The firearm industry understands that women are a prime consumer demographic for guns and firearm accessories, from specialty holsters and concealed carry undergarments to firearm bling. Taking the "girls with guns" specialty market even further, some firearms now come in shades of pink, blue and lavender.
It is important to note that just because a firearm is pink doesn't change its fundamental firepower, neither does the choice of a camouflage, tan or silver handle. In fact, people have been customizing the appearance of their guns for centuries. With today's technology, the sky's the limit when it comes to customization and currently, pink guns are a hot commodity.
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Here are five reasons why some women say pink guns are the best:
1. "Many women consider pink to be fun. If pink guns make shooting more fun for even just a few women, then that just helps what should be everybody’s cause: to bring more women into the shooting sports and industry,"
reports Packing Pretty: A Tactical Guide for Women on Concealed Carry and Personal Protection.
2. "Now, the rage for women shooters of late is to make things pink. Handguns, rifles, grips, all various shades of pink, for fashion and to make a statement. Guys, pay attention. The pink does not rub off. In fact, if anything, it is an aid to cleaning. Powder residue that would not show on a blued gun will stand out on a pink one, and you’ll be able to do a better job of maintenance,"
according to Guns & Ammo.
3.
We Like Shooting reports on a campaign to find out why women like pink guns. According to one response by Carolyn Gochee, "As a woman, I enjoy accessorizing with any outfit. If I had a cute gun to go with it, even better. It would make the men laugh and roll their eyes. I think the pink guns also help the younger girls find shooting more appealing. 'If it’s pink, it can’t be that bad and it would be mine and not my brother’s.' So my opinion is the pink guns definitely set us apart from the men (in a good way)."
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4. Some women take pride in the statement "I shoot like a girl" which, instead of being a sign of sexist weakness, is a statement of strength and confidence in women's ability to wield firearms. For them, pink is a symbol of feminine strength and fearlessness.
5. Some pink firearm manufacturers support breast cancer awareness. While not all shooters made their pink gun choice to support breast cancer,
Mark Malkowski of Stag Arms states, "We are excited to expand the Go Pink for Breast Cancer campaign within our product line and hope to raise as much money as we can for breast cancer awareness.”
One poster on
We Like Shooting has some sage advice for salespeople in gun stores. "Do not assume anyone wants a pink gun. If a woman is looking at guns, just talk to her about the guns, if she gravitates toward a pink gun, just talk to her like it was black. If she asks for a pink gun, do not assume she does not know, or that she will never understand guns. There are many, many reasons a woman may want a pink gun – and many of them are very personal."