https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzqRN_pUHlA

“A WWII British 75mm Scorpion Tank pulls into Red Jacket’s parking lot and demands Will’s attention.” Demands? As in the tank commander rolls up, aims the 75mm gun at Will’s new digs and demands satisfaction? For what? Forcing Yanks to watch Kris flirt with Stephanie? That sounds vaguely interesting – if entirely scripted. And yet the preview video above features a gun so small The Lego Movie‘s Emmet could use it as a toothpick (and yes he’s that dumb). What are these Sons of Guns guys thinking? Are they thinking? I’m not sure I would be after 61 episodes of Frankengunning. Still, the cash cow must be milked until the thing drops dead. Any thoughts on what the SOG’s finale should look like?

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92 COMMENTS

  4. The show is unwatchable. I would take them more seriously if they seemed to be a legit firearms company but I am not convinced they are. Emails to purchase rifles are utterly ignored. I guess if I ever do decide to add the 7.62×39 round to my household’s logistical framework, I’ll be looking at Arsenal. Red Jacket’s guns have been, in my subjective experience, vaporware.

    • The possibility occurs to me that the show may be 100% fiction, and they don’t actually make, alter and sell anything at all. Show biz, like the 64 Questions scandal in the fifties, where they gave the contestants the answers beforehand.

      That would explain your experience with them.

  6. Any thoughts on what the SOG’s finale should look like?

    Closing the doors and going out of business

    The false scripted drama has gotten ridiculous. What made it cool has gone and replaced by false drama as filler.

  7. I have seen some of their ‘custom’ AKs for sale at stupid high prices, can’t remember where though. Anyway, here is some interesting gun TV:

    Inside the Israeli Defense Forces, with Lt. Col. (Ret.) Mike Hartman of the IDF from Shotgunnews.com

    http://www.shotgunnews.com/2014/01/07/inside-israeli-defense-forces-part-1/
    http://www.shotgunnews.com/2014/02/12/inside-israeli-defense-forces-part-2/
    http://www.shotgunnews.com/2014/02/20/inside-israeli-defense-forces-part-3-optics/

    http://www.shotgunnews.com/2014/03/04/inside-israeli-defense-forces-part-4-mse-reflex-sight-manipulation/ (MSE RED DOT REFLEX SIGHT)

  9. I actually bought 2 of their aluminum AR magazines when my local Academy was out of PMags and the damn things jammed the rounds and would not fire in my Colt M4 rifle when I tried to use them. I gave them away.

    • Probably from their personal pile labeled “these mags are sh*t; do not use. sell to rubes”.

      Bastards.

      • Theres no doubt that the ladies of Gunsmoke added to the appeal, plus, they can shoot, and Paige is a sweet heart, ive got a signed photo of her from a ride through Colorado. I actually liked that show for its substance and actual design and build aspects, and all of the historical and rare pieces. I don’t care that they had trouble with the IRS, since this guys been president, so has every gun company it seems. plus, we don’t know the whole story, perhaps the story being told would be a good place for a non chickenshit channel to pick it up, or do their shows on youtube?

  11. I love the part where Will says “HS HAS NOT SIGNED ANYTHING” like he can. He is just an employee since he and Stephanie lost their FFL (or go to jail in 2010 and can’t own a firearms business. Don’t you just love it????

  12. This show started off good….but holy crap…It’s almost unwatchable now. The drama is silly and scripted and it all went downhill when Chris and Steph got married.

  15. Here’s a tip, boys and girls:

    When you walk into a gunsmith’s shop and you see any drama that looks remotely like what you see on these reality shows… walk out.

    Want to know what makes for drama in my shop?

    “My favorite file is dull. I should send it out to be sharpened, but… but… but… it’s my favorite file. Oh woe is me! Decisions, decisions….”

    or

    “Dammit, I just broke that stupid little tap in a receiver. Knew I should have used a HSS tap. Dammit, dammit, dammit. Sigh. Here’s another unbilled hour, coming right up…”

    • Entirely off topic, but I’d love your advice (please oh please oh please):
      What’s a good off-the-shelf bolt action rifle under $1.5k? Is a cheaper controlled feed better than a more expensive push feed?

    • D.G. Did you see the episode in the video above. Seems to me with all the equipment they have, they should have been able to make a hammer, from scratch, for the revolver.

