The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: PegLeg45 on October 31, 2011, 06:45:50 PM
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Anyone been watching American Guns on Discovery channel?
10:00 PM on Monday nights.
http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/american-guns/
The Wyatts are your typical suburban family except they just happen to own one of the premiere firearms facilities in the world. Rich Wyatt and his wife Renee own Gunsmoke, where they buy, sell and trade guns. They -- and the one-of-a-kind and historic guns they make and sell -- are featured in the all-new series AMERICAN GUNS.
$15,000 for a custom SAA made from scratch. :o
Tonight's episode features them building a rifle for a wounded veteran.
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I've been watching it. I think it's alright and probably a little better than Sons of Guns. Of course there's the made for tv drama of helicopter rides and large stacks of cash. There's also the obilgatory spoiled daughter, but this one is only 17. Most of what they build seems more practical than other shows. Besides the "ranchers" with big fancy houses and huge gun collections, I don't know what their clientale is out there in Colorado, but they must be doing something right.
Overall, I think it's another show that displays firearms in positive light.
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"Typical suburban family"? This guy uses a chopper, at what $300 to $500 an hour, to go spend $40k for a gun collection? This is a typical suburban family? My very large but! I like the show so far mainly 'cause they show gunsmiths making guns. Not some bajou rats reinventing some really weird crap.
Pecos
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Been watching for a while now...I like it.
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Absolutely horrible. Guy doesn't know what a BAR is? And then he wants to refinish it? The engraver scratched the gun and just covered it up without telling the customer? Horrible customer service.
And this week's episode. WOW! They fired the gun without a stock for what reason?
He charged "8 to 10,000" for the "James Bond" guns. They had maybe 100 dollars in parts and no more than a couple of hours labor in that setup.
Awful show.
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Before I would have them build a coustom Single Action Army from scratch for preacher discount price of $10,000, I would call Bowen, Harton, Clements, or one of the other custom revolver smiths and get several custom guns built. Maybe not from scratch, but better without the cheesie gold and white paint on the cylinder. Anybody notice how he walked back to the helicoptor with a gun case after buying the BAR, implying that he was taking it back to the shop? Maybe it is differant for dealers, but I think you need to do the paperwork and get approval first before you take posession. Thought the price he paid for the BAR might have been a little low also. The 10 oz. silver bar added about $330-$340 to the cash I think. The show is OK, but could be much better without all the Bull$hit hype.
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I like the show but that guy comes off as a know it all. He has to tell everyone the history of each gun.
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I like the show but that guy comes off as a know it all. He has to tell everyone the history of each gun.
Gee maybe on a TV show they think a little history lesson helps the viewer understand things a little better. ::)
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And this week's episode. WOW! They fired the gun without a stock for what reason?
It was a test fire in a basement to see if it went bang.
What do they need the stock for? It's not like they were sighting it in.
Their prices are high. If they can get them, why not?
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My response is that I don't like either of the dueling "gun shows". I find them boring and tiresome. That said, I am delighted that they are there. I mean honestly, 10 years ago who would have thought a show about making silenced AKs or refurbing a BAR would have gotten onto basic cable, let alone on an "educational" channel? Go team Us! I might not watch it, but I'm glad its on.
FQ13
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Pretty interesting show....and the people on it don't seem like complete lunatics like on SOG....
BTW, do you think the mom has had any "work" done?.... ;)
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I've got a little of the FQ thing going on. I'm OVERJOYED that there are some gun shows on fairly BIG channels that are popular with the general public. I work with a couple of "non-gun" guys who both watch the shows anyway.
Sons O Guns I watch but it is a bit goofy. I like to see how some of the odd stuff works, since I'll probably never get a chance to see it in person, but the "made for TV drama" is a bit much.
American guns...I've seen two of them and I like it less. I like the weapons more because they are more of what I'm interested in personally, but the pace of it seems rushed, like they're trying to cram too much into a show. It's bizarre how the guy would grab tens of thousands, jump in a helicopter, and fly to a gazillionaire's ranch to buy a lot of high priced guns. That's not my experience of the mid- and west. Who are these people?
