Frugal Firearms Podcast

FFP's Blog...

Random Thoughts, Really Well Thought-Out!

What's with the Targeted Money Tree, anyway?

Craig W. 12-5-2025

So what's up with the target on the Money Tree, and what the heck does that have to do with a Firearms Podcast?

Why the right cleaning gear matters

Craig W. 12-12-2025

Won't any old patch, brush, and lube do the trick? Maybe not!

The unexpected honor of a Gundies Nomination

Craig W. 12-13-2025

How did we get to the point of earning a "Podcast of the Year" nomination so fast, in only our second full year? I have some thoughts...

We have SUCH a GREAT community!

Craig W. 2-11-2026

SHOT Show '26 again reinforced the amazing quality of the people in the 2A community, but how many people leverage the relationships we build to EXPAND that community, or are we on a shrinking island of goodness?

What's the inspiration for the Targeted Money Tree Logo?
The whole concept of The Frugal Firearms Podcast began with Craig's frustration over listening to other firearms-related shows, where the producers seem to not have a single care for whether the average shooter or enthusiast can afford the products being reviewed, much less whether those products represented good values. Maybe those reviewers get the products for free, maybe not. But cost aside, value is rarely discussed elsewhere, and if you don't have more money than you know what to do with, then VALUE MATTERS! Since as the saying goes, "MONEY doesn't grow on TREES" - or at least it doesn't where we live - we saw a niche for a gun (and related stuff) podcast whose AIM was to find and present the best values for the money, and that's what we TARGET! Seeing how the logo came together now? Most people have other expenses that compete for funding besides their hobbies and passions, but there's so much good (and often great) gear out there now that we no longer have to choose between having the stuff we want and paying for what's non-negotiable. Don't have institutional funding behind you from a government or department? You've found the right podcast.
With this inspiration, Craig teamed up with his friend Ken, (who he's known since high school and who has a great broadcast voice - way better than Craig's), and started the podcast with our "Beta Collectors Edition; Episode Zero". That went pretty well, it must be said, but we realized that the real key was getting great GUESTS, and dang, have we nailed that! Lot's of company CEO's and Founders have been featured, and there's no slowing down. Now understand though; Ken is cheap... like really CHEAP, whereas Craig will spend good money if the value is there. That creates an interesting dynamic and a bit of friction between your FFP hosts, but we try to keep the fighting to a minimum!
Our goal? We genuinely want to have our listeners get the best shooting experiences for their hard-earned money. Does that mean we'll promote stuff that's made overseas when necessary? Yep, it does. Will we promote US-made products when it makes sense? Every. Damn. Time.
Our job is to help you make informed buying decisions, and it's not all about guns and accessories, either... Training is a BIG part of a smart shooter's budget, but there's value to consider here too! Not all training is worth your money, whether in terms of in-person trainers or training devices. We help you here as well. What about things like less-lethal self-defense? Sure, that's part of the discussion. How 'bout pre-arranged legal protection for self-defense circumstances? Well, if you haven't seriously considered this, you've probably missed the single biggest "value proposition" out there, particularly if you carry outside the home! And accessories? Definitely, because that's where a lot of enjoyment can be added to budget builds and guns!
So come along for the journey, and we'll all get the most "bang for the buck"! Sorry, I had to use that cliche' just this once!

