Shownotes
In this episode of Gun Owners of America's State of the Second, hosts Kaylee and John sit down with Mike from Sylvan Arms, a South Carolina manufacturer of firearm parts and accessories. Sylvan is best known for its folding stock adapter, now in its fourth generation, but Mike walks through a much wider catalog: a tool-free QD Picatinny-to-M-LOK rail adapter, a full suppressor line, and new Glock slides. He shares the suppressor lineup in detail, including a direct-thread 22, a direct-thread 9mm for handguns or long guns, two QD rifle cans in 5.56 and 30 caliber, and a 45 caliber direct thread on the way. The 5.56 QD suppressor carries an MSRP right around 550 and ships with the muzzle device, which the hosts frame as an on-ramp for people getting into suppressors for the first time.
Much of the conversation centers on policy. Kaylee makes the case for getting suppressors out of the NFA through the SHUSH Act and the Shall Not Be Infringed Act, and points to GOA's work through Second Amendment Hunters to allow suppressors for hunting, which is not legal in all 50 states. Mike, a Marine Corps veteran who suffers hearing loss and tinnitus and wears VA-issued hearing aids, grounds the argument in his own experience: suppressed weapons would have let troops communicate on the battlefield. The group walks through the long wait times for tax stamps, the 1930s origins of the NFA, the pistol brace ban and its hit to a billion-dollar part of the industry, the 80 percent lower and frame-and-receiver rule change, and the Texas suppressor freedom bill that gave the state AG standing to sue on behalf of suppressor owners.
The episode also covers the business side. Mike explains Sylvan's customer-driven design philosophy and its goal of keeping products affordable for the average buyer, the current industry-wide summer slump, and how accessory sales tend to track firearm sales. He clears up two common suppressor myths: they cut roughly 30 decibels to a hearing-safe level rather than going silent like in the movies, and they are not illegal, they are sold through a dealer who handles the tax stamp. Mike closes by teasing new products ahead of SHOT Show, including a motorcycle saddlebag mount and a possible aluminum Glock lower that could become Sylvan's first full firearm. GOA membership is 25 dollars a year.
Links
Questions this episode answers
What is Sylvan Arms, and what products does it make beyond the folding stock adapter?
Sylvan Arms is a South Carolina manufacturer of firearm parts and accessories, best known for its folding stock adapter, now in its fourth generation. Its catalog also includes a tool-free QD Picatinny-to-M-LOK rail adapter, a full suppressor line, and new Glock slides.
What is in Sylvan's suppressor lineup, and what does the 5.56 QD suppressor cost?
The lineup includes a direct-thread 22, a direct-thread 9mm for handguns or long guns, two QD rifle cans in 5.56 and 30 caliber, and a 45 caliber direct thread on the way. The 5.56 QD suppressor has an MSRP right around 550 and ships with the muzzle device.
What are the SHUSH Act and the Shall Not Be Infringed Act, and what would they do for suppressors?
On the show, Kaylee points to both bills as ways to get suppressors out of the National Firearms Act (NFA). Removing suppressors from the NFA would end the long tax-stamp wait owners currently face when buying one.
Why does Mike personally care about getting suppressors out of the NFA?
Mike is a Marine Corps veteran who suffers hearing loss and tinnitus from his service and wears VA-issued hearing aids. He argues that suppressed weapons would have let troops communicate on the battlefield.
How much sound does a suppressor actually reduce, and is it really silent like in the movies?
A suppressor does not go silent like in the movies. It cuts roughly 30 decibels, bringing the report down to a hearing-safe level rather than eliminating the sound.
Are suppressors illegal, and how do you legally buy one?
Suppressors are not illegal. They are sold through a dealer who handles the tax stamp.
How did the pistol brace ban and the 80 percent lower rule change affect the firearms industry?
The pistol brace ban hit a billion-dollar part of the industry, and the 80 percent lower came under a frame-and-receiver rule change. Mike notes that accessory sales tend to track firearm sales, so shifts like these ripple through the business.
What did the Texas suppressor freedom bill actually accomplish?
The Texas suppressor freedom bill gave the state attorney general standing to sue on behalf of suppressor owners.
Chapters
- 00:00 — Welcome and meet Mike from Sylvan Arms
- 00:40 — Beyond the folding stock adapter: the full product line
- 01:44 — Sylvan's suppressor lineup and what's coming
- 02:37 — The SHUSH Act and getting suppressors out of the NFA
- 03:35 — Mike's hearing loss and the case for suppression
- 05:45 — Suppressors for hunting and the long tax-stamp wait
- 09:09 — The pistol brace ban and its hit to the industry
- 10:42 — Pistol brace history and text, history, and tradition
- 12:57 — 80 percent lowers and the frame and receiver rule
- 15:17 — The summer slump and the economy
- 18:01 — Design philosophy: affordable, customer-driven products
- 27:00 — Suppressor myths: Hollywood and the legality question
- 33:46 — The Texas suppressor freedom bill
- 36:08 — Adapt and overcome, plus why South Carolina
- 42:32 — Where to find Sylvan and SHOT Show teasers
About the guest
Mike handles sales for Sylvan Arms, a South Carolina firearm parts and accessories manufacturer, and has been with the company for about three years. He is a Marine Corps veteran who suffers hearing loss and tinnitus from his service and wears hearing aids provided by the Veterans Administration. He also spent 27 years in law enforcement before entering the firearms industry. Surname "Baldasarre" is from the episode title [VERIFY].
