[ABTOMAT]

Well? Seems like the only common choices in blued guns these days are inexpensive imports. Everything else is chrome, nickel, stainless, or tacticool-mall-ninja black polymer or duracoat. I wish a wide range of high-gloss blued models were still made. Just so much class.

Ditto with wood grips. I've had enough of looking at ugly rubber blobs on otherwise attractive weapons.

[HighVelocity]

There are plenty of blued single action revolvers being produced these days. That's about all I see.

[sm]

Where is Old Fuff, Mr, Keenan, Jim Watson...

-Part has to do with the craftsman whom knew how to polish the metal , which is so important to getting the deep bluing revolvers such as Colt, and Smith & Wesson were known for - are rare, dying off and nobody apprenticed to learn this craft.

-Then there is the money angle, why pay for the craftsman, or apprentice to learn when you can "save" a little overhead on wages, overtime, medical insurance...
By creative marketing as to how much better Stainless is?

-"Careful what you ask for" syndrome is part responsible too.
Akin to why Full service gas stations went away in some areas

Folks wanted to spend less monies on goods and services.

Already mentioned the Mfg aspect [polishers] now if Gunsmith does not have to reblue a firearm , the repair is less. Cheaper to sandblast a Steel one after some repairs or adding doohickey's and gadgets.

Some Gunsmiths are also dying off from "old school" ways and some filling their shoes are not "old school" - more of a "how fast can I fix "X" number of guns to get a profit?"

Sandblast Steel is done on-premise - more quickly. This satisfies the "gotta have it yesterday" customer.

Born and raised into a business, and much of that business is "dead" compared to how it was.


Work promised for yesterday must be brought in no later than noon tomorrow.

[sgt127]

The above covers it pretty well...except for the EPA. Blueing chemicals are nasty and corrosive (by their very nature) So..its a pain to run all the buffing machines, ventilation systems, keeping stocked on all the Haz Mat chemicals and then disposing of them. I have no idea how much it would cost to stay in compliance with all the OSHA and EPA regs, but, for a factory the size of S&W, if it can be eliminated, I'll bet its a decent savings.

[dfariswheel]

What really killed blued steel is customer demand.

The public just decided that it wanted stainless steel revolvers, and autos with a dull black, super durable finish.

Bluing is actually a pretty poor gun finish, and with the development of more modern, tougher finishes, the public was given a choice.
They voted with their wallets and bluing started going the way of gun browning.

The people who buy guns just decided they liked the wear characteristics of stainless and the modern black finishes better.
The gun companies responded with what the buyers demanded.

[RON in PA]

Handguns are tools and for the purpose of carry in a holster,concealed or other wise, stainless steel and chemically darkened steel are more rust and wear resistant. Also while wood grips maybe "pretty", rubber or synthetic grips are superior in feel and control for lots of people especially when using revolvers.

[Golddog]

Blue rusts easily. Blue scratches easily. Blue is expensive to repair properly. Rust, scratches, and even excellent rebluing diminish the value of a gun for resale.

Guns are tools and/or toys that get used outside or carried frequently. They will encounter hard surfaces and dampness.

So the real question ought to be: Why would anybody buy a blued gun today?

In fact, if stainless had come first, would anybody ever have made blue guns?

[Snake Eyes]

Women age, their breasts and fannies sag, their faces wrinkle....why would any one marry a beauty queen these days? Why not just pick an ugly one to start with?

So the real question ought to be: Why would anybody buy a blued gun today?


Because I can gaze into the deep, royal bluing of a vintage Colt Python for almost as long as I can gaze at a beautiful woman.

(Aside: I have been told that bluing is actually an accelerated oxidizing process, and that Colt bluing used to involve dipping firearm frames into boiling gasoline :what: and then running them thru a furnace. Can anyone confirm this?)

[Lone_Gunman]

So the real question ought to be: Why would anybody buy a blued gun today?


Aesthetics. Blue guns look better.

Why would I need a super tough, baked on matte black finish, or stainless steel, on a target revolver that will never be carried in a holster or subjected to rough handling?

Also, If you take care of your guns, blueing will last a long time. I have an old Remington 1100 shotgun with a high gloss blued finish that I have shot since the 1970's, hunted with, been rained on, etc. I wipe it down with oil after cleaning it, and it still have all the blueing on it.

