TFB Behind the Gun Podcast

Russell Phagan, founder and match director of Firearms Action Shooting Trials (FAST), returns to the show following FAST Idaho, held October 9-11 at the Parma Rod and Gun Club and presented by XTech Tactical. A veteran competitive shooter and one of the minds behind InRangeTV's Brutality match series, Russell built FAST around long par times, hard targets, and enough physical demand to put real stress on the shooter. FAST Idaho also marked the debut of the series' Auto-Rifle division, open to registered machine guns and FRT-equipped rifles. Russell breaks down his match philosophy, his approach to stage design, how competitors should think about equipment selection, and everything else on the table at a FAST match.

Learn more:

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FAST Matches: https://www.fast-matches.org

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KE Arms: https://www.kearms.com

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XTech Tactical: https://www.xtechtactical.com

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Red Right Hand: https://redrighthandllc.com

Cameron Tapler, Director of Branding and Product Management at Palmetto State Armory, joins TFB Behind the Gun for a look inside one of the busiest companies in the firearms industry. Cameron began his PSA career as a manufacturing compliance manager, moved into a corporate role overseeing compliance across the company's FFLs, and now works where branding and product development meet. We talk about his path through the company, how PSA has grown since its 2008 founding in South Carolina into a manufacturer with a catalog spanning ARs, AKs, and well beyond, and what it takes to move a new design from concept to production.

Follow Palmetto State Armory:

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Website: https://palmettostatearmory.com

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PalmettoStateArmoryVideos

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/palmettostatearmoryofficial

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X: https://x.com/palmettoarmory

In this episode of TFB Behind the Gun, Owen Miller, Vice President of the American Suppressor Association, joins the show to break down the August 2026 ruling in Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF. After the One Big Beautiful Bill Act dropped the NFA tax on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns to $0, the court held that the registration system built to collect that tax no longer had a constitutional basis. Owen explains who the injunction covers and who it doesn't, why machine guns and state suppressor bans are untouched, what the DOJ's decision not to appeal means for the case, and how gun owners, manufacturers, and FFLs should approach transfers while ATF guidance is still pending.

Follow the American Suppressor Association:

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Website: https://suppressor.org

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Join the ASA: https://americansuppressorassociation.com/join-now

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Texas NFA case page: https://suppressor.org/litigation/texas-nfa

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X: https://x.com/AmSuppressor

Jacob Albaugh and Mike Herne of TENET join Luke to talk about building hunting suppressors that cut recoil without the weight and length penalty of a traditional brake-and-can setup. Jacob explains how a former ATV racer trying to tame a punishing rifle ended up producing 3D printed Grade 5 titanium suppressors in Dayton, Ohio, and why additive manufacturing lets TENET build internal geometry a CNC machine can't cut. The guys cover the recoil-first Limited series, the HORIZON 1-port and 2-port brakes and how to time them, the Outdoor Life test that put TENET's Reserve prototype on the map, and the quiet-first VESPER series that grew out of it.

Follow TENET:

• Website: https://www.tenet.inc
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tenetinc/

Tom Willingham, founder and CEO of Range USA, joins TFB's Behind the Gun to talk about how a career in commercial real estate turned into building the largest indoor gun range and firearms retail chain in the country. Tom opened the first location in Blue Ash, Ohio in 2012 at age 51, after a bad first experience at a gun shop convinced him the industry needed a more welcoming, mainstream retail approach. We trace that growth from a single Cincinnati-area store to 51 locations across 14 states, including the company's newest opening in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, and talk about what staying rooted in Ohio still means for Range USA's culture as it keeps expanding nationwide.

Follow Range USA:

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Online Store

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Instagram

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Monroeville location

Dan Wolgin of Ammunition Depot returns to TFB's Behind the Gun to talk about AmmoVault, the company's new reserve-and-storage service that lets shooters buy ammunition over time, have it held in a climate-controlled facility, and ship it whenever they're ready. We also dig into Ammunition Depot's new partnership with the NRA, which adds a checkout donation option funding NRA and NRA-ILA litigation, and get an update on Rhode v. Bonta, the long-running challenge to California's ammunition background check law where Ammunition Depot has been a plaintiff from the start. The case is now before the full Ninth Circuit following March 2026 oral arguments, with a ruling still pending.

Follow Ammunition Depot:

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Instagram

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AmmoVault

Martin from FALCO Holsters joins TFB's Behind the Gun to talk about the company's 1989 founding in a small Slovakian garage, where it got its start making falconry gloves before growing into one of the most recognized custom holster makers in the world. We trace that history back to founder Ivan Kovac, a forestry teacher who started sewing gloves for his students' falconry classes, and talk about how the shop's home in the Štiavnica Mountains still shapes the way FALCO builds holsters today. Martin also gives us a first-hand look at gun culture in Slovakia, a country that spent decades under communist Czechoslovakia and landed on a system with more parallels to the US than most countries in the rather gun-unfriendly European Union.

