Paint colors · Behr, as published by the brand

Behr Silver Bullet (N520-2): hex #C5C5C3, LRV and undertone

Silver Bullet (N520-2) from Behr is hex #C5C5C3 with an LRV of 56. It measures as a true neutral with almost no undertone, and black text on it reaches 12.14:1.

By Paul Gunder. Every value is computed from published standards; see how ColorPlum works.

Updated November 11, 2026

BehrSilver BulletN520-2

Hex: #C5C5C3
RGB: 197, 197, 195
LRV: 56
Undertone: True neutral

LRV 56. Mid-tone: noticeably colored; best in rooms with good daylight.

Almost no undertone (chroma 0.003): it reads as a clean gray in most light.

Coordinating colors Behr suggests

Mulberry StainN110-2
Dusty OlivePPU8-20
Bit Of SugarPR-W14
PoseidonS480-6
Blueberry WhipS550-1
EcologicalS380-6

Closest colors from other brands

ΔE is the CIEDE2000 difference between the published values: under 2 is hard to tell apart on a wall, 2 to 5 is a visible but related shade. Always compare real chips before you buy.

Name, code, LRV and color value as published by Behr on its color page (checked 2026-11-11). A screen can only approximate paint: sheen, lighting and the screen itself all change it, so check a physical sample. ColorPlum is not affiliated with Behr.

ColorPlum swatchSilver Bulletlight gray

HEX: #C5C5C3
RGB: rgb(197, 197, 195)
HSL: hsl(60, 2%, 77%)

Best text on it: black at 12.14:1

Build a palette Make a gradient Check contrast Wallpaper

Silver Bullet#C5C5C3

Every code for Silver Bullet

HEX#C5C5C3
RGBrgb(197, 197, 195)
HSLhsl(60, 2%, 77%)
HSV60°, 1%, 77%
CMYK0%, 0%, 1%, 23%
Lablab(79.5% -0.3 1)
OKLCHoklch(82.3% 0.003 106.5)
Decimal12961219

Tints, shades and tones

From white to black in 10% steps, with Silver Bullet in the middle. Tap a code to copy it.

90%#F9F9F9
80%#F3F3F3
70%#EEEEED
60%#E8E8E7
50%#E2E2E1
40%#DCDCDB
30%#D6D6D5
20%#D1D1CF
10%#CBCBC9
Base#C5C5C3
10%#B1B1B0
20%#9E9E9C
30%#8A8A89
40%#767675
50%#636362
60%#4F4F4E
70%#3B3B3B
80%#272727
90%#141414

Tones (mixed with gray)

10%#BEBEBC
20%#B7B7B6
30%#B0B0AF
40%#A9A9A8
50%#A3A3A2
60%#9C9C9B
70%#959594
80%#8E8E8D
90%#878787

Matching colors

Complementary

#C5C5C3
#C3C3C5

Analogous

#C5C4C3
#C5C5C3
#C4C5C3

Triadic

#C5C5C3
#C3C5C5
#C5C3C5

Split complementary

#C5C5C3
#C3C4C5
#C4C3C5

Tetradic (square)

#C5C5C3
#C3C5C4
#C3C3C5
#C5C3C4

Monochromatic

#7A7A75
#9F9F9C
#C5C5C3
#EBEBEA
#F5F5F5

Silver Bullet in 3D color space

OKLab, the space ColorPlum does its math in: lightness runs up the pole, hue goes around it and saturation grows outward. The faint shell is every color a screen can show (saturation is drawn wider than lightness so hues separate). Drag to turn it.

Silver Bullet with its complement, its triad and its tint and shade

Silver Bullet
Triad #C3C5C5
Triad #C5C3C5
Complement
50% tint
50% shade

Silver Bullet in use

New collectionAutumn edit

Card body text stays dark for reading; silver bullet carries the header and the button.

Shop nowTag

Headline in Silver Bullet

A paragraph with a link in dark text, because this color is too light for text on white; use it for fills instead.

How it looks with color-vision deficiency

A simulation (Machado and colleagues, 2009) of how the color and its complement read without one type of cone.

Typical color vision#C5C5C3
Protanopia (no red cones)#C5C5C3
Deuteranopia (no green cones)#C5C5C3
Tritanopia (no blue cones)#C5C5C4

Contrast and readability

Pairing	Ratio	WCAG 2.2
as text on white	1.72:1	AA AA large AAA
as text on black	12.14:1	AA AA large AAA
white text on it	1.72:1	AA AA large AAA
black text on it	12.14:1	AA AA large AAA
on your background	1.50:1	AA AA large AAA

Try a background

Export

:root {
  --silver-bullet: #c5c5c3;
  --silver-bullet-rgb: 197 197 195;
  --silver-bullet-on: #000000;
}

On this page

Silver Bullet is Behr code N520-2. Its hex is #C5C5C3, its RGB is 197, 197, 195, and its LRV is 56. That is a light-to-mid value, bright enough to avoid a heavy look but with enough depth to read as gray on a wall.

Reading the values

The OKLCH value is oklch(82.3% 0.003 106) and the HSL value is hsl(60, 2%, 77%). A chroma of 0.003 is nearly zero, so the color measures as a true neutral. The Lab reading, lab(79.5% -0.3 1), sits almost on the neutral axis, and the CMYK mix of 0%, 0%, 1%, 23% is almost pure black ink. The hue angle of 106 degrees has little meaning at that chroma, so do not expect a visible tint of any kind.

Behr's coordinating list

Behr lists six coordinating colors: Mulberry Stain (N110-2), Dusty Olive (PPU8-20), Bit Of Sugar (PR-W14), Poseidon (S480-6), Blueberry Whip (S550-1) and Ecological (S380-6). Pages for these do not exist here yet, so each appears as a name with its code. The list runs from a berry shade to an olive and a deep blue, which shows how much a neutral gray can take on when the accent is chosen.

Worked example

Picture a home gym in a basement with no windows, rubber flooring and mirrored panels on one wall. Overhead LEDs are the only light, so a pure neutral keeps the room from taking on a color cast. Paint the walls Silver Bullet and add a darker gray door for contrast. On a class schedule page with a #C5C5C3 header, black text gives 12.14:1 and white text just 1.72:1, so go with black.

A neutral this clean is a good base for experimenting with accent colors, since it will not compete with them. With LRV 56 it holds up in rooms with moderate daylight, and it avoids the stark look of a light gray with a blue lean. Pull out the chip beside fabrics, tile and art before committing, because a true neutral can look cool next to warm materials and warm next to cool ones.

Cross-checks

In the same brand, Natural Gray (PPU18-10) is ΔE 2.6 and French Silver (PPU18-05) is 3.4, both related but visible. Absolute Zero (N490-1) is 5.2, clearly different.

Outside the brand, Sherwin-Williams Light French Gray (SW 0055) is 2.1 and Benjamin Moore Smoke Embers (1466) is 2.3. Silver Strand (SW 7057) is 3.3 and Coventry Gray (HC-169) is 3.4. All four stay just above the point where two colors become hard to separate, so test each next to the Behr sample.