Platinum Standards: Empowering the "She Never Quit" Community with Heather Eckhardt from OA Defense

Hosts Erica Chin and Maggie Reese broadcast live from the Otis Technology booth at SHOT Show 2026. They welcome Heather Eckhardt from OA Defense to discuss the company’s growth and their commitment to female shooters.

The conversation centers on the new 2311 Pro pistol, which Maggie and Erica praise for its balance and exceptional trigger. Heather explains the technical aspects of the firearm, including its ported barrel and ambidextrous controls.

They also discuss the physical demands of the sport and the importance of ergonomics for different body types. Heather shares her transition from a professional shooter to an industry executive.

The episode concludes with information on how to find OA Defense products and a celebration of their platinum sponsorship for the "She Never Quit" event.

Link

• OA Defense: oadefense.com (Subject of the episode; discussion of the 2311 pistol). (00:45)
• Otis Technology: otistec.com (Booth hosts at SHOT Show). (00:35)
• She Never Quit: (Women's shooting event mentioned as a partnership). (02:50)
• USPSA: (United States Practical Shooting Association mentioned regarding Limited Optics division). (11:25)

Key Takeaways

• The OA Defense 2311 provides custom-level features (ported barrel, lightning cuts, elite trigger) at a production price.
• A 1911 70-series trigger can be made drop-safe for defense without losing its crisp feel.
• Women are increasingly filling leadership and technical roles in the firearms industry.
• Proper firearm ergonomics, like integrated "gas pedal" thumb rests, significantly improve recoil management.

Key Words

• 2311
• OA Defense
• SHOT Show
• Trigger Snob
• Ported Barrel
• She Never Quit
• Limited Optics
• FFL
• Drop-Safe
• Gas Pedal

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:09

Welcome to Amateurs and Experts Podcast. My name is Erica Chin and I'm here with Maggie Reese and we are going to be your host today. And we have some really amazing guests. One of them is here with us, Heather Eckhart, and she's with OA Defense. We are so excited to be at SHOT Show 2026 from the Otis Technology Booth. They have allowed us this opportunity, and we are so excited to be here. The energy is awesome. It's a first day SHOT Show. People are hustling and bustling and anxiety is clicking a little bit and laughing because it is a first day. He's like, you sound just like I was literally thinking that.

SPEAKER_02 1:19

I was like, your voice changed. I was like, did you like do like the sleep stories? Like, something soothing.

SPEAKER_03 1:26

I was like, actually, my so um I used to be a probation officer and when I was on the radio, everybody would be like, oh, I know it's you. And I would say, how do you know it's me? I mean, I don't know. I guess I have a distinct voice, but people would tell me, hey, can you call me later on?

SPEAKER_00 1:44

I'm like, I'm so excited. Are you later on? I think three gun heather.

SPEAKER_03 1:48

Like, are you gonna text me a script?

SPEAKER_04 1:50

Or a whole life and a whole set of accomplishments like outside of three gun Heather.

SPEAKER_01 1:56

But in my mind, that's all I always think three gun Heather.

SPEAKER_02 2:08

Yeah, it's super funny because uh I have a lot of people who meet me at like different things and they're like, they're like talk to they'll only want to talk to me about shooting, like as far as competition. And then uh I'm like, and I start saying what I actually do as far as my career, I'm like, oh no, I'm actually my executive of this company.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

They're like, oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 2:26

Oh, I thought you just like I'm an old age.

SPEAKER_00 2:30

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_02 2:31

Like you're like their pro shooter. Like, no, no, I'm actually a multi-channel, no, whatever, whatever.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Like you're just the princess. I can do spreadsheets and stuff.

SPEAKER_03 2:47

Well, we're excited. You came out to She Never Quit with us. Yeah. And um, that was your first time out there, right? Yeah. Oh it was amazing to have you out there. And um this year, OA Defense is gonna be a platinum sponsor. Yep. And we're definitely excited about that. I uh shot guns yesterday um at Media Day, Industry Day at the range, and I have to say that is probably my new favorite as far as I mean competition straight out of the box, that would be uh absolutely uh what I want next.

