Red Jacket

[Agent1209]

There was someone on Facebook bragging about Red Jacket AR's. After watching the show, I don't think I would buy anything from them that my life depended on. Is it just me or does anyone else feel like they were struggling to do anything, and we're really sloppy.

 

[Bio-Chem]

interesting show for sure. hell ill watch almost anything with a gun in it, but i certainly don't need any of their services. An off the shelf AR with changes I can do myself is just fine for my needs

 

[headoftheholler]

Red Jacket is just a bad joke.
From the nasty looking daughter to the over the top projects that serve
no practical purpose.
Every show is the same, some LEO or Military entity is wanting a supressed full auto flame thrower/ rocket launcher/ abrams tank.

 

[Upstater]

Welcome to the world of reality tv err...world of make believe. Although they are going to build me .50 bmg wristwatch lunch pail.

 

[Mauser lover]

I wouldn't get anything from them. At all.

If I wanted an AK built from a Saiga, I would do it; I don't need them to do it for me.

 

[CharlieDeltaJuliet]

Don't forget "it's a game changer". They mght make good firearms but they are overpriced anyway I look at it. Look at the 50bmg conversion on their site. It has a silencer, but not a real practical one...way too much for that setup.

 

[eastbank]

my own ar colt doesn,t have a ton of bells or thingamajijs or three miles of rails or 50 extended items, but it is dead nuts relieble and can head shoot a sillo target at 300 yds while not weighting 50lbs.eastbank.

 

[Dreamliner787]

Seriously, someone actually bought Red Jacket ARs? Must be one of those tacticool guys who fills up their entire rail space that's available on their rifle.

 

[lemaymiami]

I don't know anything about that business other than what's portrayed in the show (and I've watched one or two episodes).

I did see the local law enforceement agency that wanted "something special" and were featured in one or another episode. Since I'm a retired cop and was involved in administration type stuff my last five years or so I can't imagine any professional police outfit that would even consider arming any one of their officers with anything "custom built" for use in any kind of police operations. Given the high potential for lawsuits from any armed action that results in injury or death I can't believe any chief of police would be foolish enough to put their job on the line like that. It's bad enough when your tactical officers are using factory gear, have attended every course imaginable, including ones that the factory authorizes, before going into a hot scene.

Modern policing has no room for the kind of gear the show portrays, but that's not what sells these kind of shows. As a guy who's actually investigated police shootings, done after action reports on one serious running gunfight, and other mis-adventures down in south Florida... I can only imagine what fun it would be if weapons from Red Jacket or other custom shop were involved. I'll bet that any city attorney that had a civil case involving that sort of situation would be looking to settle rather than get anywhere near a courtroom .... but, of course, none of that will ever be seen in a television show.

 

[halogrinder]

A beaver with metal teeth can chip away smoother finishes than them.
An uneducated afghan high on opiates can put together rifles better than them.
Sigh.

 

[Auto426]

Believe it or not, not everything you see on TV is real. "Sons of Guns" is a scripted mess of a TV that's meant solely for entertainment. Will and his crew are being told what to say in each episode, and the projects they work on are setup specifically for show.

Before the TV show became popular, the shop had a reputation for doing quality work. AK's are their main line of business, and every owner I've seen is very happy. You can even find a review forum member Sturmgewehr did on one of their guns, and as I recall he had only good things to say about it.

 

[JustinJ]

Seriously, someone actually bought Red Jacket ARs? Must be one of those tacticool guys who fills up their entire rail space that's available on their rifle.

Actually their Katana is a very nice looking rifle from quality parts that is very streamlined and light. I've read good things but it is waaaay overpriced as the rest of their offerings.

While i'd never pay what they ask i've read some positive reviews of their stuff.

 

[rcmodel]

I'm still trying to figure out why any business like Redjacket, or the duffus in Colorado with the other show would want the "gunsmiths" to be portrayed as a bunch of unskilled Neanderthals.
Using a hacksaw instead of a lathe, a 12" ruler instead of a micrometer, and a big hammer instead of a hydraulic press, supposedly building high quality firearms.

It just doesn't make good business sense to me.

"Just a TV show" or not?
I would think they would want to showcase their highly skilled gunsmiths, precision shop equipment, and pride in what they are doing.

