Sons of Guns..........Discovery Channel

[kide]

OK, I could change the channel, but it's kind of like watching a train wreck, ya just can't take yer eyes off it...

Why do these guys project the image of a bunch of high school machine shop types lead by a good ol boy 50 year old from the local garage?? I can't believe the REAL Red Jacket Arms functions as projected.
* Their favorite tool for machine work seems to be a 4 1/2 angle grinder. I think I've seen a couple of Taiwanese lathes, but gunsmithing is usually pretty fine machine work.. Will( the owner) just went off on one of the "machinists" for asking for a depth mic, telling him to pack his tools if he can't do the work with the tools at hand (?????).
* Their favorite project seems to be using cold roll strap to fasten 2 or 3 weapons together or something involving exploding projectiles.
* The locals are treated to their test firing of "projects" out the front door of the shop.

Update.. they're using a right angle die grinder with what looked like flex sanding disks , working on the inside of the receiver of a "1000 yard sniper AK"...

And they're shooting flightless arrows(no feathers) out of a 410 and they're just astounded at the performance - but you can see the arrows wobbling in flight at what appears to be about 20 yards.

OK, I know it's "reality" TV, but as the son of a precision machinist this just is all wrong...

edit.. maybe I should have posted this in the sandbox... I was focused on their "machine shop practices"

 

[kweaver]

I shot a wood arrow out my Model 12 12ga. once ... not recommended.

I watched a few of their shows when it first came on. They were going to try to make a suppressed 12ga. I sat there and told Kathy how to do it way before they actually got around to doing it ... the same way I told her.

Not watched it yet... they are the BATF's worst nightmare.
They build something then go get a permit to build it.


Oh did you see that the "Cash Cab" guy ran over / killed a pedestrian ?

 

[aschumacher]

They even made exploding arrow heads like Rambo! Along with the warning that they are illegal, etc, etc....
Come on guys, don't get your nickers all in an uproar, it's a tiny bit better than some of the other crap on for the summer. MOO
<font size="-2">I shot an arrow into the air, it fell to earth I know not where, except the poor putz next to it when it landed knows where ! !</font>

 

[kide]

Alana:
Yeah, I know, it's entertainment.. but there's a portion of our population that will believe and try to emulate anything.
Next week the OCC gang is going to visit....we can only hope - hey that could be the finale for four Discovery shows (we know that the Deadliest Catch boys were in New Orleans a while back..) OCC, SOG and DC shoot it out in the Swamps - oh oh, there's the fourth show (Swamp whatevers)...

<font size="-2">BTW - I have <u>nothing</u> against Good Ol Boys...</font>

 

[jchamberlin]

For What Its Worth: Sons of Guns is the only reality show I'll watch. I think the old man has a good relationship with just about everyone in the shop (or they're not in the shop). He treats them like his sons and they respect him like their father. The relationships between workers are also entertaining. It is not dysfunctional as I consider Orange County Choppers. I can't bear to watch the old man on that show go off on one of his sons.

The projects are fun too, because they are usually building something they're not quite sure will work. Its like a little R&D shop. I love it. But then I'm not a machinist. I thought the request for a depth micrometer was quite reasonable. I would have loaned him mine. It only cost about $60.00.

 

[dfrisk]

We had a REAL LIFE Sons of GUNS in the town I grew up in. WIFE & I graduated HS with two of the three sons. They were the only people in the whole area with an ARMY TANK in their front yard for an ornament. Here's there brief history from their website, http://www.springfield-armory.com/aboutus.php

Back in '78 when I drove for UPS they would ship most of the week's production of M1's on Friday. I picked up 60 rifles once, but their normal driver got over 100 once. Supposedly the "Worlds Largest Commemorative Gun Dealer", also located in that town, Cherry's Sporting Goods actually shipped one rifle on day when I had that route. The guys in the shop always saved their day's rifle production until I backed my brown truck up to the back door and started writing the shipper numbers on my clipboard, then they'd throw a clip in a rifle and empty it in the test stand that exited right next to the back door. Yes, the first couple times They had a real good laugh about how high I jumped!

Their business started by the Dad going around to all the Gov't warehouses and buying up surplus M1 rifle parts and assembling them. They used to have a small shop with the 3 sons, and Mom running the office, couple co-op HS kids learing gun smithing in the afternoon back in '78. It was just an old store on the "wrong side of the tracks. Now they have a full blown manufacturing plant, something between 20,000 to 30,000 sq feet. It was the Allis-Chalmers & Oliver farm equip. dealer back around 1960 but that building was torn down long ago.

