Pretty as a pistol....

D

David Scott

New member
Do a handgun's looks really matter to the average shooter? I've seen several comments about which guns are good looking or ugly, so it seems someone cares. Is it based on artistic design or looks that intimidate an attacker?

What makes a handgun "pretty" or "ugly"? What are your choices for best looking and worst looking handguns in the autopistol, revolver and specialty classes?

Mine:

Best looking Auto: SIG P230/P232 (Runner up: Vektor CP-1)
Best looking Revolver: Colt 6" Python
Best looking Spcialty: Thompson-Center Contender

Worst looking Auto: Hi-Point (slide looks too big for the rest of it)
Worst Looking Revolver: New England Firearms .32 H&R Mag (what's up with that funky trigger guard that prevents you from getting a high grip?)
Worst looking specialty: WSP Downsizer (looks like a cigarette lighter)
 
I'd have to say that looks do matter, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That being said:

Best looking pistol - Stainless Beretta 92
Best looking revolver - Colt Anaconda with 6 inch barrel
Worst looking pistol - Hi-Point, Jennings, Bryco, Helwan Brigadier
Worst looking pistol - NEF
 
Yes, they do, because you have to appreciate the looks of the gun you are shooting.
Best looking pistol: Stainless 1911
Best looking revolver: S&W 686 6"(they used to look good, now they make me mad)
Worst looking pistol: The one thats pointed at me
Worst looking revolver: The one thats looking at me
 
I think that looks do matter, though many would no doubt be loath to admit to anything so superficial as the look of something that's just a tool. But is it just a tool? I should think not. A weapon, not just a gun, reflects the owner's personality. A wheelgun owner might be old-school in that that's what they've been trained with, that's what they know, or they might just like the look of revolver, as it was used in old films and the infamous Russian roulette. An auto-lover may just like the capacity of the weapon or they may like how sleek and modern it looks.
I'm not ashamed to admit that my revolver is just as much an accessory as is my necktie and cufflinks, though fewer people see the weapon.
I do like how someone at whom my gun is poined might be able to see the bullets peeking out from around the barrel, though I must admit the the sound of racking a slide is also pretty attention getting.

best looking auto: steyr s40
best looking revolver: Security Six stainless with a 2 3/4" barrel

worst looking auto: while I've expressed interest in it, I think that the Nambu is pretty hideous, though rather like a car accident, I find it compelling.
worst looking revolver: North American Arms Black widow
 
Yes, I think that looks in a handgun does matter to most of us. With that said, here's
mine:

1) Best Looking Auto- Sig Sauer P220
2) " " Revolver- S&W 629-5 Classic

3) Worst Looking Auto- any of the very
cheaply made .25 cal auto's
4) Worst Looking Rev- any Arminus guns

5) Best Looking Speciality Weapon-
Any of the T/C Contender's

Regards,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
i don't think the looks matter much at all. of course i do think hi-points are really ugly! :-)

best looking autos - beretta 92FS, all glocks

beauty is in the eye of the beholder and i think a gun that fires every time you pull the trigger and is quite accurate is really good looking.

for revolvers a stainless Colt Pyton is pretty nice looking and so is my S&W 686.
 
Best looking semi auto: any glock

Best looking revolver: Taurus Model 627 Tracker (.357Magnum) in Matte Stainless Steel

Worst looking semi auto: Hi-Point .45ACP

Worst looking revolver: any revolver with the barrel 8 inches or longer

*BM
 
I can not speak for anyone else.
But for me, in a word. YES.

Example 1: Browning High Powers and CZs. Nice guns. good shooters reliable, accurate. And I won't own one. When I spend that kid of money it had better be everything I want it to be. And that includes looks.

Example 2: I recently purchased a Ruger Redhawk in .44Mag. Great gun but recoil can be hard with the open backstrap. Houge Grips leave the backstrap open also. So I looked at a set of Packmyre(sp) Decelerators. They felt much better but where the Houges were a deep grey/black that looked realy nice. There were A glossy cheap looking color with a lot of flash that you could not easily clean up. I use the houge to this day and will not even toufh the others.
 
