You'll Love It, It's Pink!

[son of the revolution]

While I get and respect where the OP and the various other female members are coming from with regards to " all things pink " I have to say my daughter LOVES her pink stocked Cricket .22 and specifically requested a pink compound bow for last Christmas.

[mollymayhem82]

I'm sure I've told this story before: when I first started dating my boyfriend, we'd spend the weekend going on drives. One weekend, he took me on a gun shop "tour" to all the shops within a 1 hour drive from us. That's about 6 shops. Most of the shop owners or employees were super friendly, helpful, and informative. Never once was I offered a cute little pink .22, a small .38 Special snubbie, or anything stupid like that. That is, until we got to Northeast Firearms in Honesdale.

We were looking around at stuff, and when the guy who ran the place asked if we needed help, my boyfriend told him what we were doing. The shop guy said that I'd probably rather be looking at shoes or something. Mind you, I love looking at shoes, but I love looking at guns too. When I said no, I was having a great time, he said, "Yeah, right." I turned to my boyfriend, and said, "Fuck this place. Let's go." I don't tolerate people being condescending to me, especially because if it's because I have tits. So, if any of the other women here are interested, the people at Northeast Firearms aren't interested in selling you a gun if you have a vagina. Unless you're buying it for your husband, of course.

[Kimba]

P-11 took me out shopping for my first gun. He talked to Matt more than he talked to me, like I was invisible. When we finally got through to him that it would be my gun, he kept showing us revolvers because he taught a womans hand gun class and that is what he uses to the teach the women to shoot.

I told him that I have shot revolvers and do not like them. I preferred a semi-automatic. He kept saying how it was more complicated than a revolver and I would have trouble using it. In his opinion, us little wimenz are too dumb to figure out how to load and shoot anything but a revolver.

When I decided on my gun, not a revolver, he walked away and his associate had to finish the sale. He was pissed. I should have been the one to walk away but I really liked the gun and it was a good price.

As a joke, I put a K on it out of pink rhinestones (to make it more girlie). It pissed my friend off so much I decided to keep it on.

[TheF00L]

I honestly don't get why you are offended by this...

I effing HATE pink anything. But I would not be offended if a gun shop owner showed me all his pink guns. I would just politely ask for something else, not go home and whine on a gun forum that you are offended that a gun shop owner showed you some pink guns. Gun shops sales people are sales people. Of course they are going to offer you a pink gun.. you are a girl, right? I'd be offended of I were a guy and he said "Want a pink gun it would look nice with your outfit". I think you are over reacting just a bit.

My Bold:

I have the feeling Doc can answer for herself. Let me approach this from how my S.O. would answer. Have you ever heard of stereotypes?

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/stereotype

ster·e·o·type (str--tp, stîr-)
n. 1. A conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image.

I suspect that nobody EVER wants to be stereotyped. Imagine if you were (and pick your poison):

Black
Jewish
Irish
Asian
Female
Gay
etc, etc, etc.

Next, fill in the stereotypes coupled with each. I happened to be pegged as Gay by many people because of my mannerisms, affinity for unique shoes which I try to coordinate with my outfits, my general physical appearance and my comfort interacting with the opposite sex. This has been part of my life since I was in High School. (These are the reasons I am told that I am stereotyped in this manner)

Jump ahead 32 years - when it happens now I screw with those whose gaydar goes off incorrectly. I have had many, many years to come to terms with the fact that I will always be stereotyped in this manner.

Did I ever rant and rave to friends - YES. Did my friends ever dismiss my rants as I was over reacting just a bit? Nope.

If you have never been in the situation, you may not quite understand.

And finally to this statement:

I'd be offended of I were a guy and he said "Want a pink gun it would look nice with your outfit".

Why would you be offended? Does this stereotype lead you to believe that he questions your manhood? Maybe that he thinks you are gay?

If you have the right to be offended for that possible scenario, why does the OP not have the same right to be offended for the stereotype she encountered?

[Steve_NEPhila]

To think all this special womens' gun thing started with the Lady Smith line by Smith and Wesson when that company commissioned a pole that indicated that a impressive percentage of women considered themselves as handgun buyers in the near future. As many remember, the line featured stainless steel construction with gray grips that were smaller than usual.

Apparently, the females did not go for it, the line was dropped. Smith and Wesson tried to market this line in many womens' magazines and the advertisement ideas were rejected by the ladies journals... Heaven forbid a gun advertisement appear in such publilcations.

