I recently received a piece of unsolicited advice, my favorite kind, from a gun guy. He felt that to focus on colorful gear, watered down ArmedCandy’s message. He said, pink and turquoise weren’t very tactical, and my time could better spend elsewhere. I wasn’t thrilled to read this, but I wasn’t really offended either. His comment made me realize that I may be forever explaining this part of my philosophy to men.
I know my turquoise rifle doesn’t mean that it’s a better gun, but I do believe that it will be part of what makes me a better shooter, eventually. I realize this may be a shocking idea for men (and maybe for some women too). So if you’re one of the shocked people, let me ask you a question: have you ever seen a woman wear a pair of shoes out the door that she considers uncomfortable? If you asked her why, she might respond, “But they make my butt look so good.”or “They make me feel sexy.”
The point is, there’s a pay off, even if its completely personal and no one else notices it but her, it’s there. This can be the key when a hobby, like shooting goes from fun, to hard or slightly less rewarding. We all have a bad day at the range; When you’re shots aren’t land where they should. Personally, I go home, berate myself and put my range bag in a spot where I won’t have to look at it for a while. However, my turquoise gun and my colorful sling will never stay hidden for long. I guess like looking at them too much. And after seeing them on the mantle for a few days they begin to beg to be used, and before I know it I’m back at the range.
How can anything that gets me to practice more, be a distraction from my message? Are there any other women who use this kind of motivation? Or are any guys out there who are willing to admit that they are similarly moved?
FWIW, I like the turquoise. But that doesn’t really matter. It’s YOUR GUN and so how it looks is your call. Vive la difference, no?
From my experience working different jobs in different fields I can tell you this: There is ALWAYS someone who is ready and waiting to tell you you’re doing it wrong. I don’t care what you’re doing, how good you are or how minuscule the difference is there will always be “that guy” who knows better.
Do I enjoy any of my guns on an aesthetic level? Oh yea!
His objection was idiotic. How many people are ever going to actually need guns in “tactical” colors that blend in to their environment? Even if it’s self defense, you don’t need “tactical” colors. Stainless steel sure isn’t a tactical color and I bet he would have no complaints with that. I bet his pickup truck isn’t camouflaged or matte black! People shoot because they enjoy shooting. If a pink gun makes you enjoy shooting even more, all the better! And if shooting matte black or flat dark earth rifles makes you happy, good for you.
Yeah!!!
Guy here, and I, for one, am tired of the whole “the only reason to have a gun is as a fighting tool” bit. If turquoise, pink, or neon green trips your trigger, GO FOR IT. This shooting business really should be FUN.
Interesting Gabby, I personally like your rifle as I don’t care much for the black guns. I like old style guns with wood and blued barrels. That’s why I have Garand and a M1carbine. I refinished the Garand cause the wood looked so bad from years of neglect by my dad. I get a lot of uuuuu’s and aaaaahhh’s at the range. To me that’s a real gun. Now, when it comes to men, that’s another subject altogether. Men just don’t get women. Look at our clothes closet…full of simple color shirts and pants. Most men don’t own more than few pair of shoes. Now look at your own closet. You must men are simple creatures…we think about sex, food, sex, sex, food, sleep, job, family, sex, food, sex…black guns. Men don’t feel the need to be sexy…sexy to us is a naked women in bed…completely different for women…and men just don’t get it…so I say Gabby, paint your gun any color you want, to hell with what men think. If you like it, go for it!
Gabby,
You hang in there. Some people just don’t get it that there is a big difference between recreational shooting and tactical/combat shooting. In recreational shooting the only thing that really matters is do the bullets go where you want them to go. The “color” of the gun has absolutely no affect on that. In tactical/combat shooting you may need to be concerned about camoflague, but how many of us really have to worry about that?
WHO THE HELL CARES? Ok yeah I’m more of a black polymer or walnut/blued metal guy myself. (And happily so).. But really I’m not the one carrying it. So if it gets him or her on to the range/carrying it, does it really matter if its pink with hello kitty plastered all over the damned rifle and a chain saw hung off the front end?
Sorry if I’m a little over the top but this you must carry a black/camo/green gun in 1911/a caliber starting with 4 crap is getting on my damned nerves!!!
The fact that there’s a choice is great. They didn’t pay for your choices. You didn’t solicit opinions or ask for help. You define your message. If they don’t like it, they need not visit.
I’ve never understood “colors” on a gun. That said, if you can, why not if it makes you happy. But pink? Please.
Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon on ‘Get Smart’) used a red revolver. I think this was the first “girly gun’.
I’m not a “pink girl” but I think ALL the options should be available to us
Running into a Range Commando is unavoidable, it’s going to happen. The fact is that that this is an expensive hobby, so if you’re going to drop a ton of money on a rifle, you should love everything about it. If you don’t absolutely love it, you probably won’t use it as much. The bright colors aren’t my thing but I’ll bet your purple rifle goes bang, just the same as a black one, and that’s really all that matters.
You make a good point.
I think black and stainless have come to symbolize serious guns, and that is what you see. But, the world of guns is starting to open up. We see multiple Camo colors for shotguns, and some hunting rifles. ARs are now popular with Coyote tan, FDE, and Ranger green, even multicam, and ATACS. Many 22lr semi-autos are now in many colors. I think the Ruger (walther?) .22 in Lime green is awesome.
While we may want our CCW gun to look serious, there is no reason other guns need to be black.
Sig Sauer makes 1911s in many colors, they look great. Folks spend a lot of money on nice handgrips for their 1911.
When the special Glocks come out in an and green, they are very popular.
I think the gun makers have been fortunate they have been getting by making mostly black guns.