SPEAKER_02 3:19

Yeah, I'm I am super excited. So you know, it's I've had you know Fran Lenny Barnes and so many people, and like, and I've you know worked with companies in the past that have always supported She Never Quit. And so, and it always lined up where I never had an opportunity to go. And so this past year was the first time, and it was like I walked in and I was like, oh, I totally get it now. This is amazing, and so it was like no matter I was like, my in my mind, I was like, okay, no matter what I do, like in the industry, I want to make sure that any companies that I work with that they support she never quit and that they learn about it and that more women hear about it because I think it's just an extraordinary thing that you guys have, and it's just I love the energy, the community, and what you guys are doing for women out there. So it's it's really really impactful. And uh so the first thing was like as soon as I came on board with OA Defense was uh, oh by the way, just so you know, we're gonna be a platinum sponsor.

SPEAKER_03 4:09

We appreciate that because um having you out there, it just really brought some extra energy to one and it's fun to see women work and the field.

SPEAKER_04 4:18

And you were just in the industry and you just kind of fit into our weird on camera, off camera, like whatever it is, like to see that this is not just a male-dominated industry anymore, that women are really rising to the top.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

So that's thrilling.

SPEAKER_02 4:42

It's amazing because there's so many extraordinary women within this industry, and it's like in it, and it is, yeah. It's like from the shooting aspect of things to the marketing to the business and every different facet, there's so many women out there that are doing things that are part of this, and so and I love seeing it and love seeing it grow, especially seeing like the younger generations come up into it. And so it's one of those things that uh it's a little tiring. It's starting to turn a little bit. I'm starting to get like oh, it's trying to get a little bit older, and it's her man, how long am I gonna run?

SPEAKER_01 5:23

Things weigh different too as you get older.

SPEAKER_02 5:29

Oh, dude, like I was telling someone, you know, like wearing like a three-gun belt, especially, because you have all the shot shell cat, like your four. Yes. And so, like, what it does to your hip flexors, yes, and it's like not comparing caring not comparing it to like military special operations. No way is it like that. But when you talk to guys that have to wear extra stuff, or you talk to police officers that wear that heavy duty belt and they spend like a whole career wearing a heavy-duty belt, getting in and out of cars all the time and all that stuff, they're always talking about like, oh, my hips, my hip flexors. I always have hip things. It's like, you know, you finish shooting a match and you start getting a little bit more. Feel the same way. Like, why is my hip like this?

SPEAKER_03 6:07

Like when you start carrying Motrin in your bag.

SPEAKER_04 6:11

Yeah, I'm shy. I have oh, I have my own. Probably by the end of the day, every single day. There it is. But I'm also a little bit. So I'm just gonna throw it out there. And so I want like a really good gun. I want something that cycles nice, that has a good trigger, that feels nice in my hands, like it, I you know, but still, I mean, sometimes you start getting into a price point where if you get that quality that you want, like now you're at $8,000, $10,000, $12,000, and you're like, okay, well, that's a hefty down payment on a car. Like, you know, so you have to find the balance of like where do I get what I want for the money, but like also get the quality. And like, I think you found it.

SPEAKER_02 7:06

Yeah, I I really do um so I'll I don't know, I'll bring up the gun a little bit. So this is uh so this is our gun. So this is a 2311. Uh this is our full size uh pro, and so it's got lightning slide cuts, it's and this one is priced right about 2500.

SPEAKER_04 7:25

That is so good.

