Behind the Scenes with Lisa Tuason from Rock Island Armory at SHOT Show

Have you ever wondered what it takes to run a famous family gun company? Lisa Tuason from Armscor joins the show to talk about their new American-made pistols. She shows off a brand-new gun called the RIA 4.0 that is small enough to carry for safety.

The conversation delves into the culture of Armscor, which is a third-generation family business currently preparing the fourth generation for leadership. Lisa highlights their strict management training program and the importance of merit over nepotism. Erica talks about how smooth the guns feel when you shoot them. Lisa believes that you have to love your work to make a great product.

Finally, Lisa discusses upcoming releases for 2026 and the company's commitment to community and family values within the firearms industry.

Links:

• Armscor / Rock Island Armory: armscor.com — Main website for firearms and ammunition info (24:55).

• RIA USA: Found via armscor.com — Specific link for Utah-made products (25:05).

• FPS Holsters: Mention of John McLean’s company making holsters for the 5.0 (03:35).

• Otis Technology: Mentioned as the booth provider for the podcast (00:35).

• Shot Show / Media Day at the Range: Reference to the industry event (00:25).

Key Take-aways:

1. Strategic Shift to American Manufacturing

• The Utah Factory: Armscor has established a major manufacturing hub in Cedar City, Utah, led by a female Marine veteran plant manager. This facility allows them to produce "Made in the USA" firearms, distinct from their traditional Philippine-made models.

• The RIA 4.0 Reveal: Lisa Tuason gave an exclusive first look at the RIA 4.0, a more compact, concealable version of the 5.0. It is designed for personal carry while maintaining the signature smooth performance of the larger model.

• Fourth-Generation Succession: The Tuason family is currently integrating the fourth generation into the business. However, it is not guaranteed; family members must complete a rigorous management training program and finish college to earn a leadership role.

• Cultural Values: Lisa emphasizes that while they are a business, they are driven by the goal of building a legacy rather than just answering to corporate investors. Non-family employees who "rise above" family members in performance are given the same opportunities to lead, ensuring the company avoids "mediocrity."

• The "Prom" Analogy: Lisa compares SHOT Show and Media Day to "Prom"—the one time a year the company takes its "dates" (new products) out to show them off to the world.

• Hands-on Proof: The team believes that technical specs cannot replace the physical experience of shooting. They highlight that the RIA 5.0's "water-smooth" recoil must be felt to be understood, which is why range days are critical for their marketing strategy.

• Continued Growth: With new releases planned for 2026 and a growing presence in the US, Armscor is positioning itself as a dual-identity brand—both a global manufacturing powerhouse and a local American producer

Key words:

• RIA 5.0 / 5.0 E

• RIA 4.0

• RVS (Ram Valve System)

• Modular Pistol

• RIA USA

• Legacy

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Yeah, much better.

SPEAKER_00 0:05

We're gonna we're gonna be great. Are you ready? Yes, I'm ready. Okay. Welcome to Amateur's Next First Podcast. We are here at SHAT Show 2025. Excited to be here. And uh again, Otis has uh given us this great booth to podcast with, with some really cool people. I am so excited for the people, the person we have on today. I mean, I'm excited that Jessica is here always. I don't know. I mean, our guest is definitely way more important. I mean, the coolest chick around, Lisa Twassen from Arms Corps um Rock Island. And uh I am so excited about today. Yesterday I went out and um oh welcome Lisa.

SPEAKER_04 0:57

How excited Erica is. She just is forgetting to do regulars.

SPEAKER_03 1:03

I'm so excited. Erica really gets that way around around my guns.

SPEAKER_04 1:07

I know we need to make sure that you have the exact amount that you brought in here when you leave.

SPEAKER_02 1:14

Yeah, I'll make sure.

unknown 1:15

I'll make sure I get that.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

There's there's two things that are so exciting. Uh first of all, yesterday I was giddy because I uh shot the uh 5.0. Uh I did the 5.0 E.

SPEAKER_02 1:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

And um, and that is just, I mean, it's like butter.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

It's so smooth, and it's one of the my most favorite guns. And of course I want one. Like this has been on my list, and um, and I definitely this is, I mean, I can see myself getting into competition again with uh Rock Island 5.0 E. E for Erica. Yes, E for Erica. But today I am so excited. We get a first look at another gun from Rock Island, and um, I mean, it's coming straight straight from the show. Um, Lisa, tell us about it.

