Iain Harrison Talks About Caliber, Kilts, and Kegerators – A My Gun Culture Interview

It’s our pleasure to welcome Top Shot Champion, Crimson Trace Pitch Guy, and all-around class clown Iain Harrison to the My Gun Culture interview hot seat. We first met Iain at the NRA Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, PA earlier this year. Our initial encounter was at a kilt-heavy  bar, so most records of the meeting remain sealed. Let’s just say that certain bald members of the gun writer community are now scarred for life. At great personal risk to reputation and career, Iain has graciously agreed to answer some of our more pressing questions…

My Gun Culture: Rumor has it that in addition to handling Media Relations for Crimson Trace and hitting the competitive circuit, that you’re a gunsmith and do scary stuff like milling and lathe. Are you personally making the new Crimson Trace Lightguard in your garage?

Iain Harrison: Ha, I wish! I thought my shop was pretty trick until I visited the Director of Engineering at CTC. His inspired an instant case of machine envy and besides, he’s got a kegerator next to his welder. I can’t compete with that!

My Gun Culture: We’ve heard rumors that you’re been secretly working on a creating a new Shooting Sport – Kilted Action Kombat Skirt Society (KAKSS) or something? Care to comment?

Iain: There are a few avant-garde members of the shooting community who’ve discovered secret inside knowledge that women have been keeping to themselves for centuries. Once you go kilt, you never go back – it’s like air conditioning for your boys and the first time you experience a fresh mountain breeze ruffling your ahem, feathers, you realize what you’ve been missing all these years. The only downside is going prone, but that’s the spectator’s problem, not mine.

My Gun Culture: So if I’m hearing you right, you’re saying that the more traditional form of, umm, let’s say ‘concealed carry’ is not all its cracked up to be. What Crimson Trace product do you recommend for under-the-kilt use? Can lasers burn, ahh, sensitive areas?

Iain: Unfortunately, the killjoys at the FDA limit the power output of consumer lasers, so even if you managed to somehow turn it on while in the holster, there’s no chance of singeing the family jewels. On a side note, I find a Laserguard-equipped Glock 36 fits perfectly in a sporran, which provides the user with a novel concealed carry option.

My Gun Culture: Our editorial staff has had a raging debate over whether the MK-19 Automatic Grenade Launcher is appropriate for home defense. As a former Military guy and multi-gun competitor, can you please weigh in on this and settle the issue once and for all?

Iain: Look, if you’re going trust your family’s safety to a weapons system, at least pick a decent caliber. Experts the world over agree that a  105mm Light Gun parked at the top of the stairs is the bare minimum…

My Gun Culture: So you’ve done Top Shot, Construction, amateur gun-smithing, and Media Relations for Crimson Trace. What’s next? When are you going to enter Top Chef? Can you even cook?

Iain: Do they have an MRE heating stage in that competition? If not, I’m probably going to struggle.

My Gun Culture: Just hypothetically speaking, if we took the first three Top Shot Champions – you, Chris Reed, and Dustin Ellerman – and set up a cage match stocked with assorted medieval weapons, what weapon would you choose? And who would emerge victorious?

Iain: Easy. I’d pick a trebuchet, that way there wouldn’t be any room in the cage for anyone else & I’d win by default. Seriously though, I think Dustin would emerge victorious as he’s just so damned nice – there’s no way Chris and I would be able to overcome his aw-shucks grin.

My Gun Culture: What can you tell our readers about the Crimson Trace Skunkworks? What kinds of things can we expect to see next?

Iain: You remember the Death Star in Return of the Jedi? Yeah, like that. More mainstream products that aren’t capable of destroying an entire planet include a mini rail-mounted laser, new sights for the Gen 4 Glocks and a Lightguard, weapon mounted light for the 1911.

My Gun Culture: When can our staff expect to receive invitations to the ultra-exclusive Crimson Trace SHOT Show party?

Iain: You mean we’re having one? How come I wasn’t told? (insert sound of furious phone conversation with agent).

Again, we’d like to thank Iain for sharing his time and wisdom. We’re also working with Iain to bring you the latest scoop and our field tests on new Crimson Trace Lasergrip and Lightguard products. Stay tuned!