May 11 2012

There has been a lot of dispute on the internet lately concerning pink guns. Some people think that pink guns are a sexist approach by the manufactueres to sell to women; some people think pink guns are just a desperate attempt to make women interested in  shooting to begin with; some think they look too much like a toy; and then there are those who actually like pink guns.

I usually don’t jump into these petty disputes (honestly, why are we even taking the time to write about this), but I haven’t seen anybody make the obvious arguments yet, and I’m sick of waiting.

So here are a few points I’d like to discuss on pink guns.

Pink guns are flying off the shelves at gun stores. Whether it is because men are buying them for women, or women are buying them themselves; it makes no difference. Pink guns sell. This is why the manufacturers keep producing them.  It makes business sense.

Guns come in a variety of colors. It’s not like pink is the only “off” color that manufacturers are producing. There are guns available in tan, OD green, or in camouflage as well.  Now if someone is going to try to tell me that there is tactical reason that manufacturers are producing these colors and selling them to civilians; I’m sorry, but just I can’t jump on board with that. Unless someone is going to go play weekend warrior in the woods or at the sand dunes, I don’t think any of those colors meet the “tactical” criteria for civilian use. The same can be said for the stainless steel, chrome, or any other gun that isn’t black.

Everyone has their own idea of what pretty is. Some people like black guns, some people like stainless with rosewood grips, some people like pink.  Should the manufacturers stop producing pink guns because some men and women don’t like them? I don’t personally like OD green guns, but I wouldn’t raise hell about them on the internet. I simply don’t buy guns in OD green. If someone doesn’t like a pink gun, there is almost always the option of buying it in black instead.

For those who think they look too much like a toy, let me remind you, the tip of the pink gun isn’t painted orange. If a woman ever has to pull a pink gun on someone, it should be because the threat is doing something so heinous that they need to stop NOW. It should also be morally and legally justifiable.  If the threat on the other end of the gun has confusion as whether or not the gun is real, that’s his problem.  He shouldn’t have attempting to commit a felony against the woman to begin with.

The “toy” argument could be made for any off color gun. And let’s be honest, pink guns have been around for years, it’s no news flash.

Here’s an argument: many women consider pink to be fun.  If pink guns make shooting  more fun for even just a few women,  then that just helps what should be everybody’s cause: to bring more women into the shooting sports and industry.

On a final note, I would like to point out that almost every woman who has seen my pink gun has asked where she can get one just like it. Every time I post a picture of it, my inbox gets flooded with emails asking me the same.

Everyone is different, everyone has different tastes. I always tell my students that guns are a very personal decision. Infact, gun collections are like bra and underwear collections. Everybody wants and needs something different, and it’s really nobody else’s business. Let’s all just play nice and stop worrying about the colors of other people’s guns.

SOME ADVICE FOR LADIES CONSIDERING A PINK GUN

Ladies (and gents), if you are considering buying a pink gun (or turning one pink), please don’t be afraid to because of what other’s might think. It does not make you any less of shooter or any less of a person. Look at me, I carry a pink gun everyday and compete with a pink gun. People still come from all over WA and OR to take my classes, and people from all over the world read this blog. Everyone who shoots with me respects both me and the pink gun:  just ask the soldiers in the Oregon National Guard.

On a cautionary note: please don’t buy a gun just because it is pink. Most guns can be “pinked” after market via duracoat or cerakote for a fair price.  Choose the gun you love and that works for you, then worry about the color.