Episode 3
Hollywood's Closet Gun Owners, LEGAL Exploding Targets, & It's NOT Alec Baldwin's FAULT?!
In this episode of State of the Second, host John sits down with Ton Jones, Director of Operations and Marketing Director at Firebird Targets and a film and television veteran who has worked on shows like Auction Hunters, Man vs Wild, Ink Master, and Shark Week since 1996. After a Rapid Fire round that covers pineapple on pizza, Bigfoot, and a Ruger PCC Ton bought at 9:30 the morning of the recording, the conversation digs into what Firebird actually makes and why it exists.
Ton breaks down Firebird's reactive targets in plain terms. You peel it, stick it to steel, and shoot it. There is no mixing, no permits, and no licenses, and the minimum safe distance is 50 feet so objects do not come back at the shooter at ballistic speeds. He walks through the line: the 50mm and 65mm bio targets at a full 145 decibels, the moderated M50 and M65 versions at 65 decibels for suppressor and sound-sensitive use, an IR version for night vision shooting, and a new signal marker puck that throws a colored chalk plume in nine colors. The targets render inert if anyone tries to break or compound them, which keeps bad actors from taking them further. The goal he repeats is responsible, safe fun that grows the sport instead of injuring it, a direct contrast to the 10-pound exploding-target videos that get the industry legislated.
The back half gets spicy. As a California native, Ton argues the state was once a hunting and fishing paradise before people from other states moved in and changed how it votes. He then turns to Hollywood, where he refused to be anti-gun his whole career. His claim: the same people who trashed gun owners in groups would privately pull him aside and ask how to buy a gun without their friends or the government knowing, convinced they were the only ones responsible enough to own one. The episode closes on the Alec Baldwin shooting, where Ton makes the case that on a film set the armorer, not the actor, owns firearm safety, so an actor who fires a gun he was handed is not the one at fault. He contrasts that with his own sets, where eight years of Auction Hunters filming ran without a single injury because he put human life over getting the shot.
Links
Questions this episode answers
What is a Firebird reactive target and how do you use one?
Firebird makes peel-and-stick reactive targets you attach to steel and shoot, with no mixing, permits, or licenses required. The minimum safe distance is 50 feet so debris does not come back at the shooter at ballistic speeds.
Why do Firebird targets not require a license, permit, or mixing the way other exploding targets do?
Unlike the heavy exploding-target mixes that get the industry legislated, Firebird targets work with no mixing and no permits or licenses. They also render inert if anyone tries to break or compound them, which keeps bad actors from taking them further.
What are the moderated and IR versions of Firebird targets for?
The moderated M50 and M65 targets fire at 65 decibels for suppressor and sound-sensitive use, versus 145 decibels on the standard 50mm and 65mm bio targets. The IR version is built for shooting with night vision.
Why does Ton Jones say the rest of America 'ruined' California?
As a California native, Ton Jones argues the state was once a hunting and fishing paradise. He says people who moved in from other states changed how it votes and pushed it away from that gun-friendly culture.
Are there pro-gun gun owners in Hollywood, and why won't most of them say it out loud?
Ton Jones says the same people who trashed gun owners in groups would privately ask him how to buy a gun without their friends or the government knowing. Each was convinced they were the only one responsible enough to own one, so none would admit it publicly.
Whose job is firearm safety on a film set, the actor or the armorer?
Ton Jones argues the armorer, not the actor, owns firearm safety on a film set. The actor's job is to act out the scene with the gun, while the armorer is responsible for making sure it is safe.
Why does Ton Jones argue the Alec Baldwin shooting was not the actor's fault?
Because on a set the armorer owns firearm safety, Ton Jones makes the case that an actor who fires a gun he was handed is not the one at fault. The responsibility for the weapon's condition sits with the armorer, not the performer.
How did Ton Jones run firearm safety on Auction Hunters without an injury in eight years?
Ton Jones says eight years of filming Auction Hunters ran without a single injury because the crew was meticulous and put human life over getting the shot. As he frames it, he would rather be overkill than on the way to the hospital with a kill.
Chapters
- 00:00 — Welcome and meet Ton Jones
- 01:25 — Rapid Fire: pizza, Bigfoot, and impulse buys
- 05:23 — Go-to home defense gun
- 07:00 — What Firebird Targets makes
- 10:10 — The new nine-color signal marker
- 11:20 — Reactive targets under clay pigeons
- 14:14 — Why design for safety, not destruction
- 18:57 — From the Soapbox: what happened to California
- 29:48 — Hollywood's closet gun owners
- 37:48 — Pro-gun actors and casting agendas
- 45:37 — The Alec Baldwin shooting and the armorer's job
- 52:05 — Safety on the Auction Hunters set
- 56:13 — Sponsor thanks and where to find Firebird
About the guest
Ton Jones is the Director of Operations and Marketing Director at Firebird Targets, where he makes reactive targets. He has worked in the film and television industry since 1996, on or behind the scenes of shows including Auction Hunters, Man vs Wild, Ink Master, Shark Week, Nat Geo Speed of Life, and a survival show called Darkness, and has done work on music videos for artists including Toby Keith and Slash. He is a California native, born and raised in Southern California. He holds his own FFL and keeps a small firearms collection. He says he was on Auction Hunters for eight years of filming. He can be found as Tun Jones Official on Instagram.
Key quotes
"You peel it, stick it and shoot it." — Ton Jones
"We're not going to design something that's going to detonate other devices at ballistic speeds which can cause death." — Ton Jones
"And that's the whole purpose, to grow the sport, not injure the sport." — Ton Jones
"None of them want their friends to know, but all of them want to buy a gun because they think they're the only one responsible enough to own a firearm." — Ton Jones
"The job of the actor is to act out a scene with the gun." — Ton Jones
"I would rather be overkill than on the way to the hospital with a kill." — Ton Jones
"we didn't have an injury because we were meticulous and we cared about human life over getting a shot." — Ton Jones
Transcript
Welcome to Goa.
Speaker A:Say the second podcast.
Speaker A:My name is John, and today we're joined by Ton Jones.
Speaker A:The man, the myth, the legend himself.
Speaker A:Once formerly known as a.
Speaker A:The missing link is now here with Firebird Target.
Speaker A:Done.
Speaker A:How are you, my friend?
Speaker B:What's happening, brother?
Speaker A:Hey, thank you.
Speaker B:I actually appreciate that intro.
Speaker A:You're welcome.
Speaker B:Thank you very much.
Speaker A:So give the people a little backstory of who you are and what brought you here today.
Speaker B:I'm Ton Jones.
Speaker B:I'm the director of operations and marketing director at Firebird Targets.
Speaker B:Work in the film and television industry for the better part of my life.
Speaker B:Now I am making reactive targets at Firebird.
Speaker A:So for those of you who don't know who Ton is, Tun up was on a small little show called Auction Hunters.
Speaker A:And then what?
Speaker B:Csi, Animal Planet, Animal Planet, Nat Geo, Discovery Channel.
Speaker B: pretty much been on it since: Speaker B:Or firearms, for that matter.
Speaker A:Yeah, back in his day, there was.
Speaker A:They had a guy cranking the the camera.
Speaker A:You see.
Speaker B:There is some truth to that.
Speaker A:So, Ton, we're going to start off with our first segment, which is Rapid Fire Questions.
Speaker A:I'm going to ask you five questions.
