Episode Details

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

• www.gunowners.org
• www.blackoutcoffee.com
• patriotmobile.com

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