Last night on the Discovery Channel, we have another fun episode of ′American Guns′, where they gang at Gunsmoke build an avalanche gun. But first, Rich and Rene Wyatt take their children, Kurt and Paige, out for a shooting match. Kurt and Paige are forever bickering amongst themselves as to whom is the better shot. So Kurt matches his modified M-14 versus Paige and her SEGA AR-15 as they pop some popcorn the Gunsmoke way! Paige wins! Once again, we have evidence that women are better shots than men are.

avalanche gun

Later on, back at the shop, a new client, Randy, arrives with an order. He wants an avalanche gun. His business is to work with ski resorts and such in Colorado at managing avalanche prevention. He would like a dual barrel weapon that will fire 20mm autocannon rounds for taking out avalanches, and also fire .50 caliber for sighting. Rich tells him that such a project will be expensive, but Randy doesn′t care, as he brought a truck load of firearms for trading purposes. A deal is struck and the project is underway.

Rich meets with his team of gunsmiths, Brian, Scott, Jon and Gary, to give them the details. They are all eager to get started until Rich announces that Scott will be in charge of the build. Scott headed his first build project last week, a Zombie Apocalypse weapon turning an 1886 Winchester into a mare′s leg converted to fire Smith & Wesson 500 rounds. Brian is the most upset since he has been top gunsmith. After the initial conference, he, Jon and Gary, confront Rich about his decision to put Scott in charge again. But Rich ′sticks to his guns′, citing his main concern is that Scott is their barrel expert and the dual barrel nature of the weapon is vital.

Back upstairs in the store, the lovely Niki walks in wanting a replacement for her ′Snow Queen′, a white-painted, highly modified AR-15. Niki runs a women′s shooting club in Texas and wants a new rifle to impress the ladies. She wants an AR-10, which is the original design for the AR-15, but shoots NATO .308 ammo instead of 5.56mm. Niki also wants a grenade launcher! After some haggling over the price, Rich agrees to meet her demands.

Jon finds a surplus receiver, but before Gary and he can start working on it, Scott wants them to do a ′dye-test′ to make certain that there are no cracks or fractures in the metal. One would think this is a reasonable request, but not so to Jon and Gary. They storm off and Scott must to the dye test himself. Luckily, Brian has cooled down and he helps out. The receiver turns out to be in sound shape, which only fuels Jon and Gary′s contempt for Scott.

Another side-story unfolds as Rich and Rene pay a visit to Steve LeBlanc, a big-time big-game hunter. He has some rifles to sell, but Rich notices a rare .458 caliber rifle built by Ryan Breeding, a world-famous gunsmith. One of his rifles recently auctioned for $57,000. Steve has no intention of selling that rifle, but Rich plays him like brown trout on 2-lb test line. In the end, Rich buys the all five rifles, including the Breeding, for $50,000.

Back at the shop, Brian and Scott argue over the barrel design. Brian thinks that it is better to go with the simpler, and easier interlocking, quarter-turn threads for swapping out barrels between the 20mm and .50 cal. But Scott prefers a more solid full turn design with 4-inches worth of one-way threads. Brian has a hissy fit and storms off. Rich visits and tells Scott that he wants a test firing to prove the soundness of the decision. Naturally, Scott is proven correct once again.

The episode of American Guns wraps up with Randy getting his avalanche gun and Niki getting her AR-10 with a M203 grenade launcher attached below the barrel. Both customers are happy as clams with their new toys. But how happy are things inside the Gunsmoke shop? Can Rich Wyatt convince his wife, Rene, that he should keep the Breeding rifle for himself? She wants it sold and fast to keep the cash flowing! What about Paige and Kurt? Will they ever find happiness with a warm gun? The big question is how will Brian, Jon and Gary react if Rich gives yet another build assignment to Scott? The drama and smell of cordite continues…