UPDATE: Mossberg announced August 28 it has terminated its licensing agreement with Red Jacket Firearms. Mossberg said none of the branded rifles or shotguns had been produced or distributed and the business arrangement "had been moving slowly anyway." The company's move comes after Sons of Guns reality show patriarch Will Hayden was arrested August 27 for allegedly raping his 12-year-old daughter, prompting the Discovery Channel to cancel the show.
Mossberg is announcing a multi-year agreement with Red Jacket Firearms and the stars of the reality-based TV series Sons of Guns, to include a branded series of shotguns and rifles developed in conjunction with the Red Jacket Firearms team. The first three firearms in the Red Jacket Series will be unveiled at the 2014 National Rifle Association Meetings & Exhibits in Indianapolis, Ind.
Marine Corps veteran and reenactment enthusiast Will Hayden launched his Louisiana-based, custom firearms manufacturing business in 1999. His daughter, Stephanie (Hayden) Ford, serves as the company’s firearms-savvy business manager, but she is also a dedicated advocate for gun safety, firearms training and wetlands conservation in her home state. She is married to Kris Ford, Red Jacket’s production manager. Joe Meaux serves as CEO, but his passions lie in the mechanics and physics of firearms design and being an exceptional marksman. Forensic firearms expert Charlie Watson moonlights at Red Jacket as their technical troubleshooter and has an ardent love for the science of weaponry. Together they share their latest projects on the Sons of Guns TV series, which currently airs on the Discovery Channel each Friday at 9/8c.
“With a common dedication to innovative firearms designs and reliability, Mossberg is pleased to partner with the Red Jacket Firearms team to bring a series of custom tactical shotguns and rifles to the marketplace,” commented Iver Mossberg, CEO. “The Red Jacket brand is unparalleled with their focus on precision, physics and a desire to build ‘what can’t be done’ in the world of firearms.”
“Our partnership with Mossberg will allow more gun enthusiasts to experience the custom features of Red Jacket Firearms in a more affordable platform,” stated Will Hayden. “Our companies share like-mindedness in bringing cutting-edge designs and well-built firearms to our customers.”
Mossberg has worked with Hayden and his team to develop a line of branded “Red Jacket Firearms” across multiple categories, including the first three in the series: MVP Red Jacket Tactical Target bolt-action rifle, 500 FLEX Red Jacket Turkey/Security Shotgun Combo and 590 Red Jacket Tactical shotgun.
This story has been updated to reflect the cancellation of the Mossberg licensing agreement.
