Last night on the new episode of American Guns on the Discovery Channel, Rich Wyatt and his Gunsmoke team do two custom builds. For Jason, a member of the American Zoot Shooters Association, a .45 caliber Thompson submachinegun with plenty of special features. Another client, Henry, wants to upgrade for big game hunting with a .50 caliber rifle that weighs no more than 20 pounds. Most factory-fresh .50 cal rifles weigh between 40 to 50 lb.s. So the gang has its work cut out for them.
Jason is a competition shooter. The Zoot Shooters are much like the Cowboy Action Shooters we met last episode. This time, they wear clothing from the gangster era of the 1920s and their competitions are based on a Prohibition theme. Kurt takes the lead in the sale, suggesting that they machine a whole new receiver for the Tommy Gun out of titanium. This would cut half the weight. Also, they will shorten the barrel and the stock as well as construct a musical carrying case from which the ′chopper′ can be fired from covertly. The price for the work is $12,500.
For Henry, he arrives with a classic Weatherby hunting rifle and a Smith & Wesson .44 magnum Model 29 pistol with the full length 6-inch barrel, a la Dirty Harry. Henry wants $3,000 for his guns to ease the pinch on his wallet for the .50 cal rifle, which Rich quotes a firm $10,000 on. But Rich is only willing to go as high as $2,500 for Henry′s guns, and Henry reluctantly agrees. Work on the rifle hits a big snag when a special barrel, made of carbon fiber and costing $4,000 does not fit in the shop′s lathe. Scott takes the barrel to another machine shop to thread the barrel for fitting into the receiver, but the barrel jerks in the jig, messing up the threading. Oh-Oh!
While Paige Wyatt is tasked to track down a special die cutter to correct the threading for Scott, work progresses on the Thompson. Scott does not think they should shorten the barrel as the bullets would lose velocity, but Jon argues that just clipping 2 inches off would increase the muzzle velocity. So they run a test to see who is correct and for once, Jon guessed right. Jason′s Tommy gun will have a 16-inch barrel, as well as a shorten stock that is adjustable. The next hitch comes when Brian does a custom trigger job, shaving too much off. During a test fire, the weapon goes into full-auto and breaks the firing pin and the bolt. Oh-Oh!
Rich takes a break flying off to meet Tom, a retired gold executive who has an awesome collection of firearms. He is looking to sell ten very rare rifles and shotguns, all double-barrel and mostly made in Europe. Tom wants $100,000 for the guns but Rich is only offering $60,000 in cash. Rich sweetens the deal with a matched set of Colt pistols and a solid gold railroad spike. Tom agrees and the deal is done!
With the die cutter, thanks to Paige, Scott completes work on the .50 cal barrel. The rest of the rifle is completed and Rich delivers it to Henry. Even with a large scope, a 12×52mm, the weapon weighs just under 20 pounds. Henry is very happy with the results! Meanwhile, Brian finishes rebuilding the Thompson with the new trigger parts and this time it works perfectly. The gun is delivered to Jason, who first tries firing it while it rests inside a modified guitar case. The he blasts away at a ′bootlegger′ truck with his tricked-out Chicago typewriter, including one barrel of ′booze′ that is packed with explosives. So ends another happy day at American Guns!
June 21st, 2012 at 7:59 am
Guns, rednecks hunting reptiles and people building bomb shelters.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the Republican base.
Unfortunately, (and in reality, almost inexplicably) it appears that Romney has taken a huge hit in the polls.
Heck, he even got hammered on the question about who has a better handle on the economy.
If he can’t win that component, what is left? Isn’t that his whole campaign?
The Republican primaries have become an almost insurmountable obstacle to any candidate winning a general election.
The “who’s more conservative” litmus test paints them into a corner that eliminates the undecided’s, which is where elections are won.
I can never understand pandering to the far right. Yeah, throw them a bone during the primaries, but once you are the presumptive nominee you have to stop allowing them to shape the platform. Who else are they going to vote for? Yeah, maybe some of them will stay home, but these are not stay at home on election day people.
June 21st, 2012 at 11:22 am
There go the socialists trashing the military again. I’m trying to think of a good use for a liberal in a time of war….
June 21st, 2012 at 11:37 am
“There go the socialists trashing the military again. I’m trying to think of a good use for a liberal in a time of war….”
I can only assume you are making a lame attempt at humor.
Where in my comment is their any, and I mean any, reference to the military or war?
June 21st, 2012 at 11:44 am
Hmm .. lets see… you disparage “guns” as all liberals do, suggesting that people who own them must be “rednecks” and the “conservative base.” Don’t you know that weapons are the pick n’ anvil of the fighting man? Why do liberals loathe the military so much?
June 21st, 2012 at 12:02 pm
“Hmm .. lets see… you disparage “guns” as all liberals do, suggesting that people who own them must be “rednecks” and the “conservative base.” Don’t you know that weapons are the pick n’ anvil of the fighting man? Why do liberals loathe the military so much?”
Wow, the way you connect (or don’t) connect the dots is mind boggling.
Well this is pointless as you have decided that if you rearrange the words and apply some predetermined rhetoric that you can assign some arbitrary meaning to the words of others.
That renders what anyone writes as irrelevant.
June 21st, 2012 at 1:35 pm
buzzbee
After the way life has been treating Obimbo for the last two or three weeks, i guess you are operating on the old maxim :
‘ When Life Gives You Lemons
You Make Lemonade ‘
I’m Watching this whole Circus with Unbridled
GLEE. I’ve Turned Down The Sound. All I Can
Hear Is the Sound Of The STUKA.