Cleaning - the often overlooked (or actively avoided) part of your firearms lifestyle
Who thinks that you can get away with never changing your car or truck engine's oil? Nobody, right? Well, hopefully nobody! But how many folks do you know who go to the range or on a hunt, and when they're done, just put the gun away? Too many, I'd bet. What's the difference in the stresses encountered between metal parts in an engine and in a gun? Not as much as you might think! Bullets going down barrels impose tremendous amounts of load on those barrels, much like your engine's piston rings, valve stems, wrist pin bearings, etc., and barrels wear out faster than you think (Listen to our past episodes to learn how fast)! Sear engagement points are also under extremely high pressure loads. While firearm actions don't run in a continuous fashion as an engine does, engines have all the advantages here, as guns don't have oil filters or oil pumps to maintain lubrication pressure... guns only have their oil's viscosity to maintain the metal-to-metal separation, and different lubricants have vastly different film strengths. Contaminants in guns stay in suspension in the oil, rather than being filtered out. Using compromise "do-it-all" products in guns to save time and effort doesn't help, either. Can a CLP work? Sure, many people (including your author) have used them for years, but going back to our car analogy, would you use the same product to clean and lubricate any car part you can think of? I can't come up with a single example!
Particularly for any gun you'd carry to defend your life, cleaning is critical. You probably know this, but how you clean matters too. If the gun fails to fire, extract, or feed at the ultimate - and perhaps last - moment of your life, you won't have time to fix it, but will have time to regret it! Less critical but more common, errors in both how you clean and what you clean with can shorten the life or affect the accuracy of your guns, or both. And if you're FRUGAL like we are, part of the cost of ownership comes down to retained value and not having to replaced guns!
The picture above shows the amazing contents and organization of the Shooter's Choice Universal Cleaning Kit. The box alone is a great item to keep everything organized, but the quality of the included cleaning products is also great. Not shown is their outstanding Ripcord product, which is the best and most advanced version of a "bore snake", saving you lots of time in cleaning, and as the saying goes, "time is money!" We discuss all of time- and gun-saving techniques in Episode 23. There are many, many videos on the Otis Technology and Shooter's Choice YouTube channels to learn the best way to clean, so I won't make you read about how to do it here, right? But please don't assume that just because you've been cleaning for years means there's nothing new or better to learn... watch those videos, some of which are for specific guns. Remember - one of the most common ways that guns fail is by cleaning them! Not by the act of cleaning itself, but through improper reassembly.
Whether you choose Otis, Shooter's Choice, and/or Modern Spartan Systems' products (featured in Episodes 23 and 4, respectively... if you haven't already listened!), your guns will thank you with longer life, better performance, and the confidence they'll be there for you every time the need arises. Would you accept less from your car or truck? I didn't think so!

Podcast of the Year nomination?? Didn't see THAT coming!
When I first considered putting together this podcast, I was well... intimidated. I think most people are when they start anything truly new. Having a long history of speaking professionally in front of US Navy audiences, I knew I had the speaking part down, but those audiences are very professional... not so much when your audience is basically the whole internet! So, what I expected was a lot of hate, criticism, and people being contrary just for the sake of being contrary. Know what? That hasn't happened. The gun community, as fractured as it can be across any number of topics, is in my experience a "polite society" overall, maybe because at least most of us were either raised right, or perhaps because we understand that being too aggressive with armed people isn't the best strategy. Either way, after publishing only a small number of episodes compared to the rapid-fire pace of many other podcasts - which in our case simply isn't necessary since it's not a source of income we rely on - we end up with a Gundies nomination for Podcast of the Year! Ken and I are gratified... truly thankful.
So how did we get here? I can only think it's because of our core missions; to find and present the best values for our listeners, to attract and feature the best hosts with the most engaging stories, to only publish an episode when we actually have something worth taking about, and to not waste our listeners' time by spending large chunks of our shows talking about stuff that frankly nobody else cares about! Quality matters, and that's what we try to bring you with every episode. Value matters too, and we will never lose our focus on value, regardless of what we review. I guess at least a few of you agree, and that's really nice to know. You will all be rewarded with better shows for this, as it increases our visibility, and our ability to attract even more of the big names you want to hear from as guests of the show.
So whether we win Podcast of the Year or not, thank you guys, and Merry Christmas!

The 2A Community has some of the BEST people imaginable, but ...
Attending SHOT Show has become a highlight of the year each year. I'm always anxious for it to start, and seriously sad when it ends. Why? Because I'll miss all the cool gear, some of which I will never own (because I live in The People's Republic of California), or because a LOT of the cool stuff never makes it to production? Nope, not at all... It's the people. Our "polite society" is full of friendly, smart, and engaging patriots, many of whom show very outward manifestations of their sacrifices to keep ALL of us free. But all the handshakes, smiles, and back-slaps sometimes feel like we're on an island, and one that could very well be shrinking. The Gundies, The Gun Rights Policy Conference, The NRA Convention, and other events that gather together the great minds and business leaders in the gun community together - SHOT Show included - can't do enough to keep our "island" from slowly eroding into a sea of restricted rights and apathetic or even hostile voters. This is a CONSTANT challenge, and I'm challenging YOU! What have YOU done to preserve our rights? Sent a check to NRA, GOA, FPC, and other worthy organizations to get a membership? Great... everyone should! But did you leverage your unique talents and skills directly in affecting changes in perception? Statistically, probably not. I know people with passions (in all kinds of interests) who keep it to themselves, or only share that passion with those who are already "on the island", sticking with my metaphor. But I know - because I keep seeing it - that good 2A advocates are out there, and should be spreading that goodness.
How about taking a new shooter to the range? Maybe teach gun safety AND the importance of firearms in our history to disadvantaged youth? Write a letter to the editor of your local paper when bad legislation is introduced that restricts our rights - and I don't just mean 2A rights. Get your friends and coworkers to think in terms of freedom and individual responsibility, not acquiescence to dependency on government, and incremental losses of liberty. Why do you own a gun? If for self-protection, is it that you believe the police cannot adequately provide that safety blanket? You'd be right. Why then make it someone else's responsibility to protect that very right? That's what you do when you don't use your voice and your talents to DIRECTLY influence others, in a polite, supportive manner. Let's GO!