SPEAKER_03 2:15

Okay, so it's marked wrong. It's marked wrong because we still just have the artwork for 5.0, but this will be the 4.0 Oh because it's it's shorter. This this is five inches, that's why it ended up as a 5.0. So as we shrink in size, the numbers will go down.

SPEAKER_00 2:37

I oh, okay. And um is that and what I think this is a it's not exactly not exactly uh yeah, maybe four and a I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_03 2:54

Not sure the exact measurements I like this is the first time to do it. We won't hold you to it. Yeah, this is the first time I'm I'm I'm actually holding it to you.

SPEAKER_04 3:00

Yeah, you picked it up moments from coming to our booth.

SPEAKER_03 3:03

Yeah, the first time I'm showing it to anyone. I didn't even show it at I didn't even show it at Media Day yesterday because we're not we're not there yet.

SPEAKER_00 3:10

Right, because I I was looking for it um because this is uh kind of for a personal carry, uh smaller, um, and I can't wait to shoot it when it's ready, but I've already done the measurements and it fits.

SPEAKER_03 3:25

Okay, all right.

unknown 3:27

All right.

SPEAKER_03 3:29

Um I'm gonna I'm gonna make a small plug for John McLean. Yes. Um he's he makes he makes um the holsters. He makes holsters. Uh-huh. He has a small company, um, FPS holsters. So he's probably gonna be the first one of the first people to be able to holster. He has holsters for this one already, the 500.

SPEAKER_00 3:52

And is that gonna be for conceal carry or for competition, or does he do both?

SPEAKER_03 3:57

Hmm. That's a good question. I'm I'm a very bad um representative for John because I have no idea. I have no idea. Um yeah, but I'm sure he but he could probably come, you know, come up with something because this is more concealable.

SPEAKER_00 4:15

Right, right. And uh, I mean the the engraving is special, it has the American flag on it.

SPEAKER_03 4:21

Yes. Um I mean that is a lot is a lot has changed from last shot show since I I spoke with you both. Um we we're really wanting to uh stand out from the rest of the ARM score family. Um not not for any reason, but to just let people know that that we're we're we're putting roots down here in the United States too. Um you know we we were Filipino, but we're also American. Um and and we wanted we wanted to have uh American-made products.

SPEAKER_00 5:01

That's awesome. And where's your factory, Lisa?

SPEAKER_03 5:03

In Cedar City, Utah.

SPEAKER_00 5:06

Very nice. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:07

Yeah, yeah. Um it's it's two and a half hours from my house.

SPEAKER_00 5:11

Um that's a long commute.

SPEAKER_03 5:13

Uh yeah, I I don't do it every day. I don't do it every day. I have a uh uh uh woman plant manager, a veteran, a marine. Um she runs a really, really tight ship over there. Um so I'm very blessed that I have a team that is very um disciplined and I don't need to be there, like physically be there every day. No.

SPEAKER_00 5:43

Last uh yesterday and also last year, we talked about how um your company is so family-oriented. Yes, and you could feel that out at Range Day yesterday. Yes, everybody is so proud about the products. Yes, and it's like a newborn baby. Yes, it's not just Lisa's baby, it's everybody's baby. Yes, and um, I mean, from from from um every person out there, all your staff, whether it's the plant manager, whether it's the person that designs and comes up with products, they were so excited to tell us about it. Yes, and uh I think that's great. It it really you have such a great culture that you've created in your company.

SPEAKER_04 6:27

I was just gonna say that we were just speaking with someone earlier on a podcast, and he was saying, you know, when you're interested in getting a firearm, it's good to research the brand and the company and what they stand for and their mission and what they're built on. And anytime you guys are anywhere, no matter where you are in the company, they're just a hundred percent passionate about it and invested in the brand and the company, and I think that speaks volumes.

SPEAKER_03 6:49

Yeah, I think, I mean, I think it's I think it it has a lot to do with with you know we're we're we're third generation. Um, you know, my grandfather um started the business and and uh my dad ran it um for 51 years before retiring, and um, and now he's back. He's back. He said he's he says he's retired, but he's he's not really retired. Um and then and then you know my brother, uh my cousins and I and you know we're we're the third generation now, and then we've got a fourth generation. Um one of my nephews uh has just started our management training program. Wow. And he's he's uh completed his first in March he'll complete his first year under the management training program. Um so it's it's different when you're not a corporate, I think. I think very different. Um there's there's other things that drive us besides you know answering to our you know investors, you know. It's it's more it's more about um growing growing the company so that the next generation has even more, you know.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

It's a legacy.

