Brightly colored, and colorful guns

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Old Dog

Old Dog

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Okay, so there's been a trend, lo these past few years, for some gun manufacturers to bring to market firearms -- both handguns and rifles -- in colors other than black/blued, coyote brown/flat dark earth or silver (stainless/nickel) with stocks, butt-stocks, fore-ends other than black polymer or various natural wood tones.

I've pondered this since seeing an episode of Guns and Ammo TV where the hosts trotted out some excruciatingly painful to the eye, brightly colored pistols, and shortly thereafter saw some magazine ads for that brand, the Kimber "Bel Aire" and the Taurus Spectrum. Recent ads for such pistols such as those made by SCCY, Kimber, Taurus and some for colorful ARs or .22 rifles now seem common in the outdoor and firearms media.

Now, I'm not such a hide-bound traditionalist dinosaur that I automatically reject this recent trend to make firearms brightly-colored so as to appeal to those who would seem to value appearance (and perhaps having their gun match their clothing, pickup truck, hair or nails, whatever) over performance ... but this does sorta seem wrong in a way.

To me, it makes these firearms more resemble toys than serious tools for hunting, target-shooting, defense or combat.

Is there a concern that someone who is not current in the firearms world -- and especially younger children -- could actually believe one of these colorful guns is a toy?

I find this new fashion also somewhat ironic given the efforts the past many years to have toy guns not resemble real guns, mandating the orange plastic tips, etc. Now one maker makes completely orange pistols.

Do any of you have any thoughts about this?
 
I can understand the desire to personalize something but I think there should be some commons sense applied. Do a search for Nintendo Glock, or Star Wars Glock and you will see some that really resemble toys and could cause problems for someone. They changed toy guns to not look like real guns and now people are trying to make real guns look like toys.
 
I think they're hideous in general and don't want a gun that looks like a toy. But if it brings new shooters to the group then no harm I guess.

Is there a danger of a gun being confused with a toy? I suppose but I doubt it's a big danger.
 
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Other than simply enjoying the color, I see only one potential benefit to having an, uh, "unconventionally-colored" firearm, and it's a weak one at best.

If you have someone who accuses you of threatening them with a gun when, in fact, you didn't (for example, a neighbor with whom you've been feuding), have him describe the gun to the responding officer. Chances are he won't mention the hot pink color. ;)

But, no, I've not yet taken to any of these other colors beyond what the OP mentions. I'd also like any BG on whom I pull my gun take it as seriously as possible. If he does fast enough, maybe I won't have to fire it.
 
I prefer my guns to be business-like and traditional. Pink for the ladies, sure, not for me. Flat dark earth, black or any manner of serious camouflage....fine. Plum brown on muzzle loaders. Otherwise wood and blued steel for me.
 
A simple Google of "pink hello kitty ar 15" will bring up a dozen as seen in the link. There is also no shortage of arguments against guns of this nature and I think mdThanatos covers it well when he mentions:
mdThanatos said:
I can understand the desire to personalize something but I think there should be some commons sense applied. Do a search for Nintendo Glock, or Star Wars Glock and you will see some that really resemble toys and could cause problems for someone. They changed toy guns to not look like real guns and now people are trying to make real guns look like toys.
Click to expand...
Then there is a counter argument which says real guns should never be within the reach of children. The discussion has gone on for years. My own taste in guns is merely an extension of my taste in a truck or my motorcycle. While I am not attracted to brightly or interestingly colored guns apparently there is a market niche for them as they do sell.

Ron
 
I consider lots of my firearms toys but I have had lots of “toys” that could kill. Racecars, motorcycles...

If it brings folks into our sport/pastime, they are safe and have fun, they can play with any color they want and I won’t care.
 
Hi...
I guess as with most things beauty is in the eye of the beholder...
Not for me though... I prefer blued steel and wood or stainless steel.
It took me a long time to buy a rifle with a synthetic stock and I only have one.
Took me a lot longer to buy a plastic fantastic handgun and I only have one of those also.
Never will be any painted colorful guns in my collection...just isn't my style.
 