Speaker A:You can answer them as quickly as or as long as you'd like.
Speaker A:The sponsor for Rapid Fire is Blackout Coffee.
Speaker A:Check out Goa's no Compromise Roast at Blackout Coffee.
Speaker A:Again, that's Goa.
Speaker A:No Compromise Roast.
Speaker A:Support companies that support Goa, like Blackout Coffee.
Speaker A:Get your caffeine hit from blackout coffee.
Speaker A:So, Ton, first question I'm going to ask you, is pineapple on pizza?
Speaker A:Yes or no?
Speaker B:Oh, dude.
Speaker B:Okay, there's a caveat to pineapple on pizza.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker B:If I purchase a pizza and there's a bunch of life suckers around me that I know do not like pizza with pineapple.
Speaker B:I'm getting pineapple with mushrooms because I know a lot of people do not like that.
Speaker B:But if there's the leech crowd around me and I want to have something to eat and I know there's going to be leftovers, I'm getting pineapple with mushrooms because I know there's going to be leftovers.
Speaker B:But if it's community and everybody's chipping in, no, I'm going sausage and mushrooms and they're calling it good.
Speaker A:Okay, next question.
Speaker A:Is Bigfoot real and is he your cousin?
Speaker B:Well, that's a fair question.
Speaker B:I am a size 15 wide, so if I am having a bad shaving week and I'm traveling through the woods hunting, don't shoot at me.
Speaker B:It's just me and my fat rolling through the woods hunting.
Speaker B:And I may be lacking a shower and a razor.
Speaker B:So don't shoot.
Speaker B:It's me.
Speaker B:Cool.
Speaker A:But is Bigfoot real?
Speaker B:It's just me.
Speaker A:Oh, it's just you.
Speaker A:You are Bigfoot.
Speaker B:It's just me cursing through the woods, may or may not have shoes on and lacking a shower.
Speaker B:And I'm grunting because I'm fat, overweight and out of breath.
Speaker B:That's no yeti sounds, bro.
Speaker B:I'm hungry.
Speaker B:It's my stomach growling.
Speaker B:Leave it alone.
Speaker B:Quit making fun of me, all right?
Speaker B:I'm just hungry.
Speaker A:Next question.
Speaker A:If you could make one firearms movie more realistic, which one would it be?
Speaker B:One firearm in the movie is more.
Speaker A:Realistic or one firearm movie?
Speaker B:One firearm movie movie with firearms in.
Speaker A:It would you would want to make more realistic?
Speaker B:Oh, that's a tough one.
Speaker B:I don't really know.
Speaker A:Somebody said Rambo earlier.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:I was actually going with Rambo.
Speaker B:I was actually thinking Rambo, but I'm not sure.
Speaker B:Part it would.
Speaker B:I would have to go part one.
Speaker A:Rambo part one.
Speaker B:Yeah, that would be probably my.
Speaker B:That need to be more realistic.
Speaker B:I would have to go with part one.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:What?
Speaker A:I would go with part one too.
Speaker B:Yeah, definitely part one.
Speaker B:Mad capacity.
Speaker B:Just really killing me on that one.
Speaker A:What do you mean?
Speaker A:All guns shoot unlimited bullets.
Speaker A:What are you talking about?
Speaker A:I wish.
Speaker A:What was your last impulse gun by?
Speaker B:Oh, dude.
Speaker B:This week?
Speaker B:This morning.
Speaker A:This morning.
Speaker B:Don't look at me in that judgy voice, you jerk.
Speaker B:Yeah, it was this morning.
Speaker A:This morning.
Speaker B:A Ruger PCC with a collapsible stock at 9:30 this morning.
Speaker A:I mean, it's not a bad choice.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:I wanted the collapsible stock and I woke up, looked out at the beautiful beach.
Speaker B:I need one of the collapsible stock.
Speaker B:I like that.
Speaker B:Should I get another backpacker or should I get the collapsible stock?
Speaker B:Let's go with collapsible stock.
Speaker B:So I went with the collapsible stock.
Speaker B:So I bought that this morning.
Speaker A:All right, now the next question is, and I think I know the answer to this, so I'm gonna ask you the question.
Speaker A:I'm gonna answer the question for you and then you can give your legit answer.
Speaker A:What's your go to home defense gun?
Speaker A:My thought with ton.
Speaker A:It's a side by side shotgun with an M.
Speaker A:What is it?
Speaker A:2, 0 or 3?
Speaker A:Whatever it is.
Speaker A:A grenade launcher on the bottom.
Speaker A:That is something he has by the way.
Speaker A:And I sent me pictures of that Is zombie green too.
Speaker A:Is that your go to home defense gun?
Speaker B:Yes, and it has bolo rounds in it.
Speaker B:And on the side of the shotgun I have a sleeve with dragonfire rounds on it.
Speaker B:I have a side by side 12 gauge with the grenade launcher and it has bolo rounds.
Speaker B:And I have dragon fire rounds on the stock for back.
Speaker A:So that's your go to home defense?
Speaker B:Why not?
Speaker A:Why not?
Speaker B:Dude, scorched earth policy.
Speaker A:This is why we're friends.
Speaker A:If people can't tell it, I talk a lot.
Speaker B:If you're gonna do it, go overboard.
Speaker A:Why not?
Speaker A:You sure?
Speaker A:I mean, Joe Biden did say you only need a shotgun in two rounds.
Speaker B:I mean, dude, I have a shotgun.
Speaker A:In two rounds and then one underneath.
Speaker B:Dude, that's insurance.
Speaker A:Insurance?
Speaker B:That's insurance.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Bring your Prius to my house, buttercup.
Speaker B:See what's going to happen.
Speaker A:Well, that wraps up our rapid fire question segment.
Speaker A:As always, Todd is a hoot and a jokester.
Speaker A:But I don't know if he's joking or being serious on some of this stuff.
Speaker A:But we're going to go into talking a little bit about yourself.
Speaker A:So you work for Firebird.
Speaker A:You were working for Air Force Air guns.
Speaker A:You've gone over to Firebird.
Speaker A:So let's tell us a little bit about Firebird and your exploding God exploding history.
Speaker A:Why am I asking you about your exploding history?
Speaker A:It's history is pretty explosive.
Speaker A:Don't ask me how I know.
Speaker B:Yeah, I have a knack for detonation.
Speaker B:I avoid all warranties for the most part.
Speaker B:Director of Research and Destruction.
Speaker B:I started out as marketing director at Firebird Targets.
Speaker B:Quickly took over as director of operations Firebird target to make the only legal reactive target on the market.
Speaker B:It is very simple.
Speaker B:It comes in a 65 millimeter or a 50 millimeter reactive target.
Speaker B:You peel it, stick it and shoot it.
Speaker B:They come in 10 packs.
Speaker B:It's really simple.
Speaker B:No mixing required, no permits, no licenses.
Speaker B:It is shooting safe at 50ft.
Speaker B:We have a moderated version that's hearing safe at 50ft.
Speaker B:It only produces 65 decibels.
Speaker B:Great for the bottom of clay pigeons.
Speaker B:It is a reactive target.
Speaker B:The 50 millimeter are sharpshooter targets.
Speaker B:The 50 bio and the M50M standing for moderated for hearing safe situations for suppressors.
Speaker B:People that are doing sound sensitive environments.
Speaker B:If you're shooting in a bay and you don't want to freak everybody out in other bays when especially for training and you want a reaction with smoke and you don't need the loud bang, but you still want Something to add on to your experience.
