Tiny Footprint, Big Rifle Performance (ft. Reap Weaponries)

State of the Second hosts Kaylee and John sit down with Colton, founder and CEO of Reap Weaponry, a central Minnesota company built around a bullpup conversion kit for the AR platform. The idea came out of coyote hunting in the Midwest, where Colton and his crew got tired of lugging around 18-inch guns and suppressors and wanted to shorten everything up. He didn't like the bullpup options on the market, found that nobody was making a conversion system, and went down the patent process to build one. Reap's kit is legally a grip that bolts onto a mil-spec AR lower, so it isn't serialized and works with parts builders already own. It supports buffered and bufferless uppers, a shortened buffer system built in partnership with Deadfoot Arms, bolt receivers, and a wide caliber list, with an AR10 frame releasing next month. Colton walks through what it took to go from an idea to a business. He failed roughly 30 times on prototypes before it worked, ran a lot of drop and mud tests, and engineered a self-lubricating, self-clearing bushing so the system never needs oil. Some test kits have 18,000 rounds through them with a three-pound trigger pull and have never been opened or cleaned. He stresses doing the patent search right, paying for a strong provisional patent, and the surprise that many engineers, lawyers, and even website companies will not touch the firearms industry at all. He launched at SHOT Show out of a small booth in the basement, sold out a 50-unit preorder in two weeks, and had competitors copy the concept within three months. The conversation moves into marketing, education, and the influencer game. Colton bet on smaller YouTubers, sending about 30 of his first hundred units to creators starting out, because they were hungry, made multiple videos, and leaned into education more than entertainment. He chose a prove-it mentality over claiming the product is good himself. The demographic surprised him: older hunters and shooters using the lighter, one-handed-capable bullpup for accessibility after shoulder or hip replacements. The episode closes on the soapbox segment about running a gun company in Minnesota, the state-level pressure, and the value of staying level headed and supporting groups like Minnesota Gun Rights. Questions this episode answers What is a bullpup conversion kit and how does Reap Weaponry's version work with an existing AR? Reap Weaponry's kit converts a standard AR into a bullpup, shortening the overall package while keeping the gun functioning as an AR15. It bolts onto a mil-spec AR lower and works with parts builders already own, supporting buffered and bufferless uppers across a wide caliber list. Why does the kit work with any mil-spec AR lower without being a serialized firearm? The kit is legally a grip that bolts onto a mil-spec AR lower, so it is not serialized. That lets it work with the lowers and parts builders already own rather than requiring a new firearm. How did the shortened buffer system come about, and who did Reap partner with to build it? Reap built a shortened buffer system into the kit so it could run compact uppers, developing it in partnership with Deadfoot Arms. The system also supports bolt receivers and both buffered and bufferless uppers. How many prototypes did it take and what testing did the kit go through before launch? Colton failed roughly 30 times on prototypes before the system worked, then ran extensive drop and mud testing. He engineered a self-lubricating, self-clearing bushing so the kit never needs oil, with some test units running 18,000 rounds without being opened or cleaned. What does it take to go from an idea to a firearms business, including the patent process? Colton stresses doing the patent search correctly and paying for a strong provisional patent. He also learned that many engineers, lawyers, and even website companies refuse to work with the firearms industry, which made building the business harder than expected. Why did Reap send product to smaller YouTubers instead of the big influencers first? Colton sent about 30 of his first hundred units to smaller, up-and-coming creators because they were hungry, made multiple videos, and leaned into education over entertainment. He chose a prove-it approach, putting the product in people's hands rather than claiming it was good himself. Which customers ended up buying the product, and why was the demographic a surprise? The buyers skewed toward older hunters and shooters who valued the lighter, one-handed-capable bullpup for accessibility after shoulder or hip replacements. That accessibility-driven demographic was not the audience Colton expected. What is it like running a firearms manufacturing company in Minnesota? Colton manufactures in Minnesota and Wisconsin and faces real state-level pressure on the industry. He emphasizes staying level headed and supporting advocacy groups like Minnesota Gun Rights. Chapters 00:00 — Meet Colton and the origin of Reap Weaponry 01:33 — Why bullpups are so controversial 02:35 — Modularity and the rise of micro bullpups 04:30 — What the kit fits: mil-spec lowers, uppers, calibers 06:13 — AR10 frame coming and what's next 07:33 — Older hunters and accessibility wins 09:35 — Test protocols, prototypes, and the bushing design 11:54 — The shortened buffer system with Deadfoot Arms 14:22 — Launch reaction and selling out the preorder 16:43 — Price point versus quality 19:28 — Education, gun tubers, and backing small creators 26:24 — Patent search, engineers, and a firearms-shy world 33:35 — Learning marketing and the prove-it mentality 39:01 — Soapbox: running a gun company in Minnesota About the guest Colton is the founder and CEO of Reap Weaponry, a firearms company based in central Minnesota. A fifth-generation farmer, he grew up farming and painting cars and started the company around age 22 or 23 with no background in business or marketing. The idea grew out of coyote hunting in the Midwest, where he wanted a shorter package than the 18-inch guns and suppressors he was lugging around. He pursued a patent and developed Reap's bullpup conversion system, which the company manufactures in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Reap also does local sales of suppressors, thermals, and FFL work as a dealer in central Minnesota. Key quotes "I figured somebody had to do it. So I got looking at it for a couple weeks and nobody was doing a conversion system for it." — Colton "We've got some of the test kits, have 18,000 rounds through now that still running. I've never opened them up, never cleaned them." — Colton "Instead of claiming we have a good product, I want to prove it and I want to get it into people's hands and let them show it for what it is too." — Colton "It's still an AR15 through and through. We're not altering or really negating anything that it does already." — Colton "It was important to me from the jump to give some of the smaller influencers the product first." — Colton