Key quotes
"But the reason I wear those is because of hearing loss I suffered while I was in the Marine Corps because weapons aren't suppressed." — Mike
"It doesn't do anything crazy or evil or it's just reduces decibels." — Mike
"a right delayed is a right denied" — Kaylee
"What Sylvan Arms likes to do is make your experience better, make what you need to do better at a price that's affordable." — Mike
"culture is upstream of politics. Politics is upstream of the industry, and the industry is upstream of the end consumer." — Kaylee
"It's not the assassin's tool. It's not, you know, the CIA secret thing." — Mike
Transcripts
Welcome to Gun Owners of America's State of the Second podcast.
Speaker A:I'm your host, Kayleigh and John, and.
Speaker B:Today we're talking with Mike from Sylvan Arms.
Speaker B:Mike, how are you today?
Speaker C:I am great.
Speaker C:Thank you guys so much for having me here today.
Speaker B:So can you give us a little bit of backstory on Sylvan Arms and what you do for them?
Speaker C:So Sylvan Arms is a manufacturing company.
Speaker C:We make parts and accessories for firearms.
Speaker C:We don't make any full firearms, any weapons.
Speaker C:We've been around for about six, seven years now and I do their sales for them.
Speaker B:And you know, I, I know you guys for your folding stock adapter, you know, what else do you do on top of that?
Speaker C:Oh, God, I'm so glad somebody asked what else do we do?
Speaker C:Because that's what we're known for and that's our mainstay, the fold and stock adapter.
Speaker C:We're actually on our fourth generation of that now.
Speaker C:It's a wonderful, wonderful piece of equipment.
Speaker C:But we make so many more other things that nobody seems to know about.
Speaker C:One of my favorites.
Speaker C:I wish I had some here today.
Speaker C:We make a picatinny to MLOK rail adapter that is qd.
Speaker C:No screws, no tools.
Speaker C:It goes on and off with pinch of your fingers.
Speaker C:We have a short rail, a long rail and a rail that accepts a sling QD or a clip.
Speaker C:And we're looking to expand that line as we go along too.
Speaker C:But it makes things so easy.
Speaker C:You can put lights, lasers, bipods, anything you want.
Speaker C:And you can move it from weapon to weapon or on and off on any M Lok rail with just touch of your fingers.
Speaker B:He's not kidding.
Speaker B:It's really easy.
Speaker B:I have one.
Speaker C:I love those things.
Speaker C:That's my favorite.
Speaker C:Out of all the stuff we have, nobody knows, but we make suppressors.
Speaker C:We have a full line of suppressors.
Speaker C:We have a direct thread 22.
Speaker C:We have a direct thread 9 millimeter that will work on either handguns or long guns.
Speaker C:We ship it with the Nielsen device and a blast chamber.
Speaker C:For rifles, we have two QD suppressors.
Speaker C:One is 5.56 and the other is 30 caliber.
Speaker C:And we're just about to release a.45 caliber direct thread for handguns.
Speaker C:And you might see some things in the picture of some suppressors and items that's coming down the road.
Speaker C:We're going to start offering different colors OD green and flat dark earth to our suppressor line and some shorter versions for more tactical applications.
Speaker B:Oh, we at Gun Owners of America.
Speaker A:Love suppressors yes, yes, yes, we do.
Speaker A:Well, I guess that kind of leads us into the very first thing that we should probably talk about, and that's the Shush act and trying to get suppressors out of the nfa.
Speaker A:There's a couple of bills that would do that.
Speaker A:One is the Shush act.
Speaker A:The other one is the Shall Not Be Infringed act that although would not be signed by this president.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:We always aim to get them introduced, to get people to sign their name kind of on the dotted line and really show their constituents where they stand on these issues.
Speaker A:So that when we do have someone, you know, we're not starting at square one.
Speaker A:We're starting at a place where we have an established group of people.
Speaker A:What would that mean to you guys?
Speaker C:To us as a company?
Speaker C:Yeah, well, I'll tell you what it'll mean to me as an individual.
Speaker C:And we were kind of talking earlier, and I don't know if everybody's getting to look at me right now, but I'm going to hold something up real quick.
Speaker C:And this is one of my hearing aids.
Speaker C:And these are courtesy of the Veterans Administration.
Speaker C:And I have nothing bad to say about them.
Speaker C:They've really helped me out.
Speaker C:But the reason I wear those is because of hearing loss I suffered while I was in the Marine Corps because weapons aren't suppressed.
Speaker C:And when you're in the field, you're not wearing hearing protection or hearing protection like you would at a range.
Speaker C:And because of that, I suffer hearing loss and tinnitus.
Speaker C:It would have been great to have suppressed weapons, not for any crazy reason, but so you could communicate on the battlefield and you could hear each other.
Speaker C:And for people just going to the range, just your average guy or girl that's wanting to go to the range and shoot, you know, all that, that big noise is taken away by.
Speaker C:By sound reduction.
Speaker C:And that's all it is, is sound reduction.
Speaker A:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker A:You know, it's one of those very interesting things.
Speaker A:OSHA has endorsed the use of suppressors and saying that, you know, this is important in the workplace to save your hearing.
Speaker A:And while they are, you know, on board with the use of suppressors, you have the ATF and the NFA that says, no, you don't need a suppressor.
Speaker A:You know, this is something that, you know, should be highly regulated.
Speaker A:And so it's always interesting to see the juxtaposition of these two.
Speaker A:These two groups.
Speaker B:I mean, I've been in this industry for a while, and even just going to range days with hearing protection, I am starting to lose hearing in one of my ears and not to have the same experience you've had, but to be able to go to range days and shoot at indoor ranges with suppressors would have really helped with that.
Speaker B:And that's, that, that's something that needs to be taken into consideration.
Speaker B:That's why you need to press your congressmen or women to sign the Shush act and then shall not be infringed Act.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And then the other thing that's interesting that we've been working on through Goa's second amendment hunters is getting suppressors allowed for hunting.
