arguments for restricted "assault weapons" or magazines that hold more than ten rounds based on the idea they are "designed for the battlefield" don't hold...
2021-12-061h 01The Weekly Reload PodcastDebating David French About Rittenhouse and Open CarryThis week we're doing a special early episode of the podcast. The Dispatch's David French joins the show to discuss his reaction to the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict.
David has been at the center of controversy for the past several years for his staunch criticism of former President Donald Trump. Now, he's generated more criticism for his opinion on the Rittenhouse case.
We discuss the details of the case and why David believes the not guilty verdict was the correct one. He argues Rittenhouse did not commit murder as a matter of law. However, he argues...
2021-11-291h 21The Weekly Reload PodcastLegal Expert John Monroe Explains Why Kyle Rittenhouse Was AcquittedThis week, I'm joined by gun lawyer John Monroe to discuss Kyle Rittenhouse successfully claiming self-defense during his murder trial.
Monroe practices gun law in Wisconsin. He has argued similar cases in the past and is even appearing before the state's supreme court soon. His experience gives him specialized insight into the case against Rittenhouse and why the jury came down on his side.
We discuss the details of Wisconsin's self-defense laws. Monroe says the case hinged on reasonableness. Specifically, whether Rittenhouse reasonably feared for his life and whether the force he used in response...
2021-11-221h 00The Weekly Reload PodcastMeet the Former Green Beret Training Concealed Carriers in Emergency MedicineKenny Robertson of Wex Training Group joins me this week to talk about a new emergency medical training program aimed at concealed carriers.
Robertson spent 22 years in the Army Green Berets as part of the 5th Special Forces Group. He served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syrian, and Lebanon as a medic. After that, he spent years training others to do the same thing as director of the Tactical Casualty Combat Care and Prolonged Field Care programs at the Joint Special Operations Medical Training Center in Fort Bragg, NC.
Now, he's teamed up with Brandon Wexler and...
2021-11-151h 10The Weekly Reload PodcastInvestigative Reporter Tim Mak Explains How the NRA Ended Up at the Edge of DisasterOn this episode, investigative reporter Tim Mak joins me to talk about his new book Misfire: Inside the Downfall of the NRA.
I first met Tim at the 2019 NRA annual meeting where he was one of the only other reporters in the room when dissident members tried to oust CEO Wayne LaPierre over allegations of corruption. He has been at the forefront of covering the NRA for the last several years and produced some of the most impactful stories about the gun-rights group. That includes breaking the news that a Russian spy had infiltrated the group as...
2021-11-081h 07The Weekly Reload PodcastMovie Armorer Steve Wolf on Alec Baldwin's On-Set ShootingOn this episode of the podcast, I interview movie armorer and stunt coordinator Steve Wolf about the disastrous shooting on the set of Alec Baldwin's latest film.
Wolf has worked on a number of major tv and movie sets with some of the top actors and directors in the business. He knows exactly what the proper safety protocols on set are when handling firearms. And he explains the many ways a properly-run production is set up to avoid firearms accidents.
He said he always tries to minimize the use of real firearms and blank-firing props...
2021-10-311h 04The Weekly Reload PodcastCam Edwards on Virginia's Election Tightening as Guns Become FlashpointCam Edwards of Bearing Arms joins the show this week as the Virginia elections enter their homestretch. He argues Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin has actually surged into the lead over Democrat Terry McAuliffe.
We talk about how Dominion Energy's underhanded attempt to discourage gun owners has backfired and helped Youngkin close the gap. Cam and I both live in Virginia, though very different parts of the state, and have been targeted by the disingenuous ads that attack the Republican from the right on guns despite being created by a liberal consulting group.
But, the...
2021-10-2559 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastA Deep Dive Into the NRA's 2020 FinancesOn this episode, contributing writer Jake Fogelman and I discuss the financial situation of the country's largest gun group.
We recently obtained the NRA's 2020 annual report and compared it to previous ones to get a broad view of what the group's books look like. Despite years of operating in the red, recent internal turmoil over corruption allegations, and the pandemic, the group is back to running a surplus. A rather large one of about $54 million, in fact.
But that came about as a result of massive spending cuts. As revenues fell by more than $78 million...
2021-10-181h 14The Weekly Reload PodcastThe Atlantic's Adam Serwer on Guns and Race in AmericaThis week, I talk to The Atlantic's Adam Sewer about how guns and race interact in America both historically and in the modern-day.