 

[jchamberlin]

Update: In the latest "Season Finale" the old man Will has gone soft on Chris, his daughter's sweetheart, and Vince --the better gunsmith-- has gone AWOL. I wasn't as surprised by Vince's departure as was Will; I could see that he was going to be "the biggest loser" as Chris developed a relationship with the boss's daughter. Still, there is no excuse for cutting and running, and especially for either deliberately sabotaging the AR build with a non-hydraulic buffer or allowing it to happen on your watch.

Things might have gone better if Will had given Vince the lead on the project and forced him to train Chris, while forcing Chris to learn more about the trade from Vince. In short, he needed to have addressed the issue of Vince's future in the shop, as well as Chris's future role (I assume Chris will eventually inherit the shop).

The trouble with working for a "family" shop is that you virtually have to be "adopted" in order to secure your employment. Either you're a member of the family, or you're out the door.

Just my thoughts.

 

[mfrade]

I was surprised to find this topic here but it's been going on for awhile and I guess that proves I don't read the front page down low enough! HA!

The thing with all these shows is we never see the truth! It is all in the presentation isn't it?!? I don't believe for a minute that they run their business in such a haphazard manner, I do think it's all setup to maximize the drama.

 

[jchamberlin]

Mike: The various reality shows certainly try to maximize the drama in the situation, and when contestants are "chosen," I agree that the choices are made with an eye to increasing the drama (think "Survivor" or "Top Shot"), but in the case of the workplace-type shows, like "Sons-of-Guns" or "Gold Rush" the drama derives from the situation and the people in them. I'll admit, in the case of "Gold Rush," show, I'm suspicious about how Dakota Fred was able to buy the claim, and of how the inspector just happened to show up --first time in 23 years at the Big Nugget mine!

But with "Sons-of-Guns" I don't thing Chris's romance with the boss's daughter was staged, and I don't think Vince's sudden exit was either, although it could have been. What was REAL was how he felt about Chris's "promotion" in the shop. His jealousy and pain were definitely the real thing.

I found it remarkable, that the Britsh producer appeared on camera for the first time when Vince was discovered missing. He seemed as surprised as anyone. But, as you say, that could have been part of a "staged" act. If it was staged, the producer should think about getting into acting, because he certainly had me fooled.

On the other hand, the show has to have drama, or its ratings sink like a stone. I liked to watch "Flying Wild Alaska" that came on after "Gold Rush" because I found the youngest daughter Ariel so enchanting. But the flying part quickly got very boring.

Anyway, I never watched Reality Shows until I got hooked on Sons-of-Guns. I'm going to finish out the season with "Gold Rush," but I don't think I'll tune in again. I also like "Ice Road Truckers," but I'm sure everyone will get tired of everyone running the same road to the same place all the time.

Regarding the "haphazard manner" in which they run their business, have you ever worked in the South? Will's shop is a tightly run ship compared to some of the places I've worked. At least everyone has a job to do and works at it. Many places I've worked, a few people do the work of many: seniority means being able to sit on your keister.

My two cents.

 

[thoffman]

I'll bet Vince come back, and the story line will be he has a sick family member or someting on that line. Something the network can "sell".

 

[mfrade]

Jeremiah, a lot of what you say I agree with! But, the fact remains - we are only shown what "they" want us to see! I was amazed that the teacher (WHO KNEW) arrives to open the doors and only one employee is there! So on any given day when Will, and the daughter are gone, there's only 3 employees! Yet, Vince aludes to the newly hired shipping department that must've messed up the gun shipment yet he was getting chastised for it! I don't blame him! Vince get's ignored when Ted Nugent is on the property and Will evens talks over Vince to get Teds attention away for lunch. Then Vince pulls yet another all nighter with no direction from the team leader ultimitely responsible for the build and get's ripped on again! I don't blame him at all, I would've loaded up and left too! Will needs to get his head out of his butt and look at all his team members! Maybe it's too late, we'll see.

 

[jchamberlin]

All -- Well, Mr. Hoffman certainly called it correctly. Vince was back on the show last night because . . . the network is "selling" a new Jesse James Monster-Garage-like show! Jesse James had to ASK for Vince to work on the "upgrade" to his BAR.

Speaking of which --How does someone pay $25,000 for a gun only to immediately "modify" it? It is only being used as a toy. It just seems like a waste of money to me, although I did learn how to make an awesome pistol grip . . ..