Starting a Gun Company During a Pandemic (ft. Rost Martin) | EP 54

Ross Martin is one of the newest names in the firearms industry, and on this episode of State of the Second, co-founder Chris Toomer sits down with hosts John and Kaylee to explain how it got off the ground. Chris and his wife Stephanie, both working in the industry at the time, started shaping the idea around 2019 and 2020 as they watched a wave of new people come into the firearms space. After about three to four years of working through the red tape and framework that comes with starting a firearms company, they hit their goal and launched their first pistol at SHOT Show 2024. The name carries family history: Rost is Stephanie's grandfather's middle name, and Martin is Chris's great grandmother's maiden name. The conversation centers on the company's first product, the RM1C, a compact pistol made in Dallas, Texas with an MSRP of $459. Chris walks through the design philosophy: not everyone has $700 or $1,000 to spend, so the goal was a feature-rich, reliable pistol that works straight out of the box without aftermarket upgrades. Built on a partnership with Slovenian company Arex and a re-engineered platform produced in the US, the gun adds touches like top slide serrations and an extended trigger guard. Chris is candid about the hurdles, from years of engineering to securing physical space, permits, and the right size team, plus the discipline to stop adding features and actually get to market, since you only get one chance to launch. Stephanie is the daughter of Springfield Armory CEO and owner Dennis Reese and worked at Springfield for nine years; Chris is a former Marine Corps infantry officer who also worked at Springfield after the Marines and business school. They built Ross Martin as a completely separate company with Springfield's blessing. The episode also gets into advocacy and community. Chris and Stephanie attended GOA's national women's range day in Texas, where Chris helped many women shoot a firearm for the first time. They talk about being hands-on owners who answer customer calls themselves, about representing a part of the gun-owning community the media often overlooks, and about why they see the Second Amendment fight as one of expansion, not just preservation. Chris closes with where to find the company online and a note that more announcements are coming this summer. Questions this episode answers How did Chris Toomer and his wife Stephanie come to start Rost Martin? Both were working in the firearms industry and began shaping the idea around 2019 and 2020 as they saw a wave of new people enter the space. After about three to four years of working through the regulatory framework, they launched their first pistol at SHOT Show 2024. Where does the Rost Martin name come from? The name carries family history. Rost is Stephanie's grandfather's middle name, and Martin is Chris's great grandmother's maiden name. What is the RM1C pistol and what is its MSRP? The RM1C is Rost Martin's first product, a compact pistol made in Dallas, Texas with an MSRP of $459. It was designed to be feature-rich and reliable straight out of the box, without needing aftermarket upgrades. How does Rost Martin's partnership with Arex factor into the RM1C's design? The RM1C is built on a partnership with the Slovenian company Arex and a re-engineered platform produced in the US. It adds touches like top slide serrations and an extended trigger guard. What were the biggest hurdles in starting a new firearms company? Chris cites years of engineering, securing physical space, permits, and the right-sized team, plus the discipline to stop adding features and get to market. As he puts it, you really only get one chance to launch. How is Rost Martin connected to Springfield Armory? Stephanie is the daughter of Springfield Armory CEO and owner Dennis Reese and worked at Springfield for nine years; Chris worked there after the Marine Corps and business school. They built Rost Martin as a completely separate company with Springfield's blessing. What was it like for the owners to attend the Gun Owners of America national women's range day? Chris and Stephanie attended the Gun Owners of America (GOA) national women's range day in Texas, where Chris helped many women shoot a firearm for the first time. They frame their advocacy as expanding gun rights, not just preserving them. Why did Rost Martin launch with a compact pistol and price it at $459? The goal was an accessible option for buyers who don't have $700 or $1,000 to spend, so the company built a reliable, feature-rich compact that works out of the box. Chris and Stephanie are hands-on owners who answer customer calls themselves. Chapters 00:00 — Welcome and intro to Chris Toomer of Ross Martin 00:13 — How Stephanie and Chris started the company 01:46 — A feature-rich pistol at a competitive price 03:09 — Their background and ties to Springfield Armory 04:38 — Where the Ross Martin name comes from 05:31 — Why they chose Texas 08:53 — Getting involved in Second Amendment advocacy 09:21 — Attending GOA's national women's range day 14:13 — Owners working the booth and the range 18:23 — Being different owners in the industry 23:53 — Designing the gun and listening to feedback 28:11 — The biggest hurdles in starting the company 30:51 — Why the price point matters for new gun owners 33:57 — Why they launched a compact first 35:30 — Where to find Ross Martin online About the guest Chris Toomer is the co-founder of Ross Martin, a firearms company he started with his wife Stephanie. He is a former Marine Corps infantry officer who later worked for Springfield Armory after the Marines and business school. Stephanie is the daughter of Springfield Armory CEO and owner Dennis Reese and worked at Springfield for nine years. The couple began shaping the company around 2019 and 2020 and launched their first pistol, the RM1C, at SHOT Show 2024. The company is based in Dallas, Texas, and they have two young kids at home. Key quotes "So my wife Stephanie and I started the company." — Chris Toomer "not everyone has $1,000, $700 that they can spend on a pistol." — Chris Toomer "we want our kids to have the same rights under the Second Amendment that we have." — Chris Toomer "we are concealed carry people. We love shooting. We're just the owners of the company." — Chris Toomer "you really only have one chance to launch." — Chris Toomer