Thursday, March 24, 2011

Part of normalizing something is lightening up about it.

As regular TUAK readers know, I've had a thing or two to say about pink guns here. Today Claire mentioned her opinion on the subject, and some of the comments she got led me to believe some folks need to lighten up a bit.

Sure, there are serious reasons for serious gun finishes. When I outfitted my own carbine, I went for deliberate ugly.


I went for ugly because I didn't ever want to sweat the scratches and dings a carry gun's gonna get out here, and because I wanted my carbine to make people wonder, "how crazy is this guy really?" Obviously it isn't for everybody. Normally you'd go for stainless or parkerized, or some more serious, more durable finish. Guns are tools, and tools are serious business. Sure.

But c'mon. Guns are also - or at least I hope we reach the stage where they are - personal accessories by which you can kind of express yourself. Would I carry a pink gun? Oh, hell no. But I'm a smelly old hermit, and it wouldn't go with the image. Anybody who paints her nails outlandish colors, or frets over the lace on her underwear, might get a big kick out of carrying a boomstick in an outré color. When that sort of thing becomes popular, we're seeing the re-normalization of personal weapons as a part of everyday wear. Which personally, I think is a good thing.

Anyway that's the direction I hope we're going. And if that means putting up with pink pistols, whether literal or metaphorical, I'm completely on board with it.

5 comments:

Mayberry said...

I'd like to get my girls a pink Savage .22 bolt rifle. If it'll get them to shoot... My youngest likes to, but my oldest is skittish.

Kevin Wilmeth said...

I'm with you on this, Joel. Personally, I find the concept of brightly colored weaponry to be rather non-functional, but to each his own.

I do think the greatest feature of the "pink gun" concept is the absolute "because I can, see?" stickfinger salute it implies.

Remember this glorious free-market innovation? Hell yeah. If my daughter (now two) wants her a pink rifle in the greatest Kaki King tradition, I'm listening... :-)

John Venlet said...

I went for ugly because I didn't ever want to sweat the scratches and dings a carry gun's gonna get out here, and because I wanted my carbine to make people wonder, "how crazy is this guy really?"

Joel, I like the ugly look, most specifically for the "how crazy is this guy really" visual effect. The only important aspect of your carbine is its functionality and reliable operation. My bet is that it functions as designed, and reliably at that.

MamaLiberty said...

I get a real pleasure (perverted as that might be considered) when people react with shock to see me - a 64+ year old lady - carrying a big, black .45 on her hip.

I seriously doubt anyone would question the idea that a woman who chooses to carry such a gun can and will actually use it for its intended purpose if messed with.

I don't expect ever to have to draw it in self defense... but I most certainly will if someone insists.

More power to anyone who wants a pink gun, but I'd certainly have some concerns about being taken seriously. That said, I will welcome a time when pink or whatever would merely be a fashion statement and the intent remained clear.

Kevin Wilmeth said...

More power to anyone who wants a pink gun, but I'd certainly have some concerns about being taken seriously. That said, I will welcome a time when pink or whatever would merely be a fashion statement and the intent remained clear.

Money.

Why can't I come up with observations like that? :-)