T.REX Talk
221 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★★ - 691 ratingsThe official podcast of T.REX ARMS. Weekly thoughts and conversations between various team members discussing equipment, training, history, politics, and of course, the behind-the-scenes stuff regarding the business and technology of developing and making tactical gear. Produced by Isaac Botkin.
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Episodes
The False Dichotomy of the RESTRICT Act
April 20, 2023 04:00 - 30 minutes - 20.8 MBThere is a new piece of legislation that would grant the US government more control over the internet in order to protect us from the Chinese government's control over the internet. What is the best way to discuss this kind of topic with others? The Restrict Act The OPM Data Breach Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
School Shootings and Political Blackmail
April 02, 2023 06:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBWhat is political blackmail? The aftermath of the Covenant Presbyterian school shooting is still unfolding in Nashville. Never Pay the DaneGeld Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
How T.Rex Arms Invents New Products
March 24, 2023 00:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MBOver the last few years, T.Rex Arms has grown in size, and with that growth has come a need to completely change how we do product development and design. What are some of the lessons that we have learned through this process? Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
How Big is Your Community?
March 15, 2023 03:00 - 16 minutes - 11.5 MBAnd how small a disaster can you handle? We learned a few lessons about disaster responses over the weekend, and we reveal an ulterior motive behind the original T.REX business plan... Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
New Tennessee Gun Bills, Progress, and David Hogg
March 03, 2023 01:00 - 22 minutes - 15.7 MBThere a bunch of Firearm Freedom bills being heard in Nashville on March 7th, and we will be there. The process of legislative change is difficult and confusing, but there is a lot of progress going on, so much so that even David Hogg can see it! Kind of. Our Constitutional Carry Video Our 2022 Lobbying Video Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
Artificial Intelligence vs. Natural Dumbness
February 21, 2023 05:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MBAre AIs getting smarter faster than we are getting dumber? Will they lift us to higher plane of human evolution, or send killer robots to terminate us? It is becoming increasing clear that futurists of the past were very bad at predicting what AIs would be good at. Here are a few observations on how the battle for reality might go during the rise of the machines. Additional Materials: Scott Alexander's article "Perhaps it is a bad thing that AI companies cannot control their AIs" No...
Braces, Balloons, and Gun Rights for All!
February 14, 2023 06:00 - 19 minutes - 13.6 MBIt's time to revisit the ATF's Brace Ban Rule, now that it has been entered into the Federal Register and is already being challenged in court. We're also talking about spy balloons, and of course, the latest bit of internet drama to embroil the internet gun community. Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
The Digital Night Vision Review of the SiOnyx Opsin has Arrived!
February 07, 2023 05:00 - 27 minutes - 19.2 MBThere is a lot of interest in the new digital night vision device from SiOnyx, and we published a pretty in-depth review on YouTube. Here are some things that we didn't have time for, and some good points from the comment section. Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
Book Review: Larry Correia's "Defense of the Second Amendment"
January 29, 2023 01:00 - 21 minutes - 14.5 MBLarry Correia, multiple Award-Winning and frequent New York Times Bestselling author, has just released a new book on gun rights and you should know about it. In Defense of the Second Amendment by Larry Correia Semi-preview of the book from the Monster Hunter Nation blog Additional article from same Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
Book Review: Larry Correia's Defense of the Second Amendment
January 29, 2023 01:00 - 21 minutes - 14.5 MBLarry Correia, multiple Award-Winning and frequent New York Times Bestselling author, has just released a new book on gun rights and you should know about it. In Defense of the Second Amendment by Larry Correia Semi-preview of the book from the Monster Hunter Nation blog Additional article from same Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
The ATF's Final Pistol Brace Rule is a Trap
January 21, 2023 22:00 - 21 minutes - 14.6 MBIs it final because it's the last one? SHOT Show was a great place to hear lots of discussion on the most recent egregious ATF rule, one that claims that 10-40m Americans are felons and have been for some time. This podcast has some of the main points, and here are some great resources to learn more. CORRECTION: Early on in the podcast I mentioned the US government selling surplus M1 Garands with a 16.25" barrel, but those were in fact M1 Carbines. The surplus M1 Garands had an 18" barrel, ...