Speaker A:That's not something that is in all 50 states.
Speaker A:Some states regulate the use of suppressors when hunting.
Speaker A:And you know, it might only be one or, one or two shots that a hunter takes, but over a lifetime, that's a significant amount of hearing damage.
Speaker A:Especially if you're an avid hunter and you go out multiple times.
Speaker A:And if you look at the difference between the US and in Europe, where you have to have a suppressor, it's considered rude if you're hunting without one.
Speaker A:It really shows just how, how crazy it is that these are even regulated in this way.
Speaker C:I was gonna add in, so even so, of course it's important for that hunter and to protect his or her hearing, but there's a whole other environment out there.
Speaker C:And I also spent 27 years in law enforcement and come deer season you would get calls, oh, somebody's, somebody's shooting, you know, and of course you'd go and you'd find out it was, you know, quite a distance away on a hunting property or something and it was just a hunter.
Speaker C:But all that is removed.
Speaker C:Also, you don't, you don't disturb the privacy of others.
Speaker C:You don't have any issues with yourself or anybody else.
Speaker C:It's, it's like a win win situation.
Speaker C:I mean, again, it's just to suppress sound.
Speaker C:It doesn't do anything crazy or evil or it's just reduces decibels.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's crazy that you have such a long wait time.
Speaker A:I mean, it's incredible to me that people get to the point of almost celebration when they're like, oh man, we're able to get it in five to six months.
Speaker A:And it's like, that's not good, that's not great.
Speaker A:And I know that there's been times that it's been well over a year, but it's just, it's that a right delayed is a right denied and it goes all the way back to that.
Speaker A:And this is not, unfortunately A new fight, but it is one that we need to take on and take on often.
Speaker B:Well, the NFA was signed in the 30s.
Speaker B:We're almost 100 years out from that.
Speaker B:I mean that's almost 90 something years.
Speaker B:We're almost there.
Speaker B:You know, 90 years ago this was a sign for a totally different reason.
Speaker B:So it's time to go reevaluate what this is and how it infringes on all our rights, you know.
Speaker A:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker A:I, I wish GOA was around in the 30s, but we didn't come around until the 70s, so we were, we were a late to the party on that one.
Speaker A:But it is, it is so important.
Speaker A:It really is.
Speaker A:And we have to be vigilant if we're going to see a restoration of our rights.
Speaker A:And that comes with taking and taking things out of the NFA and then getting rid of the NFA completely.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So as we touched on Sylvan's, known for their folding stock adapter and that was great, especially when pistol braces were allowed and we, you know, because you were able to build such a small package to put into what most would call a backpack gun, a truck gun or whatever.
Speaker B:How has the attack on plastic, as we call it, against the pistol braces affected your business?
Speaker C:It's probably a little bit too soon to say for sure, but we, we do see a reduction.
Speaker C:We market it as a device that allows you to transport whatever firearm it's on easier.
Speaker C:So we like it for all size weapons.
Speaker C:But that market was a huge market and I'm afraid that that might be just a lost world.
Speaker B: r and over again when back in: Speaker B:It's a 1 billion billion with a B dollar part of our industry and they're taking that away.
Speaker B:And that's going to hurt people and take away jobs and hurt our industry.
Speaker B:And it's all over an accessory.
Speaker B:That was approved.
Speaker C:That's the kicker part.
Speaker C:That was approved.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Gun Owners foundation, which is GOA sister organization which focuses a lot on education but also on litigation.
Speaker A:And we have a show on there called Bullet Points and if you're not subscribed, go do that.
Speaker A:And we released a video talking about the history of pistol braces and it actually predates the second amendment.
Speaker A:And so this is not something new to the gun industry.
Speaker A:This is not something New to the Second Amendment community.
Speaker A:And so when you go and you.
Speaker A:Where we fight our lawsuits based off of text, history, and tradition, which GOA has been doing long before the Buren decision, which codified that as the standard, it's so important that we recognize that this isn't just something that popped up over the last 10 years.
Speaker A:Yes, they increased in popularity tremendously, but this is something that has been around for a very long time.
Speaker B:Yeah, I mean, a lot of people don't know that, and it's great that we.
Speaker B:We've done that digging and that research to find that out.
Speaker B:Mike, what.
Speaker B:You know, we talked about the.
Speaker B:The stock adapter, your suppressors.
Speaker B:What else do you guys do?
Speaker B:You know, I've seen some block slides and some other things.
Speaker B:You know what.
Speaker B:What does that.
Speaker B:The accessory side of the business look for you?
Speaker C:Well, I mean, the whole industry is down right now, so.
Speaker C:So we're down with it.
Speaker C:But everything else seems to be.
Speaker C:Well, our Glock slides are new.
Speaker C:They're just coming out, and they've done really, really well.
Speaker C:Of course, the biggest seller for us is the generation three slides, and that's because they go on the 80% lowers, which we don't know how that will turn out either.
Speaker A:So let's talk about 80% and the frame and receiver rule change and everything that kind of led up to that.
Speaker A:And to catch people up to speed, this is a redefinition of the ATF's rule.
Speaker A:There was a comment period that lasted.
Speaker A:Goa members were heavily involved in that conversation and submitting those comments.
Speaker A:And we submitted and generated over well over thousands of.
Speaker A:Of of comments to the ATF on this.
Speaker A:And ultimately going back to that text, history and tradition standard, manufacturing your own firearms is older than our republic.
Speaker A:Like, that was the standard for.
Speaker A:For a really long time.
Speaker A:And so, like, anything to deal with the courts, this is going to take a significant amount of time.
Speaker A:This is not going to be a one and done.
Speaker A:And it will drag on for a long time, which is why it's always easier to try to nip this in the bud, so to speak, than it is to kind of go back and fight in the courts.