SPEAKER_03 8:20

Yeah. Um and and not all our children are gonna join uh join the business, you know. Right. But but it's there. It's there for them for the ones that are well you got one so far.

SPEAKER_04 8:31

Yeah, well that's what it takes.

SPEAKER_03 8:33

Yeah, no, and my and my brother, my brother's son is um, he's he's right now um interning as a as a gunsmith. Um because he's still in college. But when he gets when he graduates, he'll he wants to come into the business too, so he'll he'll go into the training program. Uh one of the requirements for our um management training program is that they have to finish college.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

That's excellent. So it's not just hey, you're part of the family, now you help run it. It's there's actually some investment in there and some training, and um that that's pretty well pretty solid.

SPEAKER_03 9:12

The way we looked at it is is um what what's that saying that they they say that like the the the I don't know the first the first generation like I don't know like lose this is something like that and then like the third generation loses everything. Oh, because it's just like everything's been handed to them, right? Right, and that that that's not what we want. Like our our intention is that the next generation that comes in are better than us. Yes, not so so not uh so so that we're always our focus is always growing the business. Right, a secession plan. Yeah, not like oh I you're a family member, so okay, I'll make you I'll make you the president. Right. You gotta work for it. Yeah, you gotta you gotta work for it. You you gotta and and you have to love it. Like if like just because you're a family member, you can't just you know jump in and be like, oh I'll just I'll just get a paycheck, but you know, just because it's just easy, right? No, yeah. You have to love it. You have to love it. If you don't love it, find something you love. We're not here to stand in the way of our children either.

SPEAKER_00 10:25

And I think that's I mean, to me that's amazing because a lot of uh parents, if they build the company, they want their parent their children, you know, children and grandchildren to be their secession plan.

SPEAKER_01 10:38

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 10:38

And when that child goes in and is uh you know disgruntled because that's not really what they want to do, exactly. It's tough for the whole family.

SPEAKER_03 10:47

Yes, it is, it is, it is, and and the business will suffer if if the people running it were forced to be there, you know.

SPEAKER_04 10:58

Yes, or and I think if things were handed to them as well, yeah, yeah, you know, then you have others that aren't family that are like, hey.

SPEAKER_03 11:06

Yeah, right. And and and I'll tell you right now, we're we have no problem with if there's if there's somebody within our ranks that that is not a family member that rises above our children, they earn it. They did they deserve it too.

SPEAKER_00 11:25

So you base I mean you would do things based on the best of you know, best fit for the company.

SPEAKER_03 11:31

Yeah, it's it's it it's it's gonna be it it is merit-based. It's merit-based. Um, you know, and we really want to see we really want to see passion for the business. Absolutely. Um and and and you just yeah, we don't want we don't want mediocrity, we just you know, we want we want it to always be better.

SPEAKER_04 11:54

Yeah. Because I think things that are built and designed out of passion versus just necessity or the bottom line, yeah, are just far superior. Yeah, because you can see it.

SPEAKER_03 12:05

And so and don't get me wrong, we're here to make money. We are not gonna do it. Absolutely, absolutely. But but but it's it's easier to make money when you love what you do. Absolutely. And you and you're passionate about so you make a good product that functions well and people love.

SPEAKER_01 12:20

Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 12:20

And you know, and like we said, if you know, if there's a you know, somebody within you know within the company that's not a family member, but rises to the top, then they rise to the top. But I mean, because as far as we're concerned, like once you work at Arms Corps, you are family. Yeah, maybe not blood, but you're family, right?

SPEAKER_00 12:41

And and I love that because even yesterday we were talking about um the Philippines and how many people you have working for you. That's huge. Yeah, because people don't leave jobs that they like, they leave because of whatever's going on up top, right? And it just seems like that family atmosphere. Um, everybody out there was family yesterday, and they're excited.

SPEAKER_04 13:06

You have a despite the wind, because that's something that we haven't mentioned. The wind yesterday was 20, 30 miles per hour. It was vicious.

SPEAKER_03 13:16

Yeah, I don't I didn't even need to eat lunch yesterday. I ate so much dirt.

SPEAKER_00 13:20

Right?

SPEAKER_03 13:20

Yeah, you could feel it in your teeth. Yeah, literally. My my eyeballs, I mean, it was crazy. Yes, it was yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:27

Yesterday was since I've been going to media day, which hasn't been that many years. I think yesterday was the coldest.

SPEAKER_03 13:33

Yes. Um, I've been going through a lot. Right?

SPEAKER_00 13:37

I've been going through a lot.

