By: Robert Davis
Discovery Channel’s newest series, “Master of Arms,” tackles the perception that guns are merely weapons of war by showcasing the artistry and history of firearms craftsmanship.
“I think it is that combination of the practical application and the history. A lot of people think history is boring, but watching it come alive might inspire people to learn more about a specific time period, or maybe even learn the craft,” Ashley Hlebinsky, a judge and one of the nation’s leading firearms historians, told Fox News in an interview.
The show pits three contestants against one another in two historical challenges, in which each is required to recreate a time-specific weapon. Those weapons can include a wide range of items – from American Revolution muskets to blades used by the Vikings.
Nicholas Irving, a former Army Special Operations sniper, then judges the weapons based on their durability in the field, velocity, and accuracy.
“If anything, I would hope to see that the people who aren’t super excited about firearms are going to see the artistry and the craftsmanship that goes into this,” Zeke Stout, one of the judges and the vice president of Sonoran Desert Institute, a firearms technology company, told Fox News.
“Master of Arms” debuted on November 2, and several audience members took to social media to support Discovery’s decision to air it.
“This show is more than simply a blade and a cash prize at the end. It’s about the history of weapons and the craftsmen that carry the honored torch into this generation. We are a small community in a modern culture that would rather see us fade out of existence,” one commenter wrote on Facebook.
Robert Davis is a general assignment reporter for Gunpowder Magazine. You can contact him with tips or comments at [email protected].