Red Jacket

[octalman]

Has anyone purchased from Red Jacket?

 

[cedartop]

Yes, a converted Saiga/AK. What would you like to know?

 

[Kase]

Yes, a converted Saiga/AK. What would you like to know?

How are the prices compared to other places? Is the TV show making them a little more expensive?

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Yes, what is your question?

Is the TV show making them a little more expensive?

No, it is a small volume maker. (Nothing ugly but its not Ruger)

 

[ArmedProgrammer]

Small volume mostly custom-ish stuff. They specialize in AK-Saiga type stuff,conversions, suppressors, etc. although they cover a lot of ground. Don't know if their stuff has gone up in price due to the show, but you can bet that their volume has. And good for them. They are very well regarded as a quality shop over at fourm.saiga-12. Juggernaut (who drops by here from time to time) makes the T Shirts that you see on the show.

If you want to get to know them better,that forum (forum Saiga-12) is a better place . There are several shops over there - each specializing in slightly different stuff. Will's one of the highly regarded ones there. Fair warning - that forum is DECIDEDLY R-Rated... NSFW.

 

[ArmedProgrammer]

double tap

 

[E5RANGER375]

Small volume mostly custom-ish stuff. They specialize in AK-Saiga type stuff,conversions, suppressors, etc. although they cover a lot of ground. Don't know if their stuff has gone up in price due to the show, but you can bet that their volume has. And good for them. They are very well regarded as a quality shop over at fourm.saiga-12. Juggernaut (who drops by here from time to time) makes the T Shirts that you see on the show.

If you want to get to know them better,that forum (forum Saiga-12) is a better place . There are several shops over there - each specializing in slightly different stuff. Will's one of the highly regarded ones there. Fair warning - that forum is DECIDEDLY R-Rated... NSFW.

sounds like fun. i'll have to stop by

 

[Culpepper]

How are the prices compared to other places? Is the TV show making them a little more expensive?

Considering the fact that by his own admission the owner has cornered the market with everything he builds, claims to of invented concepts that have been around for 5 or more years and is the only one good enough to do what he does, I bet the prices are way up there.

 

[cedartop]

Considering the fact that by his own admission the owner has cornered the market with everything he builds, claims to of invented concepts that have been around for 5 or more years and is the only one good enough to do what he does, I bet the prices are way up there.

I can't speak to his prices now as I haven't checked lately. They were very competetive with others in his field, most noteably, one of the other top AK builders in the country Jim Fuller at Rifle Dynamics.

Will at Red Jacket is very good to deal with. He was very responsive to all of my questions even though I told him up front that I wasn't buying a high dollar gun but a more basic Saiga conversion. My dealings started with him well before the TV show, when he become a business associate with SI and got his own subforum on WarriorTalk. I came away from my dealings with Will very satisfied with both product and service.

Is he the same now after the show? I don't know, I am sure he is busier. I know he isn't completely satisfied with the way things are portrayed on the show, but sometimes if you wanna play ya gotta pay.

 

[Bean]

Sorry I dont post here very much, heres my Red Jacket .223

I had some problems when I first got the rifle (pre Sons of Guns) he was great and fixed them right up no problem. To this day I still got his cell phone number in my phone, he is very personable and polite and I would recommend his business to anybody.

 

[Fenway]

Nice stick.... post more!

 

[coltaceguy]

Its an interesting show....but obviously so much is FAKE its unreal

I'll give you some insider info

in episode 6, the guy "JOE" who wants the supressed AK is really the famous fraud "REDBEAR" aka Russian Joe from akforum/akfiles who claimed to be a "real russian solider who moved to USA" which was exposed as utter falseness and he went into hiding on the forums(he's still around, he just killed his "redbear" persona). He kissed Will's butt hard on the akforum for YEARS so thats how i'm guessing he got on the show. He is in fact, a common variety range boy in cincinnati, ohio at "Target World" gunshop/gunrange, not a "top level law enforcement gun dealer" as he portrays himself on the show.

