Robert Jenkins and his Springfield SAINT AR-15 pistol

Robert Jenkins is a lawyer by day and comedian by night. He is one of the hosts of Mac’s Monday Comedy Night. Jenkins has released two albums, Achievement Unlocked and Attempted Salvation. In his spare time, Jenkins enjoys gaming, playing the piano and going to the gun range. At the range, he gets to spend quality time with his favorite thing, a Springfield SAINT AR-15 pistol.

I got it in May, actually. This was during the protests. You know, when they all went down and stormed the Capitol with all their guns. I said, “OK, I see how it is.” I had a couple guns before that, but after that, I was like, “I want the same shit they have.”

So, I went online and I found this gun. The Springfield SAINT. It’s a pistol, but it’s on the AR platform. It’s a pistol because it has a very short barrel, 10 inches. But it shoots the same rounds as an AR-15. I love this thing. I put a scope on it, a red dot sight, a magazine that holds a hundred rounds.

Growing up, my parents wouldn’t let me touch a gun. When we had water guns, they had to look cartoonish. I didn’t understand it when I was a child. Looking back on it, they didn’t want me playing with a fake gun, then have the police shoot me and kill me like they did to Tamir Rice.

I got my first gun when I started doing comedy. There was an incident at this bar in the middle of nowhere. These three guys thought they were going to jump me, and the owner of the bar wouldn’t escort me out to my car. And I don’t call the police, so I had to get out of that situation on my own.

There were three of them and only one of me. I would’ve been at a disadvantage. For comedy, I travel alone a lot. I don’t really believe in interacting with the police. Any problems that I have, I will have to solve them myself. That’s what started it. After that incident, I got my concealed carry license and got a gun. Then, I got a few more guns along the way. Now, here I am. For me, it’s strictly a self-defense thing.

Most of the time, there are only four or five rounds exchanged between people. You have to know how to react quickly. Even simply drawing your gun. You’d be shocked how many people don’t even practice that. If you can’t get the gun out, then what good is it?

I’ve never been into guns like I am right now. But given our current climate and watching how things are going, I wish more liberal people would get into guns. The liberal side definitely doesn’t have as many as guns as they do. We gotta start buying some.

Interview edited by Cole Tunningley. If you have suggestions or a Favorite Thing you’d like to share, email skyler@lansingcitypulse.com