Speaker A:But, you know, we understand this as firearm owners, that 80% and everything that happened was again, an agency redefining people into felons.
Speaker B:Yeah, I mean, it's definitely an overreach again.
Speaker B:And they keep changing their mind more than I change my socks, so.
Speaker B:Which.
Speaker B:That kind of sounds gross, but.
Speaker C:Yeah, well, I was gonna say that could be relative.
Speaker B:It could be relative.
Speaker B:You know, uh, but yeah, it, you know, the attack on our Second Amendment, especially on that, to companies like Sylvan, who are.
Speaker B:Are building things that are.
Speaker B:Should be able to be purchased and shipped to your home and used to build your own firearms.
Speaker B:And like you said, it's been a part of our American tradition since our founding and since before that.
Speaker B:And firearms are a very American thing, and that's what we need to keep in mind when.
Speaker B:When they're going after these rights, we need to go and fight against these acts and aggression against the.
Speaker B:The Second Amendment.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:So, Mike, you touched on a little bit about how the industry is down.
Speaker B:Historically, we see most of the time the summertime.
Speaker B:We have the summertime slump.
Speaker C:We're in that slump.
Speaker B:We're in that slump.
Speaker B:So previously, the last two years, you know, we have.
Speaker B:We didn't see that as much.
Speaker B:Is this affecting you guys more?
Speaker B:Is it.
Speaker B:Is this slump harder?
Speaker B:Are you seeing.
Speaker B:Is there a reason why you're seeing this, this year being harder than the previous two?
Speaker C:It's hard for me to say.
Speaker C:I've been with Silva now for this.
Speaker C:I got about almost three years of data now, so.
Speaker C:And I don't know how the industry was before that.
Speaker C:I came out of law enforcement, so I haven't been in the industry that long.
Speaker C:So this year is a much deeper slump.
Speaker C:Kind of a weird thing, though, is we made it further into the summer this year, and instead of a curve that kind of sloped down and sloped back up, we kind of went a straight line and fell off a cliff.
Speaker C:So I don't know what that means, and I guess I won't know until.
Speaker C:See how we come back out.
Speaker C:Of course, the whole economy is horrible, and.
Speaker C:And we're in a company or an industry of more wants than.
Speaker C:Or more needs than wants and needs.
Speaker C:And right now, all the money that people have are going to needs.
Speaker C:They have to take care of their families and feed their children before they can buy other things.
Speaker C:So I think it's just no matter where you are in that kind of business, you're suffering right now.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And we've heard the same thing from a couple other industry partners.
Speaker B:And talking to people in the industry, you know, it's.
Speaker B:We'll call it the.
Speaker B:The COVID spike.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And yeah, the.
Speaker B:The good.
Speaker B:You know, the last two years have been really good.
Speaker B:A lot of people are getting in a lot of new shooters.
Speaker B:With all the new shooters coming in, are you seeing them also translating into upgrading their guns and getting, you know, the accessories, the parts and the things like that.
Speaker B:Are you seeing that translate?
Speaker C:Yes, Especially right during that same period, that Covid period.
Speaker C:I think we followed a trail where firearms rose and we weren't, but we rose right behind them.
Speaker C:I think that was because once they got whatever firearm they wanted, then they started upgrading and got the accessories they wanted or needed to go with it.
Speaker C:So I think we kind of follow right behind the Salem Firearms.
Speaker C:Whether it goes up or down, we're kind of right.
Speaker C:Right there with them.
Speaker B:Now, when it comes to, like, when it comes to parts and accessories and things like that, what goes into your decision to manufacture?
Speaker B:Like the, for example, the Glock size you mentioned Gen 3.
Speaker B:We all know Gen 3 is, you know, that has fallen off a patent.
Speaker B:You have a lot of what we would call the clone or the clone wars right now with the Gen 3.
Speaker B:What made you guys go Gen 3?
Speaker B:And then what makes you decide what parts and accessories that need to manufacture?
Speaker B:Because there's a lot in R and D that goes in there.
Speaker B:Sometimes you don't have the plans directly from the manufacturer.
Speaker B:You got to reverse engineer some stuff.
Speaker B:So what.
Speaker B:What goes on to all that?
Speaker C:So actually we do.
Speaker C:We have both the Gen 3 and the Gen 4.
Speaker C:So we did both.
Speaker C:Gen 3 is leading the pack so far.
Speaker C:And it's our philosophy across the board.
Speaker C:What Sylvan Arms likes to do is make your experience better, make what you need to do better at a price that's affordable.
Speaker C:So we try to make accessories to improve or enhance your shooting experience at the price that the average person can afford.
Speaker C:So as we look at the AR, the M4 platform or the Glock platform, we have some CZ stuff, the CZ platform, we try and figure out what a shooter would need in that platform to make it better.
Speaker C:And then how can we make it and make it affordable at the same time.
Speaker C:So that's what drives us to the products like the QD rail attachments that was.
Speaker C:Everybody needs to put a picatinny rail and M Lok has become the standard, but nobody likes playing with those screws and those plates.
Speaker C:And then if you want to take it on or off, it takes all that time.
Speaker C:So that's what drove us into the qd.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And when you brought the.
Speaker B:We talked about suppressors earlier, there's a few sitting on the table in front of us.
Speaker B:I asked.
Speaker B:The first question I asked was like, when did you guys start doing suppressors?
Speaker B:What made you guys get into suppressors?
Speaker B:You said, it's been about two years now.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker C:Two years since they've been out.
Speaker C:So they were developing them back about mostly towards the beginning, so probably about four or five years now.
Speaker C:So it took some time to get them where they wanted them.