What the Gun Industry can Learn from Coca-Cola
January 08, 2023 00:00 - 34 minutes - 23.9 MBOver a year ago, Open Source Defense published an article on Coke, guns, and product value, which was sparked by an old Andy Warhol quote. It was thought-provoking enough that we are still talking about it. As we are gearing up for SHOT show, we are pondering the three biggest lessons that Coca-Cola has for the gun industry, primary in the areas of manufacturing, research, and marketing. Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
Manufacturing: The Secret Weapon
December 30, 2022 22:00 - 16 minutes - 11.4 MBAmateurs talk strategy, but professionals talk logistics, according to General Omar Bradley. Manufacturing capability will almost always be the limiting factor OR the driving force behind the adoption of new ideas or invention. Check out this great Forgotten Weapons video for an excellent example of that: Ask Ian: Civil War Tech - Why Didn't It Improve? Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
Rights and Responsibilities - with Dr. Kayser
December 24, 2022 20:00 - 41 minutes - 28.3 MBToday's conversation dives deeply into the question of Rights. We in the 2A community are quick to bring up our rights, to affirm them as pre-existing, to appeal to them as unlimited... but what exactly are these human rights, how should we talk about them, and how did America's founders define them? Today's guest is Dr. Phillip Kayser, a pastor and theologian who has written extensively on the topic. The Divine Right of Resistance by Dr. Kayser Additional materials on Limiting Gover...
The Time Isaac Provided Legal Testimony in a Gun Case
December 13, 2022 23:00 - 23 minutes - 16.5 MBIt was a long time ago... this morning! Thanks to Gun Owners of America, Isaac was able to be a witness in one of the hearings opposing Ballot Measure 114 in Oregon. This is what it was like. Read hearing coverage from Oregon Live Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
A Quiet Conversation with Jay of PewScience
December 08, 2022 23:00 - 1 hour - 57.4 MBToday's conversation is with Jay of PewScience! While PewScience has primarily worked to develop rigorous laboratory testing standards for suppressors and develop a single Suppression Rating for easy comparisons, this chat had less to do with combustion events and pressure waves and more to do with the gun industry in general and the development of the Citizen Defense Industry. You can check out some of Jay's suppressor reviews here, and his podcast here. Keep in touch with us here: ...
The Fallout from the Bruen Decision (so far)
November 29, 2022 20:00 - 19 minutes - 13.7 MBIn late June, the Supreme Court handed down the Bruen decision, which has already had a significant impact on firearm laws and freedoms across the country. To hear Matt of Fuddbusters talk about this from a legal standpoint, check out this past episode, and for more reading, here are links discussing some of the cases discussed in this episode: Rocky Mountain Gun Owners v. Superior Andrews v. McCraw Matter of Rounds Injunction against NY "Concealed Carry Improvement Act" ...