Follow FALCO Holsters:

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Instagram

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YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czuchJUdnX4

Aryan, known online as Mocka or @mockashoots, joins me on this week's episode of TFB's Behind the Gun for a conversation about competitive shooting, content creation, and what it's like owning and shooting firearms as a civilian in the UK. We talk through his background across his competitive shooting career, then dig into his other, newer role in the sport: commentary. Aryan has breathed some new life into shooting sports in the way of live commentary for major matches, including Polenar Tactical's Lynx Brutality, and has real opinions on what's missing from most shooting-sports commentary compared to how other sports handle the play-by-play.

Follow Mocka:

• Instagram
• YouTube

In this episode of TFB's Behind the Gun Podcast, I'm happy to welcome Evan Murdoch, founder of Murdoch & Co, the first company producing a fully stamped, one-to-one semi-auto version of Britain's L85/SA80 in the United States. Evan grew up in England wanting to own an SA80 of his own, and when he couldn't buy one, he built one instead, founding Murdoch & Co in 2022 and working with Jonathan Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum, to verify the EM-85 against original service rifles.

We dig into the EM-85's use of genuine Ministry of Defence and Enfield-made parts, why that scarcity caps the Collector Series at 100 rifles for $12,000 apiece against a $4,500 base EM85A3, the engineering fixes addressing the SA80's early reliability problems, the A1, A2, and A3 configurations tracing the rifle's real service history, and where Murdoch & Co is headed next with Cadet and Light Support Weapon variants in development.

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Murdoch & Co website: https://murdochandco.com

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Murdoch & Co on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/murdochandco

On today's episode of TFB's Behind the Gun Podcast, Russell Phagan — founder of FAST and a longtime fixture of the Brutality match series — joins us again to talk about FAST's newest addition: the Auto-Rifle Division. It's the first division of its kind in a mainstream two-gun series, built specifically for NFA machine guns and FRT-equipped rifles, with belt-fed and heavy-barrel setups finally getting a place to compete. We get into how the division came together, what equipment and stage requirements competitors need to know before showing up to the Parma, Idaho debut this October, and what it says about where practical shooting competition is headed now that FRTs have cleared federal court.

Learn more:

• KE Arms: https://www.kearms.com
• XTech Tactical: https://www.xtechtactical.com
• Red Right Hand: https://redrighthandllc.com
• FAST Matches: https://www.fast-matches.org

On today's episode of TFB's Behind the Gun Podcast, we sit down with Derrick Ratliff, founder of Horizon Firearms and VP of Kaspar Outdoors — the same conversation that started on the range at this year's Relentless Rifleman. Derrick's name is tied to the .22 Creedmoor and a reputation for custom long-range rifles, but Horizon is just the entry point into a bigger operation that includes iota Outdoors and, through Kaspar, brands like Circle Y Saddles. We get into how the .22 Creedmoor came to be, what it's like running a saddle company and a precision rifle company side by side, and Derrick's read on Relentless Rifleman as a first-time competitor — plus what it's actually like to talk shop with the guy who built the rifle you're about to shoot a match with.

Learn more:

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Horizon Firearms: https://horizonfirearms.com

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iota Outdoors: https://iotaoutdoors.com

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Kaspar Outdoors: https://www.kasparoutdoors.com

On today's episode of TFB's Behind the Gun Podcast, we sit down with Ian and Will of Stuff & Things Inc. (STIncUSA) — familiar faces from TFBTV's GunCon coverage, now getting the full interview treatment. This one's a behind-the-scenes look at how a small outfit like STIncUSA came together and how they operate: the origin story, the day-to-day of designing and building products most companies wouldn't bother with, and how they've turned that approach into some of the more talked-about releases in the firearms space. We also get the first real details on their still-early ST-579 — a modular, serialized chassis/lower design in 5.7x28mm and .22 variants that they've been showing in prototype form at GunCon. If you've only seen their gear in action, this is the conversation that explains how it gets made and what inspired all of it.

Follow Stuff & Things Inc.:

• Website: https://stincusa.com
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@stincusa
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Stuff-and-Things-LLC-100076393565629/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stuffandthingsinc/

On today's episode of TFB's Behind the Gun Podcast, we welcome back Jonathan Wild, founder of Wild Arms Research and Development, to talk about his newest venture: Wild Arms Solutions. Johnny built his name on meticulously researched DIY launcher builds and the companion books that came with them — now he's taking that expertise into military contract work, developing drone-threat countermeasures through the new outfit. We dig into how that opportunity came about, what skills transfer from replica weapons research to active defense programs, and what he's able to tell us about where counter-drone technology is headed.

