Event Services Coordinator Nicole McMahon, who works directly with throughoutthe country, brings NRAblog.com readers as many profiles of FieldRepresentatives as possible. This week, we’re shining the spotlight on Area 30 Field Representative Mark Steinke.

Nicole McMahon: Which geographic area(s) do you cover?

Mark Steinke: Colorado

NM: When did you start your NRA field rep career?

MS: June 5, 2006

NM: What drew you to the job?

MS: My love for the outdoors and Second Amendment: knowing that going from a Friends of NRA volunteer to a full time NRA field rep I could have a much, much bigger impact on preserving the two things that are near and dear to me.

NM: What is unique about your particular geographic area?

MS: We have more elk, elk hunters and elk hunting opportunities than any other state. The Rocky Mountains in Colorado are breath-taking.

NM: How many traveled miles do you average a year?

MS: Over 50K

NM: What’s the best part of your job?

MS: Working with the best people on the face of the earth: the freedom loving Americans who are doing their part to preserve the way of life we love. Everything from shooting, hunting, outdoor activities, and things that make us happy, truly set us apart from the rest of the world. Being directly involved and showing leadership to this group of individuals is by far the coolest part of being a NRA field rep.

NM: Do you have a particularly memorable story about a banquet from your area?

MS: The most memorable moment came May 17, 2008 in Salida Colo. also my hometown banquet. After flying home from the NRA Annual Meetings in Louisville on May 16, my committee greeted me with an idea to help a local boy Cody Buffalo (the auctioneer’s grandson) who had cancer. They had purchased a Charles Daly revolver with their own money and wanted to auction it off during the event. I objected for two reasons. First, this was a NRA fundraising event and not to be used for the benefit of others and besides we are pretty good at raising money and I thought if we did a separate fundraiser for Cody on a different date, we surely could get more.

NM: So how did you finally auction off the revolver for Cody?

MS: The committee wanted to do it the evening of the banquet. After everything was finished and people had spent their money, we brought out the Charles Daly. I did not allow anything to be said during our event so it could not change the outcome of the banquet proceeds. We got Fritz, the auctioneer/grandfather back on stage to do the honors. There were already tears in his eyes when he said, “I think I can get this started, but I’m not sure I can finish it.”

Well the auction started on the $400 revolver and there were players every where around the room. Finally it narrowed down to two businessmen and $1,500 was the winning bid. Knowing we could get another one for less than $400, I asked the backup bidder if he would take one for the same amount of money. He replied, “To help this young man, yes!”

At that moment I noticed the first bidder standing up, he told the crowd he was donating his gun back and right then I knew that our second bidder was going to follow suit. “Holy cow, we started with one gun to auction off and now we have two and $3,000,” I said. “This is going be good!”

NM: How much money did you end up raising for Cody?

MS: We ended up raising $5,300 from the auction. After every one who was capable of bidding on the guns was finished, a lady came up from the crowd and said to me, “I don’t have enough money to bid on a gun, but if you tell Cody to put his hat by the door I will throw $20 into it on the way out.” This resulted in $500 more from the crowd.

This is a great example of the caliber of people that Friends of NRA folks are. They are not selfish. They support the cause and don’t have to win a gun to know that they are coming out a winner. I firmly believe they are the “Best of the Best”.

For the fourth consecutive week,  Director Jim Supica is featured in the Curator's Corner on NRA News.

With him tonight are a few very special guns that have a bit of an identity crisis: "A three barrel combination gun, usually two shotgun barrels and one rifle gun, is called a drilling," Supica explains. 

Featured on tonight's show are a Winchester 73 lever action rifle with a 12 gauge shotgun barrel added and a Smith & Wesson Russian model revolver with a .22 barrel added. "These are custom combination guns," Supica said.

"They've always been popular in Europe and never really caught on over here," Supica said. Why? You'll have to listen to the show!

To learn more about combo guns, listen to the Curator's Corner at 10:20 p.m. on  or on Sirius Patriot channel 144.