Black Friday Sale Logistics and Thanksgiving
November 22, 2022 17:00 - 13 minutes - 9.04 MBTake a peek behind the curtain of our Black Friday Preparations, some of the lessons we've learned, logistical hurdles we've had to overcome, and learn how you can get in on the sale early. Spoiler alert, it's by signing up for the newsletter here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
Red vs. Blue: Mid-Term Deathmatch
November 15, 2022 22:00 - 17 minutes - 12.1 MBNow that it's been a week since the mid-term elections, there's enough data to talk about. However, the big takeaways are more likely lessons from the last few years than the last few days, and some reasons not to have the Red Wave Blues. Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
How Powerful Tools can Cause Complacency
November 05, 2022 12:00 - 18 minutes - 13.1 MBThe more powerful a tool or a weapon is, the easier it is for its users to get lazy when using it. As more and more tools get automatic features, it gets easier for us to be lulled into a false sense of competence. How can we make the most of these improved capabilities without losing the deliberate skill and planning that previous tools required? Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
How to Level Up Your Knowledge
October 31, 2022 22:00 - 19 minutes - 13.8 MBThe 21st Century is still the Information Age... but there is so much more information floating around today, and it is so much more accessible, that it's actually hard to find real knowledge, and turn it into usable knowledge that will let you level up your capabilities. How can you overcome the obstacles in order to do that? Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
The Glock AR-15 and the Return of Ryan Busse
October 15, 2022 18:00 - 25 minutes - 17.9 MBSo, a bunch of random internet news about old guns, new guns, gun control, and folks from the old gun industry all coalesced into an article on The Daily Beast! Let's find out more about what is happening with the Glock-made AR-15 carbine and our old friend Ryan Busse. The Daily Beast Thinkpiece The AmmoLand Reporting Bruce Willis and Tommy Lee Jones also contributed to this episode. Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
A Discussion with Open Source Defense
October 08, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 43.5 MBA conversation that ranges from how tech companies are able to qrow so quickly, to why social media companies have adopted certain policies, to what we need next in the gun industry. Open Source Defense is one of our favorite companies in the Gun Rights space, so we've been looking forward to this conversation with Chuck and Kareem, two of the founders with a long background of work in some of Silicon Valley's biggest companies. OSD does a number of different things behind the scenes, but...
Our AR-15 video is Going Viral!
October 01, 2022 14:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBTwo weeks ago, we published "Why EVERYONE Needs an AR-15" on Youtube, and it has generated a lot of conversation and commentary. Isaac reads some of those comments, addresses some controversy, and talks about a few important points that didn't actually make it into the video. Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
American Food Production - Past and Present
September 25, 2022 19:00 - 24 minutes - 17 MBAfter a road trip to the family farm in Iowa, it's time to talk about modern American agriculture, and compare it to the way things used to be. As a bonus, Isaac talks to his kids about the lessons they should be learning from their ancestors' examples. Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
Flintlocks & Old-school Skills w/ Ethan Yazel
September 16, 2022 20:00 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBA couple of weeks ago, we shot a YouTube video about the history of firearms technology, with the help of Ethan Yazel from ilovemuzzleloading.com. The final video is more about freedom, gun control, and the Assault Weapon Ban of 2022 than flintlocks, but it got us a lot more interested in owning and shooting old-school weapons. This conversation between Isaac and Ethen is a longer deep dive into the world of muzzleloaders, both old and new, and all the folks in the muzzleloading community ...
Why You Need More GPS Devices
September 10, 2022 04:00 - 19 minutes - 13.6 MBAs we learn more about all the new satellite and internet communications technologies coming in the future, perhaps we should go back to the humble handheld GPS devices for certain things. This conversation is about GPS devices, mass surveillance, jamming and spoofing tools, and practical land navigation. Fog Reveal: A location tracking service for law enforcement GPSjam.org: A nearly real-time map of GPS interference Garmin eTrex 32x: A super basic handheld GPS with a lot of capabilities ...
The All-New T.Rex Ironside Holster!
August 25, 2022 03:00 - 24 minutes - 17 MBWe launched a brand-new holster today! Actually, it's a bit of a throw-back to a much earlier T.Rex design, but it's also the result of some of our newest processes, equipment, and strategies. It builds on the tooling we made for Sidecar 2.0, but is also the product Ironside Launch Video Ironside Holster Page Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
Death and Taxes
August 19, 2022 03:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBLast week, our Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which will reduce the impact of inflation by hiring $80 billion dollars' worth of new IRS agents to squeeze more tax revenue out of the people affected by inflation.hand IRS Special Agent Recruiting Terrible IRS CQB training IRS Audits by Demographic Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
State-Level Politics with Grant Henry
August 13, 2022 03:00 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MBWith so much attention being focused on Federal laws, the Supreme Court, and the current President's administration, it's easy to forget about local politics. Grant Henry, a private Tennessee lobbyist, comes on the show to talk about why he is very deliberately working at the state level. Even if our national lawmakers weren't out completely out of control, the local level is where the real responsibilities lie. Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
Complete Weapon Systems with Henry Chan
August 04, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 49.8 MBIsaac has a long conversation with Henry Chan of 9Hole Reviews about understanding weapon systems as a holistic concept, not just as mere individual components. The discussion goes from Henry's experience growing up in Hong Kong to becoming an ordnance officer, the future of 3D printing in army logistics, and the age-old tech race between arms and armor. YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/9HoleReviews 9H Podcast: https://www.9hpodcast.com/ Keep in touch with us here: https:...