I guess as with most things beauty is in the eye of the beholder...
Click to expand...

I agree, I would just rather agree with as many people about firearm ownership than be picky about what color they should be.
 
IMAG0049.jpg

This is my wife's gun. She enjoys shooting it, but is reluctant to shoot my other handguns. And wont get anywhere near my AR despite me trying to tell her that it is the mildest shooting gun I own.

Why? Because they look scary. I know, it's illogical, but that's where we are at. If her "pretty" gun helps break the ice for her it's all good with me.

This is also the firearm we keep at the ready (in a quick-open style safe) as a home defense gun. It certainly isn't my top pick from my collection, but I don't want her to be afraid to use it if she needs to.
 
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I recently visited a Central American country and their local police/militia were all carrying OD green Glock 17s.

Do you not consider that a "serious" color? They didn't look like toys to me but YMMV.
 
I'm guessing it is more a marketing move than anything. For those that only want traditional colors there are countless options, other colors not so much. As there are people here that would refuse a pink or teal gun as a gift I'm sure there are others in an untapped market that don't want an "off-putting" black/FDE/SS gun. Not to be nit picky I don't agree with the concept that a gun can't both preform and be flamboyant.
 
I'm all for free market, freedom of choice. If you're buying it, you can have whatever color you like. Personally, I tend to pay around $1K for a handgun and twice as much or more for a long gun, and if I was customizing it, the price would probably double again. I don't really have a use for a junky-looking polymer, especially in a gun aesthetically customized. I would have an expectation for class. Eccentricity might be fine, but not gaudiness. The Charter Arms Tiffany or the Kimber Bel Air aren't to my taste, but they're not as junky looking as the colorful LC9's. I admire engraving as an art, but haven't seen a heavily-engraved gun that I would want to own. I think I prefer the looks of polished, deeply-blued revolvers with walnut grips, or even black finishes with wood grips, but I favor the stainless steel for convenience. It seems stronger and easier to clean. In fact, it seems like anything other than solid stainless steel has always had the finish fail. The failure is not always consequential, like the 70 year old blued Ruger I have where the bluing is worn off a third of it, but it hasn't rusted. But the stainless guns just seem totally invulnerable. I can't imagine many colorful finishes being like that.
 
Personally I don't care what color you want your gun to be, and some of them are really attractive, like the Tiffany blue handguns. Gold plated is a little too gaudy for me, but to each his own.

Some of the non-traditional finishes seem to fool the eye that it isn't really a firearm at first look.

Additionally, out here in Arizona, black guns and traditional gun finishes left in the sun can make the firearm too hot to handle before you even start firing it.
 
My wife loves bright colors and unique looks. But she won't own a self-defense firearm unless it has a very businesslike appearance. Her rationale is that if she ever has to draw, she doesn't want there to be any doubt about whether it's a toy or not.

I can't argue with her...
 
Hey whatever floats your boat. I tend to like more classic stuff myself, so I'll pass on the bright colors. However those rugers rws_53 posted look good, they're not gaudy.
 
I have a blue one, too!:thumbup:

The grip panels on my nineteen elevens are red, tiger maple, green and black and white striped. One of my ARs has wood paneled nineteen eleven grips too. And also some red appointments. I have a Red Rascal and a bright blue FV-SR for my little bears. And many blued, wood and stainless, too.
I like something different. My next AR will be white. Maybe an AR ten.

I like anyone's preference for firearm color. Traditional to wack-a-doodle. Then I don't seem so eclectic.

Did I mention I like Hawaiian shirts? :)
 
I have only read the OP ...

Old Dog said:
... Do any of you have any thoughts about this?
Click to expand...
I, too, prefer the more traditional colors/materials but the way I look at it is ...

...if making some of the firearms more appealing-looking (perhaps initially less threatening/scary) to a younger generation helps to boost support for and participation in our firearms culture, GREAT! :D
 
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