Big Fish & F1-Firearms Boom Sticks

F-1 Firearms: Meet the FinFin.SIX and the mARlin

“You’ve got a bite!” I’ve never forgotten his words, his excitement, or his rush down the bank to guide me as I began working to land my first fish. With one hand on my shoulder and the other floating beneath my reel, he coached as I worked. Finally, he reached out over the water and netted my first. I was young—just a towheaded kid layered in dirt and Oshkosh overalls—but in an instant, I was a lifelong angler. And, just as proud as my father was of me some 45 years ago, my emotional tide ran just as high when my son reeled in his first, a carp, which we summarily ate—a hunting lesson he learned from his old man. 

Oddly enough, or as one might expect, depending on perspective, anglers are as finicky as hunters. Moreover, countless fishing addicts hunt … and countless hunting addicts fish. The common theme there? They’re addicted, so to speak—passionate and discriminating. “To each their own” is serious business. As much as scores of anglers can’t get enough of black bass, catfish, walleye, pike, trout, or others, countless more can’t get enough of big-time bucket oceanic pursuits for marlin, mahi-mahi, red drum, shark, tuna, and many other challenging saltwater species. And, to be honest, preferences don’t stop there! Consider types of boats, motors, rods, reels, baits, etc. 

The desires of millions of red-blooded American anglers, “from sea to shining sea,” are as varied as the wants and whims of red-blooded American gun owners, especially AR junkies like me, as an example. In fact, a lot of those fine folks are one and the same—passionate about fishing, passionate about shooting, and perhaps passionate about hunting. They are true sportsmen with a serious dislike for run-of-the-mill and a penchant for individual awesomeness. 

To that end, an angler’s boat, rods, reels, lures, and yes, firearms of the uber-tacticool variety, often illustrate their personality in some way, shape, or form. And honestly, sometimes this outdoorsman lifestyle bleeds over; after all, someone that owns a truck gun can certainly use a boat gun, right?  After all, when it comes to the pirating waters off of South Padre Island, you never quite know if or when the need might arise to say (and show): “Look at me. I’m the captain now.” Dropping a truth bomb here … few things dominate a conversation with pirates like a salty, one-of-a-kind fishing rig chambered in an appropriate ruin-your-day caliber … something of the F-1 Firearms variety, especially since they’re the only rifle manufacturer I know of that can make an AR-platform rifle look like a marlin, mahi-mahi, Jaws, Nemo, or my son’s goldfish before that little sucker turned belly up.  

Joking aside, we all crave elements of expression and uniqueness. To a great extent, being (or aspiring to be) different is human nature and the nature of business. Successful marketing, as an example, is hinged on demonstrating difference—what makes a product different? Why choose that product? How are companies and their products catching eyes, turning heads, creating buzz? In our outdoor world, especially with respect to Hook & Barrel, “different” rules the roost, especially when the brand delivers the reputation-worthy goods. In the case of custom rifles that share your love of the fishing world, or at least those around you at 165 decibels, I haven’t come across any manufacturer that does custom finishing better than F-1 Firearms. 

If the devil is in the details, F-1 Firearms set up shop in Hades Central, and their craftsmanship doesn’t begin or end with the 68 mind-blowing anodized and Cerakote menu-style finishes … but doggone they bend necks and turn up the heat with fevered chin-wagging. Even better, getting back to the colorful personalities assigned to outdoor types like us—anglers, shooters, hunters, and otherwise—is the next-level customizing capability that propelled F-1 Firearms to pew-pew rock stardom to begin with; well, that as well as insanely aggressive, skeletonized receivers, handguards, and accessories and Swiss-clock-like reliability. But, back to those crazy finishes.…

When it comes to uniquely themed finish work it’s awfully hard not to listen to that devil on your shoulder telling you to set sail for the horizon with F-1’s Red Demon or the scores of other finishes, and there’s nothing wrong with doing just that … if you’re not looking for the true tattoo of dreamboat boom sticks. Although, even menu-item finishes like Mermaid and Nebula are, like snowflakes (in the literal sense), where every finish is one-of-a-kind, there’s an even better answer for the true American Hook & Barrel badasses out there—dream up your own and let F-1’s masterminds reel you into the boom stick bliss of your own true-to-your-personality, jaw-dropping boat gun. 

If there’s a takeaway here, it’s that nothing about F-1 Firearms is ordinary. The company, the people within its walls, their skill sets, and their creative minds are as unique as the rifles they turn out. Seriously, have you ever seen an AR-15 dressed up like a marlin? How about a mahi-mahi? Yeah, me neither. Forget truck guns. Who wouldn’t want fishing-inspired boom sticks for their boats that truly mirror their owners’ personalities (like pets look like their owners)? Just thinking about it makes me want to buy a saltwater craft worthy of carrying them, and I suck at fishing! Thanks for the inspiration, F-1 Firearms.