Second, to me it has an even more "made for TV" feel than SOG. The guy is whoring out his wife and especially the minor daughter wearing all the scimpy clothes. I don't mind looking at it, but it seems cheesy to me.
But to quote FQ, "Go team Us"!!!
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My response is that I don't like either of the dueling "gun shows". I find them boring and tiresome. That said, I am delighted that they are there. I mean honestly, 10 years ago who would have thought a show about making silenced AKs or refurbing a BAR would have gotten onto basic cable, let alone on an "educational" channel? Go team Us! I might not watch it, but I'm glad its on.
FQ13
+1
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http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/american-guns/
I like this episode with the mother with the bolt on titties, and the daughter in the slutty shorts shopping for a pink gun.
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I watched a bit of one episode and moved on! I just scanned the clips on their website and it's about what I expected.
Stupid, staged, full of silicone and not worth my time.
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Yes, but it's still the BEST use of silicone we've come up with so far.
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Yes, but it's still the BEST use of silicone we've come up with so far.
No argument here...
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Yes, but it's still the BEST use of silicone we've come up with so far.
I agree they did put it to good use. With that being said - Gunsmoke is where I took my CCW some years back, Rich is a former leo and is a definate type A personality. I myself have watched the show a couple of times but I don't go out of my way to watch it. I agree with most that the made for TV hype is too much ie; helicopters, suit case full of cash, on top of the fact they try to make you believe that the shop is in Golden, Co. when it's really in Wheat Ridge, Co about 5 miles east of Golden. I suppose Rich is living the american dream (as well as putting his wife and daughter on display) of making the big bucks because some tv exec. is willing to shuck it out. I must say I wouldn't turn down the $$ either because there are those willing to pay it - just look at what people are willing to pay to sit and watch a sporting event.
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Just watched the "buying a pink gun" episode - well, 2 minutes of it - and what can I say? Tarts du jour? ? ? ? ?
Total crap.
As for the "it's good that it's on TV" thing, I guess it falls under the old TV adage - I don't care what you say about me as long as you are talking about me.
This is what it portrays - Gun guys have buckets of cash and well-applied silicone implanted wives and whores-in-training for daughters? And even though hanging with a gun guy, they don't know sh!t about guns? Where the hell is bimbo wife going to hide a 1911? OTOH, she could have it tattooed on her forehead and I seriously doubt anyone would notice it at least for 5 minutes.
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I like that we're seeing more gun related shows on the air. I'm limited to network channels for the foreseeable so I can't watch any of them now.
I don't mind Top Shot though it's drama and Survivor theme is lame. Sons of Guns and this American Guns shows tend to portray to the public that gun owners are crazy Cajuns or weird families with a lot more money than sense. The explosions appear fake, the story lines are contrived and for the most part, it appears that's what the producers are looking for! We all know that is NOT reality by any form we know. It's not likely that we're going to be shooting at a crotch rocket full of gas or using a 20mm cannon for target practice.
Maybe there is more effort to portray guns in a light that is a little less than desirable? Any thought?
The sports shows on Saturday that give information, gun reviews, some video lessons and the like have a positive spin but these "prime-time" shows leave a bit to be desired in my opinion.
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As a gun owner and part of the gun culture I am mortified by both of these shows.
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As a gun owner and part of the gun culture I am mortified by both of these shows.
Then it's not just me?
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As a gun owner and part of the gun culture I am mortified by both of these shows.
pretty much every discovery channel(s) shows are like that, you name the group they feel the same way.
They have it figured out, take a bunch of people, make them sound like idiots( rather they are or not), water it down so anyone can understand it( you know the ones in little boxs , google if you don't know what that means),... collect a big check.
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I think there's a lot less "reality" going on behind the cameras. The "reality" of reality shows. The guy is probably a more down to earth guy than what we see on the show. Top Shot Rocks, because it's just fun!
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I think there's a lot less "reality" going on behind the cameras. The "reality" of reality shows. The guy is probably a more down to earth guy than what we see on the show. Top Shot Rocks, because it's just fun!
