Interview with Kevin Dixie of NOC Firearms & Creator of the Truth Pistol

U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)-Kevin Dixie is the owner of No Other Choice Firearms Training. He has been training the average everyday citizen for nearly 16 years. It doesn’t matter the person’s walk of life or how much experience someone has under their belt KD has a training class for them.

KD wanted to do more than just teach people how to shoot guns. He wanted to do community outreach. Gun ownership cannot survive in a bubble. Without winning the hearts and minds of the non-gun owners the gun community cannot survive. We cannot afford to forgo outreach.

N.O.C. Firearms like to say, “We are more than guns; we are a community.”

KD started a seminar called “Aiming for the Truth” which goes deeper than just guns. These sessions include talks of economic status, family structures, child development, and mental illness. In addition to these KD goes over the history of gun control as well as training, and safety.

At SHOT Show last month, KD introduced his new pistol called “The Truth.” He based this pistol on my favorite handgun, the Heckler & Koch VP9. This gun isn’t a run of the mill VP9. It’s an entirely custom pistol.

Not only is the pistol amazing, but it comes with a custom case that tells the story of civil rights. One of the things that anti-gun politicians want people to forget is that guns rights are civil rights, and this case puts those facts in their face.

I first met KD though the Trench Work Chronicles Podcast on Patriot News when he was a guest. Patriot News is a set of podcasts I sponsor to give people voices. When I was asked to sit down and speak with KD, I jump at the opportunity to have him answer some of the questions I have for him.

John: How did you discover guns?

KD: Guns were always part of my life, but not in the way most would think. Guns were not present in my household on a regular basis, but firearms were present in my neighborhood. My encounters with firearms were always negative in nature due to the individuals in possession of them; I watched several people be shot or shot at, including myself. I was a victim of two armed robberies before my 15th birthday and always thought guns were tools of the criminally minded.

Professionally, I became familiar with guns when I took employment with the Saint Louis City Police Department in the Prisoner Processing Division. During orientation, I was placed in the back of a Patty Wagon and shipped down to a firing range. I walked into a room with lots of guns and some very serious Academy Instructors standing guard. I was 21 years old and in complete awe of the machinery I saw. The instruction began, and it never stopped for me from that moment on; as I became infatuated with everything surrounding guns from an educational standpoint. I finally got to realize what these tools really were and what the proper application of them was.

John: What made you decide to start N.O.C. Firearms Training?

KD: During my tenure with the department I got to see many different things surrounding law and improper use of force. Sure, I dealt with some of the most horrendous individuals to ever walk the Earth, but I also encountered lots of good people that just made bad decisions. I had to constantly watch families suffer on the other side of the bullet proof glass as I had to deliver bad news to them regarding the charges of their loved ones.

I watched generations be destroyed due to a bad decision made by a good person believing that they were doing the right thing when considering self-defense. I would constantly hear people trying to explain why what they did was the right action to take but not understanding it wasn’t the legally correct action to take. I realized then that self-defense is not common sense; as many people thought.

I wanted to do something to keep good people from making bad, uninformed decisions, but also keep them safe from the real-life monsters that exist. I wanted to arm their mind as much as I wanted them to have the physical means of protection. The desire was to make sure people understand that when they resort to using a firearm, it should be the last measure after every other option has been explored. You should be at a true point of “No Other Choice” before you make a negative impact on another human being; thus, was born NOC Firearms Training.

John: You view the right to bear arms as a civil right. Although I agree with you, a lot of people do not. How do you convince people that the Second Amendment is about more than just guns?

KD: Great question. The first thing I like to do is establish a common ground of understanding; so, let’s define what civil rights are. We will speak about the restriction of the civil rights of people and those who made strides in history to change that. Majority of people will honor those conversations, as you aren’t speaking directly about firearms.

Once the platform is established, then I embark on the education of how firearms relate to civil rights. Most people are used to hearing the conversation surrounding this topic to somehow go back to 1776 and many constitutional references, and they have an immunity build up to those references.

