''American Guns'' was a

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early ...

series that aired on the Discovery Channel. The series centers on the blended family where patriarch Rich Wyatt, his wife Renee, and his step-children run Gunsmoke Guns, located in

Wheat Ridge, Colorado The City of Wheat Ridge is a home rule municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Wheat Ridge is located immediately west of Denver and is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The ...

. They specialize in gun manufacture, trade, customization, and instruction. On December 17, 2012, Discovery announced the cancellation of the series.

Staff

Wyatt Family The Wyatt family included several of the major English architects during the 18th and 19th centuries, and a significant 18th century inventor, John Wyatt (1700–1766), the eldest son of John Wyatt (1675–1742). The family This is a summary t ...

* Rich Wyatt — Founder/Owner, Firearms Instructor * Renee Wyatt — Co-Owner, Business Manager, Rich's wife * Kurt — Engraver, Sales Associate, Firearms Instructor * Paige — Sales Associate Rich and Renee have 2 younger children who are not involved in the show due to their age.

Gunsmiths & sales team

* Brian Meidal – Head gunsmith * Gary — Gunsmith/welder * Joe — Machinist * Jon — Gunsmith/painter * Scott Van Dorsten — Van Dorsten Custom Firearms * Bob — Gun historian * Ben — Sales associate * Chris — Machinist, sales associate * Brian — Sales associate * Doug - Machinist

Episodes

Season 1 (2011)

Season 2 (2012)

Reception

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'' reviewed the show in the wake of the 2012 Aurora, Colorado shooting, examining the American fascination with firearms. They described the show as combining the "haggling of ''

Pawn Stars ''Pawn Stars'' is an American reality television series shown on History and produced by Leftfield Pictures. The series is filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada, where it chronicles the daily activities at the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, a 24 ...

'', the over-the-top customizing of ''

American Chopper ''American Chopper'' is an American reality television series that airs on Discovery Channel, produced by Pilgrim Films & Television. The series centers on Paul Teutul Sr. (frequently called ''Senior''), and his son Paul Teutul Jr. (also kno ...

'' and a healthy dose of cleavage in a peppy package that resembles a hundred other small-business-based reality shows, except that the business in this case is the sale of deadly weapons". The reviewer notes that although some may be uncomfortable with the easy availability of guns in America, the audience of over 1 million viewers does not seem to have any such qualms.

Ratings

The season 2 premiere (April 26, 2012) drew strong ratings, up 50% on the season 1 premiere.

Cancellation and controversy

On December 17, 2012, Discovery announced the cancellation of the series. Discovery said the decision had been made earlier, it was only announced in December. A spokesperson said "Discovery Channel chose not to renew the series and has no plans to air repeats of the show." The

Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, United States, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people. Twenty of the victims were children between six and seven years old, and t ...

is thought to have played a part in the decision. Additionally, in March 2013 Gunsmoke Guns was served a search warrant for the premises by the Internal Revenue Service as "part of an ongoing financial investigation" that had been underway for several years according to an agency spokesperson. This took place shortly after a reported February 27 burglary where twelve handguns and three rifles were stolen by thieves who broke in through the roof of the shop. There was also speculation in the press that the IRS investigation was the result of Gunsmoke operator Rich Wyatt's remarks regarding pending Colorado legislation regarding gun purchase and ownership. In the last episode of season one, a man identified later as Wylie Newton attempted to sell an antique Colt pistol that had been stolen from a museum in New Mexico. A fan of the show that was familiar with the robbery recognized the gun and alerted authorities. On March 10, 2017 a federal jury convicted Rich Wyatt on ten felony counts related to conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion. The jury found that Wyatt had failed to report 1.1 million dollars to the IRS. Furthermore it was revealed Wyatt had negotiated a deal with Discovery Channel when in fact he never did have federal firearms license, though instead used a straw license through Triggers, a gun store in Castle Rock. Wyatt was sentenced to 78 months (6.5 years) in prison.

Music

The opening theme music is “Tallahassee” performed by Swamp Cabbage.According to the ending credits of the show.

References

External links

American Guns
at Gurney Productions * {{Discovery Channel programming 2010s American reality television series Discovery Channel original programming Television shows set in Colorado Wheat Ridge, Colorado 2011 American television series debuts 2012 American television series endings English-language television shows Television shows about weaponry