FIREARMS AND FRIENDS
Aired September 7, 2048 – 20:00 HAST
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[20:00:07] RANDY WILCOX, FIREARMS AND FRIENDS HOST: Good evening Lahaina and everyone else who doesn’t live in paradise.
I’m really excited about tonight’s guest. In just a few moments, we’ll be discussing the boom in 3D printed weapons, since the government changed the rules in the Undetectable Firearms Act, with one of the most prolific inventors of our time. We’ll be talking about his new Hawaiian inspired printable rifle, and what makes it one of the best long guns around.
First I want to let you know that tonight’s episode is brought to you by Duracave, maker of the Duracave mobile bunker system, environmental collectors, and solar home generators. Frequent listeners know that I don’t advertise anything on the show that I don’t personally believe in, and I can’t say enough about the Duracave line of products. The mobile bunkers are so light they can be towed by any heavy duty truck or medium duty military vehicle. The self leveling feet make set-up a breeze, and the communal sleeping quarters can hold up to a dozen comfortably. Duracave doesn’t want you to just survive. They want you to thrive!
We’re also brought to you by my favorite show, Board Entertainment’s Veil Sale. Watch me and my partner John bid on abandoned packages, forgotten freight, and lost luggage. Each bag might hold a bounty in riches, or end up a bust. You never know what we’ll find. Watch us take a chance trying to hit it big by turning one man’s trash into our treasure. Everything is worth something to someone. Tune in every Thursday at 9 HAST to find out what we’ll find next.
WILCOX: Now that we’ve held off the bill collectors for a few days, let me introduce someone who needs no introduction. He is one of the most prolific inventors of our time. The Navy uses his shark mitigation system to protect our sailors, his agriculture drones have revitalized the pineapple business in Hawaii, and he is the brains behind Kalani Custom Boards. He is Lahaina’s own Ano Lee.
Ano Lee, Inventor and Entrepreneur: Thank you for having me on Randy. I’m a big fan of the show as you know.
WILCOX: So you’re not known as being a big firearms enthusiast, what made you decide to get in the business?
LEE: Well, as you mentioned a moment ago, the government loosened regulations on printable firearms this year, and I saw an opportunity to get into the gun game. As you mentioned, I didn’t have a lot of knowledge about the market at first, but I did my research and designed the Haikili. It’s perfect for hunters and pleasure shooters alike.
WILCOX: Haikili is an interesting name.
LEE: Haikili is the Hawaiian god of thunder.
WILCOX: Seems appropriate.
LEE: I thought so.
WILCOX: Lahaina is known for a lot of things, but being a hub of gun innovation isn’t one of them. Of all the places in the world to make firearms, why Maui?
LEE: Actually, Maui has become very popular with hunters. With the success of Hahai Ranch, and others like them, hunting is becoming a big business. Thousands come to the island every year to hunt feral goats, wild boar, and trophy sized axis deer. That isn’t even counting the more exotic animals bred by these ranches. You can even go after water buffalo here now.
WILCOX: Five different species of antelope too. I’m just waiting for someone to start big cat hunting. I think the studio could use a lion head trophy, don’t you?
LEE: I think you’d have a hard time convincing the governor and the DLNR that lions should be brought to the island, but I hear what you’re saying. There are tons of regulations about what can be brought here, and the process of veiling with a gun is a nightmare. It’s one of the reasons the Haikili is so great. A hunter can come here without the hassle of paperwork and permits. He or she can have a custom firearm created just for them, in a matter of minutes.
WILCOX: I know a lot of viewers are cringing right now that you said a custom firearm can be made in minutes. It takes a good gunsmith months sometimes to make a quality weapon, and the history of printed guns isn’t exactly long and illustrious. Is the Haikili really able to compete with something toiled over, and perfected for weeks?
LEE: Absolutely Randy! Just because something takes a long time doesn’t mean it’s better. I mean my grandma takes a long time to walk from her bedroom to the kitchen, but I wouldn’t put her in a race. 3D printers and laser cutters have gotten so good now that they rival industrial CNC machines. I will admit that there aren’t a lot of quality 3D printed weapons out there right now, but I hope to change that soon.
WILCOX: So how does it work. If I wanted to buy a Haikili what do I do?
LEE: It couldn’t be easier. You just meet with one of our facilitators who will walk you through all your options. In fact, designing your weapon takes about as long as the actual construction time. Everything is customizable with the Haikili. You can have a stock made from wood, metal, carbon fiber, durable plastic, or many other options. You can add scopes, hand guards, suppressors, muzzle brakes, flash mitigators, whatever you want. If you want a clear plastic stock filled with LED lights and a muzzle brake that looks like a dragon’s head, you can have it. Of course most people go with boring old wood, but we try to accommodate everyone. Once you have a design you like. it takes about 20 minute to print and assemble.
WILCOX: I’m told you brought a video of a Haikili being made.
LEE: Yeah, this is our most popular model being printed and assembled.
WILCOX: Let’s have a look
[WILCOX AND LEE WATCH ASSEMBLY VIDEO]
WILCOX: And that’s all it takes?
LEE: That’s it Randy.
WILCOX: Let’s talk about price. How bad is it going to hurt my bank account to buy one of these custom firearms?
LEE: That’s like asking how much a dinner costs. The answer is that it depends a lot on what options you choose. I’ll tell you that are most popular model costs about $400, but you can get a bare bones model cheaper. With all the bells and whistles, it’s still less than $1000.
WILCOX: Wow, that’s about half of what you’d pay for a really nice factory made rifle, and a lot less than one made by hand.
LEE: The Haikili is by far the cheapest custom rifle you can buy, and it’s quality is on par with the finest handmade firearms you can find. I think we’re at the beginning of a firearm renaissance, and I plan on leading the charge.
WILCOX: I’m sure a lot of viewers have been waiting for something like this. I know I have been concerned that it was getting too hard to get a gun in Maui. This makes the process much easier, especially for travelers.
LEE: Yeah, someone who has veiled to Lahaina can have a really good rifle in less than an hour. I think that’s something we can all be happy about.
WILCOX: Well, I’m sold. Thanks for coming in, and talking about your gun Ano. Can we go to the range, and try one of these amazing rifles out now?
LEE: Thanks for having me Randy. Let’s go and blast holes through a couple cans of SSHAM.