SPEAKER_03 13:38

I I remember the the the other coldest media day was um January 2013. Oh, yeah, we had um so many heaters out. So many heaters out.

SPEAKER_00 13:54

If you had a heater out yesterday, you wouldn't even I had two heaters. Oh, oh, that's right. You didn't have a heater.

SPEAKER_03 14:01

I had a fire pit and a heater, but like, you know, the last time the last time we used our other heaters was in 2013.

SPEAKER_00 14:07

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 14:08

Yeah. That's right, you did.

SPEAKER_00 14:10

Like because everybody was hovered around it.

unknown 14:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 14:13

And the wild thing is it really wasn't, I say that cold because I'm originally from Ohio and right now it's like two degrees there. But it was 42, which really isn't that cold. But with wind with the wind chip factor, it seemed like it was. Yeah, but to that point, not to take us down a rabbit hole, everybody out there was still super jazzed.

SPEAKER_03 14:34

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I mean, media days like prom, you know, for us. It's it's prom, and isn't it where we take our dates? Oh, sorry. Where we where we take our dates out? Yes, show them off to the world.

SPEAKER_00 14:49

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 14:50

I love that analogy. It is. Yeah. And my my daughter knows it. My my daughter knows it. I I I told her yesterday, I said, it's my prom.

SPEAKER_00 14:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:00

I need to focus because I don't get another prompt till next year.

SPEAKER_00 15:03

That's right. Right. Yes. You do you do it right one time a year, and this is where you do it right. Yeah, yeah. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:11

NRA is great too. Being an NRA is great too. But that's really where you get to connect with the end user, with the customer. So that's more about building relationships and you know, thanking them and getting feedback on what products they like, what you know, what they didn't like, what you know, and and so it's it's a it's a very different vibe than here where you're showing the world, hey, this is what we've been working on all year.

SPEAKER_04 15:43

And I imagine the feedback would be different, uh, obviously, but in the sense that when you're showing it to the consumer, they're gonna have one perspective, but showing it to almost like your peers and equals that are also making firearms, yes, the perception and the reaction is gonna be different. So it's uh probably a little unnerving, like, hey, we're launching this new thing. Yes, yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:06

Yes, and yeah, and and like the feedback like um like yesterday I spent a lot of time talking with with Team Armscore, um just getting feedback on some prototypes. I mean, we showed up, we showed up in Media Day with with like a 3D printed just plastic gun that doesn't do anything, right? It has no internals, but we just wanted to show them kind of what we were thinking of doing next and getting their feedback. Um same thing with like, you know, I had a few conversations with um with Michael Bain. Um he's been he's he's been really great about like you know giving feedback on you know new products and what we're doing.

SPEAKER_00 16:56

So what is gonna be happening like in the next year or two? What what will we see from Arms Corps and Rock Island?

SPEAKER_03 17:04

Okay, so well um I'm gonna just talk on the US side first. So on the US side, you know, we're we're gonna have you know a RIA 4.0, a smaller, a smaller version. I do have a um modular pistol um that I will launch at NRA. Um some people got to shoot it yesterday. I I didn't want any photography. So it was really just getting feedback because yesterday was the first day that um team art was you know there together. Um and then uh and then I had spoken to you know Michael Dane about it, so I wanted him to try it and you know let me know like you know how how he felt about it. Um I only have one prototype also but um I think that's our first our first step is that one we at SHATShow we've got our 1911s, our high cap 1911s that we're we're making in Utah now. So sorry, so it's not um not a new product. It's something that we used to make in the Philippines, um but we're we're kind of leaning very heavily in the Philippines to producing um defense products for the police, the Coast Guard, uh the army. Um so we were we're just we were just trying to kind of DV up the responsibilities, yeah, you know. And and um and Martin thought he was like, you know, people always ask, you know, don't you have an uh a maid in the USA 1911? So you know we picked four SKUs, the TAC Ultras. Um he's like, why don't you make them in in Utah? That'll free up, you know, some of the work in the Philippines, and then you know, give give it your own spin. So that's why now all of a sudden there's flags on the guns. Yeah, is it? So that's how you're gonna know the difference between um a RIA USA 1911 and the ones coming out of the factory in the Philippines. The RIA USA 1911s will have the US flag on it. Love that. Um and then we um came out with uh Optic Ready Um 1911s. Um and but the classic one, simple, no, no optic. We're still we're still gonna make that. It's just gonna be made read. Um and then I have another in this family, in the 5-0 family, that will launch in 26.