Speaker B:You can use the moderated version, which is the M50 or the M65.
Speaker B:And we also have an IR version, which is IR reflective for nighttime suppressor shooting or demonstrations that the IR light picks up in the night vision.
Speaker B:And it adds another level of training to the night vision shooter, suppressor shooter.
Speaker B:Then go with the old school 65 bio or the 50 bio, which is a full 145 decibels.
Speaker B:And it lets you know that there's a little pack of happiness downrange when you hit your target.
Speaker B:Makes a smile on everybody's face when that just goes bang.
Speaker B:But the plus side is, unlike other targets that are out there, you don't need a license once it's mixed because there's no mixing required.
Speaker B:You literally peel it, stick it, shoot it, and the minimum safe distance is only 50ft.
Speaker B:So you're not having objects come back at you at ballistic speeds that can kill you.
Speaker B:That's the beauty behind Firebird targets.
Speaker B:It's shooting safe 50ft.
Speaker B:You don't have to worry about dying, don't have to worry about a license, a permit to shoot them, and you get to have all the fun for a very low cost.
Speaker B:So we actually have a really niche market that helps out the community.
Speaker B:And we just released recently a signal marker.
Speaker B:It is a puck that goes on the outside of our 65 bio in nine different colors.
Speaker B:So if you hit dead center on the target, it puts out a color plume of chalk that is non flammable.
Speaker B:Unlike the other products that are out there on the market.
Speaker B:You can blue, green, pink.
Speaker B:For gender reveals, we have orange, purple, cloaking black, which is a really interesting chalk color.
Speaker B:You hit this black and you get a black cloak of chalk that comes out.
Speaker B:And in competition, it takes you a minute because the absence of light in that chalk cloud to re position yourself to get the next target.
Speaker B:So there's a little delay.
Speaker B:Visually, it adds another level of gamesmanship to shooting targets.
Speaker B:It's a lot of fun.
Speaker B:And the 65 bios also go underneath clay pigeons to add a little bit more fun on any driven or crossing bird.
Speaker A:My favorite way to use your targets is pigeons.
Speaker A:I think it's so cool to watch them just implode midair.
Speaker A:It's the best way to explain it.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:I didn't know how fun it would be until we did it.
Speaker A:And it's just, it's weird because you're like clay pigeons.
Speaker A:You watch them, you shoot them.
Speaker A:They, they, they break, they split.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:But Watching a clay pigeon, like, 30ft in the air explode.
Speaker B:Oh, it's so cool when you hit it dead center and you get that gigantic smoke ring that comes out and hits the ground and spreads.
Speaker B:Now, we did the M65.
Speaker B:That goes on the bottom of the clay pigeons.
Speaker B:You get four times the smoke now, and it's not loud.
Speaker B:It's moderated.
Speaker B:But you get four times the smoke ring that just comes out from the bottom of the clay.
Speaker B:And having the shape of the bottom of the clay pigeon pushes a huge smoke ring, and you get poof.
Speaker B:And it just envelops the ground.
Speaker B:It's just absolute chaos and fun.
Speaker B:We need to go play, bro.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:That is, like, the most fun I've ever had shooting clays is when we.
Speaker A:When we did that, we put the.
Speaker A:The firebirds on the bottom and exploded.
Speaker A:I mean, exploding anything is always fun.
Speaker A:I just don't put, like, 10 pounds of Tanner right behind a rubber dummy.
Speaker A:Just no word to the wise for everybody.
Speaker A:I've seen that.
Speaker A:Not great for everybody, But, I mean, that's the thing you got.
Speaker A:Your guys's are safe.
Speaker A:You guys have, you know, are first off safe and legal.
Speaker A:And it just gives that, like, awesome flair to, like, a normal range day.
Speaker A:Gives it a little bit of a pop, if you want.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:It adds.
Speaker B:It adds an extra level of excitement and fun without being dangerous, without worrying about objects coming back at the shooter at ballistic speeds.
Speaker B:That's why we also added the moderated version.
Speaker B:So if you're shooting suppressed and it's always safe, you always wear eye and ear protection, no matter what.
Speaker B:But you don't have to worry about everybody around you.
Speaker B:Let's say someone's 40 yards off working at their truck, and you let one off.
Speaker B:With the moderated version, you don't have to worry about disrupting everybody around you with the moderated version or objects coming back at ballistic speeds.
Speaker B:So we've tried to take great care in developing products that are out there for the shooter and listening to the customers at what they want.
Speaker B:And we've gone as far as developing products that the customers want with their feedback.
Speaker B:So every time we get feedback, we put it on the list.
Speaker B:And if we get so much feedback towards a certain product that the customers want, we go and start and go into development.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And the thing that everybody wants to talk about is, like, they've seen the videos of people blowing up fridges and cars and lawnmowers and things like that.
Speaker A:And your product is just not as intense as others on the market.
Speaker B:No, it's not going to do that.
Speaker B:And that's by design.
Speaker B:We're not going to design something that's going to detonate other devices at ballistic speeds which can cause death.
Speaker B:And two things.
Speaker B:We don't want the end user to be in injured, we don't want bad actors to compound.
Speaker B:If you try to do anything with our product, it renders it inert.
Speaker B:You break it open, it renders it inert.
Speaker B:You try to compound it, it renders it inert.
Speaker B:So we've gone to great lengths to make sure bad actors cannot go further with our product.
Speaker B:That's why we make it simple.
Speaker B:You buy it, you peel the sticker, stick it to steel.
Speaker B:A hard backer and shoot is meant for the end user to have fun.
Speaker B:And that's the whole purpose, to grow the sport, not injure the sport.
Speaker A:Yeah, and that's one of those things.
Speaker A:Like a lot of people have messed with exploding targets and we see it a lot.
Speaker A:Just over the weekend we were out shooting in the desert and people were blowing and I'm sitting there like, why are you doing this?
Speaker A:Like, I know Firebird targets would be so much better than you putting 10 pounds of whatever out there and just rocking the earth.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And the chances for forest fires and things and.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:And I mean we put safety instructions out there for reasons.
Speaker B:And then there's other products out there that go as far as like no safety instructions, just mix, run.
Speaker B:And hopefully you read somewhere down in their broken FAQs on how to stay almost legal and skirt the law.
Speaker B:No, we put it straight on the package.
Speaker B:Don't do this, don't use it in a dry environment, don't have sticks and flammable debris underneath.
Speaker B:We go to great lengths to make sure the end user has fun, stays legal and does it in a safe environment.
Speaker B:And it's safe for people around them.
Speaker B:If you're detonating 10 pounds of anything in a close quarter environment, the odds of someone getting hurt are great.
Speaker B:And that's bad for the industry.
Speaker B:If someone gets hurt during a range day event, any way, shape or form that is bad for the industry.
Speaker B:It's a black eye on the industry.
Speaker B:Why put anybody at risk for stupid momentary of fun?
Speaker B:It's just bad juju for everybody.
Speaker B:Don't be a dip.
Speaker A:No, I couldn't agree more.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's always the bad apples that cause things to get legislated and all the fun stuff get taken away.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker A:And we don't want legislation, we want pro freedom.
Speaker A:Pro explosion.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker A:T's Pro explosion.
Speaker A:He may have blown up a pool twice.
Speaker A:Three times.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:But I did it expertly and safely.
