Here is an updated line up for Gun Stories:
LAST UPDATE: 09/13/11.EPISODE 1: The Model 1911We have all been taught the importance of people like Eli Whitney, Thomas Edison… even Bill Gates. But there is one man’s invention that was so influential, after 100 years it is still considered the standard by which all others are measured. And it is the blueprint for virtually all other designs in its class.
The man’s name was John Moses Browning. And his invention was the Model 1911 Automatic Pistol.
Reruns August 17.
Watch Trailer!EPISODE 2: The Bolt Action RifleSome of the greatest achievements in firearm technology seem to be the most simple. Today, the bolt action, while obviously important and still a standard, seems less than impressive compared to the mechanical wizardry of modern technology. But the smokeless powder, bolt action rifle remains one of the most significant leaps forward in the history of firearms.
Reruns August 24.
Watch Trailer!EPISODE 3: The Single Action RevolverInterestingly enough, Sam Colt wasn’t always a gun maker. In fact, his beginnings are more interesting than most people could imagine. And the famed Colt Single Action of 1873, is a gun Sam Colt wasn’t even around to see.
But there’s no doubt that the single action army revolver is one of the most recognizable, and popular firearms ever invented.
Reruns August 31.
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EPISODE 4: The Model 1894The name Winchester and the most famous rifle to emerge from its factories, the Model 1894, are written in large letters across American history. With more than 7 million rifles made for everyone from Southern deer hunters, to western lawmen, to at least 3 American Presidents, the Model 94 redefined the meaning of success, and once again showed the almost magical touch of John Moses Browning.
Reruns Sept. 7.
Watch Trailer!EPISODE 5: The Browning Automatic RifleThe original squad automatic weapon, and arguably the most successful to date, was developed by one man. A man whose name seems to be found in virtually all lineages of firearms development. Not surprisingly, the man’s name is John Browning. And the gun is the Browning Automatic Rifle - more affectionately known as the B.A.R.
Reruns Sept. 14.
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EPISODE 6: Top Break RevolversSmith and Wesson’s technically innovative, powerful and easy-to-reload top-break revolvers were the obvious choice not just for the U.S. military on the frontier after the Civil War, but for the flood of Easterners heeding the call of Manifest Destiny and heading west. Except that it just didn’t happen that way...how did the perfect revolver for its times end up in second place?
Reruns: Sept. 21.
Watch Trailer!EPISODE 7: The M16 RifleIt is arguably the most recognized firearm in the world, and the longest serving US infantry rifle ever fielded. It has been copied by numerous countries, and its civilian counterpart is produced by virtually every firearms manufacturer out there.
Yet, when it was first introduced, many people immediately began writing its obituary because of the problems it encountered. Some claimed it was adopted more through political pressure rather than performance. And the design was a polar opposite of what a United States military rifle’s virtues were supposed to be.
But many of its early problems were brought about by factors that its designer had never intended the rifle to operate with.
Premieres August 10, reruns Sept. 28.
Watch Trailer! EPISODE 8: The Glock PistolWith apologies to Mrs. Robinson, it turns out the future really is plastics...at least when it comes to handgun design. In the early 1980s, Gaston Glock, who knew nothing about firearms but was an expert in advanced synthetic polymers, assembled a huge group of experts to help him create the ideal military handgun. The result of that meeting was ultimately the Glock 17, which virtually overnight became the single best-selling pistol in history...
Premieres Oct. 5. Reruns Nov. 16.
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EPISODE 9: The FN FALThere are many images that come to mind when you mention the Cold War. Nuclear arms race, The Soviet Union, the Berlin Wall… East and West, divided.
For many, it is the image of the AK 47. Thousands of Soviet troops, marching in-step with a rifle that literally defined communism on the battlefield.
But, if the AK defined communism, then the FN FAL was the definitive symbol of Western freedom, and the soldiers who guarded it. So much so that it was called, and is still remembered as “The right arm of the free world.”
Premieres Oct. 12. Reruns Nov. 23.
EPISODE 10: The Beretta 92How does the oldest family owned corporation in the world teach itself new tricks? If the name is "Beretta," founded in 1526, about the time Pope Clement VII was creating the Inquisition, the answer is "very well." And since 1985, when Beretta's flagship 9mm beat out the legendary 1911 .45ACP, the M9 9mm pistol has been the issue handgun of the U.S. military. But the M9's tenure has been marked by both praise and controversy...
Premieres: Oct. 19. Reruns Nov. 30.
EPISODE 11: The Barrett M82A1How many times in history has one man’s vision changed the course of warfare? As short as that list may be, there is no more unlikely story than Ronnie Barrett...a photographer, with no background in building firearms...who dreamed of a shoulder-fired rifle that could handle the awesome .50 caliber Browning Machine Gun cartridge. The Barrett M82 semi auto .50 BMG rifle did indeed change the battlefield, but its birth was anything but easy.
Premieres Oct. 26. Reruns Dec. 7.
EPISODE 12: The Model 870 ShotgunIt can be said that the first shotguns — simple iron tubes filled with gunpowder, rocks and pieces of scrap iron — used on a 15th Century battlefield in northern Italy put an end to the Age of Chivalry. Since that time the shotgun has been a companion in both war and peace. But of all the shotguns down through history, none stand as tall as the Remington 870 pump, favored by law enforcement, military and game hunters around the world and, quite simply, the best selling shotgun in history.
Premieres Nov. 2. Reruns Dec. 14.
EPISODE 13: The Guns of The SeasonOver this first season, we’ve covered the history, design and even the future of twelve firearms that have been influential not just in gun design, but society itself. Today, we want to take you through somewhat of a crash course in the guns we’ve covered.
Premieres Nov. 9. Reruns Dec. 21.
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