  16. I started watching SOG at the beginning, before it turned into a soap opera. The last straw was when they defiled a perfectly good classic BAR to suit the tasteless whims of some moral degenerate. That was unforgivable.

    • That was really offensive. That may also have been the same episode where they were test firing their product and it had cycling issues, and I said out loud, “Looks like a gas tube issue.” Later on, one of the “experts” says something about having spent two weeks or so trying to figure out why it had cycling issues, and they finally narrowed it down to a kinked gas tube. Could never make it past the disclaimer after that.

      • For me, it was when Chris couldn’t even install an Adams Arms piston kit properly. He didn’t even know he had it on single shot mode and couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t cycling. His problem solving skills are next to nil. Another problem I have is that he doesn’t seem to be able to see past the “cool” cannons! Joe is right that they need to find some production line that they can get good at and bring in steady money to pay for the big projects. Another issue is their BBB rating. I can understand a shop getting busy and overwhelmed, especially after the gun craze of 2013, but to flat out ignore customers for months on end without even a personal email or a blanket statement is a bad business practice. I look at companies like Spikes tactical when it comes to overwhelming orders. They may not be able to tell every single person how long it will take, but at least they let everyone know what their average wait times truly are.

    • knocked up and they think either B. Todd Jones (head of ATF) or AG Eric Holder are the baby daddy. That would be funny.

  18. You rather be watching American Idol??

    Everyone is way too harsh on SOG. I mean I totally understand why (the characters, personal dramas, unrealistic storylines, etc), but all that TV stuff aside…. they do present a lot of interesting weapons, big and small. They show tidbits of history, guns being worked on, and then being shot. Stop bashing and just enjoy it for what it is.

    Again, you rather be watching American Idol??

    • No kidding. I haven’t watched this show a lot but I totally don’t get all the hate from gun people about it. The worst part is that one of the most frequent criticisms I hear is the same stuff you hear antis say about the ar15, “why would anyone need that? it’s rediculous, only an insane person would want that.”

      The show seems to typically feature non mil/leo customers coming in and requesting something they want without any need to explain why they need it. And pretty much zero percent of the stuff that comes out of their shop seems to have anything to do with huntin or self defense.

      Jeez.

      • the “hate”…dude; its not hate, its anger. This show has turned into a walking advertisement for the pro gun CONTROL crowd. SOG is a living breathing satire and insults every good firearms owner and reputable gunsmith. SOG in the name of entertainment takes on dangerous jobs, ruins historical firearms and does flat out dangerous stuff–I don’t care if they post a disclaimer.

      • I’m quite happy without 99% of tv. What I do want to watch, I watch online or watch at a friends house. Or just not see at all.

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      No flaming the website, its authors, fellow commentators or much of anyone, really. Please address all comments about TTAG’s editorial stance or style to [email protected].

    • I’d rather that gunsmithing and gun owners be represented as more serious people.

    • Mike, I’m with you on most of your post, especially the part about watching “Idol” My wife is hung up on that, and any part of ever gets erased from our DVR, I catch hell!
      They do have a lot of interesting projects on the show, although the dialog needs a bit of tweaking. And, lets face it, Steph is not too shabby on the eyes!

  20. The finale episode should be the ATF raiding the place. Talking Kris, Will, and Stephanie, away in hand cuffs. Then for fun a genuine old european gunsmith inspects there products. Das is Shight!!! Nine quality Kontrol. Jah Jah das is huge stinky shaght! Then a tour of Wilson Combats factory.

  21. Finale:

    R. Lee Ermey walks in, looks around, says “What the fuck!?!” then tells everybody to FOAD. Show over.

    • Better: R. Lee Ermey walks in, says what the fvck is this sh!t?!, goes out to his car (I imagine it as a Ma Deuce) and grabs a flame thrower, and burns the shop to the ground. Screen fades to black. Text pops up on screen to inform viewer that SoG has been replaced by a new show featuring R. Lee Ermey, premiering next fall.

  22. I also have a hard time with.the so-called drama. Just go off air already. They DO put together a lot of interesting stuff. The daughter is way too unattractive for porn. The 17year old from American Guns however…how did Rich Wyett(?) legal troubles

  23. I have to say, I feel sorry for Joe, he genuinely seems to be trying to head RJF in the right direction, and cut the drama, but then you have bipolar Will, retard Chris, and ditzoid Stephanie doing their best to make sure it’s all drama drama drama.

