It seems that every time I pick up an issue of my favorite gun magazine, some company is introducing another pink gun, specifically targeted to women shooters. I’m not sure where this craze started, but my feelings toward it haven’t changed. I’m all for getting more women interested in the shooting sports, but does the color pink really inspire me to get out on the range? Maybe for some, but not me. I don’t know about you, but anytime I find myself on the range or at a shooting club, I am generally in the minority (in case you are wondering, I am female) and I don’t really need a neon fuchsia pink pistol to draw attention to the fact there is a woman on the firing line. In fact, I’d like to be as innocuous as the rest of the line-up. I’m there to concentrate on my shooting skills, not to draw unnecessary attention to my lack thereof, thank you. So where does the pink pistol popularity come from? Perhaps some marketing guys were looking to get more women to BUY guns and after reading several fashion magazines, came to consider PINK as a driving factor for purchasing. Maybe leopard print is next. How about rhinestones? Come on guys, give me a break. A gun is a tool, not a fashion accessory.
Another reason I don’t like pink guns is that pink is the color now associated with breast cancer awareness. Products bearing the pink color are to remind buyers that their dollars can help in the research for a cure. I just don’t like the association. As someone who has lost a loved one to the disease, the color pink on products is a constant reminder and a reminder I don’t want to see associated with a firearm. If its awareness you want to create, have an event, get people together in the spirit of giving and rejoicing. Otherwise, keep the pink off the pistol.
As far as home defense, I still don’t see the purpose of pink. So you are facing the bad guy that is going to do bad things to you and your family and maybe, just maybe, he’ll die laughing but I’d rather have my home defense gun be one big bad-assed black gun that will turn him into wall art. Keep the pink to yourselves marketing gurus and take your wife, girlfriend, mother, or sister to the range instead. Don’t forget – black is always in fashion.
Trust me, it’s not the marketing gurus behind this one.
Work in a gun store for a while, and you’ll notice a strange phenomenon where any pink/purple firearm placed in the cabinet for sale suddenly vanishes within a matter of hours or days.
Quite bluntly, there’s a huge number of women shooters who will buy a “pink gun” because “it’s so cute!” or because they feel like it looks more inviting to them than, say, a matte-black GLOCK. They’re not concerned with the opinions of others so much as being satisfied with their purchase.
And for self defense…well, if you need to use it, the only reaction to be concerned about is going to be hitting the bad guy.
Well, looks like I’ll have to eat my pink baseball hat! But that’s no matter; you’re working the other side of the counter and what sells is what matters. Personally, still not big on pink, but, let’s keep this between ourselves, l do love a shiny gun! Thanks for commenting!
When men start shooting baby-blue guns, then I’ll start shooting pink guns.
Pink is a mindset, isn’t it? Laura, that’s OK if you don’t like pink, and I think you have good reasons for not liking it. Besides that, you have to hang out with those former SEALs at BLACKHAWK! Shall I bring along my pink AK-47 in May?