Speaker B:I'm licensed.
Speaker A:He is.
Speaker A:The amount of times I've gotten phone calls from him with weird things and explosions.
Speaker A:God.
Speaker A:Anyways.
Speaker A:Yeah, and that's, that's the big thing is we, we want to have fun.
Speaker A:We want to enhance our range day and by doing it in a safe, enjoyable ways is what really firebird stands for.
Speaker A:And I appreciate you guys for doing that.
Speaker A:I mean you've brought a product to the market that is just outstanding.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:We blew some up at Opie.
Speaker A:Yeah, we've done that.
Speaker A:You know, it's so much better.
Speaker B:It's a lot of fun.
Speaker B:And having responsible fun while being able to detonate a target is what it's all about.
Speaker B:Responsible, safe fun and still have being able to detonate a target.
Speaker B:That's the whole idea.
Speaker B:And if you can come back and do it the next day, that's even better.
Speaker B:And when you have a successful range days, everybody gets goes home smiling, no injuries, and being able to do it the next day, that's success.
Speaker A:And with all their fingers.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Hey, these are from wildlife, bro.
Speaker B:My hand modeling career has been from wildlife, not explosives.
Speaker A:So exploding targets.
Speaker A:And go to our from the soapbox segment of the show.
Speaker A:That's our where we go off and talk policy.
Speaker A:Biggest frustrations, grip with the ATF, politicians, etc.
Speaker A:And that is brought to you by Patriot Mobile.
Speaker A:Use code GOA at Patriot Mobile to get one month free.
Speaker A:Patriot Mobile is a pro freedom wireless carrier.
Speaker A:They will protect you and do all the pro freedom things too.
Speaker A:They've got two great networks that you can choose from and their cell service is second to none.
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Speaker A:Thank you to Patriot Mobile for sponsoring so time.
Speaker B:Talk to me.
Speaker A:You're a little different than most of our guests.
Speaker A:So we've had Chris Mills in from ballistic dummy lab who's worked in Hollywood as well.
Speaker A:You have been in the forefront of Hollywood for a long time and a big topic is guns in Hollywood.
Speaker A:Mostly what they do wrong.
Speaker A:But you have a different perspective than most.
Speaker A:So let's, let's dive in and get spicy a little bit with guns in Hollywood.
Speaker A:Being an original California native and living in California and doing all that stuff, let's just dive into this and go, what is wrong with California?
Speaker A:What's wrong with Hollywood?
Speaker B:My friend, it's actually quite interesting.
Speaker B:That question pops up a lot.
Speaker B:Being born and raised there was pretty probably one of the most amazing things for someone to do.
Speaker B:You couldn't have been asked.
Speaker B:To be born and raised in the 80s in California was amazing.
Speaker B:And then, and no one's going to like the answer, the rest of America sent their trash to California.
Speaker B:You ask someone that was born and raised in California back in the days when you can go hunting and fishing everywhere.
Speaker B:California bought more firearms than anybody else for a very long time.
Speaker B:Where I grew up, we would go out, grab the guns, go dove hunting, quail hunting, hunting chuck or going fishing.
Speaker B:That was part of life.
Speaker B:That was every day.
Speaker B:That is how I was raised.
Speaker B:You'd go camping.
Speaker B:That was life.
Speaker B:That's what we did in Southern California.
Speaker B:Then all of a sudden towards the late 80s, there was this.
Speaker B:We called it the Pretty Woman syndrome.
Speaker B:Everybody saw that show.
Speaker B:Move to California.
Speaker B:What's your dream?
Speaker B:The rest of the United States sent their trash to California.
Speaker B:Every state, no matter what state you were from, Illinois, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Michigan decided to discard their trash and send it to California and screw it up.
Speaker B:Because if you ask someone where they're from and oh, I'm from California.
Speaker B:No, where are you originally from?
Speaker B:Small town in Michigan.
Speaker B:Oh, I'm from Illinois, I'm from Kentucky, I'm from Alabama, I'm from Georgia.
Speaker B:Oh, okay.
Speaker B:So you moved here because you were going to become famous and you destroyed the state.
Speaker B:Cool.
Speaker B:Thanks for ruining California.
Speaker B:That's really what happened.
Speaker B:So when everybody's down on California, no, get down on your own state for not fixing it and taking care of your own trash before you send it there.
Speaker B:Because this state was great.
Speaker B:We hunted and fished and played bonfires off roading, mudding, go out to the dam and go off mudding for weekends on end, go out to Dumont Dunes and Sandrag Nationals.
Speaker B:We hunted and fished every day.
Speaker B:Then the rest of the trash moved in and ruined the state.
Speaker B:And it's all the trash from the rest.
Speaker B:The Midwest sent your rejects and implanted them in California and they all moved to Hollywood.
Speaker B:They all moved to LA because they couldn't get a job at the Woolworths and they were going to come to LA because they're pretty.
Speaker B:They're the hottest thing at the Cornhusker Ball is going to come over here and become a model.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:That little rejected decided to come over here and flip her hair and she's going to model underwear in Hollywood.
Speaker B:Yep, that's what showed up in la and they all migrated to the same place and by volume they can outvote the rest of the state.
Speaker B:That's still conservative.
Speaker B:So by volume, you stick enough dumb people that are delusional in one area, they can outvote the rest of the state.
Speaker B:You stick them in la, Sacramento, San Francisco, and you get enough sheep in one place, sheep herd together, and they all get the same idea and they can tell themselves the same lie and they all believe it.
Speaker B:And once they all start believing the same lie, they all vote the same way because they're all the same delusional people.
Speaker B:And that's what happened to California.
Speaker B:The rest of the state is beautiful.
Speaker B:Now.
Speaker B:If they would flush the toilet and get rid of those counties, it'd be all right.
Speaker A:So you're pro Northern California separating from the rest?
Speaker B:Oh, I'm pro Central California.
Speaker B:You got to get rid of a few select counties.
Speaker B:You can see it.
Speaker B:Just look where the blue spots are on the map.
Speaker B:And if you hit the flush, the rest of the state's going to be good.
Speaker A:So do you think California is sending their trash back out now?
Speaker B:No, it's not really that.
Speaker B:It's the true born and bred raised there from the 70s and 80s.
Speaker B:They can't afford it.
Speaker B:They were the original farmers where all the produce came from the in, in the Central Valley region.
Speaker B:They're being pushed out.
Speaker B:They can't do it anymore.
Speaker B:They, the farmers, the ranchers, they can't survive that.
Speaker B:They decide to flee.
Speaker B:And then the people that decide that realize that we're going to move there and become rich and famous and realize that 1% out of 1% make it almost famous.
Speaker B:And the rest become bartenders and strippers, move out because they can't do that.
Speaker B:Then they're fling.
Speaker B:Then where are you from?
Speaker B:I'm from California.
Speaker B:Nowhere.
Speaker B:You were originally from Oklahoma City.
Speaker B:I was like, oh, okay.
Speaker B:And then everybody just groups them into this pile.
Speaker B:Oh, you're originally from California.
Speaker B:That's how it goes.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Well, it's, it's funny.
Speaker A:All the trash shows up and then they all, you know, go into this sheep herding mentality and it ruined the state.
Speaker B:It ruined it.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:I mean, look at Sanford.
Speaker A:San Francisco used to be beautiful and then now it's beautiful.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's beautiful.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, it's exactly it.
