Episode Details

Goat Guns build scale model guns you assemble and display, and on this episode of State of the Second, hosts Kaylee and John talk with Anthony from Goat Guns about how a video game idea turned into a fast-growing brand. Anthony explains the origin story: founder Brad Lunt started the company in 2017 after noticing that gamers pay real money for weapon skins in first-person shooters, and figured people would pay for tangible miniature guns too. The company started slow with a couple of basic models like the AR15, then took off when COVID hit and people stuck at home found them while scrolling Facebook. The first big break came from Sig Sauer, who asked Goat Guns to make a miniature MCX Rattler. Now the other big gun companies come to them.

Anthony walks through how a model actually gets made. The team starts with the most popular, recognizable guns, gets 3D files from sources or manufacturers, then has engineers shrink the file and rework parts that become weak points at small scale. They 3D print and assemble handmade prototypes, test for weak points, send feedback, and only after the licensee approves do they move to packaging. The process takes about two years on average, sometimes three. He covers product decisions too: which parts ship pre-assembled so the models aren't intimidating to build, how the flashlight accessory went from a non-working prop to a real working light once the engineers solved it, and the limited edition runs numbered 1 to 600 that sell out in days and land on eBay for at least $200. The company is up to about 32 models with six or seven more in the works.

The back half turns to community and culture. Anthony says Goat Guns was one of the most popular booths at GOA's GOALS convention, with Navy SEALs, kids, and women all geeking out, and that the GOA crowd had a noticeably friendlier, more engaged feel than other shows. The hosts and Anthony land on the bigger point: the models bridge a gap. They give people who are intimidated by guns a safe, non-firing way to learn the mechanics, they work as a family activity, and teachers have reached out calling them an educational tool. Kaylee ties it to GOA's mission of building an on-ramp from gun-curious to gun owner. Anthony also talks about Facebook ad pushback and how the brand keeps content family-friendly to keep ads running, credits the roughly 7,000-member Goat Guns Addicts fan group for the brand's social reach, and points listeners to goatguns.com plus retailers like Bass Pro and Cabela's.

Questions this episode answers

How did Goat Guns get started, and what was the original idea behind it?

Founder Brad Lunt started Goat Guns in 2017 after noticing that gamers pay real money for weapon skins in first-person shooters and figured people would pay for tangible miniature guns too. The company began slowly with a few basic models like the AR15.

What role did COVID play in Goat Guns' growth?

The brand took off during COVID when people stuck at home found the models while scrolling Facebook, turning a slow start into fast growth.

How did the partnership with Sig Sauer come about?

Goat Guns' first big break came when Sig Sauer asked the company to make a miniature MCX Rattler. After that, other major gun companies began coming to Goat Guns directly.

What is the full process for turning a real gun into a scale model, and how long does it take?

The team starts with recognizable guns, gets 3D files, has engineers shrink and rework parts that become weak points at small scale, then 3D prints and tests handmade prototypes before the licensee approves and they package it. It takes about two years on average, sometimes three.

How does Goat Guns decide which guns and accessories to make next?

Goat Guns prioritizes the most popular, recognizable firearms, and decides which parts ship pre-assembled so the models aren't intimidating to build. Accessories evolve to