He talked about his recent back and forth with Supreme Court justice Samuel Alito over Texas's new abortion law. We disagreed over whether the same tactic of deferring enforcement to civil suits brought by regular citizens rather than government actors will be tried out by gun-control advocates in some parts of the country. He thinks it won't because activists fear review by the court, but I'm not so sure.
From there, we...
2021-10-1159 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastTop Shot Champion Chris Cheng on Gun-Rights Activism and NFT FirearmsThis week, Chris Cheng of Top Shot fame joins me on the show.
After winning the title back in 2012, Chris told me his life changed forever. He used to spend most of his time doing work for leading tech companies, including Google. He still works in the tech space, but much of his time is now dedicated to the gun space--especially gun activism.
He's worked with some of the most prominent gun-rights groups, and he's even testified on Capitol Hill. Now he's an advisor to the Asian Pacific American Gun Owners Association (APAGOA). His work...
2021-10-041h 11The Weekly Reload PodcastGun Activism on the Local Level With the CEO of San Diego County Gun OwnersOn this episode, I talk with Wendy Hauffen of San Diego County Gun Owners. She provides insight into what it's like to run an effective gun-rights organization at the local level.
She described how her group was able to persuade the sheriff to issue more concealed-carry permits. They were able to get him to change the policy even though a court challenge was unable to change the state's law.
We also talked about how the group has been able to bring women into the gun-owning community. She said the #NotMe program they run has already...
2021-09-271h 09The Weekly Reload PodcastNational Review's Jim Geraghty on NRA Turmoil and Fallout From Biden's Failed ATF NominationThis week, I spoke with National Review's Senior Political Correspondent Jim Geraghty. As you might gather from his title, Jim has a lot of experience in covering and analyzing politics. He's also spent a good amount of time covering gun politics and, in particular, the National Rifle Association.
That's why I wanted to have him on to discuss the failure of President Joe Biden's ATF Director nomination. Jim also provides some key insight into what will likely come next in President Biden's efforts to install a director as well as his pursuit of new gun-control measures.
2021-09-201h 08The Weekly Reload PodcastVCDL's Philip Van Cleave on the Upcoming Virginia ElectionsOn this episode, Virginia Citizen Defense League's (VCDL) president Philip Van Cleave joins the show to discuss his group's defamation suit against the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV).
He talks about why the group feels CSGV falsely labeling them a "domestic terror organization" is actionable and why VCDL believes it can reach the high bar to win a defamation case. He also discusses the upcoming elections in Virginia, what VCDL is doing to elect pro-gun candidates, and why they haven't endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Younkin.
I also talk to contributing writer Jake Fogelman...
2021-09-131h 02The Weekly Reload PodcastActive Self Protection's John Correia on Evidence-Based Armed Defense TrainingThis week's guest is John Correia of Active Self Protection. He gives us a deep dive into what it's like to run a YouTube business with millions of followers. He also talks about why he takes a different, less-polarizing approach to making gun content for the internet.
John has been studying and breaking down deadly-force encounters caught on video for years now. His channel has become the premier place for evidence-based advice on how best to survive an attack. And he shares some of the biggest insights he's gained doing the endless research required to build his...
2021-09-031h 05The Weekly Reload PodcastMembers of Asian American and Pacific Islander Gun Owners (AAPIGO) Discuss Minority Gun RightsOn this week's episode, I talked to three members of Asian American and Pacific Islander Gun Owners leadership team.
Scott Kane, Bobby Yang, and Raphael Platte joined me to discuss the new group's recent range day as well as their concealed-carry permit protest event. The three are relative new comers to the world of gun-right activism but they've identified a need in the gun owning community and are trying to fill it. They talked about their efforts to engage with Asian-Americans interested in owning guns and what they plan to do moving forward to grow the group.
2021-08-2753 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastNational African American Gun Association President Philip Smith on Biden's ATF Nominee David ChipmanThis week, I'm joined by Philip Smith who is the head of the National African American Gun Association.
He talks about President Joe Biden's (D.) nominee to head the ATF, David Chipman, and the allegations of racism levied against him by former agents. Smith says Chipman is the wrong man for the job and talks about why the acting director is a better pick.
Smith also responds to recent assertions that the Second Amendment itself is the result of racism. He also discusses the group's Supreme Court brief calling for the end of New York's...
