The Ultimate Battle for our Rights (ft. Opie in the Smokies)

State of the Second hosts Kaylee and John sit down with Opie of Opie in the Smokies for a wide-ranging conversation that starts with patches and ends on the fight for the Second Amendment. Opie walks through his path from a Glock 17 and an Uncle Mike's holster to a full-time presence in the firearms world. A patch side hustle, including the Trump Train design and a money patch where one random buyer got a real hundred-dollar bill, grew into reviews, work with Liberty Bell Firearms, Smoky Mountain Guns and Ammo, Sylvan Arms, Forge, and Gun Maid, and eventually into training and his own night vision event, Naughty After Dark. The middle of the episode is about people. The three trade stories from SHOT Show and other events about how patches, YouTube, and firearms forums turn strangers into friends for life, and how welcoming the community is to anyone who shows up. They talk about building an on-ramp for new shooters and content creators, mentoring people who are just getting started, and Naughty After Dark as a low-cost way to let someone try a machine gun, a suppressor, and night vision for the first time. A long, funny stretch on Smoky Mountain wildlife, a coyote attack that cost Kaylee over 40 ducks on her farm, and tourists asking when the national park releases the bears keeps the tone light before the turn. The final third gets serious on policy. Kaylee and John make the case that the Second Amendment is not about hunting, but hunters should be about the Second Amendment, and that false environmental claims like the lead ammo ban are used to chip away at the shooting sports. They cover the NFA at 90 years old, the push to get suppressors out of the NFA, AR platforms replacing traditional hunting guns, and why GOA sues carefully to avoid setting bad precedent. Opie and John argue the firearm used to be the nucleus of the family and that mentorship, youth programs, and self-reliance have eroded. The close is a call to action: Kaylee says she timed the form email at 28.7 seconds, and the other side is counting on you sitting out the fight. The episode wraps with plugs for GOALS in Knoxville on August 17-18 and Naughty After Dark on October 25-26. Questions this episode answers How did Opie go from his first handgun to a full-time presence in the firearms industry? Opie started with a Glock 17 and an Uncle Mike's holster, then built a morale patch side hustle, including a Trump Train design and a money patch. That grew into reviews, training, and partnerships with Liberty Bell Firearms, Smoky Mountain Guns and Ammo, Sylvan Arms, Forge, and Gun Maid. What is the morale patch community like, and why do patches hold value on the secondary market? The patch community pulls people together across brand and platform debates, turning strangers into lasting friends. Opie's money patch, where one random buyer received a real hundred-dollar bill, is an example of the novelty and collectibility that give patches value. What is Naughty After Dark, and why does Opie run it as a low-cost way to try night vision, suppressors, and machine guns? Naughty After Dark is Opie's night vision event built as a low-cost way for someone to try a machine gun, a suppressor, and night vision for the first time. It serves as an on-ramp that lets new shooters experience gear they might never otherwise access. Why does the show argue the Second Amendment is not about hunting, even though hunters should support it? Kaylee and John make the case that the Second Amendment is not about hunting, but hunters should be about the 2A. They argue that false environmental claims are used to chip away at the shooting sports, so hunters have a direct stake in defending the right. How are false environmental claims like the lead ammo ban used against the shooting sports? The hosts argue that false environmental claims, such as the lead ammo ban, are used as a pretext to chip away at the shooting sports incrementally. Framing ammunition as an environmental hazard becomes a lever to restrict shooting without addressing firearms directly. What is Gun Owners of America's approach to lawsuits, and why does it not sue on everything? Gun Owners of America sues carefully to avoid setting bad precedent that could harm the broader fight. Choosing cases selectively keeps a loss from creating a ruling that weakens Second Amendment protections for everyone. Why does the panel believe the firearm stopped being the nucleus of the family, and how can mentorship bring it back? Opie and John argue the firearm used to be the nucleus of the family, and that mentorship, youth programs, and self-reliance have eroded over time. They point to mentoring new shooters and youth programs as the way to rebuild that foundation. How quickly can someone take action through Gun Owners of America, and why does inaction help the other side? Kaylee says she timed sending a Gun Owners of America form email at 28.7 seconds, showing how little effort action takes. The point is that the other side is counting on gun owners sitting out the fight. Chapters 00:00 — Welcome and meet Opie in the Smokies 00:42 — From a Glock 17 to a patch side hustle 04:11 — Liberty Bell, Smoky Mountain, Sylvan Arms and Forge 05:16 — The patch community and the secondary market 15:57 — Getting into the industry and friends for life 18:52 — Building an on-ramp for new shooters and creators 24:56 — Naughty After Dark and trying night vision 32:16 — GOA firing off the first round at the event 39:20 — Smoky Mountain wildlife and coyote problems 48:05 — Hunting, fudds and the lead ammo ban 59:46 — The NFA at 90 and getting suppressors out 1:08:43 — Why the firearm stopped being the family nucleus 1:18:53 — A call to action: 28 seconds to fight 1:28:21 — GOALS, Naughty After Dark and where to find Opie About the guest Opie is the firearms content creator behind Opie in the Smokies, based in East Tennessee. He grew up in Evansville/Boonville, Indiana, and moved to Tennessee for an ATM job almost a decade ago, which is where his shooting started. He began with a Glock 17, built a morale patch side hustle (including the Trump Train design), and exhibited at the NRA show in Atlanta in 2018. He works with Liberty Bell Firearms, Smoky Mountain Guns and Ammo (about four years of reviews), Sylvan Arms, Forge, and Gun Maid. He offers pistol, rifle, shotgun, night vision introduction, everyday carry, and women's pistol classes in East Tennessee, and runs the Naughty After Dark night vision event. He is 36 years old and has a wife and a young child, and mentions Wyatt as someone who may carry on Opie in the Smokies one day. Key quotes "We may not get along on Glock in 1911, but patches sure bring us together" — Opie "even though the firearms community is widespread, we are able to pull like minded people together and just build friendships" — John "you can't build an on ramp for someone if you're not on the path" — Kaylee "the Second Amendment isn't about hunting. But hunters should be about the Second Amendment." — Kaylee "It's so easy to fight for this because we're fighting for everybody, even the people we don't agree with" — Opie "they're counting on you sitting out of the fight" — Kaylee