The TTPOA Podcast

Episode: Sons of Liberty Gun Works "The Arsenal of the Republic"
Date: December 6, 2025
Hosts: TTPOA Host Team (SWAT leaders, Texas)
Guests: Mike Mihalski (Founder, Sons of Liberty Gun Works), Nate Horvath (Partner, former Staccato CEO)

Episode Overview

This episode of The TTPOA Podcast, recorded live at the 2025 TTPOA SWAT Conference, features a deep-dive conversation with the leadership of Sons of Liberty Gun Works (SOLGW). The discussion explores leadership, innovation, and culture in the small arms industry, particularly as it relates to law enforcement and first responders. Nate Horvath, formerly CEO of Staccato, joins for his first podcast as a new SOLGW partner, bringing a fresh perspective to the Sons of Liberty 2.0 era. The hosts and guests candidly tackle guns, agency partnerships, business philosophy, product evolution, regulatory challenges, and the unique Texas gun culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins, Growth & Partnership

• SOLGW’s Commitment to Law Enforcement:
  • Sons of Liberty’s tradition of attending TTPOA and making Texas a home base.
  • Mike describes their work ethic and persistent, "All In" approach.
    [01:15] "We’ve been to every tactical conference in the country, and TTPOA is the pinnacle… we’re Texas boys. We’re like, yeah, all in." – Mike
• Meet Nate Horvath:
  • Nate shares his background: Marine Corps infantry, business acumen from transforming STI into Staccato, and growing it from a niche player to over 1,600 LEO departments.
    [02:51] "When I started with STI, we had maybe a couple of law enforcement departments… when I left, over 1,600 departments using Staccatos." – Nate
  • The partnership is described as highly complementary, with Mike as the technical visionary and Nate providing operational scale and business structure.

2. Sons of Liberty 2.0 – The Evolution

• What is “2.0”?

  • Expansion of the brand, product lines, and internal culture — not a rebirth, but an evolution.
  • Welcoming high-level personnel (e.g., Scott Peterson, retired Army Marksmanship Unit) to enrich expertise and outreach.
  • Improving direct customer connection, especially with law enforcement and commercial markets.

• Cultural Consistency Amid Growth:

  • Both speakers stress the importance of never losing the "why," focusing on reliability, company ethos, and peer-to-peer reputation.

    [14:06] "I got into this business building guns in my garage because fucking, I wanted to build good guns for good people… our motto is the arsenal of the Republic." – Mike

  • Now ready to share previously undisclosed professional work, leaning into transparency and pride in their substantial agency relationships.

3. Reliability, Responsibility, and the Mark 1 Project

• Defining Reliability:
  • The non-negotiable requirement for equipment that works “all the time, not most of the time.”
    [17:10] "This piece of equipment, this life-saving piece of equipment, it has to work, you know, all the time, not most of the time." – Nate
• Mark 1 Rifle Project:

  • SOLGW’s latest, most advanced rifle, representing years of R&D, rapid prototyping, and problem solving.

  • Designed for integration with new tech (augmented optics, suppressed fire), sub-six pound, new materials and heat dissipation.

  • Emphasis on real-world operator feedback and iterative failure as essential to innovation.

    [21:58] "The Mark 1 is truly legitimately a next-gen system… a sub-six pound rifle that shoots like a competition gun but plows through adversity." – Mike

4. Industry Challenges & Regulatory Environment

• Shifts under the New Administration:
  • Less hostility from ATF and regulatory agencies compared to previous years, with less “zero tolerance” and clerical crackdowns on FFLs.
  • Financial and insurance pressures on the industry have eased, but vigilance remains necessary.
  • The small arms industry as a whole is experiencing a “renaissance”—companies must differentiate, focus on innovation, and move past “commodity” ARs.
• Market Trends & Resilience:
  • Major sales spikes during civil unrest and pandemic, followed by normalization.
  • SOLGW sees less slowdown than basic brands due to their focus on law enforcement and innovation.
  • The podcast explores the paradox of political uncertainty driving commercial booms but risking long-term industry viability.

5. Partnership with Law Enforcement & Company Culture

• Responsiveness and Relationship Focus:

  • SOLGW’s commitment to rapid support for officers who lose rifles to OIS or other agency needs.

  • Pride in word-of-mouth growth, with personal bonds between SOLGW, agencies, and officers.

