Toy guns are meant to look like toy guns, and airsoft guns must have a big orange indicator on the barrel of the gun. That’s federal law. It’s an excuse that’s been used to defend abuses of power such as law enforcement’s murder of 12-year-old Tamir Rice. It’s a law most of us would agree with since no one wants children to have an inability to discern between a real and “pretend” firearm, nor does anyone desire to be mortally afraid of a toy gun. But what about real firearms? St. Louis Today has a story about a thriving business that promises it can “customize” your firearm and add that special thing you’ve been missing.
Adam Weinstein says this with pride, sitting in the workshop of Midwest Cerakote, a St. Louis County company specializing in sealing, colorizing and generally tricking out guns, often with memorable results.
The shop has designed a lady bug gun, a Tony the Tiger gun and a gun covered with the Chicago Cubs logo that Weinstein joked takes “108 shots before it hits its target.”
Hilarious.
Listen, I get it. The man who does the customizing is clearly talented and there are all kinds of cool stuff he can do to make your gun a little more unique. If your gun isn’t looking enough like your favorite apocalyptic video game firearm you can have all kinds of wild colors thrown on with shading! Feel like your hand gun isn’t ladylike enough? Make it pink with a frosty white barrel! Feel like your semi-automatic isn’t projecting your patriotism the way you like? Have the American flag slathered across it! That’ll show those kneeling athletes protesting racial injustice!
But, you are kind of making your gun look less like a gun and more like a toy.