SPEAKER_02 7:26

And you get with this gun, this is directly with without the optic, uh, comes directly from the box with a optic plate, all the stuff that you need, so you can just go straight to shooting. It has lightning slide cuts, it's got a ported barrel, uh, it's got about a three and a half to four pound trigger, uh, it's got ambidextrous controls, it's got a flared magwell, additional magazines. And so the gun is already feature-rich for what you would want, and potentially a competition gun or a range gun, or even your home defense gun. Whatever you want to do with it, this gun checks all those boxes. Um, it also has a uh really nice trigger. That's one of the number one things that people consistently talk about is our trigger. Because we have been able to utilize a traditional 1911 70 series trigger that is actually drop safe. So, which is a huge point for people when they're looking for a defense gun. They're like, hey, and I always I used to throw this joke, I'm like, why are you dropping your gun? Why are you dropping your gun? You shouldn't be dropping your gun. But it's actually drop safe, but it has a uh super, super clean and crisp. Get these uh our tags out of the way, but has a really clean and crisp.

SPEAKER_04 8:38

I hear that sound is and it just like I'm like, oh I liked it. It sounds so good.

SPEAKER_02 8:42

Like I'm so clean, yeah, it is. Very nice and minor, but it's still, and that's the thing, is it's like people are like, wait, they're like, that's a three-pound trigger. I'm like, yeah. I'm like, it's still, it takes that little bit of micro pressure, but no, it's clean. It's just nice and stuff.

SPEAKER_04 9:06

I talked to your colleague, I talked to the ass, you know, and I was like, don't lie to me. I'm a trigger snob. Don't lie to me. I like don't lie to me about this gun before I had seen it and felt it in my hands, and I was like, and he's like, okay, so he sends me a video of him shooting and he's like, I'm not lying to you. He's like, it is a nice trigger.

SPEAKER_01 9:24

That's all I care about in life. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 9:36

It's a nice trigger, and then it was like other things that are kind of like, I don't think uh in the past I haven't like pointed out, but um, so we have a polymer frame, we have sorry, we have a polymer grip, and then we have an aluminum grip. And in those, we have actually put in like in competition, we used to call it a gas pedal. Um essentially it's just a thumb rest on either on either side of a gun. And it allows somebody, especially like managing recoil, the more sort of you know, a smaller person you are or whatever, people have found that it's really nice to be able to just have that that little shelf to set your set your thumb on. And so they were able to integrate that in there, and that just you know gives we were purely just looking at what is what makes a better shooting experience. How do we get the most control without making something so big you can't holster it and all those things? So just everything, the whole evolution of this design is with the shooter in mind. How do we make the shooting? You can shoot other guns that don't have those features. I don't want to work hard. It's a super feature-rich gun for like the price point.

SPEAKER_04 10:35

Because this is like normally at that price point you buy something and would add in all the stuff, like, oh okay, like I want to change the safeties, I want to change the grip, I want to change, you know, I want to get more texture on it. I w you know, oh, I have to buy an aftermarket, you know, plate for the optics. Like normally you have to, yeah, keep paying and paying for things, but like you don't have to.

SPEAKER_02 11:04

Yeah, it was actually one of the things we came in, uh, you know, we're looking even at the competitive shooters. Like initially, uh 2025 and beyond when they first uh launched the ported barrel, they had a full-size ported barrel, and I'm like, wait a second, like this would be a great gun for limited optics. Like, that's like the number one division in US CSA, or like one of the largest divisions, I guess, next to open at this point. And uh, we don't have a gun that fits that, so we were like, cool, for uh 2026, we're doing this same exact gun in our elite, so any of our pro and our elite models, you can get a standard barrel version too.

SPEAKER_04 11:39

Erica, you miss Christmas. You already got your Christmas presents. When's your birthday? Oh, this is good timing.

SPEAKER_01 11:47

That is awesome. I could um yeah, so Arnold, here's my plea.

SPEAKER_03 12:04

Again. If you just drop a hint enough times, he he always says, um, yeah, this is on my list, and this is on my list. This is definitely like number one on my list. So uh yesterday, I mean, I shot that gun. It it it is almost an extension of yourself. That's how I felt. Like it just, I mean, the recoil was amazing, the balance of the gun, it's not too heavy, but I mean, it just I mean, the muzzle flip was almost none. It's just a solid gun. And and I had the more aggressive grip. And um, although we were joking around, but it it isn't it it doesn't hurt your hand, but you know that it's not going anywhere. Yeah. And it's not gonna, you know, even if it's a sweaty day, it will not, it, it will not leave your hand. So um it's it's just an overall like solid, solid Arnold. So well, here's my here's my pleas.

