I was down in Fairfax, VA, filming shows with the NRA staff. One of the folks who I had lunch with was Jay Grazio. He’s originally from Massachusetts, a funny guy, and we hit it off well. So we filmed a show!
One of the perks of his position is that he gets to train. When we did the show, he’d recently visited Gunstie in Arizona. It also sounds like the NRA has the employees do training together, which he says he did with one of the other staff members.
As a Bay Stater, it’s hard to be a gun person, with all the limitations (infringements) and laws (more infringements) that we have. As much as he loved growing up in small-town New England, it wasn’t good for a gun activist and writer. When he took the position at Shooting Illustrated, he made the move to free America in Virginia.
At a young age, the shooting bug hit him. His father was a Massachusetts State Police officer, and his grandfather was a town police officer. Firearms were always around, and the elders emphasised safety. Guns were tools to the family. His grandfather would tell him stories of when he was young and owned a diner. During the Depression, people would settle up with bills and exchange meals for firearms. This makes the history of firearms a big interest for Jay.
One prized possession is his grandfather’s Colt revolver, which he carried and was made in the 1930s. Another is a 1911 from 1917, which still fires without any issues, just like it did over 100 years ago.
Always one to look for a good gun story, Jay would help friends in need by offering to buy guns from friends and when they could pay him back, he’d give the gun back. But there was one Colt Python that he wasn’t able to come up with the money for and it got away from him. He also had to pass on a fully, lawfully transferable M16 that was only $10,000 back then.
He has a degree in biology and a master’s degree in biochemistry, so of course, he became an editor. In the early days, Jay was involved in lots of blogging on various websites and topics. He used to argue over politics online, like many of us still do. Then a friend had him write as the resident “gun guy”. He started his own blog about firearms by reviewing LaserLyte products, which he saw in an American Rifleman magazine. That led to more and more reviews and products.
Things just kept rolling from there. Since then, he’s written for Shooting Illustrated, Recoil, and Western Shooting Journal. When there was an opening at Shooting Illustrated, he was encouraged to apply. He took the chance, and it worked out. Earning a degree and a master’s with a biology and sciences background, he understood writing, working on a thesis, and meeting deadlines. Having some experience in sales marketing and websites came in handy, too. All transferable skills as he admits.
At a previous job, Jay shares what’s really a typical story for a gun owner in “occupied territory.” One colleague, who was an avid hunter, kept a knife in his truck in case there was an incident. This person wasn’t a fan of ARs. He thanked Jay on his last day at the job for not causing an incident when he left. This is a display that not all gun owners are created equally. It was OK for the man to have a “military grade sniper rifle”, but not acceptable to him for someone else to own an AR. Hypocrisy has no bounds.
Jay was a great guy to spend time with! He’s a great storyteller. His position gives him exposure to all sorts of training, gear, and personalities in the gun community. This was a fun interview and I hope y’all enjoy it. You can check out Shooting Illustrated from or the link below, or NRA’s website, and read all of Jay’s articles and the work he does.
Favorite quotes:
- “Massachusetts is the birthplace, and graveyard, of liberty.”
- “It’s a way of connecting with the past in a manner that you can use it the way it was intended.”
- “Massachusetts doesn’t make it easy to be a Second Amendment advocate.”
- “Guns are not good, guns are not evil. Guns are chunks of metal.”
About Riding Shotgun With Charlie
Riding Shotgun With Charlie isn’t about firearms. It is about having an intimate conversation with 2 people talking. You’re the fly on the rearview mirror. Many of the passengers are involved in the firearm community.
This is a more intimate conversation than a phone, radio, or Skype interview. You get to see the passengers. And you’ll see where the road and the conversation take you!
