Would You Buy a Colorful Shotgun?

by
posted on April 4, 2014
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
dogs_ah2015_fs.jpg (22)

Beretta-USA and Pheasants Forever recently brought up an interesting question: Would you buy a pink or otherwise custom-colored shotgun stock?

Check out the finishes on these Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon over/unders. There's a pink stock with zebra striping (whose owner calls it "better than a boyfriend"), a homage to Old Glory and—wait a minute—are those human skulls?

Beretta asked its Facebook followers for a quick "yes" or "no" on their opinion of custom-shotgun finishes. Seems the feedback was a pretty resounding "no". My favorite comment was, "The finish made a great shotgun look like a punk rock nightmare. No thank you."

I'm hesitant to criticize other folks' shotguns, as doing so would be just one step shy of insulting their bird dogs. However, a colorful finish personally isn't for me. For my taste, it's as if God created walnut trees so that blued steel would have a perfect complement. They just go together—why you'd slap a candy-colored dip over a nice piece of wood, rich in character and natural sheen, I do not know. But some folks seem to like it.

However, Andrew Vavra, marketing specialist for Pheasants Forever, brings up an important point in his blog post, "I Love Pink Guns".

"Some wives and girlfriends would love an invitation to come along and chase birds with you," he writes. "And there’s absolutely nothing wrong if it takes a pink gun to get that conversation started."

Very true. Perhaps some women find the notion of pink guns to be a little condescending, but for others, well, it might be the difference in gaining their interest. Accompanying Vavra's post are photos of 9- and 12-year-old girls having a blast in the uplands with their pink guns--they illustrate Vavra's point more clearly than words ever could.

If a colorful gun is what it takes to get more people interested in the shotgun sports we so love, I'm all in favor. New shooters can always decide later whether they'd prefer oiled walnut.

So, are colorful shotguns for you?

Latest

Gear Lede Image
Gear Lede Image

Junior Hunter Gear: Get Your Kids Into the Field

Looking for ways to get your fields out from behind the screens and into the great outdoors this summer? Check out these great pieces of outdoor kit to help spur the process.

Stealth Cam Adds On-Demand Livestream

Shortly after teasing the launch of its new trail camera functionality at the 2025 SHOT Show, Stealth Cam has announced that On Demand Live Stream is available via the Command Pro app.

#SundayGunday: Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 A.I.

On this week's #SundayGunday, Digital Associate Editor David Herman talks with Benelli Vice President Tim Joseph about Benelli's new Super Black Eagle 3 with A.I. barrel technology.

NRA Foundation Awards $13,500 in College Scholarships

The National Rifle Association is proud to announce the Grand Scholarship winners from the 2024 Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.)—a group of exceptional students selected for their leadership, initiative, and dedication to advancing NRA programs within their communities.

Recipe: Bacon-Rolled Elk Burgers

Brad Fenson whips up his classic Bacon Rolled Elk Burgers in this week's recipe.

First Look: Chiappa Firearms Rhino Revolver

Chiappa Firearms is expanding its Rhino series by introducing two new revolvers chambered in the powerful, versatile 10mm Auto.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.