101826 hr2

In this episode of Eye on the Target Radio, Amanda Suffecool and Rob Campbell discuss Ruger’s reported production changes, Michigan’s firearm-storage law, and digital advertising challenges facing the firearms industry. Their guest, Brian Akin of Topple, also shares his personal experience with New Jersey firearms laws and explains how that experience led him to become an active Second Amendment supporter.

The first major topic is Ruger’s decision to suspend production of certain firearm models. Amanda and Rob explain that gun owners have been reacting to reports that Ruger may discontinue popular products, including the Blackhawk, Redhawk, LCR revolver, and No. 1 single-shot rifle. However, they emphasize Ruger’s clarification that suspending production or completing final production runs does not necessarily mean entire product lines are permanently discontinued. The hosts suggest that the changes could reflect slower sales, excess inventory, production priorities, or plans for redesigned and improved models. They also discuss how firearm sales can fluctuate with the political climate, arguing that consumers sometimes purchase guns out of concern that future restrictions will limit their options. With Beretta Holdings reportedly owning a significant share of Ruger stock, they wonder whether that relationship could influence the company’s future direction. Both hosts express interest in examining Ruger’s announcements and new products at the upcoming SHOT Show rather than assuming the company is abandoning its traditional firearms.

Amanda and Rob then examine Michigan’s “Safe Homes, Safe Schools” law, which requires public and private schools to distribute firearm-storage information to parents and guardians. Amanda says the educational goal sounds reasonable, but argues that additional provisions make the law problematic. As the hosts describe it, the law generally requires unattended firearms to be unloaded and locked away when someone is likely to be present on the property. They question how a teenager could access a firearm for lawful home defense if it must remain locked and unloaded, and they highlight what they see as a conflict between secure-storage requirements and the possibility of defending oneself during an emergency. The hosts also report that approximately 58% of Michigan school districts were not complying with the requirement to distribute the information, despite the law having been in place for two years. They use this figure to question the effectiveness of passing legislation without ensuring compliance. These are the hosts’ descriptions and criticisms of the law, rather than an independent legal analysis.

The hosts briefly discuss the importance of civic participation before moving to the main interview. They encourage listeners to vote in local and national elections, research candidates and party platforms, and consider voting records and policy positions instead of judging candidates by yard signs, appearances, or personal annoyances. They suggest that local elections matter because elected officials influence decisions within communities. The discussion of the National Firearms Act and its laws is postponed until the following week because the guest interview takes priority.

The featured guest is Brian Akin, founder of WeAreTopple.com, a digital advertising platform designed to connect firearms and outdoor-industry businesses with publishers willing to carry their advertisements. Akin explains that his background includes managing digital advertising campaigns for major brands on Madison Avenue. He noticed that firearms companies often faced restrictions from major advertising networks and platforms, while firearms-related publishers struggled to earn advertising revenue. Topple was created to address both problems by allowing businesses to advertise through firearms-friendly websites and other relevant outlets, including publications focused on hunting, farming, ranching, and conservative or libertarian news. Akin says the platform serves companies such as Magpul, Beretta, CZ USA, Federal, and Hornady, as well as local firearms dealers, ranges, training facilities, and instructors.

Akin argues that restrictions on firearms-related advertising have made it difficult for businesses to reach potential customers and for publishers to monetize their work. He describes how complaints about advertisements appearing on particular websites can pressure major companies to withdraw advertising, reducing revenue for those publishers. He also alleges that organized advocacy groups, supported by wealthy donors, contributed to these efforts. These claims are presented as Akin’s account of the industry and its history. He says Topple has had to build much of its advertising infrastructure from the ground up and is developing a substantially rebuilt version of the platform, called Topple 4.0, to provide firearms and outdoor businesses with more sophisticated advertising tools. The hosts see the service as a possible resource for companies that have had difficulty advertising through mainstream digital channels.

In the interview’s second half, Akin recounts his arrest and imprisonment following a firearms-transportation incident in New Jersey in 2009. He says he was moving between residences with legally purchased handguns and ammunition secured and unloaded in his vehicle. According to his account, police stopped him and insisted on searching his car. Akin says he had contacted New Jersey State Police beforehand to ask how to transport the firearms and believed he was following the instructions and applicable legal exemptions. Nevertheless, the officers arrested him, and he was charged with illegal firearms possession. He describes turning down multiple plea offers because he maintained that he had not broken the law.

Akin says the jury was not permitted to receive information about the exemptions he believed applied to his circumstances, even after jurors asked the judge about them during deliberations. He was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison. After spending four months incarcerated, he was released when Governor Chris Christie commuted his sentence shortly before Christmas in 2010, following a public campaign that included hundreds of thousands of petition signatures, according to Akin. He says he specifically did not want a pardon because he believed that would imply wrongdoing. His subsequent appeal overturned two convictions because the jury should have been instructed on the relevant exemptions, but one conviction involving hollow-point ammunition remained. Akin explains that, as he understood the law, New Jersey’s transportation rules did not specifically provide an exemption for moving hollow-point ammunition from one residence to another. He says he left New Jersey immediately after his release and has lived in Colorado since.

Akin explains that this experience changed his perspective on the Second Amendment. Before his arrest, he says, gun rights were not a major personal focus. Going through the legal process convinced him that firearms laws and their enforcement could have serious consequences for people who believe they are acting lawfully. He says this experience motivated him to become a stronger Second Amendment advocate and to create a business that helps firearms-related organizations communicate with their audiences. He closes by thanking the people who signed petitions and supported efforts to secure his release, saying he would not be where he is today without their help.

The episode concludes with the hosts reiterating their interest in responsible firearms ownership, public education, and political participation. Throughout the show, commercial breaks promote organizations and businesses including The Complete Combatant, Project ChildSafe, Riding Shotgun with Charlie, Decoding Firearms, Realize Firearms Awareness Coalition, Locked-In Grip, Rust Is Bad, and Davenport Guns.