SPEAKER_02 13:10

It's it was one of those things that we were like running jokes because uh the guy that designed the grip and our head of product development, he's a good friend of mine. Like, wait, but we've been shooting together for many years, and you know, he worked with my husband, you know, in the army, and you know, we were laughing at a joke because like you know, the guys will talk about like their perfect grip. It's like the perfect grip for you may not be the perfect grip for me. Right. And we were talking about like the guys sort of saying they're like, Yeah, the next time we're gonna call it like the Johnny grip, and we'll make this thing and we'll do this video, and like Johnny's gonna run over there, he's like, put gloves and be like blood sport, you sort of like put on the gloves and like start sticking into the glass or whatever and be like, yeah, that feels perfectly.

SPEAKER_03 13:46

So Heather, if um somebody uh wants to get uh OE defense, how do how do they con who do they contact? How do how do they get a hold of it?

SPEAKER_02 13:55

So we are aggressively expanding our dealer network, uh, which was also super exciting about yesterday because we had a whole lot of dealers and retailers that were like, oh my gosh, can we get it on our rental wall? Like we want people to be able to put their hands on it and shoot it. So uh you'll be able to we'll be updating our website aggressively throughout, especially after SHOT Show.

SPEAKER_03 14:13

Perfect.

SPEAKER_02 14:13

Uh so through a retailer near you. Uh you can also call us directly and speak to uh one of our customer service representatives that will direct you to uh a retail location near you. And if they do not have one specific that you're looking for, you can also order it through the website. Um so there's a few different channels for because we also understand there's some people that live you know in the middle of Timbuktu and they don't have a retailer near home, but they have like you know an FFL, like Bob's lawnmower and like whatever, and so they could get there.

SPEAKER_03 14:41

Guns. Yeah, yeah. We used to have a photography and guns. So I guess.

SPEAKER_02 14:47

Yeah, actually, but we had some gas stations for some of those people who was like, you're a gas station, but you're also an FFL. Wow, and you sell tacos from like my favorite place.

SPEAKER_04 14:55

Everything, everything. And you guys are also doing a lot on social media because I've been following you like every single day. You guys are like posting hard, and I'm like, love, love, love, love. So if people want to see, like, they can go on to Instagram, you guys are like posting content and all so you can see the gun in action. It's really nice.

SPEAKER_02 15:11

We're gonna you're gonna start seeing a lot from us all over the place. So whether it's on social media, you're gonna see uh I've been building out my business development team, and so they're gonna be out there in the market doing shooting experiences all across the nation. So there will be opportunities. We got a little time to build that out, but we will be putting it on the website and saying, like, this is where we're gonna be. So if you want to get hands-on, uh, we'll be at a retailer or range somewhere near you.

SPEAKER_03 15:38

Very cool. I love it. Yeah, thank you so much for coming on and and sharing uh about the gun and and uh OA defense. And like I say, we are just so excited to have you guys as a sponsor and um and just you know have you come to our event because um really I feel like you you bring such a great energy and um and you just really fit in. So um we love to have people that that come along and and just kind of fit in with us. Um because of it, I mean ladies love to bring ladies along. Absolutely. And that's what our event is about, like hey, come bring a friend and and and enjoy yourself. So um thank you for being part of the She Never Quit experience for those ladies because um I think that that you really uh up the experience for some of those ladies. So thank you.

SPEAKER_02 16:29

Well thank you, and yeah, thanks for allowing us to be a part of it. You know, it's one of those things I'm excited about the products that we have in this company, but I'm very excited about the people and the values that we share. And it's something that uh I think that Woma embodies entirely, so it was like I couldn't think of anything, any any better organization to be aligned with. And so um we love you guys and we're glad to be a part of it.

SPEAKER_03 16:52

Thank you. Have a great show.

SPEAKER_02 16:53

Thanks, you too.