Although factually, 1776 is important as is 1791 when the Second Amendment was actually introduced into the Bill of Rights. However, I like to bring a different perspective to the conversation regarding civil rights. Understanding that all people in this country have suffered in one way or another; the group most known for fighting for civil rights in the African-American community. So, I like to take people back and provide factual evidence about how we even got to the civil rights movement era.

That education is saturated with horrible incidents of murder, torture, and public acceptance as people fought for their rights to be accepted and respected as Americans. There is no argument, there is no room to run from the ugly truth, and it’s inconceivable to tell someone that they should now let go of arms when firearms were at every stride in freeing people that look like me. The gun gives me the ability to make sure tyrants remain civil as I continue to fight and enjoy the civil rights my ancestors died for.

John: Do you think there is a resistance to guns in the minority community?

KD: Sure, there is. One reason is because many communities saw guns for the first time just like I did; always been used in a negative manner. That does create a scar on the mind of what these tools truly are.

There are also political influences that have the minority community believing that guns are horrible, and we should get rid of them. The funny thing about that is; these are some of the same people who claim to be civil rights leaders and say the Police aren’t going to protect minorities; they are walking contradictions.

You also have many people, who use race as a tool, convince say blacks to mistrust whites. If I can convince you to hate a group of people, I can also convince you to hate all that they love. Thus, I can get you to hate the guns you predominately see white Americans clinging onto. There are many other influential factors that cause the resistance; I take it as a personal responsibility to continue to do what needs to be done to combat that resistance in an informative and educational way; however, it takes time to wash away decades of lies and misinformation.

John: Why is it important for the minority community to embrace gun ownership?

KD: Well, because they are Americans. Being American is awesome, but also comes with an ugly past that we should embrace. Native were slaughtered, Irish were tortured, Italians were discriminated against, Jewish was attacked, Japanese were placed in internment camps, and Blacks were enslaved and murdered; all of the aforementioned are Americans; that is the bond.

As for the Black community we are constantly used as the current day example of what a criminal is; the same thing that was done to the Irish some decades ago. We are the face that the media portrays as violent; well, why wouldn’t I want the ability to protect myself if I live among so many murderous criminals?

Also, we have had people literally sacrifice their lives for the ability of Black Americans to be accepted and respected in this country. That history is something that is not spoken enough about. Many people have started referencing the fact that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. applied, but was denied, for a concealed carry permit.

While that is awesome and true; we should also educate people on men like Moses Dickson, who led men into battle against slave catchers. When we reference the Underground Railroad, we speak highly of the great Conductor Harriet Tubman. Harriet was indeed armed but how did she get the arms?

Moses Dickson and the Knights of Liberty were 47,000 illegally armed Black men who used the business end of a gun to fight for the freedom of the slaves. Slavery was legal, that didn’t make it right. Men like Dickson have always demonstrated that freedom is not given; it comes at the business end of a gun. We should embrace the lessons of those who came before us.

John: Your latest endeavor is a pistol named “The Truth” that is based off a VP9. How did that project come to life?

KD: Man, was this one a journey. I am a huge fan of the VP9 platform and have been running it as my primary firearm for several years. As a “gun guy” and instructor, I had some ideas of how I could make the platform even better after thousands of rounds and years of experience with it.

I began taking notes and writing a recipe for a personal modified gun, not for sale, just for my personal usage. I watched as Colion Noir and Ken Scott of Provectus Group, who are both personal friends of mine, released their platforms in the Advocate and the Elite respectively. I was proud of them and could only watch in awe as the mold had been broken and now Black men were also releasing signature guns.

In an attempt at humor and support; I placed a meme on Instagram and gave both guys and their guns some attention.

Shortly thereafter, Wayne of MLS Customs sent me a message and basically asked: “What the hell are you waiting on?”

I thought to myself, well I already have the specs of what I would want, so why not? Wayne involved Larry, owner of J&L Machining, and we now had all the parties needed to make this happen. I also knew that it wasn’t enough just to put out another great gun.

