Open Source Defense

Latest Episodes:

Joe Fox and Cameron Toor of ShotPay Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

Joe Fox and Cameron Toor are the founders of ShotPay, where they're building payment infrastructure for the shooting, hunting, outdoor, and tactical industry.

0:00 - Introduction
3:57 - The Genesis of ShotPay
8:57 - Challenges in the Firearms E-commerce Space
12:27 - Innovative Payment Solutions: BNPL and Layaway
18:52 - Navigating Payment Processing Complexities
28:40 - Building a Stable Payment Infrastructure
30:56 - The Evolution of Payment Processing
37:09 - Navigating the Buy Now, Pay Later Landscape
46:40 - Supporting Veterans and Community Initiatives
54:46 - The Importance of Mentorship and Guidance

Doug Ritter of Knife Rights May 27, 2026

Show notes

Doug Ritter is the founder of Knife Rights, which for our money is one of the most effective single-issue advocacy groups out there. See how they've singlehandedly changed the path of knife laws in the US, with a tiny staff and budget.

Go to ultimatesteel.org to see the gear available in the Knife Rights' 2026 fundraiser.

0:00 - Introduction to Knife Rights
2:43 - The landscape of knife laws
5:52 - Bipartisan strategies in advocacy
8:47 - Legal challenges and court successes
11:40 - Building relationships with legislators
14:44 - Lessons from Knife Rights for other advocacy orgs
17:50 - The origins of Knife Rights
34:20 - The Federal Switchblade Act and its impact
39:05 - The origins of knife bans and their implications
44:09 - Legal battles and the future of Knife Rights
51:44 - Knives as tools and their role in self-defense
57:06 - The future of Knife Rights and advocacy

Marc Nemati of GrabAGun Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

Marc is the president and CEO of GrabAGun.

0:00 - Intro
0:29 - Why to IPO, and what it’s like
3:54 - Navigating regulatory scrutiny and having mission-aligned shareholders
13:29 - Stock buyback
15:10 - M&A opportunities in the gun space
22:33 - An everything store for guns
24:43 - GrabAGun technical systems
29:07 - Data and analytics in the industry
32:59 - Operational challenges and opportunities for growth
37:03 - GrabAGun’s board of directors
41:01 - Building a team
46:52 - Managing risk in the early days of a startup

Tim of Hoffman Tactical Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

Tim is the founder of Hoffman Tactical.

0:00 - Intro
0:23 - How has 3D printing evolved compared to what Tim expected?
9:16 - Does 3D printing need a killer app?
14:22 - Opportunities in destructive devices
18:20 - Tim likes anti-materiel rifles
18:49 - Gun designs are dictated by their manufacturing technology
20:39 - Hoffman Tactical’s customers
24:24 - Drones, automated defense systems, and the potential there
35:12 - Community isn’t strictly required for private defense
40:59 - The Super Safety
43:30 - Debating the value of forced reset triggers and full auto fire
52:12 - Why small companies out-innovate big ones
56:32 - Tim on hot air balloons

Rob of Constellation Response Mar 26, 2025

Show notes

Rob is the founder of Constellation Response, the store for gun culture 3.0.

Timeline:

0:00 - Intro to Rob and Constellation Response
4:44 - Why modern civilian comms are changing from the old days
8:11 - The rise of Meshtastic and its applications
18:45 - Acceleration in radios
21:43 - Why Constellation Response is getting into drones
24:17 - Drone training courses
30:01 - The impact of regulation on the cool things you could do with drones
36:31 - The future of autonomous drones
42:11 - 3D printing, drones, AI, and comms feel like something really cool is swirling into shape
46:18 - Are signal jammers going to become a thing in the US?
51:16 - Tethered drones
56:38 - Follow Constellation Response

David Han Jr. of Canine Defense Technologies Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

David is the founder of Canine Defense Technologies, which makes drones for defense professionals and serious civilians.

Timeline:

0:00 - Intro
0:49 - Drone nomenclature
1:44 - Counterdrone tech and the competition between offense and defense
8:42 - Technological lessons from Ukraine
16:16 - Applying those lessons to civilian drone tech
19:16 - What is the FAA getting in the way of?
25:50 - Panics that could drive bad regulation
32:08 - History and mission of Canine Defense
43:29 - Supply chain as limiting factor
44:55 - Innovations in drone propulsion and power
50:10 - Drones as Second Amendment arms and why fears of misuse are probably overblown
58:50 - Growing Canine Defense’s business
1:05:38 - Future products from Canine Defense
1:08:22 - Decentralized community-building with drone swarms

Jon and Sarah Hauptman of PHLster Holsters Dec 19, 2024

Show notes

Jon and Sarah run PHLster Holsters, makers of the Enigma, other holsters, and groundbreaking education about how to carry comfortably.

Timeline:

0:00 - The journey to making holsters
7:58 - What was the need PHLster was responding to?
17:34 - When did Sarah know the Enigma was going to be good?
35:57 - How much of a breakthrough was the Enigma for PHLster?
41:35 - Education and holster fitment as a science
49:28 - What's wrong with telling people to dress around the gun
58:13 - The importance of online communities
1:08:52 - The dynamic around gun products marketed to women
1:20:21 - Social media as a design and manufacturing tool
1:29:48 - Nobody goes to the anti-gun range

Jay of Pew Science Nov 20, 2024

Show notes

Jay is the founder and technical director of Pew Science, the world's top silencer testing company.

Timeline:

0:00 - Are low back pressure silencers the end of history?
4:50 - Why silencers break the FN SCAR 17
7:12 - Pistol silencers are hard
19:21 - What were the breakthroughs in silencer technology?
24:06 - Consumers, not the military, are now driving the silencer industry
44:16 - Is there value in modular cans?
48:48 - The mechanics of silencer assembly
54:59 - Standardization in silencer attachment
1:00:41 - Consumer demand vs. military standards
1:05:36 - Flash hider vs. muzzle brake for suppression
1:09:34 - Understanding the SCAR's sensitivity to silencers
1:18:27 - About Pew Science

Isaac Botkin of T.Rex Arms Oct 30, 2024

Show notes

Isaac Botkin is a longtime leader at T.Rex Arms and the perfect first guest for the Open Source Defense podcast. We talk about the beginnings of T.Rex, whether guns actually prevent tyranny, and future tech in the civilian defense industry.

Timeline:

0:00 - Intro and Background
2:44 - Milestones and Growth of T.Rex Arms
9:51 - Challenges of Growth as a Company
17:45 - Hiring for Passion and Mission Alignment
25:55 - Transparency and Honesty in Marketing
32:58 - The Evolution of Gun Culture
38:56 - Gun Culture 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0
51:44 - Do Guns Prevent Tyranny?
1:02:33 - The Future of Gun Culture, Body Armor, and Night Vision
1:21:47 - Lightning Round on Upcoming Gun Tech

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