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All Seasons

Season 1

  • S01E01 Tank Destroyer

    • October 5, 2015
    • Smithsonian Channel

    Host Paul Shull has been invited by his friend, a military enthusiast and mechanic, to assist him on a once in a lifetime project: to rebuild the incredibly rare Achilles Tank Destroyer. This World War II warrior was built for speed and power, able to cruise at over 30 MPH and armed with a 17-pound gun that could rip through virtually anything in its path. Witness the reconstruction of this historic weapon, one that will require many hours of labor and hunting for parts in order to get this heroic beast back on her treads.

  • S01E02 Sniper Rifles

    • October 12, 2015
    • Smithsonian Channel

    With the help of some old and new collector friends, host Paul Shull sets out on a cross-country trek to try and settle an old argument: what was the best sniper rifle of WWII? He hunts down the deadliest rifles, helps rebuild a rare Soviet SVT-40, survives a grueling sniper boot camp and learns about the origins of the sharpshooter. Who will win this classic shootout? Paul aims to find out.

  • S01E03 Civil War Cannons

    • October 19, 2015
    • Smithsonian Channel

    Host Paul Shull takes a journey through Tennessee, Kentucky and Oregon to find and fire the deadliest pieces of light field artillery of the Civil War: the 10lb Parrott and the 3-inch Ordnance Rifle. But before he can fire off these powerful weapons, he must take a crash course and become a cannoneer. Follow Paul as he makes his own projectiles and meets eccentric collectors and battle reenactors. Then see him finally come face to face with the most impressive and devastating rifled guns of the bloody conflict that tore America apart.

  • S01E04 Nazi Assault Rifle

    • October 26, 2015
    • Smithsonian Channel

    To military history collectors, it's the rarest of all machine guns. The FG-42 assault rifle, designed specifically for German World War II paratroopers, is so rare that they now sell for thousands of dollars at auctions. It's considered almost unattainable, but that doesn't stop host Paul Shull from attempting to not only find one but to pull its trigger as well. Join him on this impossible quest as he reaches outside his usual network of collectors to find this innovative weapon and see if it lives up to its mythic reputation.

  • S01E05 Monster Machine Gun

    • November 2, 2015
    • Smithsonian Channel

    It's fast, ferocious, powerful, and ultra-rare. The mobile machine gun called the Quad 50 was one of the most punishing weapons of World War II, but it's rarely seen today. Host Paul Shull accepts the challenge to bring one back to life, but it may prove to be his toughest rebuild yet. Join him as he travels across North America, gathering rare parts and meeting an incredible bunch of collectors and gunsmiths to resurrect "The Meat Chopper."

  • S01E06 Flamethrowers

    • November 9, 2015
    • Smithsonian Channel

    The flamethrower is one of the most terrifying weapons in existence, capable of launching a 2,200-degree wall of fire over 100 feet. The U.S. military stopped using them in 1978, and today only a few remain, and even fewer can safely be fired. If host Paul Shull finds one, will he properly use it? Follow him as he calls upon the world's leading flamethrower experts on what could be his most dangerous quest ever. Then watch as he gets a firsthand lesson in how to fire the devastating machine that helped turn the tide of World War II.

Season 2

  • S02E01 Vietnam Road Warrior

    • February 12, 2017
    • Smithsonian Channel

    Gun trucks played a vital role in the Vietnam War, escorting supply convoys through regions most likely to come under attack. As critical as these armor-plated giants were, few people know about these amazing vehicles and the people that operated them. Join host Paul Shull as he heads to Rogersville, Tennessee, to help Vietnam vet Sammy Seay rebuild a gun truck nicknamed the "Proud American." Sammy puts the truck, and Paul, to the test, in a staged ambush that will reveal just how tough the machines were, as well as the men who rode them.

  • S02E02 Big Bad B-25

    • February 19, 2017
    • Smithsonian Channel

    The B-25 bomber was a deadly Swiss Army knife in the sky, built to strike in a variety of ways, with up to 13 .50-caliber machine guns and a payload of up to 3,000 pounds of bombs. Host Paul Shull is helping the United States Commemorative Air Force in the restoration of the only B-25 left in the world, but in order to complete the task he must find a critical missing part. Follow him as he attempts to locate a rare Norden bombsight before taking to sky to learn how to drop a bomb just like a WWII bombardier.

  • S02E03 Pearl Harbor Payback

    • February 26, 2017
    • Smithsonian Channel

    After suffering through one of the greatest military attacks in modern U.S. history, America rose from the ashes of Pearl Harbor and fought their way to victory. Perhaps no weapon helped turn the tide in the Pacific theater greater than the 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannon. Join host Paul Shull as he tracks down two critical parts that will resurrect one of these devastating weapons to full working order. Then hear the stories of a Naval veteran who witnessed the carnage of December 7, 1941 firsthand.

  • S02E04 World's Fastest Weapon

    • March 5, 2017
    • Smithsonian Channel

    Host Paul Shull is on a mission to fix and fire an electric minigun from the Vietnam War, a six-barreled behemoth that could fire up to an astonishing 6,000 rounds per minute. It's the fastest machine gun ever to see action, but piecing this vintage weapon back together is going more slowly than planned. Join Paul as he tracks down the missing parts he needs to complete the rebuild while investigating the evolution of the machine gun. Then buckle up as he goes airborne to test his refurbished minigun in a vintage AH-6 attack chopper.

  • S02E05 D-Day Detonator

    • March 12, 2017
    • Smithsonian Channel

    Military weapons enthusiast and host Paul Shull takes on his greatest challenge yet: to rebuild an entire battle, and not just any battle. He's going to reconstruct D-Day from the ground up. Join him as he fires the weapons used that day, rides an LST landing ship during a dramatic reenactment, and meets some of the heroes who stormed the beach and led the Allies to victory. It's an incredible, immersive mission that details the scale, planning, and courage of the men who carried out the largest amphibious invasion in history.

  • S02E06 Iwo Jima Franken-gun

    • March 19, 2017
    • Smithsonian Channel

    Host Paul Shull is looking to resurrect a gun that no longer exists. In fact, it's a weapon so rare, only six have ever been built. It was called the Stinger, a one-of-a-kind World War II machine gun made by U.S. Marines from the guts of different weapons. This "Frankengun" took on legendary status in the Pacific theater, and Paul is determined to see it come back to life. But in order to build the seventh Stinger, he must not only track down the rare parts he needs, he must convince their owners to part with them forever.