But even with "Top Shot" they had to inject the "reality show prima donna BS".
I put the blame on the producers of these shows bowing to clueless "marketing experts" rather than listening to "Gun people"
Look at the difference between the shows by TV people cashing in on guns, and the shows done by MB who is a gun person, cashing in on TV.
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But even with "Top Shot" they had to inject the "reality show prima donna BS".
Kinda like folks watch auto racing like Nascar and Indy Car for the wrecks. Watching 32 cars go around in circles is pretty boring! You want to see the racing, watch motocross or the Ilse of Mann races...even F-1 is more interesting!
With no drama, you're watching grass grow....
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I like the shows for this reason. I remember back in the 70's when there was no cable and or Fox News, and the big 3 liberal networks ruled the airwaves. You never saw anything "reality" based about guns that was good. I still remember shows like "Guns Of Autumn" that blasted hunters as blood thirsty idiots with nothing better to do. Yeah, there was the American Sportsman with Curt Gowdy and Grits Gresham, but other than that the only guns you saw on television were in the westerns, or in WW II shows like "Combat" or "The Rat Patrol". Or else they were in a newsreel at 10:00 O'Clock, about some murder or drive by shooting. Negative and nothing but.
Now they're everywhere. Sure, "Sons Of Guns", "American Guns" and "Top Shot" are all scripted, but at least they are showing that guns in America are mainstream. And also remember that liberals hate these kind of shows. All the more reason to like them.
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Maybe there is more effort to portray guns in a light that is a little less than desirable? Any thought?
As an avid Gun 2.0, non-hunter, S of G/A.G. are different from the Suday morning creep and shoot shows. I personally loved Top Shot, so did the wife :o, the Marksmanship/Gun stuff the History Channel runs (Sniper stuff mostly) and like 3 Gun Nation and Tom G's shows.
Like Billt said there never has been positive portrail of guns on TV that I can remember so at least this is a step away from the normal negative Nelly stuff the MSM used to push.
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I'll have to watch it tonight and see if he lectures any gun owners about their own guns.
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I'll have to watch it tonight and see if he lectures any gun owners about their own guns.
I understand where you are coming from, and agree it is excessive on the show, but I would offer the following, from my own experience, as an exception:
I have a friend I've known for 30 years. A few years after we first met, he brought me a Browning Sweet Sixteen that he had owned for over 15 years prior without ever shooting it because he didn't understand how to load it. It was his grandfathers. He wanted me to clean it, load it, and shoot it to show him how.
Funny thing is, it's not an isolated incident. I've had numerous folks bring guns to me that they inherited from family, and had them for years (hidden in a closet) without knowing anything about them.
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It's good entertainment....not one shred of reality.
So much of it is faked for the camera. A retail store with their poor attitude, poor customer service, and ridiculously high prices would not survive.
Question....
How many handguns does the underage daughter own?
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I like most of the Sons of Guns shows. The Ma Deuce episode was good, the supressor made for an AK was kewl. Now...the shotgun arrow thing...not what I care for. Mac 10's...kewl. I recognized the LP training range where they had the Mac 10 shooting portion and the "football shoot". OK..the football shoot may not be what we've come to expect from our Outdoor Channel but it did portray an NFL player as a shooter...and by normalizing guns with a "celebrity" that positively influences people across generations.
There is quite a bit of reality in the products they build in Baton Rouge, supressors, AK's, etc. A lot of the modifications they make in AK's are in great demand. However, the typical Fudd is probably disoriented and out of his element (comfort zone) when seeing this sort of thing. Uncle Fudd has a propensity to pee down both legs when someone around him supports legal machine guns and supressors...."What do you need that for?" is the generally condescending remark (see reference to 2nd Ammendment meant hunting only, no really, it did). Uncle Fudd is scared that this will wake people up to the fact that guns exists and someone may try to ban his guns....