Speaker B:Some of the most amazing parks, national parks were out there and now people from other states moved in and took over as representatives for the counties.
Speaker B:And you have to have an adventure pass to pull off the road.
Speaker B:If you break down in county and you don't have an adventure pass, your car's broken down.
Speaker B:You have to have to have California adventure Pass to pull off the road.
Speaker B:Well, you're getting a ticket because your car broke down on the side of the road.
Speaker B:Where's your adventure?
Speaker B:Pass.
Speaker B:Piss off.
Speaker B:I broke down.
Speaker B:Help.
Speaker B:Here's your ticket.
Speaker A:That's insane.
Speaker B:Yeah, dude.
Speaker B:Idiotic.
Speaker A:It is.
Speaker A:It's completely idiotic.
Speaker A:And they keep voting the same people in.
Speaker B:It's by volume of sheep.
Speaker B:By volume of sheep wins the vote.
Speaker B:And what happens?
Speaker B:You get the.
Speaker B:When you build 500 skyscrapers of apartments and low income housing in one place and tell them it's studio apartments and put everybody in a very small dense area and that's the volume of voters that's going to win in a couple counties.
Speaker A:Why?
Speaker A:Why do you think that they're not?
Speaker A:They're seeing how the state is getting torn.
Speaker A:They're seeing how beautiful cities like San Francisco are getting trashed and all these.
Speaker A:Why are they still voting the same way?
Speaker B:Because everybody has blinders on.
Speaker B:Everybody has the.
Speaker B:If you watch the way and you'll love this, the way the television tells them to think, the way the media tells them to think.
Speaker B:Everybody's pre programmed out there.
Speaker B:I seen it when I worked in the film and television out there.
Speaker B:Everybody is pre programmed.
Speaker B:If you watch the news, the television, it is all the way.
Speaker B:People are programmed to think out there.
Speaker B:They're not.
Speaker B:They, the majority of the individuals that live there are so indoctrinated with the crap on television.
Speaker B:Once you move there, a lot of them will never leave the county or the city and most of them will never travel any more than they have to go to work or stay in their apartment.
Speaker B:Because driving there is a nightmare.
Speaker B:Like we're going to go to eat, we're going to walk this two blocks back and forth.
Speaker B:They live in a bubble.
Speaker B:They'll never leave.
Speaker B:They're in their own little biodome of negativity and delusions.
Speaker A:Paul, you sure there?
Speaker B:Yeah, pretty much.
Speaker B:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:A lot of these people are so in a little bubble.
Speaker B:Like when's the last time you left California?
Speaker B:Oh, we don't leave California since we moved here.
Speaker B:We've never left.
Speaker B:When's the last time you left the county?
Speaker B:Well, we don't leave the county.
Speaker B:When's the last time you left the city?
Speaker B:We don't leave here.
Speaker B:We live in this area.
Speaker B:We go to the same 5 block radius their whole life and that's all they know.
Speaker B:They're sheeple and that's what they become.
Speaker B:That's what they're comfortable with.
Speaker B:If anything real ever happened, even during COVID that was the way they lived.
Speaker B:They weren't in a panic because they're sheeple.
Speaker B:That's all they're programmed to do.
Speaker B:That's their glitch in life is to go in that same rotational circle so they don't know any better.
Speaker A:That's insane.
Speaker A:You know, get out, go enjoy life.
Speaker A:And just.
Speaker A:That's insane.
Speaker B:They see the world through the news.
Speaker B:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker A:Place to see the world.
Speaker A:Seeing that you were in Hollywood or Hollywood adjacent, whatever you want to call it, tv, film, all that stuff.
Speaker B:Yeah, I was stuck in that train wreck.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Hollywood's very anti gun, but want to utilize the guns to get their money.
Speaker A:Is there pro gun, like, I know you can't talk about who, but is there pro gun people in Hollywood that actually will do stuff or just will not say it out loud?
Speaker B:That is.
Speaker B:Here's the trick.
Speaker B:Hollywood on the outside is anti gun.
Speaker B:And this is the funniest thing being that I refused to be anti gun my whole career.
Speaker B:And everybody would trash me left and right.
Speaker B:Like, oh, you're one of those crazy gun nuts.
Speaker B:Oh, you're a gun nut.
Speaker B:You're a gun nut.
Speaker B:This, I got that all the time.
Speaker B:But that was in their herd mentality individually, when one of the sheep would break away from the pack and no one else was listening and almost every single person did this.
Speaker B:Well, I won't really want to get a gun, but I don't want anybody else to know.
Speaker B:This conversation happened on a daily basis, almost hourly conversation.
Speaker B:One of them would step away, I want a gun.
Speaker B:How do I get a gun?
Speaker B:But I don't want the government to know I have a gun.
Speaker B:And I don't want any of my friends to know I have a gun.
Speaker B:And I feel I'm the only person responsible enough to own a gun.
Speaker B:That's how the conversation would go down all the time.
Speaker B:And all these far left extremists that are in Hollywood that are anti gun on the outside want to buy guns, but they don't want their friends to know.
Speaker B:None of them want their friends to know, but all of them want to buy a gun because they think they're the only one responsible enough to own a firearm.
Speaker A:That's insane.
Speaker A:That's like, what is that mentality?
Speaker B:That is their mentality.
Speaker B:And I cannot.
Speaker B:If it was ridiculous, how many times I would have this conversation.
Speaker B:We as a group of them, they would just trash me and talk crap.
Speaker B:And I would like.
Speaker B:And I would refer to them.
Speaker B:I said, oh, look at a group of offside storage coming by me.
Speaker B:This Is what I just called them.
Speaker B:I called them off site storage, and they were like, what does that mean?
Speaker B:I said, it's okay.
Speaker B:Just continue on.
Speaker B:But I was their necessary evil.
Speaker B:I would go to set, I would do all the stuff.
Speaker B:Every time they needed a trick shot or a scene where someone hit the target, where the pretty guy on set couldn't hit the target, or they couldn't get the pyrotechnics to go off, they would call me in to do a shot, and I would get paid.
Speaker B:I was like, cool.
Speaker B:I don't care.
Speaker B:I'll make the money.
Speaker B:And they would talk so much crap.
Speaker B:Then I would go off to the dressing room, or I'd go off to craft services.
Speaker B:Hey, do you have a second?
Speaker B:I really want to talk to you.
Speaker B:What would be the best gun for home protection?
Speaker B:And how do I get a gun without any of my friends knowing?
Speaker B:But you hate guns.
Speaker B:You were just.
Speaker B:I just don't want any of my friends to know, and I don't think they should own a gun because I think I'm the only one responsible enough.
Speaker B:And I know that I'm safe with a gun, But I don't think they are safe with a gun.
Speaker B:That was the conversation that would always happen.
Speaker B:Each individual was so much better in their mind than the next.
Speaker B:They were better than everybody else.
Speaker B:Each person was better and safer than the rest.
Speaker B:They don't want to train together.
Speaker B:They don't want to have a conversation together.
Speaker B:I know so many of those crazy people that we'd have conversations, and they're truly crazy because they literally would talk crap about firearms.
Speaker B:Then to go, I'm safer than them, and I wouldn't feel safe if they own a gun.
Speaker B:If there was a gun on this set and I'm the only one that doesn't have one, I would go insane.
Speaker B:I can't see a gun unless I'm carrying a gun.
Speaker B:I said, do you hear yourself?
