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

[Dr.Rob]

It's yours, do with it what you want.

I use 'slipover' flashhiders on 2 of my AR's (Colt 6920 and a CMMG 22) to get that XM-177 look and to 'just be a little different'. If my rifle is in a rack with a bunch of others (a LOT of AR's look the same) I know which one is mine instantly.

Adds a little weight up front, and once I loctited them down my accuracy improved. A LOT of people think they are some 'special caliber' because of the snouty look of the front end--I get asked about them at public ranges a lot.

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=107177&d=1255487762

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=152737&d=1321302463

PS: ask Justin if his 50 rd Black Dawg mag is practical, or his TOOL sticker

 

[Justin]

PS: ask Justin if his 50 rd Black Dawg mag is practical, or his TOOL sticker

Ha. Note that the sticker itself doesn't change how the gun works, it's unobtrusively cool. The same can be said for engravings and the like. I don't have an issue with personalizing or tactical-izing, or coolifying a gun, just so long as it doesn't mess up how the gun works.

The drum, on the other hand, generally works, so long as that rimfire upper is clean (it wasn't the day I had it out.) Admittedly, I bought the drum mostly because I wanted to make a political statement.

 

[Dr.Rob]

So where on the cool vs. practical rainbow does Curtis' boar-spear 12 ga. muzzle brake fall?

 

[desidog]

Everyone has one in red...

/Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

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.

Yep,this goes for sporterized misurps as well. It doesn't matter to me,nor should it, what you do with YOUR property. I do what suits my tastes with my stuff and I think you should have the same option. Paint your classic American Muscle Car any color you want. Get a gosh awful tattoo if you want one. Get that 1916 Luger nickel plated if that's what you want. It is nobody else's business!

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I don't have an issue with personalizing or tactical-izing, or coolifying a gun, just so long as it doesn't mess up how the gun works.

Exactly. All mods in my mind must at least be practical. It is even better though when they enhance the usability of the gun.

A good example is grips. You can get some pretty nice stuff. My favorites are Badger grips and Nills grips on a revolver. You can get grips that look absolutely beautiful, and "cool" as hell, but they also can enhance your grip, controlability, and thus your proficiency with that revolver.

 

[benEzra]

The Zombie comment is the one that hit home. I like good looking guns. Tactical guns, collector gems, innovative designs. But I hear too many grown men talking about "zombies" a little too seriously. It's disturbing.

Do you feel similarly about serious Cowboy Action Shooting/SASS aficionados? If not, why not?

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

GoWolfpack showed me a pic a few months ago of a pistol being advertised for sale online. Self-described as a "Zombie Gun", I can't remember what it was...but I DO remember the God-awful welding job on that pistol which, for want of a better description, was kind of like extending the trigger guard all the way down to the bottom of the pistol grip.

Only it was a cheaply done job with absolutely no artistic talent evident. Might as well have been a piece of angle-iron welded on.

We got a huge laugh from it. We've both looked for it and unfortunately couldn't find it...nor did we save a copy of the pic.

I remember suggesting that he print a copy of it to show to a local gunsmith as a way of screening him for trustworthiness. Show him the pic and ask "Would you make a gun like this?" If he says "no", then he'd know the gunsmith is somebody he can trust not to do something stupid.