#200 After Dark - Shot Show 2026: Paul Costa On Mastery, Pressure & Firearms Performance

Welcome back to another After Dark episode of the Iron Sights Podcast.

Recorded at SHOT Show 2026, I sit down with Paul Costa of Broken Arrow Defense and Achilles Heel Tactical. Paul’s background was built the hard way — patrol cars, high-risk warrants, working alongside a canine, and years in environments where fundamentals weren’t optional. They were survival.

Today, Paul carries that same commitment into the training world, instructing law enforcement and responsible citizens in firearms tactics and performance. A Masterclass competitive shooter, Walther Pro Staff instructor, and Safariland cadre member, Paul is first and foremost a student of the craft — and it shows.

We talk about building skill that holds under pressure, developing people and teams, the realities of the firearms training business, and what pursuing mastery really means in a world chasing shortcuts. This was one I’d been looking forward to for a long time.

Sit back and enjoy this After Dark conversation with Paul Costa on the Iron Sights Podcast.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

03:17 In-Person Edge

07:07 LE Background

11:57 Burnout

29:10 Civilians > Cops

35:16 Injury Pivot

43:40 Going Solo

58:32 Training Business

01:14:34 Culture Shift

01:43:11 Grip Myth

02:01:49 Partnerships

02:13:08 Pistol Debate

02:21:52 What’s Next

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