RSWC #125 Kory Brooks – Riding Shotgun With Charlie

Riding Shotgun With Charlie
#125
Kory Brooks
NRA & USCCA Instructor
761st Gun Club, President

I love my gig. I was heading to Michigan for some personal events and saw how close I was to Chicago. Kory Brooks reached out when he saw that I had Rhonda Ezell (RSWC #037) on the show and said if I ended up in Chicago, he would love to be on the show. I saw how close I was to Chicago on the Michigan trip and reached out to Kory. He said he was up for it so we made a plan.

Kory is an instructor, certified by the NRA & the USCCA. He offers several classes to his clients, including several basic courses and self defense courses. He got into instructing after 8 years in the USMC, doing 2 tours in Iraq. After leaving the military, he took some time away from firearms, like many people do when they’re starting their lives and families. In 2014, he bought his first pistol, and got more into firearms in 2017, working to become a gunsmith and instructor. He specializes in building AR-15 style rifles.

Kory shared some of the history in Chicago about why the state started the FOID (Firearm Owners Identification card). It’s interesting to hear that the politicians were trying to keep the Chicago Black Panthers from getting firearms. He also talks about the ridiculousness of some of the Illinois gun laws and Chicago’s pre-emption.

One of the areas where Kory works with folks in building ARs. We talk about how he’s got to be careful while helping someone not just for the functionality of the firearm, but the legality of everything, too. On top of everything else in Chicago, residents can’t get the training they need for a FOID or a carry permit because the city makes it difficult for businesses to be in the city as well as keeping it hard for residents to apply for one.

Talking about the anti-gun laws in Chicago, we cover that Indiana get blamed for crime in Chicago even though there are several straw purchases, which are already illegal. Let’s face it, we’ve got gun laws on the books that aren’t and sometimes can’t be enforced. You can purchase a handgun from out of state, but it still has to be shipped to a local dealer, then the 4473 has to be processed, and in Illinois, you’ll have to wait for a 3 day ‘cooling off’ period. The ‘cooling off’ period assumes that you’re buying a gun because you’re mad and want to harm someone. Kory also gets into how Chicago isn’t like the rest of Illinois, not just for firearms, but also for the rivalry between the St Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs.

Kory likes to go hunting and tells us about his bird dog that doesn’t like hunting birds. He put some time into training the dog, but it didn’t take. We talk about how you can’t hunt deer with a rifle in Illinois or Massachusetts, you can only use a shotgun.

It was nice to be back in the Chicago area, between the city and where I grew up, to connect with another person who is passionate about shooting, instructing, and passing on the freedoms that we have left. And that we hope to pass on to others so they can pass it on, too.

Favorite quotes:

“It’s a hard fight, but it’s not a fight you want to give up on.”

“The cool off period, in my opinion, it hinders more people than it’s supposed to help.”

“When the government in Illinois messes up, they punish the people.”

(USCCA classes) “…they talk about scenarios that can land you in jail, if you don’t do the right things, you can land yourself in jail.”

“What law, that they are going to make, that’s going to change the hearts of men?”

“Even if you don’t like guns, you just don’t like guns. Why impede on what I like? I don’t impede on what you like.”

“We have to fight. And we have to keep on fighting. If we don’t fight, they’re going to win. I’m not into letting them win.”

Kory Brooks Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/loc_and_load0351/

Red Hill Gunsmithing Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/redhillgunsmithing/