2021-08-2152 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastWake Forest Professor David Yamane on the Spread of Gun Carry in AmericaThis week, Wake Forest Professor David Yamane joined me to talk about the fascinating history of gun carry laws in America.
Professor Yamane has turned his attention to an under-researched area: the normal use of guns. While most academics focus their time studying the criminal use of firearms, David has focused on far more common uses of firearms in America. And one area he's focused on in particular is gun carry.
Gun-carry laws have evolved tremendously since the founding of the United States. And the changes have only accelerated in recent decades. But not many...
2021-08-1458 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastNational Review's David Harsanyi on Biden's ATF Nominee David ChipmanOn this episode, I talk to David Harsanyi of National Review about the many recent developments in David Chipman's nomination to lead the ATF.
A firestorm has decended on D.C. and The Reload's reporting on Chipman has been at the center of it. Things have moved quickly over the past week. So, I wanted to bring on Harsanyi to analyze what's going on because he is one of the top gun columnists out there. And he knows how D.C. politics actually work in real life.
He gave some talked about how reactions from...
2021-08-071h 07The Weekly Reload PodcastCam Edwards of Bearing Arms on Allegations of Racism Against Biden's ATF NomineeI talked with Cam Edwards from Bearing Arms on this week's episode of the podcast. We discussed my recent report about ATF agents corroborating the existence of a complaint that President Joe Biden's director nominee made racist comments.
Cam has been one of the best pro-gun writers and show hosts out there for years and years at this point. So, I was very interested in his take on the fallout from the story. We talked about Republicans calling for a new confirmation hearing on the nominee, David Chipman, in the wake of the agents' comments. And we...
2021-07-3157 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastNortheastern University's James Alan Fox on Mass ShootingsNortheastern University's James Alan Fox joined the show this week to talk about his decades-long research on mass shootings. Working with USA Today and the Associated Press, he has spent years documenting shootings where four or more people are killed. He's also researched the killings to better understand how and why they happen.
He talked about how many members of the media have greatly expanded the definition of mass shooting and why it's causing confusion among the public. We also discuss some of the misnomers about what leads to mass shootings. Then we go over the real ca...
2021-07-2553 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastDuke's Jake Charles on the California Assault Weapons Ban Ruling and Exclusives on Republican Efforts to Block Biden's Gun ActionsThis week I cover the stories I broke about Republicans' efforts to stop President Joe Biden's gun agenda and ATF nominee. Then I talk with one of the top gun law researchers in the academic world.
Jake Charles, executive director of the Center for Firearms Law at Duke University, joins me to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the recent California "assault weapons" ban ruling. While he agrees the opinion was written in a way that makes it accessible to ordinary people, he argues it doesn't do much to convince anyone who isn't already on the gun-rights...
2021-07-181h 13The Weekly Reload PodcastTiffany Johnson on Reaching Black Gun Owners, and a New Gun Sales Trend EmergesThis episode I talk to Rangemaster's Tiffany Johnson about her new effort to train instructors in being more approachable for minority customers. And we get into how the gun industry has adjusted to the influx of black gun owners over the past year as well as what more can be done. Tiffany provides a unique point of view that left me better informed.
I also cover the first-of-its-kind ruling holding the government liable for the Air Force's failure to share the Sutherland Springs shooter with the FBI which allowed him to buy his guns. And I dive...
2021-07-1259 minThe Weekly Reload PodcastDavid French on the Supreme Court Gun Carry Case and an Update on the NRAIn this episode, I go in-depth with legal expert and The Dispatch writer David French on the Supreme Court's upcoming gun-carry case. We get into the possible outcomes and what's most realistic. Will The Court punt? Will it declare all forms of gun-carry permitting unconstitutional? Or will it mandate shall issue gun-carry laws?
Plus, how will the High Court's ruling impact the lower courts and all of the other gun litigation moving through the federal system?
I also ask David how he feels about the way red flag laws have actually been implemented since he...
2021-07-051h 18
The Weekly Reload PodcastCharles Cooke on 2nd Amendment History and an Update on the Gun Sales SurgeReload Founder Stephen Gutowski covers the latest gun business news as the June sales numbers come in and a major gun company breaks records. Plus guest Charles Cooke from National Review discusses President Joe Biden's recent claims about the history of the Second Amendment.Special Guest: Charles Cooke.
2021-07-0258 min