{"podcast":{"title":"State of the Second","slug":"state-of-the-second-6604741","podcast_index_feed_id":6604741,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/state-of-the-second/","website_url":"https://stateofthe2nd.com","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/5c1ba3ec-041a-4f0c-8c7f-3f645a8a1e00/rzBp1JmNTLPL5oywdC41G-y8.jpg","author":"Gun Owners of America","episode_count":141,"summary":"\"State of the Second isn’t your typical 2A podcast—it’s a backstage pass into the firearms industry. Hosted by Kailey Nieman and John Fahrner, we sit down with the real people behind the brands, builds, and big ideas shaping the gun world. From shop owners to social media legends, each episode dives into how they got started, what keeps them going, and what it really takes to make it in the firearms industry, plus the battles they face along the way. If you’ve ever wondered how to break into the industry or what it’s like behind the scenes, this is your front-row seat.\"","last_synced_at":"2026-07-30T02:19:50.974174+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/state-of-the-second-6604741"},"episode":{"title":"The Gun That Could Change Recoil Forever (ft. Rock Island Armory)","slug":"the-gun-that-could-change-recoil-forever-ft-rock-island-armory","published_at":"2026-05-21T13:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/state-of-the-second-6604741/the-gun-that-could-change-recoil-forever-ft-rock-island-armory","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/state-of-the-second-6604741","url":"https://stateofthe2nd.com/episode/the-gun-that-could-change-recoil-forever-ft-rock-island-armory","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/53aadf18-865d-47ed-a805-dc6268e10b32.mp3","summary":"John McClane of Rock Island Armory joins hosts Kaylee and John to talk about how a budget-friendly firearms company from the Philippines built a recoil system he believes other manufacturers will copy once the patent runs out. John shares his path into the industry, from a closet gun owner who hid his first rifle under the bed for a year and a half, to a C-class USPSA shooter, to multiple Grand Master cards on Team Armscore. A chance EMT call between Vegas and Pahrump introduced him to the owner's family at Armscore and Rock Island, which led to a developmental shooting program, a sponsorship, and eventually his role as national training manager. The conversation centers on the company's product philosophy and its newest guns. John explains the late CEO Martin Tuason's stance on keeping firearms reliable and affordable, and why Rock Island refuses to raise prices just to look more expensive. He walks through the patented RVS recoil system in the 5.0, a pistol that took seven years to develop and that he says shoots like it has a compensator with a standard slide and barrel. He also covers the new Pack Out folding firearm in 14-inch and 18-inch barrel versions, the RIA USA factory in Cedar City, and the .22 TCM round and its 9R redesign that now fits Glock and CZ magazines. The TCM line is held back only by SAAMI spec, which the company is working to finalize. The episode closes with the From the Soapbox segment on a knowledge gap among post-COVID first-time gun owners. John argues the information is out there and the real problem is whether people seek it and whether the person behind the gun counter has the patience to help. He makes the case that one bad interaction can turn a new shooter off for good, and that the community gets stronger when experien…","meta_description":"John McClane of Rock Island Armory joins hosts Kaylee and John to talk about how a budget-friendly firearms company from the Philippines built a recoil sy…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2617,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/state-of-the-second-6604741/episodes/the-gun-that-could-change-recoil-forever-ft-rock-island-armory/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/state-of-the-second-6604741/the-gun-that-could-change-recoil-forever-ft-rock-island-armory.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}