Are many people more interested in how their gun looks than how it functions

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I am willing to pay significantly more for a 'pretty' gun that is reliable, accurate, rugged, etc. than I will for a budget gun with the same characteristics. I am a real sucker for good walnut, polished blued steel, and graceful lines. I will NOT give up,though, any aspect of good design, accuracy, and reliability to get good looks. Luckiy, these are not characteristics that are exclusive of each other if one understands gun design, function, and history.
 
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Absolutely. While my carry pistols and rifles were selected primarily with functionality in mind, the the rest of my collection is driven by aesthetics, nostalgia, and admiration for the craftsmanship.
 
I hate stainless steel or anything blingy on guns. I prefer straight forward performers. Looks are nice but function is everything.
 
All of my guns were bought with function in mind. I also take pride in their appearance as it reflects how they were maintained over the years.
 
I think most folls do take looks into account (although the condition of old guns at gunshows may tell otherwise).Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so what some people think looks good looks ugly to another, making it hard to see they chose it for its looks. For instance, I know many love leveractions with magazine tubes shorter than the barrel and revolvers with short ejector rods. I think anything other than full-length are hideously ugly, but obviously its opinion.
 
Considering the vast majority of entry level shooters buy a black plastic pistola, I don't know if they consider looks as much as how it "feels in the hand". Maybe they do consider looks, but it would be a matter of selecting the least ugly of the bunch.
 
Good lord, I sure hope not. If you want something to look at, and beauty and aesthetics are your main concern, then you should be buying art.

That being said, with the variety of guns out there and the plethora of different manufacturers, there's no reason not to get a gun that functions properly, works for you, and is good looking to your eye as well.

I don't own an ugly gun. There are enough options out there to find something both functional and good looking. I'm also a firm believer that if the gun suits you, works properly, and looks nice to your eye, the more you will like the gun. The more you like the gun, the more you will practice.
 
35 posts and not one use of "wall-hanger." Theres a lot of wall hangers sold out there as decoration... if it's an antique wall ornament, i guess that's quite a different class than the bbq/pimp guns pictured above.
 
george burns said:
Do you think that primarily new shooters, who start carrying, are enamored more by what the firearm looks like rather than what it's capability's are.
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New shooters?

Oh yea, they do look at the cool factor far more than anything else.

Deaf
 
Popular culture drives what newbies desire, I think that 30 years ago, appearance counted more for a carry gun. Glock changed that.

My "pretty" carry gun is a Baer SRP in hard chrome. It's also my most accurate carry gun, and the heaviest. It gets some carry time, but my Shield and Glocks get the vast majority of it.
 
desidog said:
35 posts and not one use of "wall-hanger." Theres a lot of wall hangers sold out there as decoration... if it's an antique wall ornament, i guess that's quite a different class than the bbq/pimp guns pictured above.
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Pretty rare in these parts to see a carry gun used as a decorative wall-hanger.
 
desidog said:
35 posts and not one use of "wall-hanger." Theres a lot of wall hangers sold out there as decoration... if it's an antique wall ornament, i guess that's quite a different class than the bbq/pimp guns pictured above.
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Hmmm, I don't know that I'd classify the above pictured guns as "pimp guns". Granted, two of them aren't quite my taste, but I've seen waaaaaaayyyyyyy pipmier guns than those. But one person's hot rod is another person's jalopy.

pimpier definition = adj. To possess more bling or gaudy visual effect than other pimpesque items or individuals, to be more pimp, sufficiently pimp to be considered more baller than other pimps, See also Dos Equis guy
 
CLP said:
If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life
Never make a pretty woman your wife
So for my personal point of view
Get an ugly girl to marry you
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Take care, sir. I am considered reasonably attractive and my hubby is very happy.

In spite of the TI floating around here keep in mind two basic truths 1.) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and 2.) There is no disputing a matter of taste.

I have a double barrel black powder rifle that to most eyes would be ugly. I've heard it described as two water pipes on a stick many times. With it a skilled operator can put a .75 caliber slug in a deer's heart at 100 meters. The lessor skilled operator can allow the wind from the slug to knock the animal down and run over to hit it in the head with a hammer.

While it won't win any beauty contests I helped my uncle make the weapon. He took great care in advising me on the proper method and heat to TIG the barrels together and the rather ingenuous method of keeping both barrels to have the same point of impact at 75 yards. The device is the symbol of those months when the crazy OMB shared with me the activity he loved so well.

Likewise for your consideration a certain M1 Garand my Dad obtained from CMP. Quite frankly the thing looks like it was delivered in a junk wagon drove down 40 miles of bad road. When Dad presented it to my Grandfather the old man cradled it much the same way I did my older child when she was a newborn. The old man didn't see the gouges in the stock or the dings on the metal. All he saw was the peace treaty he made with that flavor of rifle somewhere between France and Germany.