SPEAKER_00 20:03

And so I will need I will need all three.

SPEAKER_02 20:06

Yes, yes. But but like you you get one this year, and then you get another one. You just like kind of like go for it.

SPEAKER_00 20:14

I'm thinking one or two this year, and then I then I'll be ready for the for the third one next year. So will that be debuting at SHOT 2026, possibly?

SPEAKER_04 20:24

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 20:25

Okay, all right.

SPEAKER_03 20:27

I will have it, I will have it at Media Day to shoot this time. And and I will um I did take a look at the some of the the shooting boxes in the back, the Caesars.

SPEAKER_00 20:39

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 20:40

Um, and I'm really considering doing doing that.

SPEAKER_04 20:44

Those are very, very cool. So if you're listening, you've never been here, they basically have like shipping containers that are equipped with everything that would have like a backstop, ballistics, all of that, like internally indoor range in these giant shipping containers where outside of Caesars Forums you can ship.

SPEAKER_03 21:02

Yeah, so it so you can you as a an as an exhibitor, you can rent one, you could like say, hey, I I need it for four hours, I need to all day, or I need it all week. And uh they have very good security out there, they're very strict with safety. Yes. Um and it's it's almost like you're giving your buyer or your customer here a shot. Um kind of the VIP treatment. It's like you don't have to line up with like, you know, everybody at Media Day or whatever. There's gonna be times when people are not gonna want to go out to Media Day because it's raining. Like last year, a lot of the buyers didn't end up going to to to the range because that's when the downpour was was like right to two o'clock the afternoon. Yeah. Um so I just wanna I just wanted to give like you know, options. Options. Not that it will never not be at media day. Um The ladies that run um the the range day are fantastic.

SPEAKER_04 22:06

They are you guys have a very nice setup like enter here, here's the process, very fluid.

SPEAKER_00 22:11

They've been doing it for so many years.

SPEAKER_03 22:12

Yeah, I think I I think when I when I talk to Kelsey, it's like 22 years. Um and and and so so Kelsey and Kathy, um it's it's like our business. Right. Mother, daughter, like then I think there's I think I think Kelsey Kelsey's sister also it's it's it's also very much a family. So it's like I I I I feel like connected, like, you know, like they get the problems that I have or whatever work, you know, because there's a synergy there. Yeah, there's a synergy, right? Um, but they're they're fantastic women. Um, and um, I owe actually really feel like I owe them a lot because once upon a time, a long time ago, um I found out that there was this range day. And um it was two weeks, two weeks away from range day. And I called and I said, Look, I I just found out that there's a range day, and I have this new gun. And I didn't know anything about it, and I just I I just want to show it to people.

SPEAKER_00 23:23

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 23:24

And this was a TCM that I brought out when I was in Texas. And and they're like, we'll we'll find a spot for you, we'll find a spot. And but the only thing is it it, you know, it's it's in the long range in the rifle, on the rifle side. And and I I'm like, I'll I'll take anything. I'll take anything. And um, they put me next to the the Barrett, the 50 BMG.

SPEAKER_00 23:52

That was loud.

SPEAKER_03 23:53

Yeah, and I don't know if you remember how loud my TCM is, but people started shooting our gun, and the and the guys over at Barrett are like, what did that come out of that little gun? They could they couldn't believe it, but but yeah, so I I owe them, I owe them a lot, you know, for like squeezing me in because um that was a gun that again you can't explain. You can you can talk to people to the blue in the face, but until they shoot it, they're not gonna get it.

SPEAKER_00 24:25

Right. Yeah. Lisa, it's been so great having you on. And oh my gosh, thank you so much for bringing. I mean, like you said, you just saw this a couple minutes ago. Yeah. Um, your your new 4.0. Um I it's beautiful, and of course, everybody should go out and get one. And uh two, you know, if not just one, but two, uh, because it's amazing. How can somebody get a hold of you or get a hold of um uh uh you know Rock Island or some Arms Core ammunition?

SPEAKER_03 25:00

Um well so we we have a we have a website, armscore.com, and there's a bunch of links there. You'll see a Rio USA link if you want to go, you know, to that part of the page, and you'll see the products that we make in in Utah, and then our regular product line is out there too. Um and then there, I think there's some buy now um links also that get you to um you know places where you can buy the ammunition and awesome.

SPEAKER_00 25:33

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_03 25:34

Thank you. It's been great. Have a great rest of the shot. Thanks, thanks. Almost almost halfway through day one.

SPEAKER_01 25:42

Yes.