I began to really think about what a signature line gun is. Is it just modifications, personal preferences, or something more? The desire was to make the gun an extension of me in totality and what I wanted to deliver to the gun community. So, I decided to do more and make sure the guns educated Americans about why our rights are so important. I wanted to arm them with the most useful weapon known to man; knowledge.

The way I went about doing that is to make sure from the moment you opened your case you began to be educated or even reminded of why these rights are important and why you holding your new gun is more than just you have a new tool to take to the range or even defend your life with. I decided to make the first gun that fight gun control by telling the “Truth” instead of us absorbing the lies of gun control.

John: The case is amazing. Walk us through the story that it tells.

KD: The cases are indeed something else and a very important part of the mission. I had to first find someone who could help me bring the stories to life and I found Carolina Custom Foam and we spent hours going over the details; they made this project really stand out inside of the Condition1 cases. I wanted to tell stories, that would not only make gun control advocates take a deep breath, but also people on the right side of freedom. Often you hear people say, “all gun control” is racist, but I push back and ask why? You are correct, but can you adequately explain the “why” behind it?

I decided to expose the truth of the Underground Railroad and how it should truly be eye-opening to why guns are a tool of freedom. The Truth’s case shows slaves running through a cotton field into a swamp with a slave catcher in pursuit. It displays them running towards the North Star, and there are birds flying free representing the thousands of freed souls.

There is a quote by Harriet Tubman inscribed in the case that states, “I have seen thousands of freed slaves, but I have never seen one who was willing to go back and be a slave.”

That is deeper than just a Black story; that should be an American lesson. If we have fought for freedom, why would you want to forfeit that for slavery? It is a jaw-dropping visual reference of the story and educates in the nuances that are normally talked about.

Earlier I mentioned Moses Dickson, who started the Knights of Liberty, and how they protected the railroad system. Many people don’t know that the Underground Railroad was not originally thought of for the escapement of slaves in the manner it was used. That system was designed by Dickson and his men as a means to attack the south and wage war to free the slaves.

Resources came from sympathetic white Americans, and even the British sent over crates of guns to be used. Civil War broke out and instead of fighting at that moment; the system was then used to free the slaves in a different manner.

A section of the Knights of Liberty would be paid to join the Union Army and help fight against the south. These are the lessons that should be taught; we need to go beyond the surface and educate, and the packaging, in this case, does just that. Even the British understood that freedom came at having arms; they might know a thing or two about what an armed society can do against tyranny.

The other case is a story that was attempted by some to be erased out of the history books; Black Wall Street, Tulsa, OK. This community was also called Little Africa and was started because Blacks were not accepted by the rest of society, so they built their own community. A community that would thrive in education, finance, trade skills, and various business practices.

A self-sustaining marvel is what Black Wall Street truly was. There was an incident of a young Black shoe shiner tripping into an elevator and making contact with the young white operator. She began to scream and stated she was sexually assaulted; the young man would be arrested and taken to the local jail.

Rumors began to circulate that this young man would be lynched, which was a common practice, so the Black men went to the local jail and informed the Sheriff, who said they would stand guard to make sure nothing illegal occurred. While standing outside the jail with their long guns, a small group of white men approached and began to harass them.

One man called out the fact that one of the Black men was armed with a handgun, which at the time was not supposed to be the case due to the Jim Crow inspired Army-Navy gun laws. The white man attempted to disarm the black man and shots were fired between the two groups, and some white men were killed.

The white community, including state and local police, descended upon Black Wall Street and began to murder everyone they encountered. They walked the streets and killed women and children with no mercy. Although the community had some firearms; they did not have adequate means to resist the force they were encountering.

Many would try to surrender and would just be executed in the streets. A Black veteran would even put on his uniform and stand peacefully in his front yard, believing that since he served his country, he would not be killed. The mob shot and killed him in his uniform and then burned his home down with his family inside.

Families would barricade themselves inside of buildings only to be killed by fires, including some started by state police crop planes dropping makeshift bombs from the sky. The first terrorist bombing on American soil was Tulsa on African-Americans in a town known as Little Africa; let that sink in. In 24 hours, hundreds were killed, dozens of square blocks burned to the ground before the National Guard arrived.