• Wild Arms on YouTube
• Wild Arms on Instagram

On today's episode of TFB's Behind the Gun Podcast, I'm happy to welcome back Harrison Benson, founder of Double Tap Coalition, a USCCA-certified firearms training organization based in Stockbridge, Georgia. Harrison and Double Tap's mission is straightforward: educate, train, and empower responsible gun owners of all backgrounds and skill levels, from first-time shooters to those looking to sharpen advanced skills.

Since his last appearance in episode 175, Harrison has been busy. Today we talk about his new range facility, how his training resume has grown, and he shares some candid thoughts on the current state of the training market, including what gear he's seeing students show up with and what that says about where the industry is headed.

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Double Tap Coalition: https://www.doubletapcoalition.com

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Double Tap Coalition on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doubletapcoalition

On today's episode of TFB's Behind the Gun Podcast, I'm happy to welcome Earle Pope, founder and owner of Chestnut Mountain Manufacturing, a new company out of Brevard, North Carolina. Earle founded Chestnut Mountain in 2024 with a goal of bringing well-vetted, quality-controlled versions of hard-to-source products to market, starting with their OKP-7 reproduction optic. The OKP-7 is a faithful recreation of the classic Russian-pattern reflex sight, built for real AK-platform rifles and pistols, available in Picatinny and dovetail mount configurations and two reticle options.

Today Earle and I talk about how Chestnut Mountain got started, what went into sourcing and vetting the OKP-7, and what the company has in the pipeline next.

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Chestnut Mountain Manufacturing: https://www.chestnutmountainmfg.com

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Chestnut Mountain on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChestnutMtnMfg

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Chestnut Mountain Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chestnutmountainmfg/

In this episode of TFB's Behind the Gun Podcast, I'm happy to welcome Jeremy Hammons and Drew Markel, the founder and co-owner of One Horse Firearms, a 100% American-made AR-15 manufacturer out of Brownstown, Indiana. Jeremy is a U.S. Army veteran with over a decade of experience in engineering, machining, and firearms industry leadership, while Drew brings a background in sales, strategy, and supply chain. Together they've built One Horse around a simple premise: no imported parts, no corner-cutting, no excuses.

We dig into the One Horse origin story, what drove them to launch a domestic rifle manufacturer in 2025, and cover the current lineup, including the OH-15 and the recently announced One Horse Express, a factory-built rifle built around the Atrius Forced Reset Selector.

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One Horse website: https://theonehorse.com

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One Horse on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theonehorsefirearms

This week, Dave and I dig into how the Safariland and Haley Strategic partnership actually works behind the scenes, and he shares some stories from a recent media event held at the Haley Strategic facility where the recently released IncogXS got its first real public outing. We also get a few hints from Dave about some exciting upcoming holster projects in the pipeline at Safariland that we think you'll want to keep an eye out for.

Learn more about the IncogXS and Safariland's full holster lineup:

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Safariland IncogXS: https://safariland.com/products/incog-xs-iwb-holster

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Haley Strategic Partners: https://haleystrategic.com

Scott Ergas of Petersen's Hunting joins the show this week to recap the NRL Hunter Leupold Relentless Rifleman match in Madras, Oregon, break down North American hunting, and discuss how precision rifle sports create better hunters while inspiring the next generation. He also takes some time to share some thought-provoking experiences from teaching his daughter to hunt and some reflections from his childhood before looking ahead at the challenges facing hunters and Second Amendment advocates nationwide.

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Scott Ergas on Petersen's Hunting

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Petersen's Hunting official site

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Follow Petersen's Hunting on Instagram

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NRL Hunter official site

Born from a drive to build upon the success and fun of the original NRL Series, the NRL Hunter is a national series focused on real hunting skills, time management, and gear familiarity that is not only fun but also actively helps you become a better hunter and marksman. Today, Travis shares the story behind NRL Hunter, important gear and information to have before your first match, explains the various participation divisions, and what's next for the rapidly growing sport in the coming years.

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Find NRL Hunter Matches Near You: https://www.nrlhunter.org/matches/hunter

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NRL Hunter official site: https://www.nrlhunter.org/

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NRL Hunter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nrlhunter/

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NRL Hunter Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nrlhuntercommunitygroup

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The NRL Hunter Podcast

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NRL Hunter YouTube Channel

Vladimir Onokoy returns to Behind the Gun to discuss his new book From Balkans to Babylon: Zastava AKs of Yugoslavia, Serbia, and Iraq — and more importantly, the personal story behind writing it. From his extensive field experience to the inspirations that drove him to document this rich Kalashnikov lineage, Vlad encourages others to act on their own instincts to share hard-won knowledge like he intends to do in his new book coming out soon.

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Vladimir Onokoy on The Firearm Blog: https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/author/vladmir-o/

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Safar Publishing (pre-order the book): https://www.safar-publishing.com/product-page/from-balkans-to-babylon-zastava-aks-of-yugoslavia-serbia-and-iraq

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Vladimir Onokoy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/machaksilver

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Vladimir Onokoy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vladonokoy/

• Contact Vladimir: vonokoybooks@proton.me