About The Frugal Firearms Podcast:

Frugal Firearms Podcast ("FFP") Disclaimers:
1. FFP hosts are not responsible for assessing the accuracy of claims or statements made by the guest(s) and/or host(s), nor for consequences, damages, or claims arising from the use of the guest’s and/or host’s products, advice, opinions, statements, and/or services, pursuant to appearance(s) on FFP.
2. FFP offers no legal advice, and no statements by the host(s) or guest(s) may be construed as legal advice. Listeners are advised to seek legal counsel within their jurisdiction for any questions or concerns.

Wanna' be on the Frugal Firearms Podcast??
Here's our Terms & Expectations for Guests:
1. FFP is value-centric, but not necessarily focused on “cheap” products and services. Try to steer discussions in the direction of emphasizing the customers’ value for any product or service.
2. The desired limit of each final posted podcast episode is approximately 60 minutes. Of that, FFP hosts will add short intros and outtros without the guest joining those portions of the recording. Therefore, the maximum time for a guest host is no more than approximately 55 minutes, and ideally approx. 40-50 minutes. Plan the discussion accordingly, and keep it lively, interesting, and loose! However, if the conversation requires more time to adequately cover the show topic(s), it will be allowed to run over 60 minutes or will be separated into multiple episodes, at the sole discretion of FFP hosts.
3. FFP episodes are audio-only, and prerecorded. We will fix audio issues and remove low-quality or undesirable elements prior to publication. For an audio-only format, sound quality is critical. For remote guests, we will generally use Zoom. Video is used during podcast recording, but only to enhance natural human interaction, so video is recommended for guest(s) but not mandatory. Be sure to have a strong connection, little to no background noise, and a quality microphone. If we are unable to establish a connection with reasonable-quality audio in the judgment of the FFP hosts, the show will be rescheduled, as publishing a show with poor audio quality will diminish the audience experience and listener completion rates.
Be certain to silence your cell phone before recording commences!
4. Once an episode is recorded, FFP reserves the right to edit the recording for improved clarity, time efficiency, etc., and/or delete sections of the recording that do not meet FFP publishing standards. The guest can also request sections of the discussions be deleted.
5. FFP’s primary goal is to grow the podcast’s audience. In order to realize growth, the guest agrees to post link(s) to either their individual episode or to the FFP homepage across all their websites and social media accounts, and/or to otherwise promote the episode for which they are featured, within two (2) business days following publication. FFP will reciprocate to promote the guest’s company/organization in return on Facebook, Instagram, X, Truth Social, and/or elsewhere.
6. FFP will not endorse or meaningfully discuss products that the hosts have no personal experience with or detailed knowledge of. If a potential guest wishes FFP to review a product, sample(s) must be provided for evaluation to allow for an adequate evaluation period, prior to recording an episode. The sample(s) will be returned upon request, provided the guest covers return shipping costs. For FFL shipments, contact the FFP hosts for shipment instructions.
7. FFP hosts will sign Non-Disclosure Agreements if required by the guest. However, the guest is responsible to advise FFP hosts of what can and cannot be discussed or posted publicly prior to or during - not after - recording of the show. The guest(s) stipulate that all content included in the published episode shall be considered appropriate for public release by all parties at the time of publication.
8. Generally, the guest(s) will not disparage any other company or competitor by name during the recording session. However, guests are encouraged to make justifiable claims about why they offer the best consumer choice within their given industry.
9. FFP is a “clean” show. Try to avoid “colorful” language… it will be edited out.
10. FFP will accept advertisements, which will be read by FFP hosts during the show. The sponsor can provide a script, or one can be collaboratively developed, but please note that Rule #6 will be enforced. FFP will not embed prerecorded “mid-roll” advertisements within the podcast itself, but may include “pre-“ and “post-roll” advertisements.
11. FFP hosts will assist in the development of pre-release products in a collaborative fashion with prospective podcast guest(s), provided that shipping costs for samples are paid by the guest(s), and that the guest(s) agree to appear in a future episode of the podcast at such time FFP hosts have sufficiently personally evaluated production-grade or near-production sample(s), and the guest(s) affirms that the reviewed sample(s) closely represents the final retail product release.
12. All sound good? If so, reach out to us at [email protected]!