    Their custom one off projects have no attention to the finish detail; do they work, sure, but they are ugly, if I were paying god knows what for that metal storm shotgun, it better look like it’s a production weapon.

    I used to enjoy the show at the beginning, maybe through season 2, but man, it has gone down the shitter in a big way.

    • You didn’t like the crude cable linkage on the storm shotgun? or the caulk gun firing lever? Me too! Looked like something from a freshman highschool shop project, sure not from an alleged custom gun shop.

  24. Work out…got a weird error message & posted immediately. On an android. Anyone else get the error code?

  25. I watched one episode of that abomination and that was enough for me, I wouldn’t let those jokers clean a red rider BB gun for me. If I had to rate that show on a scale I couldn’t how do you rate steaming garbage.

  27. My perfect ending to the series would be the boys at Red Jacket find a client interested in resurrecting Project HARP ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_HARP ) which, btw HAS been done befoa. Before the various federal agencies that would normally swoop in and send everyone off to vacation in Guantanamo get wind of the project, the whole thing goes disastrously wrong (or serendipitously right) leaving an 800 yard blast radius vaporizing the entire Red Jacket staff as well as the camera crew, producers and anyone fool enough to get anywhere near them. Coincidentally a massive solar flare produces an electro-magnetic pulse which does little damage other than zapping every recorded episode of Sons of Guns on earth, forever erasing it’s memory from human history.

  28. Any thoughts on what the SOG’s finale should look like?

    …How about static with that emergency ‘beeeeeep’ playing the whole time in the background?

  30. I don’t get all the hate, I dislike the show for the drama but don’t mind all the contraptions.

    I do get that they have bad business practices and would avoid them.

    Regarding their AKs: you could buy an Arsenal AK, SBR it (would recommend 10 inches), rethread it, buy an good silencer and still come out ahead of their price. Besides, knowing their wait times you would probably wait less too.

    Arsenal SAM7SF = 1500
    SBR+silencer stamp = 400
    Silencer = 800-1000
    Barrel threading kit = 50-60
    Tech Sights = 125

    About 2500-2700 total + gunsmith to cut down barrel (but you can do it yourself since you will be threading the barrel).

    VS

    3500 for integrally suppressed RJF AK.

    • Well, that AK SBR with a suppressor threaded on wouldn’t be as quiet as an integrally suppressed AK like Red Jacket’s, because the AK would still vent gas out of the uncovered gas port, unlike in the integral where that happen within the suppressor. While it’s overpriced and not as versatile, it does offer a benefit unique in the marketplace.

      I’m waiting to see an integrally suppressed AK SBR chambered in 300BLK, which I think would be pretty cool (if not a good value). But for $3000+ it had better be of outstanding quality (probably more Krebs Custom than Arsenal or Polytech) and exceptionally reliable to justify it’s existence.

      • You can get a vent-free gas tube for far less than a thousand dollars. Might even get an adjustable gas block while you are at it.

        300 BLK AK, gotta ask why? It is like having an AR in 5.45×39 without the (ex) cheap ammo. You do know you can use that .300 BLK loading data for 7.62×39? At least as an starting point. Also you can return to cheap ammo whenever you want, unlike .300 BLK where you are stuck with expensive or very expensive ammo.

        • Availability of reliable and high-performing (Lehigh Defense, etc.) subsonic ammo, perhaps better short barrel ballistics (I need a ballisticsbytheinch.com for rifle rounds) and quieter. Although to be honest, I’m not sure whether or not a handloader and tinkerer could raise 7.62x39mm to that level of performance. I haven’t explored the vent-free and adjustable AK gas systems either. Anything that compromises reliability is out, as that’s the central—some would say only—practical advantage of AKs. I know this stuff works in 300BLK, but if handloaded 7.62×39 can give the same benefits (quieter than .223, no adjustment needed between supersonic and subsonic ammo, excellent SBR ballistics, effective use of premium .308 subsonic projectiles), then sure, might as well stay with 7.62×39 and keep the ability to run cheap steel case (unless one has a strong personal predilection for STANAG magazines). This kind of rifle is more popular in 300BLK than 7.62×39, but that may be no disadvantage for someone willing to experiment a bit. Thanks for making it clear to me that I’d better do more research on this subject before I write something about it again.

        • No problem, i like helping people out. Nice to know what you are doing before you spend much money.