Speaker B:I said, I don't want anybody else to own one but me is their theory.
Speaker A:That's insanity.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:That's.
Speaker A:Why would.
Speaker B:That is Hollywood.
Speaker A:That's like a weird.
Speaker A:It's the best way to put it.
Speaker A:It's like a herd mentality where they think that the.
Speaker A:The herd can't go with them, so they're gonna go off on their own.
Speaker A:Or maybe a pack mentality where there's always this lone wolf going out and go, well, I can do this because I don't trust them, but I trust myself with this.
Speaker A:It's insane.
Speaker A:And if they would all just communicate.
Speaker B:Talk, have an honest to God conversation.
Speaker B:Go to training.
Speaker B:One training class together.
Speaker A:But they don't want to talk.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:And they don't want to do any of it legally.
Speaker B:How can I buy a gun without anybody knowing?
Speaker B:I don't want the government to know I have a gun.
Speaker B:I said, but aren't you for background checks?
Speaker B:Well, that's for other people that are not me.
Speaker B:And this, this is the conversation.
Speaker B:Can you find someone that would buy a gun for me?
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:You guys are pushing for background checks.
Speaker B:Go get your background check.
Speaker B:Go get your firearm safety certificate.
Speaker B:Go get your card.
Speaker B:Well, I don't want the government having my id.
Speaker B:I don't want to have them.
Speaker B:So you're pushing for this.
Speaker B:Well, that's because I don't trust anybody else.
Speaker B:I know I'm safe, is their thought.
Speaker A:But why.
Speaker A:Oh my God, it's this insanity.
Speaker A:Why would you even push for the.
Speaker A:You're pushing for more gun control, you're pushing for this.
Speaker A:And then you.
Speaker A:Of the same hand, you're like, well, I don't.
Speaker A:It's rules for thee and not for me.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker A:Exactly what it is.
Speaker B:That is Hollywood.
Speaker B:That is Hollywood right there.
Speaker B:Rules for everybody else, not for them.
Speaker B:They think they can buy their way around the rules.
Speaker A:But aren't they the same people who think criminals buy guns legally?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:And then they push down citizens second amendment rights by putting in all these insane laws just to go out and say, I want to break the same law that I support.
Speaker A:What in the actual heck are they thinking?
Speaker B:Monkey football?
Speaker B:Congratulations, you just met the scenario.
Speaker A:Oh, my gosh.
Speaker A:I knew it was bad, but that's insane.
Speaker A:It's, it's.
Speaker A:It's a whole different like, hold on, I'm trying to put my words together.
Speaker A:This has blown my mind on how insane people in Hollywood think.
Speaker A:And we see this all the time.
Speaker A:They go, oh, if so and so gets into office, I'm moving out of the country.
Speaker A:Or so does this.
Speaker A:And where are they?
Speaker A:They're in there.
Speaker A:Or, or, or my.
Speaker A:My favorite is the rich need to pay more taxes.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Pay your taxes.
Speaker A:No, the rich.
Speaker B:The rich.
Speaker A:Like who?
Speaker B:Well, I know people that are way richer than me.
Speaker B:They need to pay.
Speaker B:Okay, case in point.
Speaker B:You go to Santa Barbara.
Speaker B:Santa Barbara, California was up in arms.
Speaker B:The billionaires were pissed off because too many millionaires moved into the neighborhood and were making the place look trashy with their Bentleys.
Speaker A:What?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:This is insanity.
Speaker A:When did they lose their mental capacity to be human beings?
Speaker B:Dude, it is the cheese.
Speaker B:Don't slid off the cracker, bro.
Speaker B:It was.
Speaker A:But then they're on the same note.
Speaker A:They want to push.
Speaker A:They, they push all these gun control acts and they do all this stuff.
Speaker A:And we're seeing slowly pro gun actors come out.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah.
Speaker B:Because all of a sudden there's a lot of program actors there, but a lot of them were unlike me, which I ran out of give a shit a long time ago.
Speaker B:You've known me for a long time.
Speaker B:If they don't like me, tough crap.
Speaker B:I'm.
Speaker B:I don't care.
Speaker A:I mean, look at, look at, you can see like Jim Carrey and a bunch of them just not giving a crap anymore.
Speaker A:Like Kurt Russell.
Speaker A:Kurt Russell is a great example.
Speaker A:Cool.
Speaker A:You're not going to cast me.
Speaker A:Don't care.
Speaker A:I've got my money.
Speaker A:I don't care anymore.
Speaker A:I'm going to be pro gun.
Speaker A:I'm going to be pro this.
Speaker A:I'm going to be.
Speaker B:Most of the people wait till they are so financially stable they can have an opinion, unlike me.
Speaker B:I said, okay, I don't care.
Speaker B:I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna kiss everybody's till I make enough money.
Speaker B:I'm not gonna lose my soul for a paycheck.
Speaker B:Like, if I'm gonna lose my soul, I'm gonna do it on my own time.
Speaker B:Let's roll.
Speaker A:Well, I mean, and that shows with some of the things you've done.
Speaker A:I mean, you've gotten, you've been on Ink Masters.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:You've been on, you had Auction Wars.
Speaker B:Auction Hunters, auction hook, man versus wild.
Speaker B:I've worked with them for 22 years.
Speaker B:I mean, behind the scenes of.
Speaker B:I did a little bit on Shark Week.
Speaker B:I was bitten.
Speaker B:I survived after the attack.
Speaker B:I've done all those Nat Geo Speed of Life.
Speaker B:I've been on a lot of film and television.
Speaker B:I've kept a lot of pretty people alive.
Speaker B:And they call me back.
Speaker B:They keep calling me back.
Speaker B:Not only because I'm good at my job, but I'm also not going to bull them and kiss to where someone gets hurt.
Speaker B:I am very cut and dry when it comes to being professional on a set.
Speaker B:There's a lot of sets.
Speaker B:People have feelings.
Speaker B:I could tell you where to go.
Speaker B:Stuff your feelings.
Speaker B:Feelings don't keep people alive.
Speaker B:We did a show called Darkness where we put people in a cave in complete darkness for seven days at a time for survival.
Speaker B:There's no room for feelings.
Speaker B:There's no room for pronouns.
Speaker B:There's no safe space.
Speaker B:If you need that, get the Hell, off my set and go cry in the corner, you little baby.
Speaker B:We're here to keep you alive.
Speaker B:You signed up for it.
Speaker B:Don't bring your to me and tell me how to feel on this set.
Speaker B:We're here to keep people alive and film and make great television.
Speaker B:Now it's all changed.
Speaker B:Now they bring in casting directors and companies bring these people in to change the mind of the public.
Speaker B:And this is where everything's starting to change.
Speaker B:You'll see it go home tonight.
Speaker B:Turn on the tv.
Speaker B:I've sat in meetings where companies will say, what do you think is the best for our brand?
Speaker B:Someone that has been fresh out of school, a new casting director, a new marketing director.
Speaker B:And they will tell these people that big, big companies, we think your company is too masculine.
Speaker B:You need to put in your commercial guys that are a lot more feminine, showing them doing feminine things.
Speaker B:That's what the new marketing directors and casting directors will tell these big companies.
Speaker B:We want these people that you're hiring for your commercial.
Speaker B:We want these guys to be betas, exact words.
Speaker B:We want the female to be the dominant role.
Speaker B:We want the male to be submissive.
