Firearm Trends

Colors are all the rage these days, it seems many people are tired of black or stainless guns and alternate colors are selling like hotcakes. Of course we have seen custom anodized and painted guns for a few years now (see my posts on Zombie and Theme guns

While the zombie craze may have kick started the color wars, I think the one of the early adopters of factory color options was the Desert Eagle

Glock made waves with their Olive Drab and Flat Dark Earth versions...originally just the frames were colored, now they come in full color...

Glock recently added a gray version

Smith & Wesson has done the same with their M&P pistols

Kahr Arms has added some colorful options

This one is called "Robins Eggshell Blue", but I think it was inspired by Tiffany's

One of Kahr's divisions, Auto-Ordnance is offering a 1911 in bright orange

Ruger has been offering their LCP and now LC9 & LC380 pistols in a multitude of colors, see my post here

Ruger also has their .22/45 Pistol in a lightweight version that has a anodized upper receiver.

You can also buy aftermarket uppers and lowers for your Ruger Mark series pistols, see the building of a custom Mark III pistol here

 
Kimber's solo pistol now comes in this strange combo, they call this color "Bel-Air" after the mid-50's Chevrolet

 SigArms always seems to be on the cutting edge of these trends.....they also have some bold color choices

The trend of pink guns and gun accessories (including purple and other "girly colors") continues....Ruger now offers their BX-25 10/22 Magazine in Raspberry.....I'm looking for one for my daughter's Girly Rifle

The guys at Kryptek started a trend of their own with their unorthodox camo patterns

Some companies now offer AR receivers that come with the pattern

Ruger is now offering their LCP and LC9s in two blue Kryptek camo patterns

Colors are not the only new trend in firearms.....America's favorite modular firearm the AR rifle, has seen some unique options hit the market. The makers of the receivers were in need of something new.
I think it started with monolithic uppers

Soon after there were monolithic lowers (built in trigger guard) equipped with flared magwells

AR Lowers are machined on CNC equipment and as such it would not be too difficult to manipulate the design to include some cosmetic touches. This is what the smart fellows at Sharps Brothers did.

 

Now bright colored anodized receivers are becoming more popular

While we are on the subject of ARs....the 80% lower rage is still going strong. BATFE raids on some manufacturers have not slowed down the sales of the these semi-finished units.

Of course you could do the same with the Ruger 10-22 receiver (note the lack of holes for the trigger group, bolt stop and barrel V-block

Following a similar path is the growth of the home-made firearms industry. We have seen 3D printing used to make AR-15 rifle receivers, and now they have produced a AR-10 (.308) receiver on a 3D printer.
 

Now the "printer crowd" are making 10/22 receivers with their 3D printers.

Probably the most popular trend going is the suppressor. Many states (mine included) have changed their laws to allow the ownership and use of silencers/suppressors.

According to BATFE records licenses for silencers increased 58% from 2012 to 2014 and 38% last year alone, there are indications that those numbers will continue to climb.

The trend of "do-it-yourself" has bled into the suppressor market (although one could argue home-made suppresssors came first) and many companies are selling kits to build your own. One thing is for sure, the price for these devices have dropped significantly in the last couple of years.

So what is next? Hard to say, but we have a battle ahead of us just to keep our natural born right to keep and bear arms.....perhaps that will be the next trend...getting everyone of the 80-100 million gun owners to actually fight for what is theirs?


References
CNN Money
Forbes
3D Print
80 Percent Arms
Aim Surplus
Kryptek 
Ruger