Do you like "Pretty Guns"?

I've been buying guns for 40+ years, and the last 10 or so I've acquired a taste for engraved guns and I've got a few but not many, they come at a price that's usually not for the faint of heart

Henry Golden Boy


1957 Colt National Match





Kimber K6s Combat

 

Im not usually into engraved guns, but that Kimber is pretty sharp!

Honestly, I only have one "Special Edition" with rolled engraving and I wish it didnt, lol.

 

Do you like "Pretty Guns"?
Some of them, but not for usin'.

 

I like them but don't own any. I am too cheap to pay the $ for them, plus I want guns that I can use. I have a couple of plastic stocks that I can use to push down a barbed wire fence. Wouldn't do that with a nice piece of Claro Walnut.

 

Very much so and I am so very jealous!
I am a big fan of elegant mechanics as a form of artistry, and am I similarly a fan of artistry on elegant mechanics.

 

I guess it depends on the definition of “pretty”. In my opinion, nothing beats the dark mirror blue in a classic S&W revolver.

 

Not particularly.
I have a hard time making myself use a gun that's too pretty.
Function comes first.

 

I hear comments like “function before form” and it’s “too pretty” from others too and to be honest I don’t get it … it the icing on the cake!

I shoot all my guns, ugly, pretty or middle of the road. The pretty ones get a little extra attention but like every other gun, when I get home I clean, oil & put it away … and honestly the engraved guns don’t get shot as much as my regular shooters, but they do get used.

I was a little reluctant to spend $650 on this Sharps “Jack” 308 receiver, Leupold Tactical scope & JP Enterprise everything else … but I wanted a super accurate and unique 6.5 Creedmoor, it’s become my favorite AR, but when I get it home it too gets more attention than my 25 year old Colt AR

 

As long as they shoot well I can handle nicely engraved guns. Can't recall the name right now, but was sold under a label of "union" arms. The revolver was made in 1870 or 1871 according to my research. It was factory engraved. It was also shootable but I never fired it. I sold it a few years back on Gunbroker . It didn't bring near the money I thought it should. I have another engraved revolve from that time period made in Belgium or Spain. That one is in pieces and I haven't gotten around to working on it.

 

I have one gun, a Colt Combat Commander, that was part of a limited edition put out by Colt's Custom Shop. Besides having an action job done on it as well as being accurized. It has a Gold Cup trigger (and it's as good if not better than that found on a Gold Cup), an MMC rear sight, and brightest and shiniest bright nickel plating you'll ever see on a Colt Combat Commander!


It was actually too beautiful (to me at least), to take it to the range; it was that "pretty"! In need of some travelling money one year, I sold it to a friend of mine with the condition that I had the right of first refusal if he ever decided to sell it. Well I was away for quite a few years but one day I made it back home and dropped in on my old friend. He was still around and couldn't stop thanking me enough for selling him this fine shooting (and great looking), gun!

Now I knew I had to get it back and eventually I hit upon the right trade material (a Colt Officer's Model ACP and a surplus Walther P1), to return it to it's "rightful owner" (me), and finally get to enjoy the custom features and accuracy of this "Pretty Gun" that was too nice looking for me to want to shoot it!

 

Bling does not make a firearm shoot any better than the non-bling gun. So bling is not for me.

 

My thing is high polished SS and a good set of grips. Engraving looks nice but I like clean lines and a bright mirror finish that won't flake off.

 

As much as I appreciate the skills of engravers I have never had any urge to own an engraved gun. But I don't like tattoos either.

 

Amen. My avatar qualifies as "pretty," I suppose, but I would never carry it for self defense. Some people would and did. Clint Smith (and Heidi ) each had guns identical to mine. I know that Clint often carried his and Heidi named her gun "The whore" because everybody wanted to use it. Clint sent his back to be re-finished a few years back. When it arrived we were horrified, it looked like it had been dragged behind a truck down a gravel road. I think Clint is the ultimate " If I own it I'm gonna shoot it," guy.

 

Prettiest gun I own is my Kimber Micro 9 Rapide Black Ice.

 

Really depends on the kind of pretty.

 

I have a few extra party ones.
Funny thing is....I never bought any of them!
My boys bought this for my Christmas one year: ruger American Farmer edition.

My brother-in-law gave me this after he won it in a raffle.

My lovely mrs bought this '51 Marshall for Christmas.....

My aunt gave me this python(it was in horrible condition)

I am blessed to have such a wonderful family

 

To me, pretty is an old walnut stock, blued steel, lovingly used and mildly patinaed.

 

Yes, I do. I have a total of one engraved gun I commissioned. Thought I had a photo of it on file; I don't.
Just understand my idea of 'pretty' is not the same as others.

 

I like your style! As of this afternoon I broke my hiatus from Kimber 1911’s with this Rapide Black Ice 45

 

Armored farmer

I have a wife who does the same thing in buying me "pretty guns" for Christmas!

 

FROGO207

Yeah, me too!

 

Yes, I do. Sadly I can't afford the fancy engraved ones that I want. But I have some "pretty" old guns anyway. All mine are walnut and blued steel, and to me that's about as pretty as you can get.

Mac

 

kimberkid

Love the Colt National Match from 1957!

 

Yes. Pretty is in the eye of the beholder. The guns I consider pretty would disappoint most folks.