June 22nd, 2012 at 4:17 am
Liberals only fight when they want to steal from others. Under the banner of ‘Social Justice’, they take to the streets, smashing store windows, burning police cars, and defiling private property.
Conservatives only fight when we need to protect and defend ourselves from the aggressions of the Far Left.
June 23rd, 2012 at 10:36 am
“Liberals only fight when they want to steal from others. Under the banner of ‘Social Justice’, they take to the streets, smashing store windows, burning police cars, and defiling private property.
Conservatives only fight when we need to protect and defend ourselves from the aggressions of the Far Left.”
That was actually pretty funny.
The steretype train has jumped right off the rails with that one.
June 23rd, 2012 at 10:55 am
I am sorry McCain; I didn’t know you were just pulling my leg with the “You’re a socialist that hates America” line.
I finally figured out that it didn’t matter what I said, the words I wrote were irrelevant, you were going to continue to write that to me (or ME for that matter) or anyone else that did not share your opinion.
For example, “I am a Tiger’s fan, I hate the Yankees”.
“You see, he hates the Yankees, he is a socialist and anti-American”.
“I don’t think people should be able to keep nuclear weapons in their backyard”.
“You see, he doesn’t think ordinary citizens should have nuclear weapons, the next thing you know they are taking away the assault weapons you, ummm… hunt with”. “You see, he is a socialist who hates America”.
“My favorite color is green”.
“You notice he didn’t list red, white or blue?”
“He is obviously a socialist that hates America”.
So sorry, my mistake, I didn’t catch on that you were simply making a joke.
June 23rd, 2012 at 12:18 pm
Gawd liberals are such whiners. Take some personal responsibility for yourself. Being a “socialist” is not like being a child molester. Half of Europe is that way. You are too, so embrace yourself man.
June 23rd, 2012 at 2:06 pm
“The steretype train has jumped right off the rails with that one.”
Yeah, thats why dicked spent more of everyones elses money than any and all Presidents combined.
Wasnt he on the same rails as Lincoln a few years ago.
If fiscal conservatism has gone of the rail its because half of them are RINOs who joined up with the party of pandering using others money
June 23rd, 2012 at 2:10 pm
Its like a married couple fighting.
Even though one of them knows they’re wrong they continue to assert they’re right only to convince their partner they’re stronger and therefor best to lead.
Instead of sincerity, we all get fcked
June 24th, 2012 at 10:29 am
“Gawd liberals are such whiners. Take some personal responsibility for yourself. Being a “socialist” is not like being a child molester. Half of Europe is that way. You are too, so embrace yourself man.”
No, really, I got the joke, you don’t have to keep saying it over and over.
Heck, even the people that work at my company found it hilarious, I showed it to them. You would see how “socialist” I am when it comes to pay raises. I believe everyone’s pay should be directly tied to performance and commission only when possible.
Heck, even when it comes to charity, I don’t help those that are less fortunate because I care, I do it because it is good business.
Same reason I think we should legalize all drugs. If the people in my neighborhood want to get high all day, what do I care?
I simply don’t want them robbing my house to pay for it.
Since we clearly lost the War on Drugs, let’s declare a cease fire. We could empty half of our jails at the same time and cripple the “business of crime” that is waged not only by criminals, but by privatized correctional facilities, lobbying groups on behalf of lawyers and police, and district attorneys that only care about wins and losses, not justice.
June 24th, 2012 at 10:55 am
Just as an aside, I go hunting with a group of guys and many of them are policeman and I told them about a recent trip I had to take to Chicago (a 5 hour drive).
It is all expressway and I saw no fewer than 20 traffic cops parked somewhere on the median (and that doesn’t include the ones I missed).
It is nothing more than a form of taxation, as the state police, county sheriffs and local police all throw their line in the water.
I often asked them how fast I could go without being pulled over and they would always state that I could go 79 all day (in a 70 MPH zone) and I would not get pulled over. Some of them even said they set their radar at 80 and it would not beep unless that speed was exceeded.
Well, no longer, they said that if tickets needed to be written that they would even write for 74. While many departments are shrinking the State Police are adding new hires for the primary job of writing traffic tickets.
They were not happy about it either as most of them would rather be working on criminal cases. They didn’t take up this profession to write piddly tickets to people that may have slipped over the speed limit by a couple of MPH.
I am old, so I remember the days of almost no traffic enforcement. I live in Detroit and we all used to brag about making it from Detroit to Miami in 18 hours (it now takes 24), with much of it driving well over 90 through Kentucky and Tennessee.
I know that couldn’t go on, but with cars now much safer and able to run economically at a high speed you would think there would be some progress.
It just seems that even good drivers are eventually going to get a ticket now, despite their efforts to drive within the law.
Lastly, I don’t know if any of you live in Ohio, but it is the worst, speed traps in every small town, quick drops to 55 (where 57 gets you pulled over) and traffic planes in use. Yes, traffic planes measuring you from the air (that is what those white marks on the freeway are). That doesn’t seem fair, kinda fishing with dynamite.
And for those of you dreaming of the Autobahn (you know, that no speed limit expressway in that collection of socialist countries) it now only has short stretches of unlimited speed zones.
C’mon, daytimes, middle of nowhere, shouldn’t we be able to make some time?