March 21, 2008
Custom "Bloomberg" Paint Jobs for Guns
Mayor Bloomberg's fight against the gun industry has now crossed over into the world of custom weaponry. The Daily News points out that a Wisconsin company is touting a new line of paints, "The Bloomberg Collection."
Lauer Custom Weaponry offers DuraCoat Firearm Finishes, which are "extremely easy" for an "average gun owner" to apply (Lauer also offers DuraCoat workshops). There's the "Bloomberg Collection EZ Camo Kit," where you can pimp your weapon with the names of the boroughs on brick, graffiti-style. And there's also the "Bloomberg Collection CamoPak" with " 1 oz. Manhattan Red, 1 oz. Bronx Rose, 1 oz. Brooklyn Blue, 1 oz. Queens Green, 1 oz. Staten Island Orange" paints.
Naturally, Bloomberg is not amused, telling the News:
"Making a quick buck by coloring a handgun to look like a toy is craven and beneath any honest businessman," Bloomberg told the Daily News. "By coloring these guns, a real one looks like a toy, and a police officer won't be able to tell the difference."A Lauer employee explained why Mayor Bloomberg was targeted: "The mayor picked us out as being the pink-gun guys," back in 2006. The employee added the NYC paint colors are regular sellers and "ladies like it. They fashion their guns after their clothing.""Imagine an officer who comes upon a teenager pointing a pink gun into a crowd. If the gun is a toy, an innocent teenager may be killed - and others, too.
"Our police officers have a hard enough job as it is, and that's why we passed a law to prevent these deadly tragedies from occurring."
Check out the website for Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a Bloomberg-backed group. All the details of NYC's litigation against gun dealers who illegally sell guns is there.
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SO scary. I hate guns.
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I am actually very pro-gun, but I have to say that I think this is extremely irresponsible on the part of Lauer. It is incredibly dangerous, asking for trouble, and works against progress.
As for gun control, I believe that a fair and safe middle ground CAN be found through awareness, education and background checks.
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I can understand the desire by people in the gun industry to needle Mayor Bloomberg, but I agree with Novanglus and think Lauer is being totally counterproductive and irresponsible. Guns aren't fashion accessories and anyone who thinks they are is a complete tool.
I can't imagine what Peter Vallone Jr. thinks of that graffiti rifle.
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Extremely bad and irresponsible idea.
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info@lauerweaponry.com is a way to contact them, should anyone else wish to express contempt for this truly despicable, tasteless garbage.
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i'm with Novanglus on this one. this is a dangerous idea. the guns in the 2nd picture look like toys.
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I'm not thrilled about the Lauer paintjobs, but criminals have been doing this for YEARS. Once the orange (or more: NYC states that anything looking like a gun must be more than 50% a bright color) muzzle tip law went into effect, thugs started painting orange tips onto their gats.
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Papercutninja,
That's exactly that point! CRIMINALS paint their guns orange. Why is Lauer catering to that?
There are also gun manufacturers like Bryco Jennings and the now-defunct Raven, who made cheap pistols that are geared towards "low income families", meanwhile they are merely street guns.
Unofrtunately, crime is a market for weapons-makers.
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this guy is an idiot! brooklyn should be red and manhattan should be blue. brooklyn blue? wtf?
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So can I create "Bloomberg" products without repercussion or is this like naming a sandwich?
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We should make guns completely illegal. I mean it works so well for marijuana, cocaine, alcohol...
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Can I haz purdy gun?
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Perhaps Bloomberg, either the man or the corporate entity should sue for unauthorized use of the Bloomberg name.
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It's not uncommon to see painted "race" guns in IPSC.
This, however, is just stupid.
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Classic. THe Nazi Bloomberg even wants to dictate the color of my weapons all the way from New York City. The Billionaire closet homosexual with the "beard" wife, as every cop in NYC knows, is happy to pass on prosecuting an NYPD cop shooting an unarmed civilian, but he wants to tell people the color to paint their guns outside of New York. Only in America would you think you are a dictator because you have 3 billion dollars. I assume all of the Mayor's bodyguards have black guns only. Lord knows, no-one can buy a can of spraypaint in a hardware store and spray a weapon any color. Well you see by the lack of graffiti in NYC how well their spray-can ban works..right? Now try getting a gun permit there to protect yourself. If you aren't in the mob, a cop or politcally connected you wont get one. The way it's always been. So bug-off Bloomberg...you represent all he reasons intelligent, free people leave New York.