Speaker C:And we still were evolving, but again, kind of the same concept in what we were talking about, you know, to improve the shooting experience.
Speaker C:You can shoot and hear and do everything, enjoy your time at the range and not either have to wear bulky headsets or earplugs or wear them and still, you know, you lose that big bang at the muzzle that really causes the tinnitus and the hearing loss.
Speaker C:So it.
Speaker C:And again, we're trying to make them affordable like our, our.
Speaker C:I don't know the prices right off the top of my head, but our 556QD suppressor is MSRP, right at about 550.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker C:And that comes with the muzzle device.
Speaker C:So again, we're trying to make a product that, that works and is good and helps, but the average person can.
Speaker A:Afford, obviously, as you guys bring something to the market like a suppressor, and choosing to do that two years ago, you know that that takes a lot of market research and a lot of kind of planning the rollout.
Speaker A:So what has been the reception that you're getting from people?
Speaker A:Because two years of having a suppressor, many of your people have probably only had them that bought in the very beginning for, you know, about a year.
Speaker A:So just kind of tell people what the feedback is.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:So that's where we're at.
Speaker C:And we talked about that and the headaches that go with it.
Speaker C:So a year after we started selling suppressors, most of the people had never shot one before.
Speaker C:And it is what it is.
Speaker C:You know, that's kind of crazy, but so we're really just getting feedback.
Speaker C:So our best thing was through marketing and through influencers and different people that were able to get suppressors out too.
Speaker C:And then they could take them out, test them and tell us.
Speaker C:And that's where we get a lot.
Speaker C:And we're big customer driven, either through testers or through the customers themselves.
Speaker C:We take their feedback.
Speaker C:That's why I said we're on our fourth generation folder now.
Speaker C:And all the other ones worked, but it was just, hey, we love your folder, but this would be cool.
Speaker C:Or hey, could you do this for me?
Speaker C:And that's what we've done is just keeps evolving into you like this.
Speaker C:We'll put it on there.
Speaker C:Oh, you like that?
Speaker C:Yeah, sure, we'll try that out.
Speaker C:And that's kind of how we evolve.
Speaker C:So same thing with the suppressors that's why what you kind of see here are evolutions of our originals.
Speaker C:And these are shorter versions.
Speaker C:And that was something people said, hey, they're great, but could you make it shorter?
Speaker C:And so we did.
Speaker A:That's awesome.
Speaker A:You know, customer feedback is so important, but also it's just, it's exciting to see new things come out and for people to improve because the more people that hit the market, I think it brings everyone up because you're in a constant state of competition, of, oh, we can do this a little bit better.
Speaker A:Oh, we can do that a little bit better.
Speaker A:And so a lot of people are like, well, I don't want, I don't want to share the space or, or there's a fear that there's not enough room for everybody.
Speaker A:But it's really fun to see how much it drives innovation and how much everyone improves by seeing what everyone else is working on.
Speaker A:And it's that reinvigoration in the different sectors of the firearm industry.
Speaker B:So on the suppressors, are they baffle system or is it a wet suppressor or what?
Speaker C:So baffle system, these will be a little bit different because of the size.
Speaker C:We changed some things up.
Speaker C:But standard, the tube is titanium, the end caps are stainless steel, the blast chamber is stainless steel, and the first baffle is stainless steel.
Speaker C:Rest of the baffles are titanium.
Speaker C:So it's very, very light.
Speaker C:Even that one.
Speaker C:So what we did with the short is, is we made it all stainless steel inside.
Speaker C:So the tube is still titanium, but that is completely stainless steel inside.
Speaker C:And it's still light.
Speaker B:It's very light.
Speaker A:Oh, wow.
Speaker B:And what are you getting decibel wise?
Speaker B:You know,.
Speaker C:I don't have any data in front of me, so I can't tell you a number number.
Speaker C:But with the long, I think we're somewhere right around outside shooting 30 decibel reduction.
Speaker C:And with that short, we were like 24.
Speaker B:That's awesome.
Speaker B:And you're running those all dry.
Speaker B:You're not doing okay.
Speaker C:So it's stacked baffles.
Speaker C:So we've got some other ideas down the road, doing different things, maybe welding, just trying, like I said, we just whatever people tell us.
Speaker C:And we always continue to try our best to keep, keep pushing forward.
Speaker C:Our engineer, we get on him sometimes because he won't stop.
Speaker C:Even with the folder that we have out now, he's like, you know, it's out, it's selling.
Speaker C:He's like, you know, we could change this.
Speaker C:And I'm like, no, no we can't because it's out already.
Speaker B:You gotta love engineers.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:So the price points, you said that's a really low threshold to get into a suppressor.
Speaker B:You know, most suppressors are double that price or close to that.
Speaker B:And then you got to pay your, your fee to the, the government because they rude.
Speaker B:What made you guys go in at such a low price point?
Speaker C:We kind of looked at the market and of course what we have into it and just tried to get to a fair price.
Speaker C:And that's what we do with all our stuff.
Speaker C:And we had to figure out all the different stages.
Speaker C:We go through distribution just because we're really.
Speaker C:When I say I'm in charge of sales, I'm in charge of me.
Speaker C:So it's a manufacturing facility.
Speaker C:So distribution companies is how it drives us because we can just go to them and then they can handle the outside world.
Speaker C:So we have some stages built in there that some people don't.
Speaker C:So we had to figure out how we can make that work.
Speaker C:But we always want to stay at a price that the average person can get into.
Speaker C:So that's how we try and stay right where we're at.
Speaker A:They're the on ramp for getting into suppressors for a lot of people.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Because you know, if you're, you're looking like we were saying earlier, in this economy, when you're trying to budget and figure out what you're going to do and how you're going to do it, having something that you really want and finding an option that can work for you is a great on ramp.