 

[WebSnyper]

Its an interesting show....but obviously so much is FAKE its unreal

I'll give you some insider info

in episode 6, the guy "JOE" who wants the supressed AK is really the famous fraud "REDBEAR" aka Russian Joe from akforum/akfiles who claimed to be a "real russian solider who moved to USA" which was exposed as utter falseness and he went into hiding on the forums(he's still around, he just killed his "redbear" persona). He kissed Will's butt hard on the akforum for YEARS so thats how i'm guessing he got on the show. He is in fact, a common variety range boy in cincinnati, ohio at "Target World" gunshop/gunrange, not a "top level law enforcement gun dealer" as he portrays himself on the show.

Interesting... there are definitely a lot of scenes in the various episodes that seemed staged to me, and "Joe" in episode 6 definitely seemed like a fraud, with his I'm calling you out statement and the ballistics test in the aquarium seemed a bit goofy to me as well.

 

[coltaceguy]

Interesting... there are definitely a lot of scenes in the various episodes that seemed staged to me, and "Joe" in episode 6 definitely seemed like a fraud, with his I'm calling you out statement and the ballistics test in the aquarium seemed a bit goofy to me as well.

Yup, completely fake and made up. Call "Target World" in Cincinnati, Ohio and ask for "Russian Joe".


I still think the show is enjoyable to watch though, Will is a good guy, just wish some of this staged stuff would stop.


Here is a cute little thread I found at akfiles.com with a member calling out the owner of AKFORUM on user "redbear"
The AK Files Forums - Anyone a member on AkForum? I made a joke on there now I'm banned?

 

[cgbills]

Considering the fact that by his own admission the owner has cornered the market with everything he builds, claims to of invented concepts that have been around for 5 or more years and is the only one good enough to do what he does, I bet the prices are way up there.

THIS

I cannot stand the show for this reason. They try to come across as some igneous and revolutionary gun builder/designers

 

[Bean]

Ya gotta realize, when ya get a TV show especially on Discovery Channel you immediately become their employee and LITERALLY have to say and do what they say. You can work for 12 hours in your shop and then if the Producer wants you to sit down for an hour and interview then you HAVE to do it. Not to mention Discovery Channel retains the right to EDIT things how they want. Through editing they can make up entire story lines at will. So I kinda think the Producer is trying to appeal to everybody and their mother, not just us "Gun Nuts"

I'll try and post some more pics soon. THANX!!

 

[bigcraig]

Will/Red Jacket built my Saiga 12, I was happy with the finished product and the customer service.

If I ever need another AK, it will come from Red Jacket.

 

[vitamink]

I've seen some of wills AK's and have always been impressed. The builds they do are top quality. As far as the show is concerned, it's obviously staged but still entertaining.

quote :
Considering the fact that by his own admission the owner has cornered the market with everything he builds, claims to of invented concepts that have been around for 5 or more years and is the only one good enough to do what he does, I bet the prices are way up there.

true many of the concepts have been around for some time, like the suppressed shotgun...but it was Will that made it. This was posted a year ago

YouTube - Silenced Shotgun (No Country For Old Men)

Watching 3 guys do saiga restorations all day long would get boring. In order to entertain folks i guess the show felt he needed to invent an s12 suppressor...even though he already had. It's a lot like when you watch a movie that is "based on a true story" the hard facts are true, all the drama and dialogue are made up for entertainment.

As far as the show goes, i know he was more willing to take on "special" projects before the show. I tried to get him to build a yugoslavian m92 kit on a side folding nodak receiver with poly furniture. Unfortunately with the taping of the show it was a no-go. If you want something you have to order off the menu, no substitutions. I don't blame him at all. I still want him to do and i'm willing to wait as from all the work of his i've seen the attention to detail is exquisite. If juggernaut shows up here (he makes his shirts) he can show you pictures of his AK's. If he doesn't show you can ask juggs in person at the 1500. He'll be the juggernaut graphics booth.

 

[Bean]

Heya vitamink,

Good to cya here, I saw Lori and Drew at the last 1500 MAN they were busy! Will's current wait time has gone up to 12 to 25 weeks!!! Thats a far cry from the 7 weeks I waited, but I figured they would be crazy busy now that the show has premiered.

 

[Bean]

Sorry for the wait. Additional Pics as requested