Take the most physically ugly person or product and spend a number of years, share a thousand experiences and make a million memories the day will come when you realize he, she or it is one of the most beautiful things you have ever seen simply because he, she or it is an integral part of your life that you would feel empty without.
 
george burns said:
Do you think that primarily new shooters, who start carrying, are enamored more by what the firearm looks like rather than what it's capability's are.
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Of course they are. Just like they make decisions many times based on price. For many new shooters(and old ones too) how "cool" a gun looks to them and their friends is important. One reason you see so many new shooters with those pistol grip SD/HD shotguns at the range. Or the duo-tone or flashy digital camo finishes. There are whole threads devoted to "which camo looks the best on my new AR? Many times folks new to buying guns are shocked at the price tag on a quality gun that may look plain, so the less quality gun with some cool do-dads on it gets the nod.

Every time one of these threads comes up and I give my opinion, I am trashed by those that are offended because I don't care what a gun looks like. I am told that a must be a lazy fat poor slob and can't afford nice guns, so I am resentful of those that can....:rolleyes: Truth is I can afford "pretty" guns, but tend to go for function other than looks. I rather have a handgun with grips that fit my hand and are comfortable to shoot with than something that costs half again as much as the gun and doesn't do anything positive for the shooting experience. How many times have we seen posts where folks ask "which grips look the best on this gun?". How the gun looks is so important they feel the need to get the opinions of others. Many times in a follow up post they claim that the fancy grips are only worn when the gun is to be shown...they put the rubber grips back on for shooting. Doesn't that tell us where the priorities lie? Do fancy fish scale slide serrations make the slide easier to rack or do they just look cooler than plain? Does a fancy engraved gun done by master engraver Chuck E. Scroll make the gun more accurate or just make it like look nice? How about custom grips made outta rare African Iguana horn? Do they make the gun more reliable? I'm not saying any of those things are bad, just that they are there for looks and are important not only to new shooters but old shooters. There's a post here about nice wood and deep blueing. Is a wood stock as stable and accurate as the new composite stocks? Does the deep bluing make the barrel more accurate as compared to stainless or composite sleeved? No, and in the case of rain and wet humid weather during a extended hunting trip, a wood stock can be a deterrent to accuracy and deep bluing a pain to keep from getting rusty and pitted. The decision to buy is based on looks.......and that's just fine. Folks do it all the time.

It comes down to whether folks look at a gun as a tool or a piece of art. Many of us look at them as a combo of both, only to different extents. Similar to a motorcycle. I like my RK to look nice, but all the chrome in the world won't get me home safely. I like it clean, but I don't wear the paint off washing it. I'd rather ride. I like my guns to be accurate and to function. I like them as maintenance free as possible. If they look cool to others, all the better, but it ain't a priority. For those it is, enjoy it and keep doing what makes you feel good about your guns. It's all good.
 
No, at least not in the long run.
But for new shooters, they start with what catches their eye.

In my case, if it's pretty it better still work.
If it's ugly, it better work really well.
 
I'm kinda picky how my guns look , but I dont take it too far.

Functionality is by far my foremost concern , always has been . If it looks good doing it , it's just a bonus :cool:
 
Do you think that primarily new shooters, who start carrying, are enamored more by what the firearm looks like rather than what it's capability's are.
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why do i get the feeling you dont think people should care about how their gun looks?

im gonna be honest, i like a good looking gun......i like blued steel, i like polished stainless, i like nice walnut......

my primary carry gun is a SP101 with walnut badger boot grips....looks stunning....yes, i could have bought a glock, M&P, Sig, ect......but i like the way the SP101 looks.

the gun shoots straight and is 100% reliable.....and i have 10 rounds of .357 on tap with a speed loader.


hell, even on my GP100, it came with a nice, comfortable set of rubber hogue grips........i took those off and replaced them with walnut grips.......nothing wrong with the old ones, hell, they probably work better than the wood ones.....they just didnt look as nice....

to me, the aesthetic was worth the slight degrade in 'performance'....
 
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I don't see why it has to be one or the other. Although I do see a common belief that it's more macho to say you don't care about looks and to prefer utilitarian "tools", to the point of pretentiousness. Bah. Guess what handgun I carried more last hunting season and took more critters with than any other? Here's a hint, it wasn't a "tool".

IMG_2281b.jpg
 
It's a two-way street...

How many old guys complain about everything polymer or stainless?

Splitting the field doesn't do anyone any good.
 
CraigC said:
I don't see why it has to be one or the other. Although I do see a common belief that it's more macho to say you don't care about looks and to prefer utilitarian "tools", to the point of pretentiousness.
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It doesn't have to one way or the other. Kinda why I said...."enjoy it and keep doing what makes you feel good about your guns. It's all good!"

But, you're post makes reenforces another statement I made and is the just of the OP in this thread......"For many new shooters(and old ones too) how "cool" a gun looks to them and their friends is important."

The posts here show how a gun looks is important to buyers and owners. That importance is what keeps custom gunsmiths, grip makers, engravers and yes, even holster makers in business. It's why most all major gun manufacturers make upper end models or add fancy do-dads like slab side barrels and odd-ball slide serrations. While they generally add to the looks, but add nuttin' to the performance, folks buy them based on the way they look. Again, not a bad thing at all. Just human nature.

There really is no reason to look down one's nose or make belittling statements just cause they don't agree. Be happy they are different. Makes the world a much more enjoyable place to live.
 
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