Speaker A:And I think the more people who are interested in a suppressor and that have the ability to get one and tax stamp, you know, unfortunately right now.
Speaker A:But once you, once you start seeing it, then you're like, wait a second, this shouldn't belong in the nfa.
Speaker A:What, what the heck.
Speaker A:And then you know, you can start encouraging your friends and like letting them shoot and so, and start seeing that and understanding that it's not always like the movies.
Speaker A:It doesn't make the gun completely silent.
Speaker C:Well, I was gonna say.
Speaker C:And that's the thing that everybody has to understand when I say you're getting somewhere around a 30 decibel reduction, which is about normal for a suppressor or a silencer.
Speaker C:It's not 180, it's just 30.
Speaker C:You don't go from what you hear to what you hear in the movies or see in the movies.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:What's the craziest suppressor myth that you've encountered?
Speaker C:I guess just that, that you know, it's supposed to go when you're shooting and it knows you still hear the whole report of the weapon.
Speaker C:It's just reduced to a hearing safe level.
Speaker B:Are you saying Hollywood lied to us?
Speaker C:No, no, no.
Speaker C:Yeah, but it does sound cool in the movies.
Speaker B:I, I mean, it sounds cool, but why are they lying?
Speaker B:How dare they?
Speaker A:Everything is not what it seems.
Speaker B:I'm glad that, you know, we haven't had a chance to talk to somebody about, you know, suppress or who has manufactured suppressors yet.
Speaker B:And just to know, you know, get into it at that low threshold.
Speaker B:I really think the more people we get into NFA items, the more people who are going to start pushing back on the ATF and go, hey, no, you bad.
Speaker B:And we've seen that now a lot of people are getting into it.
Speaker B:There's a lot of pop culture things where people are getting into that kind of stuff and now pushing back on the ATF and things and trying to go, hey, we don't need this nfa.
Speaker B:You know, it's just, it was, it's old.
Speaker B:It's very old.
Speaker A:So, yeah, I mean, I think you're absolutely right.
Speaker A:The more you normalize something and you talk about it and you explain it and you don't let someone who is against you have the lead on the floor like Hollywood.
Speaker A:Hollywood is not.
Speaker C:And it is that movie myth.
Speaker C:And it's understandable they're trying to make this movie and sell it.
Speaker C:But it's not the assassin's tool.
Speaker C:It's not, you know, the CIA secret thing.
Speaker C:It's a sound reducer and that's what it's made for.
Speaker C:And, you know, in the original versions and all the military versions, it was so you could still conduct business on the battlefield and function.
Speaker C:You know, yelling at each other over gunfire, you can't do, I did it because we never had anything like that.
Speaker C:And that's where I'm, where I'm at.
Speaker C:But people don't, you know that you see what it is in the movies.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Well, it's funny how Hollywood dictates policy and we're seeing this.
Speaker B:You know, there's a lot of things coming up in pop culture that they lie about.
Speaker B:And so it looks cool in the movies, but there's not enough people who are getting educated on these items to go in and go.
Speaker B:When they go to vote, they go, oh, no, that thing's scary because the movie said so.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I mean, the reality is, is culture is upstream of politics.
Speaker A:Politics is upstream of the industry, and the industry is upstream of the end consumer.
Speaker A:It will get to you.
Speaker A:Like, that's.
Speaker A:That's reality.
Speaker A:And so it's important that as members of the two.
Speaker A:A community, that as gun rights activists, as people who are.
Speaker A:Are understanding and getting educated, that we look at all facets.
Speaker A:We can't just look at one and say, you know, this is.
Speaker A:This is the.
Speaker A:The answer.
Speaker A:You have to look at it for what it is.
Speaker A:And it's a multifaceted approach.
Speaker A:And so education and.
Speaker A:Is so important, and action is so important.
Speaker A:Complacency doesn't work.
Speaker A:And so you have to get on goa's website and you have to take action.
Speaker A:You have to let your voice be.
Speaker C:And education is everything in every facet of everything that we do.
Speaker C:You take a job, you have to learn the job.
Speaker C:And it is.
Speaker C:I would think that if you're gonna look into something or decide you're gonna do or not do something, it was because you looked into it and you became educated on it.
Speaker C:Not just.
Speaker C:I heard these things are bad.
Speaker A:So personal responsibility.
Speaker A:It all comes down to personal responsibility.
Speaker C:In the news, no matter what you like or don't like or which one you watch or don't watch, look at them all, find out what everybody's saying, then go do your research and find out who's right and who's wrong or if it's a mixture of.
Speaker C:But.
Speaker B:Well, we touched on the Hollywood thing.
Speaker B:I mean, the other myth about suppressors is that they're illegal.
Speaker B:I mean, that's a big one, too.
Speaker B:I mean, we've talked to people on the podcast, and they're like, oh, that's another myth that we get that they're illegal.
Speaker B:Well, it all depends on where you're at.
Speaker C:Yeah, so we sell them on our website also.
Speaker C:So to facilitate that, the buyer has to provide a dealer that has their licensing.
Speaker C:We ship to that dealer, and then that dealer handles the tax stamp.
Speaker C:And it's amazing how many people get that right or wrong.
Speaker C:And I had a guy from Texas want to buy the suppressor, and he didn't fully understand that law.
Speaker C:And he's like, no, I'm in Texas.
Speaker C:They're legal here.
Speaker C:You can ship it to me.
Speaker C:I don't have to do any paperwork.
Speaker C:And I'm like, if it's made in Texas, you can do that.
Speaker C:But we're in South Carolina, and I got to ship it into your state.
Speaker C:So the ATF would be really mad at me if I didn't do any paperwork on that.
Speaker A:The suppressor freedom bill in.
