Your personal Aesthetic tastes?

[Panzercat]

For some reason I like it old skool: Gears and levers and cylinders and such. For example, I would rather have a 1887 Lever action shotty than a pump.
Chose: Other.

 

[Deus Machina]

I'm a steampunk fan, so the things made during the transition from black powder to smokeless are nice. Nothing quite like a .30-30.

Oddly, I'm not a huge fan of revolvers for their aesthetics, usually. I don't actively enjoy anything that doesn't have a heavy barrel and full-length shroud. Do have to love the Colt Pythons.

Do love my WW2 surplus. Rubbed wood and blued or parkerized autoloading pistols and rifles of all sorts.

In contrast, I do find that the new crop of EBR's and polymer pistols are sleek, look 'sporty', work well, snap nicely into place for me... but they just seem so mercenary and soulless.

 

[Daniel]

Old anti-tank rifles. Lots and lots of streamlined steel.

My absolute favorite is the old 14.5mm PTRD bolt gun. Some would say it's damn ugly, but I love the steel tube-like basic construction, and throw in the large caliber round, and it's awesome to me (plinking steel targets, like cars, at 1 KM. + in the middle of the desert is my definition of fun).

 

[Owen Sparks]

I have been around some serious shooters. Some went to war where they bet their life on a rifle that they lived with night and day. Others were competitive shooters who fired thousands upon thousands of rounds in practice and traveled the match circuit. The one thing that I noticed that these people have in common is that they consider a firearm a tool rather than an ornament and how it looks is not all that important. You don't gain a lot of skill by babying your tools. You gain skill by wearing them out and then wearing out their replacements.

 

[HDCamel]

My aesthetics don't really cover just one style of firearm. I personally think that most polymer pistols are ugly as hell, but there are a lot of steel pistols that annoy my aesthetic sensibilities as well. For example, 1911s with all the bells and whistles are especially ugly in my eyes.
As far as rifles go, I love AR-15s (as long as they aren't covered with rails and accessories) but I despise how most hunting rifles look. They're dull and uninteresting. Wood or polymer doesn't really matter. Also, the SCAR is a gun that I think looks especially cool, even when it is tacticool.

It's complicated.

 

[Atom Smasher]

I have been around some serious shooters. Some went to war where they bet their life on a rifle that they lived with night and day. Others were competitive shooters who fired thousands upon thousands of rounds in practice and traveled the match circuit. The one thing that I noticed that these people have in common is that they consider a firearm a tool rather than an ornament and how it looks is not all that important. You don't gain a lot of skill by babying your tools. You gain skill by wearing them out and then wearing out their replacements.

At the same time though, it's so very easy to recognize that these tools can also be appreciated for their looks. Take, for example, automobiles. You have a basic tool (getting you from point A to B) but cars can also have a beauty to them as well. I can appreciate a new F150 for my work, allowing me to transport things around or whatever, but you can't tell me that an old 1955 Chevy, cleaned up and restored, wouldn't also be a good work vehicle while also having an aesthetic appeal.

I'm not saying we should buy guns for purely how they look, that would be silly. Everybody would be running around will scroll work shotguns and super-awesome Colt SAA with nickel everywhere. Instead, we purchase firearms for their functionality, durability, and other mechanical-minded reasons; this doesn't mean we can't take some time to appreciate them for how they look.

 

[gym]

I like all guns that are well made well, functioning and doing what they were made to do. From a revolver with custom burled wood grips, to a Glock that carries 15 rounds and fires every time, to a synthetic or wooden stocked rifle that can put round on target at 500 yards, to shotguns, long barrell for birds, or short for HD. I can't see having a narrow view of so many different types of great guns out there. I like pocket pistols, for their concealability, weather they are steel or poly, if they work and are accurate little guns i'll take the one that feels right for me.I think limiting what you like in anything, closes your mind to the possibilities you will never discover looking at things in a box. I carry 2 poly guns for their ease of operation and weight, but I love shooting my 1911 govt, more if I were making a trip to the range. It's just that carrying a Govt model in the heat in FL is just too much work, I did it when i was a younger man with a commander, but in my 60's it's akward to hide and lug around, aside from the salt from sweating in this heat, it's much easier to throw on a glock 26, and go.

 

[HOOfan_1]

I like styles from all different eras.

I like the Kentucky long rigle, I like the Hawken rifle.
I like the Sharps and the 1873 Springfield
I like the Winchester 1892/1886/1894
I like the Colt SAA, I like the S&W Schofield
I like the 1911, I like the Hi-Power
I like the K98 Mauser and the 1903 Springfield.
I like the SxS and OU shotguns and rifles
I like the Browning A5, I like the Remington 1100
I like the Remington 870, I like the Winchester 1912
I like the sporting rifles with the nice grained wood Bolt and 1886 and Ruger No.1 style
I like the M40A2 and the M24
I like the M14, I like the Garand, I like the M1 Carbine
I like the AR15, I like the AK 47, I like the FAL
I like the S&W Gen 3s, I like the SIG P220 and descendants
I like the Glock, I like the HK USP, I like the FNP
I like the Beretta 92FS

Not a fan of the Accuracy International or the Blaser R8 tactical style
Not a fan of the newest AR ized M24 (XM2010)
Not a fan of the Chey Tac stuff
Not a fan of Hi-Point
Not a fan of the T/C Contender
Not a fan of the Kriss
Not a fan of the Px4 Storm