Product Review - Gun Skins

We live “next door” to a gunsmith.  He’s not just your average, run-of-the-mill gunsmith, he is an excellent, can-do-anything gunsmith.  Over the years, Sir Knight has purchased weapons, parts and accessories (for pennies on the dollar) that others wouldn’t touch, simply because he knew he could take them to “our” gunsmith and have them back the next day in perfect, like-new condition.  We have had weapons refinished, blued, parkerized and repaired. 

Although we have such a wonderful resource available, Sir Knight has always balked at the idea of having any of his rifles or pistols camouflaged.  Too many times he has seen rifles rendered virtually unsellable due to a poorly done camo job.  Even well done camouflage can greatly reduce the resale value of a pistol or rifle. 

A number of years ago, Master Hand Grenade had a rifle Dura-coated, along with a scope, flashlight, barrel, and magazines.  It looked great.  However, over the years, Hand Grenade changed his mind about the flashlight, and added a different one.  Then the scope came off.  Little by little, his rifle resembled a Frankenstein – reducing it’s resale value and providing us with endless hours of entertainment (teasing him)!

Then, along came GunSkins.  I stumbled across the GunSkins website one day as I was looking for a solution to our camouflage problem (Miss Serenity wanted to camouflage her hunting rifle in Wildfire camo).  GunSkins looked simple to install and came in so many different camo’s, even the Moonshine Wildfire we were looking for.

After watching a video, Sir Knight decided that GunSkins were worth looking into.  We decided to start small, and ordered a handgun kit in Moonshine Muddy Girl.  Our test subject was a Walther P22.  Sir Knight and Maid Elizabeth plugged in a hair dryer (you can also use a heat gun), pulled out the exacto knife (order lots of blades – you will need them!) and went to work.  Each GunSkins comes in a basic kit (handgun, rifle, shotgun) that needs to be custom cut for each individual weapon.  Rather than explain the whole process (which of course, takes longer the first time you do it, but gets easier with every installation), I highly encourage you to watch a GunSkins installation video.  It will give you all of the information you need to know.

The Walther turned out great, although not perfect.  The GunSkins adhered to the Walther well, and after 2 months of use,  it shows no signs of peeling or wearing off.  Sir Knight and Maid Elizabeth, with one installation job under their belts, knew the next one would be even better.

Next up was a 1911 and a G-Code holster in Kryptek Highlander (Master Hand Grenade’s choice).  The 1911 turned out great and the holster (done with a GearSkins – a large piece of camo that you cut for whatever gear you want to cover) was absolutely perfect!  The finished installation looked professional, even with an up-close inspection.  The GunSkins seem to be holding up perfectly, not even showing holster wear on the 1911.

After the 1911 came Miss Serenity’s hunting rifle.  Wow!  The installation was quick, painless and looks great.  And here comes the best part – if Serenity gets tired of the Wildfire, or if she decides to sell her rifle, she simply has to peel off the GunSkins - no fuss, no muss and no negative impact to the re-sale value.  Perfect!



Another great application for GunSkins is concealed carry.  Carry guns often suffer holster wear, marring the weapon’s finished.  GunSkins are the perfect solution.  Maid Elizabeth covered her Sig P239 in old school Tiger Stripe and wished she would have done it sooner – before any carry wear began to show.

GunSkins solve a lot of finish related issues.  First, they protect gun finishes.  If you install a GunSkins on a brand new weapon, the finish will be as new when you peel the Skins off.  Second, they are the perfect solution for people wanting to camouflage their guns without impacting their value.  Third, they are wonderful for people who change their minds about camouflage or like to add accessories (think Master Hand Grenade here) .  Another useful GunSkins accessory is their Magazine Skins.  They have packs of 3 Skins in various designs.  It is nice, especially if you have numerous people in your family (you can designate a specific design for each person) or if you have the same magazine that could be used for two different calibers (5.56 and 300 Blackout) making instant magazine identification simple.

GunSkins are a product whose time has come.  They are a practical way to maintain your gun’s finish without effecting its value.  We definitely give GunSkins two thumbs up!

NOTE:  We found that we simplified the installation by only applying the Skins to the slide and grips rather than completely covering the frame.  We found that the “Less-is-more” approached appealed to us.  Also, we did have one failure installing GunSkins.  We attempted to install Highlander camo on a Mossberg MVP and had it immediately peel off.  We contacted GunSkins and they sent us another GunSkins (no charge) and told us to clean the rifle better (with Frog Lube).  We meticulously cleaned the rifle, tried the installation again, with the same result.  We did let GunSkins know, and although they have never had that issue, they said they would let other consumers know.  Please note, we have installed GunSkins on numerous weapons and gear, with no other failures!