Speaker A:In Texas is a very interesting bill.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So this was one of our priority legislations for our Texas team the year that it passed.
Speaker A:And the most important part in, in the bill is not that it, quote unquote made suppressors legal in Texas.
Speaker A:We had a whole one pager about it.
Speaker A:It's not that they're, they're legal in Texas, like you said, but what it did is it gave the AG the ability to sue on behalf of the suppressor to hopefully be able to win this fight against the NFA in the courts.
Speaker A:And so it was a priority piece of legislation because it was setting up precedent and giving, you know, kind of some teeth to help get rid of this, this law.
Speaker A: law has been around since the: Speaker A:This is, this is something that has been.
Speaker A:The tyranny level has been the same for a long time.
Speaker A:And so our Texas team sat down with the legislature there and was basically like, okay, what can we do to give us some teeth?
Speaker A:What can we do so that we can pass something to start moving this ball forward?
Speaker A:Because, you know, Texas is, although a pretty pro gun state.
Speaker A:They just got constitutional carry.
Speaker C:I know.
Speaker A:You know, so everyone, I think there's this, this misconception that if you are a red state, then you must be living the dream and there's ground that has to be won and protected each and every time that legislature meets.
Speaker A:And so we're very proud of our Texas team.
Speaker A:Actually, that bill was signed the same time that constitutional carry was signed.
Speaker A:And I applaud Felicia Bull, who was our, one of our lobbyists on the ground at that time.
Speaker A:And now she, she works on our national team as our comms director.
Speaker A:But the team sat down and had some, had some serious conversation on how we can move that ball forward.
Speaker B:So we talked about, you know, three big things that affect you as a business.
Speaker B:So the NFA, because you are suppressor manufacturer, we're talking about the 80% affecting you as well as the pistol brace ban.
Speaker C:And those are three of our biggest product areas.
Speaker B:Yeah, I mean, how do you adapt and overcome on some of those things?
Speaker B:Because you're going to.
Speaker B:People are going to be hesitant to buy because of that.
Speaker B:What do you recommend they do?
Speaker B:Also?
Speaker B:How do you adapt and overcome?
Speaker C:So, well, I'll tell you and it'll sound just like what I'm about to tell you, but, you know, so marketing the folder.
Speaker C:Folder is great on any weapon, any shape or size.
Speaker C:It allows you to fold that thing out of the way.
Speaker C:Of course, average, just your sports shooter.
Speaker C:It goes in the bag gray even, 16 inch barrel, goes in a small bag grade.
Speaker C:You can still use it on the tactical side for agencies.
Speaker C:It's a great thing.
Speaker C:If you're operating in a vehicle, you can get that thing out of the way.
Speaker C:It's an admin move.
Speaker C:So any vehicle, airship, helicopters, it's stowable, that's the greatest thing for it.
Speaker C:So in your gun safe, it's stowable, you know, so it has many purposes other than the truck gun or the backpack gun.
Speaker C:So still get it, still use it.
Speaker C:It's a wonderful product, won't let you down.
Speaker C:Suppressor is kind of the same thing, you know, it's not the little secret squirrel where nobody will ever know you fired around.
Speaker C:It's there for your protection, you know, your hearing protection.
Speaker C:It's a great product.
Speaker C:Use it for what it's supposed to be used for the slides, although they're, you know, Gen 3 and they're great for going on the 80% lower, they'll go on any block lower that's out there.
Speaker C:We hadn't found any that we've had any issues with yet.
Speaker C:Gen 3, Gen 4, they work.
Speaker C:We have the Glock 19, the Glock 17.
Speaker C:We're looking to do some other slides down the road for some other weapon systems, handgun size.
Speaker C:So I mean, don't, don't get, don't get knocked off your track.
Speaker C:It's, it's a downer, but you can still go out there and have fun and enjoy yourself.
Speaker C:Get what you need and go have fun.
Speaker B:Yeah, I mean, that's the big thing.
Speaker B:Get what you need, have fun with it.
Speaker B:Don't worry about, you know, you know, the, the folding thing.
Speaker B:I heard, you know, folding a 16 inch AR in half will fit perfectly in a, in a tennis bag.
Speaker B:Just tennis racket bag.
Speaker B:Just saying.
Speaker B:So people know it's cool, Cool thing to take to the range.
Speaker C:So I'll tease you a little bit more.
Speaker B:Ooh.
Speaker C:So we'll market this towards, towards law enforcement.
Speaker C:But you can take a 16 inch barreled M4, put a folder on it, and we'll have a mounting system and it will fit in a Harley Davidson saddlebag.
Speaker B:So for all our Harley Davidson riders out there, there's your little tidbit and it's completely legal.
Speaker C:It's a 16 inch barrel.
Speaker A:So let's talk about why you guys have chosen South Carolina.
Speaker A:We're seeing a massive trend with manufacturers of firearms, manufacturers of accessories choosing their states and relocating.
Speaker A:You guys have been around for, what'd you say, seven years?
Speaker A:Six, seven Years, six, seven years.
Speaker A:So why South Carolina?
Speaker C:Well, we're lucky this is where we were born.
Speaker C:The owner was right here, so it made it easy for us.
Speaker C:But you're right, South Carolina is a great state for the industry.
Speaker C:A lot of the state statutes are pro firearms and firearm manufacturers.
Speaker C:We've had some come in over the past few years.
Speaker C:You know, FN's right up the street in Columbia.
Speaker C:You don't get a whole lot bigger than fn.
Speaker C:We have a few other ones in the state.
Speaker C:So it's a good fit and it's a good place to be.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:Yeah, come to South Carolina and join us.
Speaker B:You heard it here first.
Speaker B:Everybody coming to South Carolina.
