Is trying to make your gun "look cool" okay?

I guess I just wanna know what others think of putting together builds just for the sake of making a cool looking firearm.

I was browsing Rimfirecentral and saw a semi custom 10/22 and just thought: " That optic is HUGE! Must weigh a ton and be totally impractical!"

I think I may do a build like that, even if it is totally impractical.

Anyone else do things to guns just to make them "look cool"?

Pics are awesome if you have a good example!

 

I don't know if I'd build something totally impractical just for looks but if asthetics are important to you why not?

 

If its your property. It's ok to do whatever you want to it within the boundaries of the law.
I'm not a fan of tacticool, but there are too many custom 1911's with needless bells and whistles out there to pass judgement
As far as gun toys, to each their own.

 

Now these are just for cool's sake.............

Ruger Charger.


CZ82 with Crimson Trace laser.



AK pistol.



GSG5 pistol.



.......but these are more for shooting.

Kel Tec KSG.


Rail and Streamlight TLR-2 on a Ruger 22/45.



Kel Tec PLR with Streamlight TLR-2 and Red Dot.

 

I hope someday to reach your level awesomeness M2

 

It's your gun! Do what you want.

 

Whenever I use to buy something unusual or expensive my Wife would ask me,
"Is that something you really want/need or is it just something to impress the other kids at the range?"

 

Of course it's cool to build a firearm for looks......as long you have a tang peep sight and maybe a few brass studs............

 

I was tired of my slide stop ans safety rusting due to my sweaty-arsed self carrying it everyday.

So I powder-coated them white for functional flair!
(This was done literally 4 hours ago lol)

 

Function over looks every time for me. I could care less what a tool such as a firearm looks like as long as it goes bang every time. I've added flashlights and such not for looks but to serve a function.

 

The key part of your question is "your gun"....it doesn't matter what I or anyone else thinks...It's your gun. If you like it, then do it.

 

Most of my guns fill 1 of three purposes. Self-defense, sentimental/collector value, or just for fun. Its your money, if you like it, and it meets a want/need for you then its all good.

My youngest son was big on video games, loved a couple of his first person shooter games because he could customize his guns in the game. Came to me and asked me if we couple paint his little Marlin 60. A couple of rattle can's later he ended up with a very cool little Zebra stripped .22lr. I had maybe $60 in the gun, and the look on his face when he shot it, was worth a lot more. (He still has it and loves it)

Be safe, but it it makes you happy then it is no body's business except yours.

(My oldest son later did his, and their best friend did his as well)

 

Yeah. I usually don't like the "tacticool" guns but last year I ran into a really good deal I just couldn't pass up. It was a 37mm launcher made just like the M203 so I just HAD to put it on a stock AR15 I had sitting around. I don't have a pic of mine, sorry, this is one I grabbed from the net but it does look just like mine, a Vietnam era M16 with 40mm launcher slung under it. Shoots pretty good too.

 

Speaking as a cz82 fan... How is a laser on one just a ''look cool''?

It's your gun, do anything to it you like (as long as it's safe). But if I think it's ridiculous I'll laugh.

sent using CPIP (see RFC 1149)

 

If it doesn't negatively affect function, I'll always pick what looks coolest.

 

nope... Id rather spend money on high end triggers/ trigger jobs and barrels where most people would never notice.

 

just my opinion but I hate tacticool guns and think they are butt uglier than fitos you know what. most of the so called functional junk isn't actually functional in the real world anyway. If the military doesn't use it then its no good... if it worked in the real world the military would be using it.
It also mind boggles me with all the people who are preparing for a zombie out break... really?! zombies are science fiction

 

I'm generally on the practical side of things but consider 10/22s to be different. There are 2 reasons to own a 10/22 and modifying them is one of them.

 

I bought a used Charter Arms Explorer II pistol since its Mauser Broomhandle look always appealed to me. I was a bit disappointed because it was clumsier than my real Mauser C96 Broomhandle pistol, and actually not as handy as my Armalite AR7 rifle.

So I decided to dress it up as a "space gun" with odds and ends I had at hand, including a long eye relief pistol scope:

Since then, I have used a old scope mount clamp (1" over 3/4") to attach a laser sight to the left side of the scope (gripping the gun with left hand around the magazine, the left thumb is in position to operate the on/off switch). Mostly for funnsies, but maybe I could use it to snipe squirrels.

 

I've done up my 10/22 some, too, but more for handling than cool factor, because it is a home defense weapon. All I did was the Tapco stock and sling (the latter of which I admit was pretty much entirely for "cool".) It already had a scope on it from 20+ years ago, but just a simple Bushnell 3x9 one for rimfires.

Of course it's okay. No different than dressing up one's ride some, and lots of us do that.

 

javajacob writes:

So, you're driving a HMMWV to work every day? I'm jealous.

 

I will realistically probably never have to use my guns to defend myself. On the other hand, it's a certainty that I will look at them almost every single day. Therefore, to maximize utility, it is important for me to have guns that are as cool looking as possible.

My idea of 'cool' is old school steel, parkerizing and birch stocks rather than tactical blacktical, but live and let live I say, as long as people are honest about their motives when accessorizing.

 

I put a quad rail on my AR, not the free float type, and all it has done is make the rifle front end heavy. I'll be changing it out for a Magpul one soon. It does look "cooler" though I guess. It's just not practical since it upsets the balance and handling characteristics of the rifle.


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To each their own. To me firearms are simply tools, if an addition increases a unit's utility it's justified otherwise it's just an added expense that doesn't help pay the bills. This philosophy applies to cars, computers and hand tools as well.

 

The most that I have done is add a sling and scope to one of my rifles. I'm not into all the bling.