RAL and NCS values are nearest equivalents, not official designations.
In Western culture, gunmetal often symbolizes strength and resilience, reflecting its roots in weaponry and defense. Conversely, in design, it can convey sophistication and modernity, making it a popular choice in luxury branding and contemporary decor.
The term 'gunmetal' originated in the late 18th century, specifically around 1770, as a reference to the alloy used in cannons and guns. The distinctive dark hue was not only functional but also aesthetically striking, leading to its adoption in various industrial and decorative applications.
Ranked by CIE76 ΔE — the perceptual distance from Gunmetal. Lower ΔE means a closer match (below ~2 is barely distinguishable).
All 27 Grays →Nine steps of Gunmetal by lightness — from #171C1E (darkest) to #919698 (lightest). Click any to copy.
Sitting opposite Gunmetal at 18° on the color wheel, these give the highest-contrast pairings.
Curated 5-color combinations featuring Gunmetal.
A 50–900 tonal scale with Gunmetal anchored at 500 — ready to drop into a design system. Click any step to copy.
Works well as text on light backgrounds; fails on dark.
Thresholds: AA needs 4.5:1 (normal text) / 3:1 (large); AAA needs 7:1 / 4.5:1. Large = 18pt+ or 14pt+ bold.
Copy-ready values for CSS, screen and print, plus the extra conversions designers reach for.
color: #2C3539; color-mix(in srgb, #2C3539 70%, white) 198°, 23%, 22% 23, 7, 0, 78 2897209 #333333 How Gunmetal appears to viewers with the three main types of color blindness (~1 in 12 men, 1 in 200 women). Simulated approximations.