In 2022, I went to the San Diego County Gun Owners’ Gun Prom with a friend. I got to meet lots of people at the event, many of whom I’ve had on the show at some point. I’m sure I met Alisha Curtin then. She’s been part of Gun Owners Radio for a few years now. I did a PitStop interview with her, which is already posted, and I got to film this interview where we get into things a little more with her. This was her first SHOT Show, and she had a great time!
Alisha was raised in the San Diego area and met her husband in high school. At 17, she enlisted in the Army’s delayed entry program. The week before she was supposed to ship off for boot camp, she re-evaluated the situation with her boyfriend and thought it was leading places just 4 months into dating. Just before SHOT Show, they celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary!
Her husband is in law enforcement, and with a firearm in the home, he wanted her to be familiar with it. She really enjoyed it, but for him, shooting was just work. Eventually, she found that she was going to shoot and take training with her lady friends. Around 2012, she bought her own gun, a S&W .40 cal! Fortunately, it was a gun she rented, knew what she was getting into, and liked shooting.
During her pre-firearms career, Alisha was a high school teacher, covering biology, chemistry, forensic science, and criminal justice. The path to becoming an instructor was interesting. She was taking courses, and another instructor took her in, said she would be good at this, and mentored her. Then a range approached her and asked about having her teach courses at their facility. Instructing was a part-time gig until the virus that shall not be named happened. The gun laws were changing, and it seems like a good time to make a change.
As an instructor, she mostly works with women. Many times a woman takes a lesson and brings her husband’s gun or buys a gun the store suggests she buys. But that often isn’t a great choice for the ladies, something like a J-frame snubby. The thought is if a woman isn’t strong enough to rack a slide, then she’s going to have issues shooting a revolver in double action.
Her business is called San Diego Concealed Carry. There are a couple of ranges where she teaches. In California, to become a CCW instructor, there are three paths: the NRA path, the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) path, and the Police Officer Standard of Training (POST). She’s got all three of them. She also has all of the USCCA certifications.
Certified with NRA, USCCA, and others, she offers several courses. Of course, there are CCW courses, the California DOJ initial and renewal courses, introduction-to-firearms courses, youth courses, self-defense training, and court-mandated courses, too. She keeps very busy and is well-versed in California gun laws and statutes.
Besides everything else she does, Alisha was going to events hosted by San Diego County Gun Owners. I will say that, having been to one of their events, they draw in huge numbers of attendees! In 2021, the capacity at Gun Prom was 999. If there were 1,000 people, they would need “special requirements’, if you remember. At one event, Michael Schwartz, head of SDCGO, and Alisha got to talking. He had some changes with Gun Owners Radio and asked her to be a co-host of the show. I’ve got to say, it’s been a weekly listen for me for a number of years now, and I highly recommend it to everyone. She has her own segment called Curtin Call, where she talks about training.
Females are the largest growing demographic of firearm owners. It’s fantastic that the ladies can take courses with someone like Alisha. It’s also good that she can more than hold her own with the fellas, too. I’m sure she even shows a few of them up!
Favorite quotes:
- “I had a good time. I liked it, I enjoyed it. But for him it was work.”
- “It’s a big investment. You want to make sure it’s the right gun for you.”
- “Men, in general, do not understand the things a woman needs in a firearm.”
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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!
www.ridingshotgunwithcharlie.com.
