Rick Harrison on Pawn Stars, Family, Firearms, and Finding the Next Great Gun

When Rick Harrison sat down with us at SHOT Show 2026, the conversation went a lot deeper than just Pawn Stars.

Sure, we got into the story behind one of the most recognizable shows in television history. But what made this episode great was hearing how Rick thinks about business, about family, about firearms, and about the kind of life he’s built around all three.

And, as you’d expect, he had a few wild stories along the way.

The Pawn Stars story almost didn’t happen

One of the best parts of the episode is hearing Rick explain just how long it took to get Pawn Stars off the ground.

What eventually became a cultural phenomenon started with four years of pitching, rejection, and persistence. Rick said he went through 17 production companies before the show finally found its way to History Channel.

Even then, getting in front of the right people came down to a weird chain of events involving a broken DVD player and someone at A&E deciding, almost instantly, that they liked what they saw.

Why Pawn Stars worked when everyone thought it wouldn’t

Rick also talked about a decision that ended up shaping the entire identity of the show: refusing to force drama into it.

Early on, he said people wanted the usual reality TV formula. More conflict. More mess. More manufactured chaos. He wasn’t interested.

Instead, he made a point to keep Pawn Stars a family show. That mattered to him personally, especially because he didn’t want his kids looking back years later and seeing something embarrassing or fake.

That choice went against what a lot of TV people thought would work, but it turned out to be exactly why the show connected with so many people.

That theme came up again and again in the conversation: stick to what you know, stay rooted in what matters, and don’t let other people talk you out of your instincts.

Rick Harrison’s Gun Collection

Once the conversation shifted into guns, it became obvious Rick is exactly the kind of guy you’d expect him to be: equal parts historian, collector, enthusiast, and unapologetic appreciator of weird stuff.

His “First, Last, Next” answers were great.

His first gun was a simple bolt-action .22 his dad gave him when he was around 10 years old. It wasn’t some glamorous first-gun story. It was just honest, familiar, and the kind of memory a lot of shooters can relate to.

His latest gun purchase was a Q Boom Box, and in classic Rick fashion, he described it as something that would “make me a better person.”

That kicked off a fun stretch of conversation about Q, suppressors, and the kind of firearms that stop you in your tracks the second you see them in a shop. He also talked about getting drawn into Q after seeing a Fix in person and realizing he had to know more.

And when it came to what gun might be next, the answer was basically peak Rick Harrison: he never really knows, the right piece just tends to find him.

Rick Harrison is still obsessed with old, strange, and historically important firearms

If you only know Rick from TV, one of the coolest parts of this episode is hearing how deep his knowledge goes on antique and unusual firearms.

He talked about owning an 1830 rifled muzzleloader in .78 caliber, along with some seriously rare and oddball pieces, including a Civil War-era “coffee grinder” rifle and an original 1819 Hall rifle.

But what made this section especially interesting wasn’t just the flex of owning rare guns, it was the detail.

Rick explained why so many antique muzzleloaders are still loaded, how people historically kept them ready to go, and why those guns have to be handled carefully today.

It turned into one of those conversations that reminds you this stuff is more than collecting. It’s history, mechanics, preservation, and respect all rolled into one.

That’s part of what makes Rick such a compelling guest. He doesn’t just like guns. He likes the stories attached to them.

Underneath all of it, family is still the through-line

For all the talk about fame, TV, rare collectibles, and strange rifles, family kept showing up as the real center of gravity.

Rick talked about building Pawn Stars in a way his kids could be proud of. He talked about how much his children mean to him.

And one of the best moments in the episode was when he shared a hunting story about his daughter Sienna, who grabbed a .45-70 from the ranch, headed out, and had a buck down almost immediately.

It’s a funny story, but it also says a lot about the way shooting and hunting live inside his family life.

That may have been the biggest takeaway from the whole conversation.

The episode also veered into one of Rick’s favorite memories, getting a personal apology call from President Trump after a rally mix-up, then racing back to the venue with his son under a full police escort.

Rick Harrison is a huge public figure. He’s built a massive business. He’s spent decades in the spotlight. But the way he talks still comes back to simple things: family, hard work, loyalty, and doing things your own way.

Watch the full episode

This episode had a little bit of everything: the origin story behind Pawn Stars, Rick’s thoughts on building something that lasts, some genuinely great gun talk, and the kind of stories that only come out when you put someone comfortable in front of a mic and let them go.

If you grew up watching Pawn Stars, or if you just like hearing from people who’ve built something real while staying true to themselves, this one’s worth your time.