Do you own a handgun that’s not black or steel gray?
Having a gun that’s a “fun” color would have been unheard of 50 years ago, but now with the popularity of polymer frames, that’s all changed. Now you can purchase a variety of different guns in a rainbow of colors.
Are you game to buy a different colored gun?
Old School Guns
Guns used to come in basic metallic colors with different finishes that were either shiny or matte. Of course, there was also just a metallic stainless steel finish, like the Smith & Wesson Model 646 — which is a double action revolver with a six shot capacity, and a gorgeous piece of weaponry that was made in 2000 and 2003.
There is also the concept of “bluing,” which is really just a black oxidizing finish over steel to give it a protective shell. The color then ended up being a blue-black hybrid. It ends up looking very sharp and being beneficial as well because it helps protect the gun from rust.
A Hot Debate
Many in the community feel dislike the idea of coloring guns. In a poll taken by the USCCA, they found that people who consider themselves serious shooters don’t think that “colored guns can be taken seriously.” Others also worry that making the gun a fun color would make it more appealing to kids. The lesson at the end of the day with any gun you own is to make sure it’s locked away in a proper safe in your home.
But a good majority of the people polled felt that it didn’t matter what color gun you had, as long as you shot well.
The First Colored Gun
Many gun manufacturers jumped on the colored gun wagon with one very specific color, Flat Dark Earth. This is a brownish-green shade that sold out with many brands. People liked that they could buy a different colored gun in a trendy shade.
Gun makers also felt that, of course, women might be more likely to purchase guns in different colors, especially pink. Many guns started coming in more colors like pink, purple, and even Tiffany Blue to appeal to women. Men ended up buying these guns in different colors just as much as women did.
The only colors that guns shouldn’t really come in are bold red and royal blue. Those are the “dummy,” or non-lethal style of gun that is used in weapons training for the military or law enforcement.
People Just Like Variety
People who aim to own a large collection of firearms like that there is the option to switch things up from basic black or steel. It’s all about personal preference, but it seems like the popularity of different colored guns isn’t going away anytime soon.
In fact SAR USA just announced their new BC6 compact pistol in Flat Dark Earth (naturally), and OD Green. Both are pretty sharp looking and just might be the perfect gun if you want to jump into a your first colored pistol.
Here’s the NRA with more on the growing popularity of coloring firearms.
