2026 has been a year of major, foothold victories, for the 2A communities battle to restore our rights, and push back the overreach of the National Firearms Act. The latest victory comes in from an announcement by ATF director Robert Cekada indicating that his agency will halt enforcement of rules on short-barrel rifles, short-barrel shotguns, and suppressors. While this is more a half measure, than a true victory, it's important we celebrate it. Also, acknowledge that even though this is more forward progress in ten months than we've had in the last ten years, it cannot stop here if the hope is for lasting relief. I dive into our ongoing fight, and how we can go about making these changes permanent - both in our states, and our country.

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I got a bunch more questions from all of you, my audience, and we're sitting down to go through them! From underrated gear, to the rapidly diminishing faith the community has in gun-tubers and influencers, there's a lot in this one. I love getting the opportunity to explore these questions - it allows me to directly speak on the subjects and unique topics that matter most to all of you. While obviously, I can't guarantee that I'll have the most complete answer, or even that I'll be the best source of information on a given subject, I absolutely can guarantee that I'll do my best to provide you with a thorough response, which may or may not be colored by my own opinion and experiences. Enjoy!

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Medical training is one of the most overlooked parts of preparation - including by us, here on the podcast. To remedy this, I sit down with Joe, the owner of Buckeye Tac Med, for a dive into medical training, his background, the community, and more. We dig into tactical medicine, and more specifically which parts of it are applicable to folks like you and I - the tactically minded civilian, who wants to be better prepared. Truly, the medical skillset has much less to do with the supplies we carry, than the knowledge we have. From being able to carry out a M.A.R.C.H. assessment, to proper tourniquet staging, and beyond, Joe and I got into an awful lot. Medical skills are something we can use in so many ways, especially outside the tactical realm that many of us fixate on. I highly suggest giving this a listen, and checking out what Joe and Buckeye Tac Med have going on!

https://buckeyetacmed.com/

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One of the largest, and I'll add most upsetting trends I've seen within our social media space over the past few months, is the accepted trend of using a gaslighting, and victim mentality, as a rebuttal for accountability and discussion. This community is one, I assume, where one can seek out information and mentorship. Where a individual can come to develop their own skillsets, learn from their peers, and build lasting relationships. It's honestly a big part of why many of us have stuck around. Lately however, it seems there's an ever-growing portion of our community who has pivoted to justifying poor performance with victim tactics, and resorting to lowest common denominator communication strategies to "prove a point" and to some extent, "defend" themselves. I'm here to dive into it, and talk about why we need to restore a greater level of accountability.

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If you've built out a full kit - plate carrier, tactical belt, helmet, etc. you know that the gear in our community is a true investment. Many times, the investment is too great for folks, and they're left to try and make the best of a rough situation. However, all of this changed a few years ago with the introduction of the Vakarian from Rebels Raiders - an "all in one" kit that provided everything a prepared citizen would need, at a very attainable cost. To dive into this effort and understand the mission behind the company, we sit down, we talk about the nylon industry, product development, of course the origin of the company, the affordability factor, and a ton more. We even take the time to talk about social media and complex relationship that many of us have with our peers in the community. A absolutely awesome discussion, and one I think you all are gunna enjoy. Check it out!

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When we talk about building skill, creating your "toolkit" as a prepared individual, do we really understand what we're chasing after? Civilians here in the United States are afforded many, many more opportunities than those in other countries, and often don't exercise them to the greatest extent they can. It's not for lack of desire, but I think, because we've let social media, and to some capacity, consumerism, drive us on our journey. The reality is that the conversation is much larger, and more all-encompassing that what we probably realize. While yes, the term "Gunfighter" implies that you'll use a firearm to fight, there's so much more that goes into building that skillset, and being able to effectively apply it. So, I think it's worth our time, to sit down, and dig in to what this really means, in 2026.

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Joe Farewell is a former law enforcement officer, and current competitive shooter who is also the owner and founder of Farewell Firearms Training. Having spent time working on various units and task forces, as well as ERT, while also winning numerous awards in the competitive shooting community, Joe is a subject expert with a wealth of knowledge not only on shooting, but on how to develop the supporting skillsets. Working with top level shooters in the competitive community, training military and law enforcement, Joe has a lot to share because he's seen a lot, tested a lot, and most importantly learned a lot. This is a fantastic conversation that addresses some of the key considerations behind performance based shooting and building stronger skill, as well as addressing a lot of the noise from social media that can make they pursuits more difficult. A fantastic discussion for anyone interested in truly become a better, stronger shooter.

dryfiremastery.com

farewellfirearms.com

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Lasers are cool. They're even cooler when they're pushing the cutting edge on technology and the impact that it can create on the battlefield. Kirk Foreman is the Innovation Brand Manager at B.E. Meyers, quite possibly the top laser developer and manufacturer in the world. As a avid recreational shooter and night vision enjoyer, Kirk gets to do a job that many of us dream about and would love to have. Working on, developing, and testing some of the absolute most high speed equipment that's out on the market today. We dive into the history of B.E. Meyers and how they ended up where the company is today, obviously talked a bit on Kirks past, but spent a lot of time talking about the design and performance of modern IR lasers and why units like the MAWL and the DAGIR are so special. This was a absolutely fantastic conversation, and one that you'll definitely enjoy if you're like me and love night vision.

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