          300 BLK and 7.62×39 have almost the same ballistics (there is a marginal difference in favor of the x39). Though I am not sure on the .308 projectiles, I am not a handloader, so I am not sure whether you can increase the diameter to .310 or .311 (maybe just make a thick jacket if you cast your own bullets?). I read somewhere you can use an arbor press to expand a bullet a couple thousands of an inch.

          Adjustable gas blocks aren’t really detrimental to reliability but can make the felt recoil easier. Since if the gun starts jamming during testing, you just crank up the gas until it works well.

  31. when the show was about building cool stuff and actually semi creative designs is was awesome. after the artificial drama was added, it lost direction. Joe is very cool though.

    • Yeah, I’m just not sure who they are targeting as their audience.
      It aint us (knowledgeable firearm enthusiasts).
      Maybe it’s noobs? Or the tacticool crowd?

      I certainly wouldn’t purchase a firearm from their chaotic outfit.
      I don’t mind some of the contraptions, but at this point it’s just kinda silly and doesn’t really command my attention.
      Joe is the only one who doesn’t annoy me on the show.
      But I stopped watching years ago out of boredom honestly.

    • Joe is cool but he always reminds me of”Deliverance”. Maybe it is the accent+facial hair.

      O_O

      Though I don’t understand why Vincent (bearded biker guy, has manufacturing license) was the bad guy in season 2. I stopped watching after that. The drama became unbearable.

  32. They’re not completely useless. I found TTAG in July,2012 by googling “Sons of Guns”.
    TTAG has been a boon and a hoot ever since. Quit watching “SOG’s”.

  33. Please don’t write articles about these people.

    It’s almost as bad as all the Kardashian articles on Yahoo.

  35. I stopped watching the show when they supported the New Orleans police department. This was after the Gun Grab.

  36. My perfect ending? I don’t want to see the BATFE (and really big fires) arrest them all, but I’d sure be happy to see the store closed down, and Will would go open a bar, Chris & Steph expand their “T” shirt business,and Joe go work with Flem.

  37. we all have to remember this is a t.v. show. its supposed to be a reality/entertainment show. think american choppers. would mainstream america watch it if it was strictly about gunsmithing and firearms. having been in the motorcycle shop owner during the bike boom with all the tv shows i can tell you its great for biz, but people that dont know anything about your industry other than what they see on tv ( riduculess deadlines, unrealistic clients, etc) dont have a clue. when i had to retire for health reasons i got into doing some background work for tv and movies, and was on a reality show for “truth tv” network . and i can tell you its neither the truth or reality. i just kinda like to watch th ten minutes or so of actual work being performed on any of these shows because i really enjoy seeing “craftsmen” performing there trade. there doesnt seem to be enough of that anymore. thats just my 2 cents

  38. What is sad is the number of reputable folks who fawn over RJF and how cool the staff is to hang out with. From what I see of the on screen persona of these folks, I really don’t want to find out if they are “cool”. I wish the folks from the industry would tone down their love fest; it ruins their credibility. SOG has way too much drama, too many safety violations, too many sloppy “builds”, waste historical firearms and are the living breathing redneck hillbilly that the pro gun CONTROL crowd loves to use as the reason for more CONTROL.

  40. Yes, I have some suggestions for the last episode.
    The girl should jilt whoever is her admirer of the moment, he should go nuts and use his latest project(32 10-22s, all hooked onto a spinning clothesline reel to spray fire through 360 degrees, using an R/C car as power) on the entire cast. This would include himself, but because he forgot that 360 degrees of fire includes the firer.
    This would please all the sleeple who want to see violence, deaths, and romance by including all three, and also give the MSM yet another mass shooting to trumpet in their never ending bully pulpit crusade to blame firearms for every human mistake since the fall of Rome….
    And for the rest of us, we would be rid of the entire cast, so it would be worth it! EVERYBODY WINS!

  41. Even tho my last tongue in cheek post really said it all, I feel I should add the following:
    WW2 Scorpion TANK?
    Via wikipedia;
    “The FV101 Scorpion is a British armoured reconnaissance vehicle. It was the lead vehicle and the fire support type in the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked), CVR(T), family of seven armoured vehicles. Manufactured by Alvis, it was introduced into service with the British Army in 1973 and served until 1994.”