The gun culture is not just the "father-son hallowed handed down hunting culture..,", though I am a participant in that aspect. My observation is that someplace back in the 50's-60's somebody mistook the 2nd Ammendment to mean for hunting purposes only and that stance lost a lot of gun rights. CCW and every red-blooded boy's desire for an AR or the mysterious AK is bringing us from that severely limited view of legal gun ownership.
Though I find American Guns low on my watch list, I think it's great that gun shows have been mainstreamed.
Having these shows to choose from helps the gun culture counter the anti-gun crap I've had to watch for 40 years....and it's bringing people into the culture. A good thing.
We might prefer Shooting Gallery, Best Defense or other Outdoor Channel favorites, but without a doubt any positive gun show that is popular with the general population is a very positive thing.
I still get pissed thinking about the Uncle Fudds I know who thought compromise would secure their gun rights when they supported handgun restrictions and Bill Clinton's ban.....like the anti-gunners were ever going to stop there.
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Personally, I would be just as happy watching an all gun special of "Pawn Stars" or "Antiques Road Show".
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I like most of the Sons of Guns shows. The Ma Deuce episode was good, the supressor made for an AK was kewl. Now...the shotgun arrow thing...not what I care for. Mac 10's...kewl. I recognized the LP training range where they had the Mac 10 shooting portion and the "football shoot". OK..the football shoot may not be what we've come to expect from our Outdoor Channel but it did portray an NFL player as a shooter...and by normalizing guns with a "celebrity" that positively influences people across generations.
There is quite a bit of reality in the products they build in Baton Rouge, supressors, AK's, etc. A lot of the modifications they make in AK's are in great demand. However, the typical Fudd is probably disoriented and out of his element (comfort zone) when seeing this sort of thing. Uncle Fudd has a propensity to pee down both legs when someone around him supports legal machine guns and supressors...."What do you need that for?" is the generally condescending remark (see reference to 2nd Ammendment meant hunting only, no really, it did). Uncle Fudd is scared that this will wake people up to the fact that guns exists and someone may try to ban his guns....
The gun culture is not just the "father-son hallowed handed down hunting culture..,", though I am a participant in that aspect. My observation is that someplace back in the 50's-60's somebody mistook the 2nd Ammendment to mean for hunting purposes only and that stance lost a lot of gun rights. CCW and every red-blooded boy's desire for an AR or the mysterious AK is bringing us from that severely limited view of legal gun ownership.
Though I find American Guns low on my watch list, I think it's great that gun shows have been mainstreamed.
Having these shows to choose from helps the gun culture counter the anti-gun crap I've had to watch for 40 years....and it's bringing people into the culture. A good thing.
We might prefer Shooting Gallery, Best Defense or other Outdoor Channel favorites, but without a doubt any positive gun show that is popular with the general population is a very positive thing.
I still get pissed thinking about the Uncle Fudds I know who thought compromise would secure their gun rights when they supported handgun restrictions and Bill Clinton's ban.....like the anti-gunners were ever going to stop there.
+1
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The biggest problem those shows have is the format, " Reality TV" is a BS oxymoron.
It doesn't really matter what the subject, if it's a "reality show" it's not going to impress people who do it for real.
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Well....I gave it up after the "spy car" episode....Rich finds the dumbest ways to solve problems....plus he finds the most expensive ways to do things (build a SAA from scratch instead of tuning up a Ruger or USFA.... ::) )......at least the SOG projects make some sense....
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Heck, I'd love to have a SAA that was built from scratch, just for me.....but I can't afford it.
As to the "projects" I agree that they are way over the top in price, for the most part. I sat there the other night commenting to my son about how they were over charging the poor guy for the ten barrel volley gun. They charged $11,000 for something I could have done for $2500 (or less) and I guarantee my welds would have looked better. ;)
I guess it falls into the category of the "fool and his money" thing.
I agree about the general fluff of the show, but like Rastus pointed out, it is still "positive press" for the gun folk. IMHO.
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The thing that bothered me about the built from scratch SAA was they used gold and silver PAINT for the embellishments rather than doing it correctly with gold and silver inlay. You know the first time any bore solvent hits it ,it will wash off. If I had spent that kind of money I'd be pissed.