Two things I feel you nailed: “trend” and “urban FDE”.
I get people in potential AO’s and/or hunting painting their rifles to blend in with a wooded/farm field environment. What I don’t get is painting to match the latest/greatest camo pattern just because. Nothing against people who do that, its their rifle(s) and they can do what they want with them. For me, if I’m ever in a situation where I find myself on a two-way range, having my rifle be black is the least of my concerns. IIRC LaRue used to have a (near) full product line in Urban Dark Earth. Was a grey that matched the respective portion of the ACU pattern. I miss that stuff as the newer Wolf Grey is darker. I don’t know what its like in the big/real cities, but in my little area we don’t have any consistently colored buildings that a general-use camo job would help blend with.
My standard for guns and gear is fast becoming “not black.” Grays, greens, browns, whatever, and they may or may not work in a particular place, but not black.
And I wish there was some consistency or at least common descriptors of stuff in the gray spectrum.
Marketing. My guess is someone in advertising thought gun owners would be a demographic that responded well to the idea of girls in mud. Same with Jeep owners.
I intend to paint the next one I build. I look at it like building a guitar though. It’s just fun and I like to do different things with them. You should be glad they are making pink and green guns. It makes them seem less threatening. Also that more Muddy Girl users are out there. Mothers raise their children. Children grow up to vote.
I just don’t see that it’s any different from painting a car, guitar, or whatever. Yes, most of us will never use the items to their maximum intended potential but they are still fun to enjoy.
This is not something I might do, but I think it’s nicely done. I like it more than just a basic black and a lot of camo…
That is certainly very cool but it’s not “combat” camo.
My girlfriend has a factory Colt with “wildfire” camo that’s beautiful and collectible and doesn’t look mall ninja, but it’s hardly a concealment-oriented camo job.
I don’t know why you are so wrapped up in what others do to their rifles. I don’t know why you’d want to buy a 6920 then start a poll about whether or not you should shoot it or “keep it mint”, but it’s yours and doesn’t affect me so whatever. I don’t know why someone would not want a light on a serious use rifle, but you’ve stated you’ve removed yours to save weight, but it’s yours and doesn’t affect me so whatever.
I did one, it was a fun project. I used less desirable parts I had. I did a four color camo pattern and learned a lot.
Pros:
Looks cool
It blends in better
Cheap on cash, not on time.
Cons:
It took a bunch of time
All of those painted parts and optic are now “married”
Its not at all a durable finish
Its forever. I don’t care what people say, you’ll never get it all off again.
While you may like it, its unlikely some one else would want to buy it from you.
I’ve also had a receiver set and rail professionally ceracoated all one color. I’d be much more likely to do this again and do it to a gun I really cared about. Most of my listed cons do not apply. One con is it cost almost 200$ if I remember correctly.
I’d probably want mine camoed if I were using it in actual combat situations on the regular or if I were using it to hunt. But I’m not, so I don’t do it. If the world ever goes into book of Eli mode then I’ll probably snag a rattle can or two and spray mine.
However, I have no problem with the idea of it and if that’s what someone wants then go for it.
If you’re usin’ it to hunt, FYI in my experience, with Krylon, you have to wait about a week, for the paint to fully cure, so that the paint smell completely goes away.
For those of you who do want to paint your AR and aren’t wrapped around resale or want to have a more durable finish without cooking in the oven, give Aervoe paint a chance. I’ve used Rustoleum and I e use Krylon, (and I w used both on the same rifle bc it’s what I had) but the Aervoe gave me the more durable finish.
As an aside, Aervoe light coyote brown is a damn close facsimile of Magpul FDE. It’s not exact-exact, but unless you have some weird OCD “perfectionist in paints” mental condition you probably would be satisfied.
