Matt Silvey – Managing Editor & Co-owner
Matt spent 23 years as a deputy with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, a career from which he retired in January, 2019. During his time as a LEO he attended countless firearms training classes, was a California POST certified firearms instructor, and a court recognized firearms expert. During his career, he was directly involved in two officer involved shootings, so he has a little experience when it comes to self-defense shootings and the “360° range.”
Matt began writing pieces for public consumption in 2012 at a political blog, but quickly found more enjoyment in writing about one of his lifelong interests, firearms. In addition to his own blog (which was hacked and destroyed in 2022), Matt has had pieces published at The Bang Switch (now defunct), Full 30, Law Enforcement Today, The Daily Caller, 2A News, and the print magazine Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement.
Keith Graves – Managing Director & Co-owner
Keith is a retired police sergeant from the San Francisco Bay Area. He is a 20 year SWAT veteran with assignments as entry team member, sniper, sniper team leader and EMT. Keith was a firearms instructor with certifications as a Precision Rifle Instructor, submachine gun instructor, “shoot house” instructor, and patrol rifle instructor.
Keith has taught tactics and firearms classes to students across the United States and has taught other courses worldwide including Australasia and Europe. Keith is also a recipient of the prestigious California Narcotics Officer of the Year award.
After retiring, Keith fled California for the United States and now lives Idaho where he enjoys having his 2nd Amendment rights back.
Brandon Perkins – Contributor & Founder of Cops Supporting Gun Rights
Brandon served as a police officer in Georgia for 22 years; his last 11 years were spent serving as a police chief in Metro Atlanta. In 2016, he was an inaugural recipient of the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s 40 Under 40 Award. Brandon retired from full-time law enforcement in 2018 to take a position in the civilian side of government management. He is a fervent believer in the Second Amendment and has been speaking out against those who would infringe on those rights for many years. During his career in law enforcement, he served as an FTO, Departmental Training Officer, Shift Commander, Professional Standards Manager, and PIO before being promoted to Chief.
Brandon is also the Founder & Executive Director of The American Armor Foundation, a non-profit that provides body armor to officers serving in underfunded agencies in some of the country’s most economically challenged areas. Learn more at www.americanarmor.org
GI Joe* – Contributor
Joe Anon has been an active law enforcement officer since 2002. Prior to his service in law enforcement, he spent four years with an elite US Army unit (with a bunch of other Joes, from which he has pulled the pen name, “Joe”).
Joe has been a firearms enthusiast since he could say the word “gun”, and was brought up shooting and hunting with his dad. As a LEO, Joe has been to numerous firearms training classes, and has competed in countless action pistol, small bore rifle and long range rifle competitions. Firearms and shooting sports are a lifelong passion for Joe and he has always enjoyed sharing that love with others, whether it’s teaching friends or family members how to shoot, going to his safe space at the range or simply discussing firearms, tactics and hunting stories.
Having spent a career seeing the first-hand value of lawful firearm ownership as it relates to personal protection at home, as well as the disastrous consequences when a populace has been disarmed by its rulers abroad, Joe is extremely passionate about and a staunch supporter of the RIGHT of the people to be armed, the Second Amendment, and the right to defend oneself from all threats. Joe actively seeks out debate with those who believe personal firearm ownership should be eliminated or curtailed; particularly when that kind of drivel comes from the mouth of a law enforcement administration, agency or individual officer. Very little irks him more than law enforcement officers (rare as they are) or agencies that support gun control.
Officer Hopps* – Contributor
Officer Hopps has been an active law enforcement officer since 2012. Before joining law enforcement she was studying to become a criminalist and has a BS in Forensic Biology with a minor in Forensic Investigation.
Hopps had no firearms experience prior to starting her career at a law enforcement agency, in fact she was not a supporter of private firearm ownership. Since becoming a peace officer, Hopps developed a love for shooting. Now she not only enjoys going to the range to train, but also has taken up hunting.
More importantly Officer Hopps learned the value of self defense with a firearm and now supports the Second Amendment firmly. She believed falsely portrayed narratives surrounding firearms and gun ownership and after gathering her own experience, has an allegiance to helping others who share her prior apprehension to understand the importance of the Second Amendment.
Officer Hopps was dubbed so by her spouse who saw striking similarities between her and the character. As the husband likes to say “She is like a real cop, only smaller!”
DC Webb *-Contributor
DC Webb has been a law enforcement officer in the Pacific Northwest since 1993 and trains as a pistol, rifle, TASER, Less Lethal Munitions, and Use of Force instructor for both law enforcement and civilians. He also serves as an advanced armorer on pistols and rifles.
*some of the contributors here are actively employed cops, and due to department policy, they are prevented from using their full, legal name and thus use a pen name