Speaker B:We want him to be cooking.
Speaker B:We want him to be wearing two or three shirts that are neutral colors to show him.
Speaker B:And we want him to be doing laundry and acting really dumb and where the female corrects him.
Speaker B:And they will have these conversations.
Speaker B:I'm sitting back going, are you kidding me?
Speaker B:All the stuff that you fought for women's rights that you were up in arms about, now you're flipping roles and you want to do this the other direction?
Speaker B:Like, yeah, we think it's better for the brand.
Speaker A:Well, you're seeing that.
Speaker A:That brands were.
Speaker A:Are suffering.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And they're.
Speaker A:They're suffering and they're.
Speaker A:And it's insane to think because they live in this, this bubble.
Speaker A:That's the best way to the.
Speaker A:The bubble.
Speaker A:They live in their own mind in their bubble.
Speaker A:And they're.
Speaker A:And they're pushing this agenda, and we're seeing that the brand, that agenda doesn't match with the person in Oklahoma or Kansas or Ohio or Kentucky or Tennessee, but they're going to push this agenda, and then they see their brand suffering.
Speaker A:And we're seeing this with a ton of brands who are getting back into the tactical space after pulling out or getting back into this because it just.
Speaker A:It doesn't work.
Speaker B:It doesn't work.
Speaker B:And they've hired these people out of these small bubbles in la, in San Francisco, in New York, in Boston.
Speaker B:They hire him out of These little areas that they've never left their area, that they're.
Speaker B:They born and raised in a five block radius and never seen the world.
Speaker B:These are the new marketing directors and casting directors.
Speaker B:They've never seen anything but their five block area they were born and raised in.
Speaker A:That's insanity.
Speaker A:This is, this is just ton you, this is why I love having you on the show because you're, you're eye open everything.
Speaker A:It's, it's insane to think that we have a bubble that is trying to control and we see this all the time.
Speaker A:We see it with, with network TV shows, we see it with Hollywood and movies but they know that they, they try, but they know, you know, it's guns.
Speaker A:Guns.
Speaker A:Sell your movie.
Speaker A:This sells your movie.
Speaker A:But then they try to push this agenda but they want to use if they're so.
Speaker A:And that's, this is what drives me insane, you know.
Speaker A:And we're seeing it, I guess you could say we're kind of seeing it with the John Wick series where more people are getting into guns because they actually do it right.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:And we're seeing this with a couple other series where a lot of people are going to tear in and getting their training and people have their opinions on that, but it is, they're actually training.
Speaker A:It's training.
Speaker B:If you're going to go get training, I don't care where you're going, it's training.
Speaker B:Take the first step, go get training.
Speaker B:It's that simple.
Speaker B:Take a step and go get some kind of training.
Speaker B:That is the first step.
Speaker B:After that make the decision on which direction or which route they want to go.
Speaker B:It's that simple.
Speaker A:But then that's the thing.
Speaker A:They, they push this anti gun agenda and then they, they want, yeah, we're going to do Super Gun Shooters 3 and use all the guns and all this stuff or they're going to make a western out in the middle of nowhere and somebody gets shot.
Speaker A:You know that's an Alec Baldwin.
Speaker A:I know you have an opinion on that Mr.
Speaker A:Hollywood, but it's insane.
Speaker B:That is.
Speaker B:Oh yeah, I got that one in spades.
Speaker A:Oh, I believe it.
Speaker B:Okay, let's touch on that.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:When you get on the set you have an armor.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:And I've been in this situation 100,000 times.
Speaker B:All the firearm safety, you know, does not happen on set.
Speaker B:If I hand you a gun on set and you check that it's clear, you are fined and kicked off the set, you're fired.
Speaker A:Why?
Speaker A:That's what you're supposed to Do.
Speaker B:No, it is not.
Speaker B:That is the armor's job.
Speaker B:Because at any point during that, you could have loaded that gun with a hot round.
Speaker B:The armor's job, the specific job of armor is to check safety, prepare that gun to be handed off to the actor.
Speaker B:At no time is the actor supposed to do anything to that gun after it's been handed to you by the armor.
Speaker B:The job of the actor is to act out a scene with the gun.
Speaker B:The armorer's job is to check safety, load, prepare, prep the firearm in the ready position for the act to happen.
Speaker B:Accidents are made after they hand it off and someone fumbles and fiddles with it.
Speaker B:That is why it is not his fault.
Speaker B:At any time on a set, if the armor sets up a gun and gets it ready, loads it with blanks, squibs, flare rounds, whatever happens, and they prep it ready for set, and they come up and hand it to the actor.
Speaker B:And the actor goes and check, clears, checks for ready, puts it safe.
Speaker B:They eject out the prop round that's in there.
Speaker B:It's no longer safety.
Speaker B:It's no longer been inspected or prepped by the armor.
Speaker B:It has been altered past the state of preparedness.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker B:That is not a safe state.
Speaker B:That is why they bring an armor to the set.
Speaker B:That is their sole purpose and job.
Speaker B:If you alter and change that from any point, this is not a firing range.
Speaker B:This is not any.
Speaker B:This is a film set.
Speaker B:So when I'm on set, the armorer does everything.
Speaker B:They're an extension of each actor, their extension of each human being.
Speaker B:They're bringing me the firearm.
Speaker B:Camera ready.
Speaker B:The only thing can be on or off, safe.
Speaker B:They will say it is on, safe or off safe.
Speaker B:All you have to do is on, off, push on, off.
Speaker B:That's the only movement you're allowed to do.
Speaker B:So on action, draw, fire, that is it.
Speaker B:On action, pull the trigger and it'll cycle squibs.
Speaker B:Whatever is running in there, you are not supposed to cycle it.
Speaker B:Because anytime during that, you could put a bad actor, also a bad guy could put a live round, something in there that could make the firearm not safe.
Speaker B:It can alter the state of the projectiles, the pyrotechnics in there that could render that device no longer safe, that can cause to premature detonate.
Speaker B:That is no longer a safety firearm.
Speaker B:So what they do is the armor's job is to inspect.
Speaker B:They get paid a lot of money to come inspect this thing.
Speaker B:Check bore probe, check for clear.
Speaker B:Check for clear.
Speaker B:Check ammo, check everything.
Speaker B:Triple check.
Speaker B:Sign off, prepare It.
Speaker B:Hand it off.
Speaker B:Load it.
Speaker B:Secondary inspection.
Speaker B:Close it up.
Speaker B:Rotate the cylinder.
Speaker B:We know this cylinder is going to fire.
Speaker B:This cylinder is going to fire.
Speaker B:This cylinder is going to fire.
Speaker B:Set it into action.
Speaker B:Hand it to him.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:All you have to do is draw and shoot.
Speaker B:Squeeze the trigger.
Speaker B:Do not touch anything else.
Speaker B:Put it in your holster.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:That is his job.
Speaker B:If he was to open it up and check the cylinder, something could happen.
Speaker B:Put it in your holster.
Speaker B:That is his job, is to act.
Speaker B:He's not a firearm specialist, he's not an armorer.
Speaker B:His sole purpose is to act.
Speaker B:No firearms training.
Speaker B:So he puts it in the holster, draws a gun, squeezes the trigger.
Speaker B:A live round goes off, kills someone whose fault the person they hired to do their job of safety.
Speaker B:Prepare.
Speaker B:Load.
Speaker A:Well, my.