The pink handguns will be a memory as well. I do not believe that the lady smiths have much of a collectors value to this day.

To all of the above bold section, the following video applies:



The first Smith and Wesson LadySmith was made and marketed in 1902. The .22 caliber "M" frame. The old "M" frame has tremendous collector value and is highly prized by Smith and Wesson collectors. (they run usually in the 2000 USD range)

To get a bit more modern, the Smith and Wesson model 65 is a powerful and very much sought after "LadySmith." The model 65 in .357 Magnum is also quite a good looking gun, being built on the "K" fram, having fixed sights a three inch barrel and full length extractor rod. I had one of these recently and sold it, yet it was a gun I would indeed carry (but that would require me to butcher it by getting a gunsmith to mill off the front sight and install a dovetail for a tritium front post which I dig). Here is a picture:



If you think the only LadySmith made was the model 3913LS (which is also a fantastic firearm) you are still wrong, as I pointed out earlier. Here is a picture of that fine weapon:



The 3913LS has an aluminum alloy frame and stainless steel slide. It was a single stack 9mm DS/SA auto that is quite accurate and concealable. Sadly, Smith and Wesson does not make their third generation autoloaders now in favor of the less expensive plastic fantastics.

Smith and Wesson still makes a LadySmith line with two revolvers in it. The model 642LS in .38 Special and the 60LS in .357 Magnum. I personally do not consider either as "Ladys Guns" they are expert guns. Lightweight, hard kicking snub nosed revolvers are very difficult to become proficient with and are for very skilled hands.

I just proved most of your statements as wrong, not out of malice but out of the need to educate the populace. You are welcome.

[Sandcut]

Making or selling pink firearms isn't helping me feel at home. It's helping me feel apart.

Well Doc., whether you know it or not, the fact that you are highly educated, intelligent, articulate and female sets you apart in modern society. Don't fight that, embrace it. Revel in it even. It will, however, take some getting used to, especially in the male oriented world of firearms. While not a chimera, you're more akin to a Red-legged Kittiwake among American Robins. Not a common item.

The one thing that I teach both of my daughters on a regular basis is that "sometimes, boys are dumb." I say this honestly having had long experience being male. The patronizing attitude is going to be present whether you're buying a gun or buying a car. I'm sure you've even experienced it a bit in the medical field. It will exist as long as humans are sexually dimorphic. IMO, a thicker integument is needed.

Also understand a large number of female gun shopper (I didn't say "buyers") are attracted, at least initially, to pink guns. As a marketing tool, I've seen it be very effective way to get females, girls primarily, into the shooting sports. Unfortunately, you are already into the shooting sports and you're not 10.

As others have said, deal with it. Find a shop where they treat you as you'd like to be treated and give them your business.

And look on the bright side, you'd have a worse time if they knew you were a registered Democrat AND a gun owner.

[Waldershrek]

The shop guy said that I'd probably rather be looking at shoes or something. Mind you, I love looking at shoes, but I love looking at guns too.

So he was right then

[Gun]

I happened to be pegged as Gay by many people because of my mannerisms, affinity for unique shoes which I try to coordinate with my outfits, my general physical appearance and my comfort interacting with the opposite sex. This has been part of my life since I was in High School. (These are the reasons I am told that I am stereotyped in this manner)

Stereotyping is done by those who have a limited experience, or understanding of the world at large. This might be due to that fact that most people can live comfortably in their insulated world, whether in the big city, or out in the country. Seeing an ‘outsider’ causes discomfort, for lack of an understanding to how others live and dress. Some have even felt this discomfort on a national level, especially since 2008, because of the race of our current president.


The stereotype that the OP brings up, should cause one to ask some questions. How was the good Doctor attired when shopping at gun stores. What are her mannerisms. And, are these observations appropriate enough to steer her toward pink accented guns.

[ByblosHex]

When in the salesmen business they're trained to avoid stereotype but are trained to keep their eyes open for demographics. Perhaps their offering her a pink firearm was based on more than just her gender?

Besides, women are more likely to buy pink firearms than anyone else... and if your shop has one in stock it only makes sense to try and sell it every chance they get.

My GF and I have been to gun-shops several times together, and never has any of them offered to sell her something pink (except me :P). I think their trying to sell the pink guns to you has to do with more than just your gender.

[PaBimmerGuy]

I suspect that nobody EVER wants to be stereotyped. Imagine if you were (and pick your poison):

stereotypes exist for a reason.