A Quick Channel Update - The Other Kind of “Guns” This Week
If you were expecting a table full of new air pistols or rifles today, don't worry, you haven't clicked on the wrong channel or site. We’re talking about "guns" today, just not the steel and CO2 kind.
Things are going to be slightly quieter on the replica front over this next week, and I wanted to give you a quick, honest look behind the scenes at why.
Peak Week Mode
Outside of the shooting sports, many of you might spot the occasional trophy tucked into the background of my video setups. Usually once a year, I step on stage to compete in a fitness and bodybuilding show, and right now, I am right in the thick of Peak Week.
Prep during this final stretch consumes everything. Between near-fasting diets, depleted carbs, and dialing in body fat to step on stage as lean as possible, it takes a serious toll on energy levels and focus. Because of that, most of my production bandwidth this week is dedicated to the fitness side of things over on my other channel, GetFitOver40.com.
If you are strictly here for airguns and target shooting, feel free to sit this week out, I promise we will be right back to regular programming very soon. But for those curious about what happens when the airguns cameras are turned off, here is a bit of background.
Life Beyond the Workbench
While airguns and firearms have been my passion and full-time livelihood for years, a blessing I never take for granted, weight training has been a constant for over four decades. I picked up my first weight at the age of 14 and never looked back, staying active through hockey, CrossFit, and bodybuilding.
Along the way, life has stayed busy: I'm a father of two and have been married for over 25 years (together for nearly 30) to an incredibly patient wife who puts up with my high-maintenance routines!
The Story Behind the Scar
Viewers occasionally catch a glimpse of the lump under my shirt or the surgical scar down my chest and ask what happened.
A little over three years ago, I underwent emergency open-heart surgery. I had been born with a bicuspid aortic valve (two flaps instead of three), which wore out prematurely after decades of intense athletic output. Before getting checked out, I was suffering from extreme fatigue and fluid retention. The diagnosis was critical:
An enlarged heart with an ejection fraction down to 18% (normal is around 70%).
A massive aortic aneurysm, a dangerous "widowmaker" that was on the verge of rupturing.
Doctors told me I was likely only weeks away from dying, yet remarkably, I had still been pushing through heavy gym sessions just days prior.
Today, following surgery to install a mechanical valve and a pacemaker/defibrillator combo, I have a clean bill of health. My heart has returned to normal size, my ejection fraction is back up to 70%, and the pacemaker essentially sits idle acting as a silent monitor. Aside from managing daily blood thinners, I am fully able to train, work, and live at 100% capacity.
More Airgun Content Coming Soon
What doesn't kill you truly makes you stronger. Thanks to everyone who took the time to tune in and listen to a more personal side of my journey. Rest assured, once the show wraps up and the peak-week fog clears, I’ll be back at the bench with plenty of new reviews, field tests, and shooting demonstrations.