Speaker A:My question is this then if.
Speaker A:If so as an actor, if you get, let's say a prop gun with, with blanks, right.
Speaker A:You're firing live blinks.
Speaker A:Are you not supposed to not aim it at the other actor?
Speaker B:Oh, they do all.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:That's what the armor is supposed to do.
Speaker B:You're supposed to aim it at the other actor.
Speaker B:You're supposed to aim at the other actor.
Speaker A:Really?
Speaker B:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:Doesn't that, isn't that go against everything?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Why, why wouldn't you just aim off to the left or right?
Speaker B:They.
Speaker B:Depending on the set, they do.
Speaker B:But a lot of guns, you'll see, have what they'll call like a starter gun.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And cross rod through there.
Speaker B:Some of them will have cross rods.
Speaker B:Some of them are plug barrels.
Speaker B:Some of are vented so the gas will escape out, so you get the nice big barrel flash.
Speaker B:Some of they're all set up different.
Speaker B:This one evidently wasn't.
Speaker B:And if you noticed, he didn't shoot the actor.
Speaker B:He shot someone off camera.
Speaker B:So he didn't actually aim.
Speaker B:He actually shot someone off camera.
Speaker A:It's insane.
Speaker A:Yeah, I didn't know.
Speaker A:See, this is why we have Ton.
Speaker A:He gives us all the insights.
Speaker A:So like when you guys were doing with.
Speaker A:With Auction Hunters.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:When you guys found firearms in.
Speaker A:In the.
Speaker A:And test fired them afterwards, were you loading them or did they have an armorer who was doing it with.
Speaker A:With live ammo?
Speaker B:No, I actually did.
Speaker B:I have my own ffl and I would.
Speaker B:I've actually gone through the process.
Speaker B:We would have another armor on set that I work with and I'm actually on their paperwork also at the time and because even before Auction Hunters, I would work with this armor and they were like, okay, run me through the guns.
Speaker B:Because he would come and get firearms from my collection.
Speaker B:Since I have a small collection of firearms, they would come and get them from me.
Speaker B:So knowing that I knew this armor, I said I'd call him up.
Speaker B:Hey, I need an armor on my set.
Speaker B:He's like, I hate you.
Speaker B:I know.
Speaker B:Get your ass to my set.
Speaker B:We would go through.
Speaker B:Me and him would set up a scenario, clear boundary, check his ammo in and out.
Speaker B:He would sign off, I would sign off.
Speaker B:We'd check everything, clear the range.
Speaker B:Everybody would be behind the firing range.
Speaker B:We had actually a 20 foot barrier except for actors, me, Alan, and camera crew.
Speaker B:Even camera crew could not be downrange.
Speaker B:Any footage of anything.
Speaker B:In front of the barrel was remote camera systems.
Speaker B:Because I am very particular about firearm safety on my set, we were overkill.
Speaker B:Even if you were in the van.
Speaker B:I required eye and ear protection at all times.
Speaker B:They're like, well, we're over here.
Speaker B:I said, they're spalling.
Speaker B:Something could happen.
Speaker B:I would rather be overkill than on the way to the hospital with a kill.
Speaker B:And they were.
Speaker B:A lot of the crew, because they didn't understand it, would get frustrated with me.
Speaker B:I said, if you don't like the policy, you're more than welcome to leave and quit and we can find someone else.
Speaker B:You're replaceable.
Speaker B:Then all of a sudden, a pyrotechnic would go off and they're like, I'm glad we're wearing our protective gear.
Speaker B:I'm like, yeah, exactly.
Speaker B:Eyes and ears at all times.
Speaker B:Anytime you get to a hot range, eyes and ears at all times.
Speaker B:And after the first year of filming, I didn't have to say anything.
Speaker B:They would show up and everybody would have their glasses and their ear pro.
Speaker B:Walker's was nice enough to send ear pro for us and like eyes and ears for everybody so everybody can hear and talk.
Speaker B:And we had comms and we communicated with everybody.
Speaker B:Our set never had an injury because I set guidelines and we never put anybody in danger where other sets are willing to take that risk.
Speaker B:I was not, because I love our industry and I don't give a shit about Hollywood.
Speaker B:I don't give a shit about.
Speaker B:Oh, well, we're not ever.
Speaker B:You're never going to work in this town again.
Speaker B:Oh, I'm so scared I'm not gonna go have tea and crumpets with you later at the golf club.
Speaker A:Oh, my Bentley's not good enough for you?
Speaker B:Oh, I'm sorry.
Speaker B:I want to get in my Dodge Ram pickup and go do burnouts on the way to the hunting camp.
Speaker B:Tough.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I was more worried about safety and people than I was about status and everybody.
Speaker B:We never had an injury in eight years of filming on auction hunters and we shot a lot of guns.
Speaker B:I blew up a lot of stuff.
Speaker B:I detonated pools with cannons.
Speaker A:Yes, he did.
Speaker B:I'm like, we didn't have an injury because we were meticulous and we cared about human life over getting a shot.
Speaker B:But that's the difference.
Speaker B:If you care about people more than ratings, they want to get rid of you.
Speaker A:That's insane.
Speaker A:Insanity.
Speaker A:Well, could go another hour with Ton and let him rant about Hollywood some more.
Speaker A:But we're getting the wrap up sign before we go and I let you do your thing.
Speaker A:I forgot to do this earlier.
Speaker A:For being on the show, we want to thank our sponsor aac.
Speaker A:This is a gift from Axie.
Speaker A:They're going to be sending Palmetto and aac.
Speaker A:Cameron over there is going to be getting in contact with you to get you a nice gift for being on the show.
Speaker A:Thank you again to Palmetto and AC and all the guys over there for doing this.
Speaker A:So you're going to get a gift bag or gift package from them.
Speaker B:Oh, that is awesome.
Speaker B:Thanks, Cameron.
Speaker B:Yeah, so that doesn't suck.
Speaker A:So appreciate our sponsor Palmetto for doing that for our guests.
Speaker A:That's new for season two.
Speaker A:So really happy about that.
Speaker B:So am I.
Speaker B:I know you are.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So t where can people find Firebird Ton Jones, all that other fun stuff.
Speaker B:Go ahead and Instagram Firebird Targets USA on Instagram Tun Jones Official on Instagram Firebird Targets.com and if you could find me, welcome to my thunderdome.
Speaker A:Yeah, he has a thunderdome.
Speaker A:I bet he does.
Speaker A:He the stories Ton again, thank you my friend for being on I've told this to his face.
Speaker A:Ton was one of my childhood heroes.
Speaker A:Like we can't for don't never become friends with your childhood here.
Speaker A:Don't meet your childhood heroes.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:I grew up watching Ton on all these shows and all the stuff.
Speaker A:He.
Speaker A:He even pulls up things that he was in that I didn't know like.
Speaker B:Music videos and oh Jack in love you I've been beat up by Toby Keith.
Speaker B:Been on bunch of slashes, music videos.
Speaker B:Yeah, all kinds of stuff.
Speaker A:This man is one of my favorite people in the industry.
Speaker A:You can find him walking around shows you he's very noticeable.
Speaker A:Just look for the head tattoos.
Speaker A:But Ton again, appreciate you brother as always.
Speaker A:Make sure guys to like share and subscribe.
Speaker A:Hit the little bell for notification.
Speaker A:Leave a five star review on all podcasting hosts, and we will catch you in the next one.
