Paul Carlson
The first Cantius Award went to the instructor who helped put the first issue of The Armory Life print magazine on the shelf.
Why He Won
Carlson had already been contributing to The Armory Life for years by the time the award was created, but one project decided it: the launch of the print magazine.
When The Armory Life published the first issue of its quarterly print magazine, Carlson wrote the cover story and supplied a significant share of the articles inside it. The editors credited him as integral to getting that first issue made, and that work formed the basis of his selection as the inaugural winner.
His website work counted too. Carlson covered major Springfield Armory product launches, including the Hellcat RDP and the HEX Optics line of red dot sights. He also took on the site's most demanding endurance projects — organizing a team of shooters to run a Hellcat to 20,000 rounds, and putting the HEX Wasp optic through its own torture test.
Carlson said he was honored to receive the inaugural award, and that being singled out among The Armory Life's contributors “means a lot to me.” On being named the 2022 Contributor of the Year
What He Received
- A Hellcat Pro pistol fitted with a HEX Wasp optic.
- A framed Cantius Award certificate, plus a framed cover of the first print issue carrying his cover story.
- The Cantius Award jacket in The Armory Life's crimson, with an embroidered gold “A.”
Of the three, Carlson singled out the jacket. He described it as a conversation starter whenever he wears it, and as a symbol of what living The Armory Life means — noting that the team behind it are serious professionals who also know how to have a good time.
About Paul Carlson
Paul Carlson is the owner of Safety Solutions Academy, LLC, a professional defensive shooting instructor, a content creator in the firearms industry, and — as his own bio puts it, most importantly — a husband and a father.
Safety Solutions Academy is his platform for defensive firearms training and personal security education. Through it, Carlson teaches a variety of critical defensive skill courses in more than a dozen states each year.
When he isn't traveling to teach or working in the firearms industry, he can usually be found with his family, either on the range or in the mountains.
Sources: The Armory Life Presents: The 2022 Cantius Award by Mike Humphries, and Paul Carlson's author page at The Armory Life.