Speaker C:I mean, I think actually we're number three in the country for migration.
Speaker C:Right behind Texas and Florida.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:No more people come to Arizona.
Speaker A:We're full.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Tennessee's full, too.
Speaker A:Just psa public service announcement.
Speaker A:We're good.
Speaker C:I love Tennessee.
Speaker A:Firearm manufacturers.
Speaker A:Welcome.
Speaker B:Anybody else?
Speaker A:Yeah, listen, listen.
Speaker A:It's hard.
Speaker B:This is the guy who moved from Ohio to Arizona.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:I need a warmer climate.
Speaker A:Born in.
Speaker A:Born and raised Tennessee.
Speaker A:It's a great time to be alive,.
Speaker B:You know, it is, but I was born and raised at Buckeye, so it takes two people to spell our state.
Speaker B:So we're not the brightest.
Speaker A:What does that even mean?
Speaker B:What do you mean, what does that mean?
Speaker B:It takes two people to spell Ohio.
Speaker B:The one person to yell o, H, and the other one to yell I,.
Speaker A:O. I've never heard that before in my entire life.
Speaker A:To be completely honest, outside of, like, members at events, I think you're the first person that, like, I'm truly friends with.
Speaker A:That's from Ohio.
Speaker B:Ohio doesn't exist.
Speaker C:You know the dad joke one.
Speaker B:Which one?
Speaker C:The dad joke.
Speaker C:What's the only state that's round on the edges and high in the middle?
Speaker B:I have not heard that one.
Speaker B:That one's great.
Speaker C:So you know the dad joke, Tennessee one, don't you?
Speaker A:No.
Speaker C:What's Arkansas?
Speaker C:I'm sorry, I did it back.
Speaker C:That is.
Speaker C:What's Tennessee?
Speaker A:What?
Speaker C:The same thing at Arkansas.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:I hope we can use some of.
Speaker C:This because this is great.
Speaker B:So you talked about how you guys are in distribution.
Speaker B:Do you have a dealer network or is it strictly through distribution?
Speaker C:Through distribution.
Speaker C:So distribution and wholesalers, and then distribution handles the dealers to them.
Speaker C:So we get dealers, we push those out to the distributors.
Speaker C:Now we do handle dealers here locally.
Speaker C:They'll come straight through us because it's just easier to do that than push them all the way out somewhere else to get them all the way back in.
Speaker B:So if I was a dealer looking to purchase your stuff, I would go to Lipse Sports South.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So rsr, Chattanooga, Davidson, Hicks.
Speaker C:I'm sure I'm leaving off a bunch.
Speaker C:Most of the big ones, I can't think of them all right now.
Speaker B:The only one I could think of was Accusport, but I don't think they're around anymore, unfortunately.
Speaker B:Mike, how do people find you guys and what new and exciting things?
Speaker B:Because shot shows right around the corner.
Speaker B:Can you tease us or tell us about.
Speaker C:Oh, I can tease you about a bunch.
Speaker C:So you can find [email protected] Most of the big distributors and wholesalers and hit your dealer, local dealer up and if he doesn't have our products, tell him to find us.
Speaker C:And well, we teased about the suppressors a little bit.
Speaker C:I teased about maybe some new slides coming out down the road.
Speaker C:Told you a story about our engineer.
Speaker C:So even though we just came out with our gen 4, sounds like you might find something at shot show that's new in the folder world.
Speaker B:It's exciting.
Speaker C:What else?
Speaker C:The saddlebag for the motorcycle is coming out.
Speaker C:We got a bunch.
Speaker C:Just we try and crank out as much as we can crank out.
Speaker B:Now I did have one question.
Speaker B:Are you guys seeing the trend or are you guys looking at the trend of steel framed firearm accessories, things like that or is that something you guys are looking into?
Speaker C:So how do you mean by steel frame?
Speaker B:We see a lot of guns converting from polymer over to like a metal frame.
Speaker B:Is that something you guys are looking into?
Speaker C:Yeah, it is.
Speaker C:Okay, we'll do it.
Speaker C:We're looking to do maybe possibly do an aluminum lower for the Glock slide that we're doing.
Speaker B:That's awesome.
Speaker B:So is that.
Speaker C:Can't make any promises.
Speaker C:That's still.
Speaker B:So would that hint at maybe a full firearm coming?
Speaker C:That might be our first true full firearm.
Speaker B:That's exciting.
Speaker B:No, it's exciting when you come out with.
Speaker C:When.
Speaker B:I mean when I was at Faxon we, we had the A rack out already.
Speaker B:But we started coming out with our full line of pistols and stuff and being able to test that when I was there, it was really exciting.
Speaker B:That's an exciting time to.
Speaker B:To have your first gun on the market.
Speaker B:It's nerve wracking, but it's also very exciting.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:So we don't know market wise and if it's something we can get into because of where we'd like to keep our prices at.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:But it's being.
Speaker C:We talk about it so we're hopeful but I can't make you a promise right now.
Speaker B:It's all right, I won't hold you to it.
Speaker B:But you know it's an exciting time for you guys and I'm excited to see how everything plays out, how you keep building and expanding your line.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for joining us and I'm sure everyone has benefited greatly from listening to you today and for sharing your expertise.
Speaker A:Don't forget to like subscribe.
Speaker A:Leave a five star review if you're listening to us on the podcasting platforms.
Speaker A:It's $25 a year to join Goa.
Speaker A:I highly encourage everyone to to join, get into the fight and become a gun rights activist yourself.
Speaker A:And don't forget to follow us on social State of the second.
Speaker A:Second is spelled out.
Speaker A:Did I miss anything John?
Speaker B:Don't forget to share as well and the website to go sign up is gun owners.org see you next time.
