Would/Do You Carry A "Pretty" Gun?

HisSoldier said:
If you buy a gun as a safe queen, or as a carry gun, or as a hammer, what's that to me? The worst use of the three would be as a hammer, guns make lousy hammers, but you paid for it, why would it matter to me?

Gun collecting is as legitimate a reason for a gun purchase as any other. I have two safe queens, beautiful guns. It would really bother me to see even a tiny scratch on either of them. I can relate to people who value a certain rare gun too much to shoot it and throw away much of it's value.

My carry gun is one of those throw away plastic guns I don't care about. I don't show it off, and I pray it is never drawn in anger. I wouldn't even notice if it got a big scratch on it. Having a choice there is no way I'd carry a fine handgun, reliability being the same.
Click to expand...
Agreed. But I tend to show off my well worn plastic fantastic as well as my safe queens at the range.
 
I've owned several nice Dan Wesson 1911's and I did carry them, mainly the CBOB I had and VBOB. I would actually feel kind of bad if I spent a lot of my hard earned cash on something I perceived to be so nice that I was afraid to put a scratch on or an imperfection on the finish, otherwise that's a lot of dough to spend on a safe queen that you'll likely sell because you don't use it!

I know folks get tired of hearing about GLocks but really I'd rather carry a less costly, higher capacity, lighter weight Glock not just because I like them but because compared to 8+1rds they just make more sense, although this is specific since not all pretty guns have low capacity.

Nothing wrong with carrying pretty guns, my theory is that you might as well get some use out of the $$ you pay for them.
 
Last edited:
AK103K said:
I do find it interesting though, that when people post their carry guns, they usually look like they were brand new. How do you carry them and they still look like that?
Click to expand...

My stainless carry guns either get polished, brushed, or bead blasted ever now and then when they start to show alot of wear. Necessary no, but I like my guns looking purdy. It takes no time at all and costs next to nothing to do.
 
My stainless carry guns either get polished, brushed, or bead blasted ever now and then when they start to show alot of wear. Necessary no, but I like my guns looking purdy. It takes no time at all and costs next to nothing to do.
Click to expand...

I used to parkerize a lot back in the 90's with a buddy, and we had a bead blast cabinet, which really does a nice job on stainless. Im not a fan of the polished SS anyway, and the glass beads we used, gave a nice matte finish. If you have access to the blast cabinet, and arent afraid to detail strip and reassemble your guns, yea, its a cheap fix, but one you need to do regularly if your picky.

Ive carried a number of SS guns over the years, and still have a couple, but no longer carry them. Of all the finishes Ive tried, hard chrome and Tennifer, have held up the best, and given the best service. They may not be as pretty, but they are functional, which, at least to me, is pretty in its own right.
 
Yes, I do .....I carry a Wilson Combat CQB 5" in .45 acp with black armor tuff finish on it ....or another Wilson Combat Protector model I have ( in 9mm) but also a 5" gun.... in a Kramer horsehide leather holster ( IWB ).

The CQB shows very little holster wear ...and its about 10 yrs old now with about 20,000 rds thru it / the all stainless 9mm, is 7 yrs old, and has about 75,000 rds thru it ...I don't carry it as much /I use it primarily as a range training weapon...

http://thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=82267&d=1341002367

http://thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=83178&d=1345227121

( photos are not that good...but its all I have that are not too big a file to download on here...)...

I carry the gun that makes me the most comfortable / not the prettiest...but I like the way both of these guns look / but I like the way they shoot and reload, etc best of all...and I train with them a couple of times a week ( and they're both in and out of a holster - drawing - in courses of fire all the time.

Scratches happen....but I don't abuse them either...and the Armor Tuff finish holds up really well ...as does the all stainless....
 
If your guns are hard chrome plated or nitride coated, finish wear will be almost non existent. I carry a hand engraved and nickel plated Keltec .32. How's that for an oxymoron?
 
Some days I do, some days I don't.
Today it's a 2" barreled nickel plated S&W Model 37 with pearl grips.
Tomorrow may be a blued model 36 or a blued model 12.

And after reading some of the disparaging posts on here, I better just leave it at that.
 
That Kel-Tec is real purdy, in a custom painted '62 Chevy Byscane kinda way.
Well, from the waste up anyway. Just can't look at that blue frame without having to try real hard to keep lunch down!:D
 
pretty/beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Click to expand...
Exactly. Where I said I would not, and because function both in reliability, and accuracy are the most important feature, for the usefull "tool" a carry gun is, there were many who argued that their guns were both pretty, and functional. This is absolutely true. But considering the eye of the beholder, I behold most of them a visually attractive, but not necessarily "pretty". Again Not that a pretty gun couldn't be as reliable as any other, but my opinion of a pretty gun isn't necessarily those high quality firearms mentioned, but any make of firearm that is ornately enhanced with nickel plating, ornate engraving, gold inlays, and exotic materials used for the grips.
So again, would I carry a gun like that for an EDC, concealed weapon......no.
If for no other reason because if it ever had to be used in self defense it would go away, for a long time, and hopefully kept under lock and key in some evidence locker. Not "mysteriously" disappearing in the system.
 
I consider my Springfield TRP to be my pretty gun and yes, I carry it. No reason to let my wife sell it when I die for $200 with it looking like it has never been fired.

You can't take it with you so enjoy it to the fullest.
 
I would not voluntarily carry a "pretty" gun. Having said that I think my M&Pc, and the stainless .45 1911 I carried before it, are both pretty. That 12+1 capacity mag is pretty in its own right. ;)

1. usually shinier-easier to spot.
2. looks bad to a jury. Police may like it a little too much if stopped.
3. I don't want to worry about it. I want a T-34 thats there when I need it.

However in this circumstance you already have the pistol. Keep it and don't worry about it. Just treat it like any other beater gun.
 
Was talking to a co-worker about his Wrangler the other day, and he said, "I bought an old F-150 several years back, and got it to go some interesting places before it died. I paid a lot more for that Jeep - you better believe I'm going to get it to go even more interesting places!"

IMO, same philosophy applies...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top