HR1808 - Bad Gun Bills Never Die
July 28, 2022 04:00 - 19 minutes - 13.2 MBHR 1808, also known as the "Assault Weapons Ban of 2021" did not become law in 2021. It probably won't become law in 2022. But it will never actually go away... Isaac gives quick run-through of what this bill would do, the arguments made for and against it last week, and its eerie similarities to the Assault Weapons ban of 1994. Crime rates since the 1994 AWB Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
Putting the "Total" in Totalitarianism
July 20, 2022 03:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBAfter a heroic Good Samaritan stopped a mass shooter over the weekend, Isaac had some questions. Why are the advocates for big government always so gloomy? Why do they gnash their teeth when individuals do well? Can we squeeze a Bill Waterson joke into a serious look at horrifying tyranny? All these questions and more will be answered. Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
Common Sense Radio Control
July 11, 2022 10:00 - 44 minutes - 30.6 MBThe ongoing demand for gun confiscations, body armor bans, and night vision limits now includes calls for... handheld radio controls! Isaac dissects a recent Slate article lamenting the ability of far-right extremists to use handheld radios to communicate after they have been de-platformed from Twitter. Original Article: Far-Right Extremists Are Using Personal Radios to Plan Violence To be honest, this only barely scratches the surface of all the preposterous assumptions the article i...
Your Past and Future Gun Rights ft. Fudd Busters
July 06, 2022 23:00 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MBThe SCOTUS ruling on NYSRPA v. Bruen has a lot of implications for the future legal battles surrounding gun rights. This weekend Isaac was able to spend some time with Matt Larosiere from Fudd Busters, discussing the ramifications of this decision. It's a pretty wide-ranging conversation on past and current legal theory, but it also gets into what we can expect in the future. Fudd Busters Initial Analysis on Bruen: https://youtu.be/50qvyP00qws Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms...
The Tree of Liberty
June 26, 2022 04:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MBAs Independence Day approaches, we reflect on the Tree of Liberty. It's a pretty long metaphorical exploration, but it goes over the different branches on the Tree, some very recent Supreme Court Rulings, and ways that different trees have in the past been refreshed with the blood of patriots and tyrants with very different results. Additional Reading: The Origin and Principles of the American Revolution By Friederich Gentz Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/...
A Conversation with Redbeard Tactical
June 17, 2022 01:00 - 36 minutes - 24.9 MBToday, Felix and Sasha stopped by to talk about a whole swath of topics, from the economy of training to the lag in military adaptation, from the consequences in Ukraine to the responsibilities of early adopters. They are producing some of the best gear and training content on the internet, so check them out below: Website: redbeardtactical.com Instagram: redbeardtactical.de Patreon: RedbeardTactical Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
The Five Big Gun Control Myths
June 07, 2022 05:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBOk, so there are LOTS of myths about gun control and gun violence, but here are five that are dominating the current news cycle and undergird a lot of the current thinking about guns. Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
Big Lessons from Ukraine
May 30, 2022 13:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBA couple of months ago, we talked about lessons from footage of the first defensive fights in Ukrainian. Today we're talking about some larger lessons related to defense innovation. Is the American Military model more like Ukraine's or Russia's? War on the Rocks podcast The Imagineers of War Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
Wild Arms R&D and Homebuilt Rocket Launchers
May 23, 2022 13:00 - 56 minutes - 38.9 MBWild Arms Research and Developmemt has spent the last few years building destructive devices. Specifically, developing recoilless launchers and rocket launchers like the Panzerfaust and Fliegerfaust, and then publishing the research for public edification. Isaac Botkin and Jonathan Wild have a free-ranging discussion on munitions design, launcher research, and the two books they have produced so far: Man Portable Air Defense System : Fliegerfaust Expedient Recoilless Launcher: Panzerfaust ...