    [62:08] "It's not transactional for us… we foster that. We've grown through word of mouth, through peer to peer recommendation." – Mike

• Approach to Product Development:

  • In-house triggers developed to ensure heavy hammer strikes and reliability, with ongoing refinement based on operator feedback.
  • Strategic decision not to chase budget market (e.g. $500 rifles), preferring quality over mass-market compromises.

6. American Gun Culture, Texas, and Societal Shifts

• Regional and Cultural Commentary:

  • Texas gun culture is distinct—deep roots, generational knowledge, and a sense of autonomy and readiness.
  • Rural realities demand self-reliance; responsiveness times make gun ownership practical, not just ideological.

• Industry and Social Responsibility:

  • The podcasters stress that guns are a tool, not a source of violence—"Man-made problem, not a gun-made problem."
  • Significant demographic shift: fastest-growing group of new gun owners are former anti-gun individuals.
  • Openness to all Americans: [44:38] "We are building world’s best shooting rifles for every American… I don’t care what color, gender, or what they think they are… As long as they’re responsible." – Nate

• The Power of Conversation:

  • Social media fosters division, but real-world, face-to-face dialogue builds understanding and erodes manufactured controversies.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• All In at TTPOA
  [01:14] Mike: “We pushed all in… TTPOA is the pinnacle, and we’re Texas boys. All in.”

• Reliability Above All
  [17:10] Nate: "This piece of equipment, this life saving piece of equipment, it has to work, you know, all the time. Not most of the time."

• Systems-Level Innovation
  [20:52] Mike: "The rifle was built and engineered from the ground up to accommodate new visual augmentation systems...a systems level approach to lethality."

• Word of Mouth Power
  [62:08] Mike: "We have grown through word of mouth, through peer-to-peer recommendation, and that is by far the most validating thing..."

• American Unity Over Politics
  [44:38] Nate: "We are building world’s best shooting rifles for every American… I don’t care what color, gender, or what they think they are… As long as they’re responsible."

• Rapid Failure, Real Problems
  [23:10] Mike: "I kind of threw myself into this one thing and just was able to rapidly fail...good ideas become really evident and apparent."

Timestamps of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|----------------------------------------------| | 00:22 | SWAT conference intro, TTPOA’s growth | | 01:06 | Sons of Liberty Gun Works’ TTPOA history | | 02:16 | Nate’s background and joining Sons | | 04:10 | The origins of the partnership | | 09:46 | What is Sons of Liberty 2.0? | | 14:06 | The meaning of “Arsenal of the Republic” | | 17:10 | Reliability: “This thing has to work” | | 19:50 | The Mark 1 Project deep-dive | | 26:13 | Regulatory/market impacts of new administration | | 31:39 | Gun sales and political climate (industry context) | | 33:12 | Shifts in law enforcement morale | | 34:54 | Public rejection of “defund the police” | | 41:38 | On societal shifts—new demographics of owners| | 44:38 | Building rifles for all Americans, not political| | 49:25 | Texas gun culture and rural realities | | 55:16 | SOLGW’s OIS replacement policy, agency support | | 59:23 | SOLGW triggers and operator feedback | | 62:08 | The importance of relationships and word of mouth| | 64:52 | Upcoming technologies, what’s ahead for SOLGW| | 67:40 | Gratitude and sense of purpose (outro content)|

The Future & Final Thoughts

• SOLGW looking ahead:
  Tech refreshes, incremental improvements, rollouts of the Mark 1 suite across product lines, and new developments specifically tailored for law enforcement, precision, and agency needs. Focus on sharing more about their work and educational content via YouTube and other platforms.
  [66:31] "You're almost rendering the bolt gun obsolete if you look at what can really be achieved once you start attacking those problems very deliberately." – Mike

• The Partnership Philosophy:
  Both guests reiterate their deep sense of duty to first responders and the broader American ideal of responsible firearm ownership. The company’s growth and philosophy reflect a commitment to serving those who serve and to honest, transparent advancement in the craft of arms making.

  [69:40] Nate: "We're privileged to help support in a small way, and we take it very seriously that what we do is to provide you with equipment, life-saving equipment that will not fail."

Tone & Style: Friendly, passionate, “no BS” Texas honesty with a healthy dose of humor and seriousness about their mission.