From Red Ryder to Today: The Story of Daisy B.B. Guns
Our American Stories
iHeartPodcasts
4.6 • 817 Ratings
🗓️ 25 September 2025
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On this episode of Our American Stories, for more than a century, Daisy has been synonymous with B.B. guns. First launched in Michigan and later based in Arkansas, the company grew from small beginnings into the most recognized name in the industry. Its Red Ryder model became an icon of American childhood, sparking memories of backyard target practice and the famous line from A Christmas Story: “You’ll shoot your eye out!” Joe Murfin tells the story of how Daisy turned a simple air rifle into an enduring symbol of American culture.
Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)
Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:14.1 | And we return to our American stories. |
| 0:17.7 | Up next, the story of a truly iconic American company, Daisy. Today, Daisy is a leading |
| 0:24.0 | youth sports and BB gun manufacturer that most of us at least know about. Perhaps a few of us have |
| 0:30.4 | even owned a Daisy BB gun at some point in our lives. Here to tell the story of the company |
| 0:35.9 | is Joe Murfin, the chairman of the board |
| 0:38.8 | at the Daisy Aragon Museum in beautiful Rogers, Arkansas. Take it away, Joe. |
| 0:50.8 | Daisy is what's considered to be a super brand. |
| 0:55.0 | A super brand is one that survives in one business for a great length of time. |
| 1:00.0 | It's also one that's identified by top-of-mind awareness. |
| 1:06.0 | When you ask somebody to name a soda company, you're always going to hear Coca-Cola. |
| 1:13.1 | When you ask somebody to name a tractor company, you're always going to hear John Deere, |
| 1:17.9 | maybe first, certainly within the first two. |
| 1:20.9 | When you ask somebody to name a BB gun, inevitably, Daisy is over 98% of the time, |
| 1:28.3 | the first words that come out of their mouth unaided. |
| 1:35.3 | My name is Joe Murfin. |
| 1:38.3 | I worked for Daisy Manufacturing Company from 1999 to 2017. |
| 1:43.3 | During that time, I helped to develop and oversee |
| 1:47.2 | the nonprofit corporation Daisy Air Gun Museum, the Rogers Daisy Air Gun Museum. And I remain as |
| 1:54.3 | chairman of the board of that nonprofit corporation today. A lot of people want to know about Daisy manufacturing, which is the most popular brand of |
| 2:06.7 | Air Gun, a brand that everyone knows. |
| 2:09.9 | But a lot of people want to know how did Daisy get its name? |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from iHeartPodcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of iHeartPodcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.