Behind the Scenes Q&A
May 16, 2022 20:00 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBIt's been a while since we did a Q&A episode, so Isaac fired up his much-throttled Instagram account for a live conversation with real people who asked real questions. This included queries about 3D printers, suppressor laws, customer support, and of course, lots of curiosity about new products. Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
The Three Worst Gun Control Ideas
May 09, 2022 09:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBThere are a lot of different gun control strategies that have been promoted or attempted over the years. Here are three particularly bad ones, and an explanation of who they are actually bad for. $200 FDM 3D Printer: Ender 3 Pro 2018 T.Rex video about 3D printed guns: https://youtu.be/aJvpfYJ-2Xc Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
Intro to Thermal Devices
April 27, 2022 23:00 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MBThe internet is buzzing about thermal devices, mostly because of GarandThumb's urban survival video (youtu.be/rL5wePSjTL8). Isaac explains a few basics about how thermal works, how to think about, what the key differentiators are between devices, and how to start learning more about them. Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
The Importance of Maps
April 20, 2022 03:00 - 13 minutes - 9.57 MBMaps are important. Seems obvious enough. But learning how to read them and use them to do work is the really important part. Current favorite mapping tool: caltopo.com Current favorite land nav instructors: redbeardtactical.com Current favorite GarandThumb video: youtu.be/rL5wePSjTL8 Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
The FINAL ATF Rule Change
April 13, 2022 05:00 - 24 minutes - 17 MBWell, at least, the final language for the most recent rule change about frames and receivers. Get ready for new rules on braces coming soon! Fudd Busters episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOwhe-cJ0wQ Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
How To Build Political Relationships
April 05, 2022 03:00 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MBHere at T.Rex Arms we recommend getting involved in local politics. Which leads to the questions "How do I get involved in local politics?" and "Why should I get involved in local politics?" Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
Three Categories of Radio Communication
March 23, 2022 16:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBDue to popular demand, another comms episode! This should be helpful in determining what kinds of capabilities you want to build in one of these three categories: Open Communication Private Communication Secret Communication And here is a link to a bonus homework assignment: FEMA's DHS radio interoperability course is interesting to read: IS-951 Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
The Unpredictable Backlash against Russia
March 15, 2022 04:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBThe entire world has now bravely tweeted out Ukranian flag emojis in noble support, and selflessly poured out Russian vodkas in righteous indignation. The internet's reaction to a tragic war has, for the most part, been predictably laughable. And yet, a lot of these emotional kneejerk reactions could have serious long-term effects... Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/
Practical Lessons from Ukraine
March 01, 2022 00:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MBWe are far from having a clear picture of the geopolitical wrangling surrounding the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, and the livestreamed video of the conflict doesn't actually clarify things much yet. However, it does provide us with a very interesting picture of citizens, militias, and light infantry pushing back against a hostile force. So, let's talk about the need to have: Guns and Ammo Intel Gathering Tools Intel Dissemination Tools Access Denial Tools and Raw Materials Water and Fo...
In Memory of P.J. O'Rourke
February 22, 2022 05:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBP.J. O'Rourke was one of the best journalists of the 20th Century; a master of clear, concise, well-structured communication. What better way to honor his memory than a rambling, long, and completely unplanned livestream talking about some of his best work? Isaac describes what made him stand apart, and what T.REX folks can learn from him. Further Reading: All the Trouble in the World Parliament of Whores Letter from Egypt Keep in touch with us here: https://trex-arms.com/newsletter/