The National Guard would proceed to march the White people from the area while arresting the Blacks and placing them into detainment camps around the city. Many Blacks would only be released from detainment if a white man who say they needed them for employment. The Black person would then have to be tagged as released to the white man.

In the end, not one person was charged with any crime committed on that community. Tyranny happened, and America did nothing to stand with my ancestors; don’t try to tell me that my people shouldn’t be prepared and armed to deal with monstrous acts; this was less than one hundred years ago. The case tells this story and gives specifics and educates in a way that has not been attempted before. It exposes the “TRUTH” about the deceitful nature and consequences of gun control.

John: Have you had anyone criticize you for using a gun to tell the story of civil rights?

KD: I haven’t had that response yet, but I have had some people question why I believe gun rights are civil rights and that is corrected through education. I just recently posted on social media how so-called “Patriots” stated that I shouldn’t have presented the guns at SHOT Show since it’s a gun show and not a civil rights meeting.

I couldn’t make this level of stupidity up if I wanted to. This was coming from people who are supposed to believe in freedom and equality of all people but are, so culture shocked when that diversity appears.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive and appreciated; as this is the first time in history this has been done. Many Americans are inspired to see these stories highlighted and presented in such a bold manner, and for that I am grateful.

John: Any plans for any other guns in the future?

KD: Yes, but I’ll be holding those close for a little while.

John: What is “Aiming for the Truth?”

KD: Aiming for the Truth is a community outreach program. People like to blame guns for violence and I just don’t agree. People are committing violent acts, but once again, let’s ask the hard question of why? Looking at environmental factors that drive certain societal ills, one can begin to understand how violence can grow in certain conditions truly. I wanted to provide a program that aims at the root causes of violence at eliminates it at its origins; thus “Aiming for the Truth.” In the program, we deal with some of the key areas I believe cause violence, such as mental illness, employment, and the needed soft skills, rebuilding the family (including reintroducing absent Fathers), education, conflict resolution, and more.

As a survivor of mental illness and a Fatherless home, I can attest for the things that can occur if these things are corrected. The program allows for the healing of people and placing equity in their lives. Once we have people, who have something worth living for they will adequately protect it.

So, we can reduce violence by keeping people from resorting to it while giving them a life worth protecting and understanding how firearms play an important role. These are the areas politicians don’t want to address; they like to glaze over these issues and how they are the driving factors of violence; I just decided to do the hard and unpopular work.

John: Are there any other upcoming projects you can share with our readers?

KD: Well, I am looking to get the “TRUTH” series handguns in possession of all Americans; so please stay tuned to our social media outlets to place your order. We are looking for support to get Aiming for the Truth all around the country to do the hard work of healing communities, so any support of that mission would be greatly appreciated as well.

I am also conducting an industry seminar event in Missouri Labor Day weekend this year. It’s meant to provide information to people, no matter how small the following, to come and get information about how to build their brand or make their skill sets stronger.

You can be a blogger, reviewer, instructor, advocate, etc. I am looking forward to helping others to be better at what they do regarding our freedom, so they can be better at delivering their message to the masses; it’s going to take us all to win. So, if anyone is looking to do better; please follow us on social media for more information regarding the event.

Other than that, just the continuous fight to educate, help, and preserve the freedoms of this nation; even if some people do find my approach a little unorthodox.

• Readers can learn more about N.O.C. Firearms Training at https://www.nootherchoice.net/
• Kevin Dixie can be followed on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nocfirearmstraining/
• Readers can also find is his interviews at https://www.blogtalkradio.com/patriotnews

About John Crump

John is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. He is the former CEO of Veritas Firearms, LLC and is the co-host of The Patriot News Podcast which can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/patriotnews. John has written extensively on the patriot movement including 3%’ers, Oath Keepers, and Militias. In addition to the Patriot movement, John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and is currently working on a book on leftist deplatforming methods and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, on Facebook at realjohncrump, or at www.crumpy.com.