But NOOOO!

rc

 

[silicosys4]

Why would anyone buy guns from the set of a soap opera thinly veiled as a manly reality show? "Reality show" and "operating gun shop" don't go hand in hand. Half the shows are about how hard it is for the "gunsmiths" to complete routine, ordinary tasks, how unprofessionally they can do it, how they can bicker like women at each other while they do it, and the drama involved. No thanks. My buddy is completely sold on one of their bullpup 10/22 stocks, even though its ugly, completely mall ninja'd out, and costs more than the 10/22 he's looking at.

 

[Auto426]

I'm still trying to figure out why any business like Redjacket, or the duffus in Colorado with the other show would want the "gunsmiths" to be portrayed as a bunch of unskilled Neanderthals.

There's a really simple answer to that question: Money.

Just look at Orange County Choppers. Thanks to a hit TV show they went from being a small side business being run out of a garage to a multi-million dollar business selling motorcycles, parts, apparel, toys, and pretty much any else that can hold an O.C.C. logo all over the world. Paul Sr. has probably made more money in the last 8 or so years selling tee-shirts and base ball caps than he ever would have with the bike building shop had it not been featured in a prime time television show.

 

[rcmodel]

Yea.

But even OCC & PJD has everything they could possibly need to build a bike in the shop, and know how it use all of it.

rc

 

[BBQLS1]

It's TV folks, there is lots of money in TV.

 

[tahunua001]

lets see, halfassed modifications, complete BS drama, treats his employees like crap, lost his FFL, twice! annoying assed daughter, A hole for a boss, oh and claiming that the US military contracts out to them because apparently browning, beneli, colt, fnherstal, cerberus, mossberg and berreta are not able to keep up with the U S government's demands...
so all in all: nope, I would never buy anything from them and I do not believe a single claim that they make on the show or in person.

once before I actually saw past all the hollywood bucksnot I sent them an inquiry, it took them months to reply and all it said was "we are not accepting special requests at this time".

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

After watching the show, I don't think I would buy anything from them that my life depended on. Is it just me or does anyone else feel like they were struggling to do anything, and we're really sloppy.

The people that you see on TV aren't the ones building the guns. They have a separate building where they do the building with regular employees. What you see on TV is all scripted by the producers and NOT Red Jacket themselves.

so all in all: nope, I would never buy anything from them and I do not believe a single claim that they make on the show or in person.

That's the producers, not Red Jacket that comes up with those claims.

 

[Dreamliner787]

I did recall on another forum that someone saw some RJ rifles at Academy Sports & Outdoors store. They're AR builders so as such it's important to know more about the parts that they're putting into their rifles to determine their quality.

 

[meanmrmustard]

Other than the Sloth-faced goon of a daughter, it's an entertaining show. I recently watched an RJ AK on Armslist for $800. For a WASR? Think not.

As for a business, I've heard many of folks who inquire about builds getting emails months later, stating that they were too busy. :banghead:

 

[GarandOwner]

I was excited for this show when it first came out, but once they started claiming that they invented the wheel, I began to lose interest. As others said everything they do "changes the market" though most "new" items are not even original ideas. I really lost interest after I saw the episode where they converted a semi automatic Thompson into a full auto Thompson, and they didn't realize that the recoil springs were different. I have no armorer or gunsmith training so if there is something I know that a "professional" doesn't, then I tend to be wary of their credentials. Notice that they refer to their employees as "mechanics" and not "gunsmiths". Changing out parts that anyone can do at home doesn't make you a gunsmith. Some people want a tacti-cool AK wanna-be, I prefer precision rifles over something that just slings alot of lead down range. To each their own. Some people like to run around pretending they are spetsnaz, I prefer to hit the target on the X.

 

[JTW Jr.]

I thought Sons of Guns was a waste, until I watched "Combat Pawn".

These shows are ridiculous, not even close to entertaining, and paint gun owners as a bunch of wannabee high speed low drag tact-i-cool rednecks.

 

[winchester1886]

Have you noticed that Academy Stores are selling Red Jacket AR's!

 

[DefiantDad]

Actually, after (still) watching Sons of Guns and American Guns, I gotta ask, these guys (and maybe it is the producers, not necessarily the guys on the show) make it look like they are one of the few "custom gun" shops in America. Just how prevalent is custom smithing anyway?