Today’s firearms are made of a wide array of materials, offering countless options for metal treatments and finishing, providing both aesthetics and protection. The limited options of Parkerizing and bluing have become less popular compared to the variety of finishes and steel available now, and the days when firearms were solely constructed from wood are long gone.
Recently, a picture that caused quite a commotion made its way around Instagram. Instead of another Kardashian posterior photo or New Year’s Eve Mariah Carey memes, this picture featured a custom Cerakoted gun from France. The gun, an extremely colorful CZ Scorpion EVO, had a short-barreled format and a Nerf logo prominently displayed on the side.
Should this be regarded as nostalgia, disregard or something else completely?
Mario dressed up as Jerry Miculek, a competitive shooter who has replicated many video game characters. He became popular for building custom Glock firearms and recently created a toy called the “Glocktendo” or “Nintendo Glock,” which resembles an actual firearm. It is important to note that this example does not violate any laws in the United States, as the regulations regarding firearms differ from those in other countries.
Nor is this the first time this particular debate has occurred. In the 80s it was the opposite issue, with water pistols and toy guns looking very much like the real things. But there were certainly some issues with toy guns that looked like real ones—namely toy guns being mistaken for real ones. There were children shot shot by police unable to differentiate between toy and weapon under extant conditions, and some criminals used them as cheap (albeit nonfunctional) analogs for the real deal. 
15 CFR Part 272 was enacted in 1988 that prohibited realistic toy guns and then further stipulated approved markings (like transparent materials for instance, and blaze orange muzzle, and bright coloration).
As authentic as can be, the toys (or training tools, or whatever) appear, deliberately putting in a lot of effort, with numerous companies surpassing expectations, we now have airsoft as a more recent addition.
Exemptions specifically apply to CFR 15, and it may not always be necessary to vary will and can, and to always apply local laws (at least federally speaking, in a strictly legal sense). However, it appears that toys can be designated as such by proactively ensuring they have orange tips.
“Traditional B-B, paint-ball, or pellet-firing air guns that expel a projectile through the force of compressed air, compressed gas or mechanical spring action, or any combination thereof….”
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Whenever there is a police shooting involving an airsoft gun, regardless if it’s a child or criminal that is fatally wounded, memes like the one immediately go viral on social media. 
In 1999, Mayor Michael Bloomberg followed up on this law, which banned brightly colored or transparent firearms, because criminals might use custom coatings to deceive and obtain actual firearms. This law mandated that all toy guns in New York City could only be brightly colored or transparent.
[Sarcasm, in case you missed it] You typically know that criminals usually try to perform activities that are illicit when they want to avoid following local ordinances and laws, because.
Steve Lauer, the founder of Weaponry Custom Lauer, launched a special collection called “The NYC Color Collection” in protest. This collection featured Duracoat, one of the coatings-du-jour, and it continued to ship products to NYC despite the predictable mix of approbation and outrage from the public, depending on which “side” they were on.
Meantime, as it happens, there have been some notable examples of real guns disguised as toy guns. Or rather, real guns hiding inside toy guns. 
While we’re certainly not experts, it seems that this activity could only legally be performed if the firearm was first registered as an AOW under the National Firearms Act; other firearms that don’t initially appear to be firearms such as pen, cane, and wallet guns all fall under that banner. We’ll take a wild guess that whoever shoved those shotguns inside Super Soakers didn’t go through that process.
It seems very unlikely that a criminal, engaged in criminal activity, would spare much effort or thought to any of the extensive gun-related legislation out there. But hey, what do we know? 
These days were have seemingly endless options for firearms coloration and customization. Cerakoting and hydro-dipping and anodizing and more. If you want a Tiffany Blue Glock you can order it directly from Omaha Outdoors. If you want a Sea Hawks themed AR? You can get that done too.
Not to mention all the the N+1 Star Wars and Sci-Fi themed guns out there.
Some manufacturers have a signature colorful look. For example, about everything Cobalt Kinetics produces definitely appears non-traditional regardless of the color. 
Another one that caused a stir in some communities was the recent appearance of a Glock coated in blue like a training pistol. At least one police instructor uses a similarly coated gun as a demonstration that you never can truly know what’s lethal and what isn’t. 
It seems like the customization of firearms, such as using special forces and custom coatings, is no longer a natural progression. As gun ownership increases, people are now customizing their wallets, cellphones, laptops, houses, motorcycles, and automobiles to personalize them.
Back to that original rifle in France: 
We would be interested to know the thoughts of those arguing either side of the issue, as long as the discussion is congenial and intelligent. We posted this to cover a little slice of American history. Do consider stepping back a bit from the overall coloration or the color of the muzzle on the factory logo. Let’s hear your thoughts.
Is there a line that needs to be painted somewhere? If yes, where should it be?
Moreover, who determines the location for painting it?