Function then looks.

Best looking auto...Sig 220
Best looking revo...Smith K frame 6', short lug, blue, checkered wood grips
Best looking spec...Remington XP-100

Worst looking....anything in stainless or plastic. Gives the impression that the owner is willing to sacrafice quality and strength for the ability to get away with neglecting the firearm. Easy kids, I have some plastic and stainless....they are good tools.

Sam. My favorite 9mm is the 9X32R
 
Best looking auto - Beretta SS 92FS
Best looking revolver - Colt blued 6" Python
Worst looking auto - All Glocks
Worst looking revolver - Most imported models
 
yes looks are important.

autos- 1911 and Hi-Power

revolvers- Freedom Arms and the older blued Pythons

speciality- my JD Jones .257JDJ T/C
 
A handgun's "looks" is not very important to me. However, in the most attractive category:
> Pistol - Stainless 1911A1 with great wood grips
> Revolver - Stainless "N" Frame Smith, long barrel with full lug, great wood grips
These two handguns are, for me, what a pistol and a revolver should look like. If I were the property manager for a movie studio, theses would be the default handguns.
 
I think the most important attribute of a gun is its functionality. That being said, appearance does matter. Pride in the ownership of a pistol is a big part of having one. While I would never rule out a particular pistol on looks alone, its nice to find a pistol that is reliable and good looking. My pick for the best looking auto is any stainless Kimber with rosewood grips. Best looking revolver--S & W 686 6". Ugliest auto--Hi-Point. Ugliest revolver--anything by NEF.
 
The look of a gun matters quite a bit to me, particularly when coupled with quality workmanship and reliability. My favorite guns for looks:

S&W Model 10 w/ 5" barrel.
S&W Model 27 w/ 6" barrel.
SAA.
BHP.
Beretta 92SB.
 
Best looking semi-auto: 1911, Luger P-08.
Best looking revolver: Colt SAA or S&W J-frame snubby.

These are classics, icons actually. When someone mentions "semi-auto" or "revolver" these are the models that come to mind.
 
Even though guns are tools, they have to be pleasing to the eye like anything else. Would you buy an ugly car or an ugly house?
I wouldn't.

Best looking auto :Kimber stainless match
Best looking revolver: Super redhawk-stainless with 7.5 inch barrel

Worst looking autos: sigs and sigmas
Worst looking revolver: any hammerless smith(looks like a humpback whale)
 
To answer you first question, no...I don't think that looks are important to "average" shooters. No one on TFL is an "average" shooter. An "average" shooter makes it to the range maybe three times a year...that's not us. I'd speculate that looks only play a part when the gun looks so ugly and goofy that everyone KNOWS it's cheap (Hi-Point)...otherwise, I'd bet that they're all viewed as equal.
 
Looks sure do mean a lot to me,If I don't like the looks :eek: I won't buy it. Now I have to make an exception to the rule regarding my recent purchase of a Glock :confused: Even that has become eye appealing to me. The Glock is a carry piece and I don't care what a BG would think looking down the business end ;)
But since most I buy is for collecting they have to be eye appealing to me. :D
I have a S&W 39,The blueing on that gun is beautiful and with the wood grips,its an outstanding good looking gun in my opinion :)
As stated above :Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder"
Just my thoughts ;)
Happy Shooting :)

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We preserve our freedoms by using four boxes: soap,ballot,jury, and cartridge.
Anonymous
 
Best looking: Beretta Elites, and Kimber satin stainless.
Best looking revolver: Freedom Arms, and Taurus .41 mag Tracker.
Worst looking auto: Sig 239, and Sigma, and Hi-Points.

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"Vote with a Bullet."
 
I'm about to be laughed at derisively, but I really like the looks of the Ruger semi-autos. Why? Beats me. Probably their no-nonsense appearance.

I do, also, like the looks of the 1911 :)

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For God so loved the world that he gave his onlly begoten Son...
 
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