    Given that hollywood has yet to figure out that something made in 1973 is NOT from WW2, I really didn’t expect that they would pay attention to such subtleties as the difference between a tracked recon vehicle and a real tank.

  43. Sons of Guns has always been televised fecal material. It started going down hill in the first episode when Will couldn’t contain his assholiness, greed and immense ego. This show has been absolute dreck since day one. It represents everything that is bad about “reality” TV. Like the fact that there is no reality involved in it. It has always been soft scripted, heavily edited, formula driven, completely phony and composed primarily of the usual highly contrived, melodramatic, irrelevant interpersonal BS.

    Geez, what good can be said about a “reality” show gun store where the “owners” have had their FFL’s yanked for unbelievable levels of regulatory non compliance and don’t actually control the business. It is a miracle that Will and Stephanie aren’t getting their mail in a Federal Correctional Facility. Basically they are just a couple of opportunistic, money grubbing publicity whores. Personally I wouldn’t let any of the knuckleheads associated with that show work on a cap pistol much less a real firearm.

  44. What a bunch of winning little babies on this forum. It’s a TV show. Stop crying and change the channel if you don’t like it. All the jackasses calling for it to be “cancelled” are mind numbingly stupid. I don’t much care for the drama either, however, it is one of the shows that my 13 year old daughter will still watch with me.
    As for “American Guns”, that was a travesty. Watching Rich Wyatt blatantly rip off people in “trades” was sickening.
    “Top Shot”, I couldn’t stand watching Colby Donaldson one more minute.
    So, in short, stop bitching and stop watching, and I will remove myself from TTAG.

  46. Here’s my idea for the last ep:

    The come clean on how contrived even their “serious” moments were. For me, the point at which I stopped watching was when they’re fiddling around with some clapped-out Bridgeport J-head mill… and in the background there was a brand-new Haas VF-2.

    They drove all over the place to get some part for the Bridgeport (which they could have made on their own lathe, as I recall it) and been on their way. Or they could have set up the job in the VF-2. But nooo… they went on a road trip to get some part for the Bridgeport.

  47. The final episode should feature Lizard Lick Towing doing a drive by or hostile take over.

  48. It’s like the scientist in South Park.
    There, a six-assed monkey. I’ll now make a seven-assed monkey.
    Really, just stacking MG42s together to make a ridiculous quad.
    That’s about the time that I stopped watching. I couldn’t stand the ridiculous drama either. It went the same way as that motorcycle show with the dad and son fighting all of the time. Sorry, not for me.

  49. I have always been somewhat dubious of the SOG show. Things they were doing just didn’t make sense. Then a friend in the BATFE(yes there are good guys there) told me about the Haydens losing their license and that one of the other flunkies there was actually the current owner and that this was because the producers of the show put so much pressure on some political hack in LA so that they could keep the show on air long enough to make their money back.

    But, what put the powder in my horn was, I have written to them several times about purchase and thoughts on the show itself at different times and to date have not heard a single word from them. I called their phones a couple times only to be put on hold for long periods of time and then was just dropped. I turned off the recording of the show and won’t even turn it on now.

  50. I almost forgot to answer the question about how to cancel the show. Simple, expose the show as being heavily scripted, Will Hayden and Stephanie losing their license and that Joe is actually the owner of license now and that Will and Steph are actually just employees.

  52. Thing is, I actually thought SOG was better than that ‘show’ out of Denver or somewhere. Wyatts or Wyants or something. That’s the show I thought was a real piece of trash. If these guys are legit, they definitely aren’t places that sell firearms to run of the mill folks like me. And yeah, SOG has turned into a soap opera the last few shows I’ve seen.

  53. “Any thoughts on what the SOG’s finale should look like?”

    Them losing their FFL again, for good this time and closing their doors.

  54. I FEEL SORRY AND EMBARASSED FOR STEPHANIE!!! WILL HADEN SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLACED BEFORE A FIRING SQUAD!!! WHAT THE HELL!!! CHRIS IS SOLID . THE KID PROBALLY NEEDED HIS ASS BUSTED!!! U HATERS SHOULD CUT THEM SOME SLACK!!! DONT LIKE THE SHOW? PICK UP UR REMOTE AND CHANGE THE FRICKIN THING!!! WANT TO BITCH AND MOAN???WELL SHUT THE HELL UP AND BESIDES U WERE NOT EVEN THERE….. THE KID PROBALLY DESERVED WHAT HE GOT!!!

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