What makes a gun "pretty?"

To me, a Beretta 92FS looks like a semi-auto ought to look like. I also like the look of a Heckler-Koch

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Alexander Solzhenitzyn:
"Freedom is given to the human conditionally, in the assumption of his constant religious responsibility."
 
When I was a kid, I used to see pix of Garands and other military style stuff for sale in various outdoor mags, and would say "Yuck." I was much more interested in those beautiful shotguns and rifles with scopes and engraving, etc.
As I matured, I found my tastes changing.

I like clean, straight lines, classic. Good, dark wood (French or English walnut) with a lot of figure or burl in the right places, and straight grain where it should be. No white line spacers. Checkered butts make me nearly swoon. Fine checkering, lightly applied in the grip area. Little or no engraving. Forends and gripcaps out of darker wood. Twenty hand-rubbed coats of oil. Deep blue to almost black.
Simple, quiet elegance.

But then again, there's some beauty in the form-follows-function camp, too. Many of those mil-spec rifles I thought were dog ugly when I was young now have a great appeal, but their beauty lies in their functional designs. There's a lot of beauty in a rifle or shotgun that can be dragged through heat, cold, rain, snow, swamps, deserts, mountaintops, and still not change POI 'cause the stock is synthetic, and it won't rust 'cause everything's SS or hard chromed.

I've often wondered what it would be like to see an SUV or PU with a complete external finish done in Roguard. :) I think it'd be the ultimate in cool (and ya might even pick up a few mph 'cause of cut down wind resistance.) It might be a tad pricey, though. :D

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Shoot straight & make big holes, regards, Richard at The Shottist's Center
 
The artistic balance between its Form and its Function... its a quality issue that is hard to quantify... but I know UGLY when I see UGLY.

Hi POINT = VERY UGLY
Glock = Almost sexy in comparison.

Bersa = Ugly
Walther PP = Drop Dead Gorgeous.

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To understand the true nature of a Politician - you have to look at the root words in Politics. Poli = meaning Many, and Tics = meaning blood sucking insects.
 
I had the enormous pleasur of examining a whole vault full of fine rifles and shotguns this weekend at the Westly Richards dealership in Springfield, Mo.(absolutely worth the visit): Purdies, Holland & Hollands, Rigbies, Westly Richards, etc., etc.
The one that stood out as a cut above an extremely distiguished crowd was a rifle by Jerry Fisher and it was far from the most expensive arm in the place.
A good rifle has to meet its functional and mechanical purpose very well indeed and this is true craftsmanship.
It can however, take a step even higher and become art, noticable by even the uninitiated in the practical aspects of an object's function. It takes careful attention to to the visual and, in the case of a rifle, the feel of an object, this I know. A craftsman does not get to this point unless he tries, and it usually comes only after years of experience.
I would agree with those who say that the best of the gunsmiths are alive right now and working in the good old U.S.A.
 
Herodotus, you live in St. Louis, visit Springfield and you haven't joined the End of Summer Meet list yet? ;) See the link in my signature line below.

Growing up my first real gun(s) was a matched pair of reproduction steel framed 1851 Colt Navies. This was in the days when Forgett (Navy Arms) first began importing the Italian replicas. During our regular trips to the various local gun shops while my dad was gazing behind the counter at the long guns I had my nose pressed to the glass of the handgun display case. Not unlike the children we see depicted in all the old westerns looking longingly at the candy display. You know the ones, where the proprietor always gives the kid a cinnamon stick before he leaves. I always admired the nickled top breaks with the pearl grips. My dad said that was the pimp in me. :D
My next gun was an 1884 manufactured Colt SAA. Over the years my taste have matured but I still find myself with my nose pressed to the glass of the handgun case in the various local gun shops.

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Gunslinger TFL Imperial Potentate

TFL End of Summer Meet, August 12th & 13th, 2000
 
I'm weird I guess, in the fact that I think the prettiest guns are utilitarian military rifles. I can't really explain why, but they just are.

But then when it comes to pistols I like 1911's, go figure. :)
 
Real, honest to goodness blue blueing
walnut wood
no machine marks - even on the inside
crisp, clean lines...
All in a package that functions flawlessly and accurately.

AND NOT A SPECK OF PLASTIC ANYWHERE ON THE D*MN THING !!! :D
 
Won't own a gun that is shaped like a 2X4 with a plastic grip that is shaped like an electric drill. The only 9 mm I want is another German Luger. Oh Lord let there be a German made Walthers .380 PPK come unto me before I bite the bullet. Thank you...Amen

Jim
 
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