[Car Knocker]

Colt bluing used to involve dipping firearm frames into boiling gasoline

I imagine those were low-seniority positions. :D

[Lone_Gunman]

Colt bluing used to involve dipping firearm frames into boiling gasoline

Competition for that job was always hot, but a lot of the people who did it got fired, and from what I hear were fuming mad at Colt over it.

[ArmedBear]

S&W made a limited run of the 586 a year or two back. I mean polished blue with wood grips and a worked trigger. I was tempted. But when it came right down to me spending $500 or more, I thought that the 686 in stainless with rubber grips is a more practical gun. Always oiling guns to keep my sweat from rusting them is a PITA.

The problem with blue is that it starts out looking really nice (if it's a good polished blue anyway) but it doesn't stay that way unless you really baby the gun. Same with wood, and I much prefer wood to any of the alternatives. We do have laminate, though, which gives some of the best of both; with steel, it's kind of one way or the other and no in-between.

I have a number of blue guns. I just picked up an old barrel for an old shotgun; it's beautiful, highly-polished blue that someone either didn't use much or took REALLY good care of. It's gorgeous. I love blue!

But when it comes to a field gun or working gun, I, too, tend to favor something that's low-maint and easier to patch up if it gets thrashed. Rough finishes are easier to patch.

Holster wear is also an issue with blued guns.

It's a tough call. You have beautiful but high-maint vs. utilitarian. Depends on what you want it for.

[Car Knocker]

For me, a blued gun, to remain decent looking, would have to be a safe-queen. It would not survive being a carry gun.

[XDKingslayer]

What happened to blued handguns?

They have been replaced with newer advanced coatings that are cheaper to apply, easier to maintain, take a beating, and don't rust.

And it's all to the customers advantage. We get cheaper weapons that last longer and last better.

Didn't we just discuss how looks is trumped by function in a different post?

[taliv]

they're next to the buggy whips

[Lone_Gunman]

Collector interest though will always be higher for blued guns; ie, I think that blued guns in pristine condition will be sought out by collectors willing to pay big money than comparable stainless guns.

[sm]

I still prefer blued guns.
I actually prefer Older Guns and I want these blue.

I am not a metallurgist. I am going for Function, Quality of Metallurgy, Craftsmanship, by preferring Blued Older guns.

Gets into alloys, and quality control. Stainless? Well some are having as much trouble keeping "Stain" + "Less" from rusting. Some newer alloyed pcs are harder to work with, hard on equipment, and IIRC less easy to get tolerances with some alloy percentages. Metal Injectied Molding is a new concept, then again only as good as the metals/ compound and quality controls used to mfg it.

Seems the older blued metal is better metal starting out. Bluing is a form of Rust, and then stopped. Shotguns for example have been blued for years, used in all sorts of climates and still going strong and not really any more "care" than just Wiping down.
Rifles are another example -

So we have all these really really old blued guns from history and they are not all orange and siezed up. They did not have high dollar Marketing lubes either.

How'd that happen!

Not everything new is good.
Not everything Marketed is for the customer's benefit - instead for making money for mfgs.

Some of the earlier Steel gun galled b/t frame and slide, then they figured out to make the two using different alloys. Still RIG +P was the chemical answer to a mechanical problem.

RIG, RIG + P, Johnson's Paste Wax, Ballistol, and STOS are old products still keeping not only blued guns and wood stocked guns in great shape - they are used to protect these more modern guns as well.

Nothing wrong with "newfangled" - like everything one has to investigate the Metallurgy and Materials, the design - NOT depend on Marketing.

Old ; The old M&P I will simply refer to as the Model 10 has been around since the 1890's and one today would be hard pressed to find a better made, better metallurgical made firearm than the Blued Model 10 today.

-Newfangled : Remington made a Nylon 66, still one of the best .22 rifles ever made. Take a look at current prices, these have skyrocketed! Blued barrels and Nylon stocks. Make mine a butt fed model please.

Topperwein (sp?) used a Nylon 66 to set a record that still stands for a shooting skills and firearm reliabilty.

100,000 plus 1" wooden cubes were tossed into the air and hit without a miss, and the Nylon 66 did not malfunction. Yes moving targets hit with a .22 rifle.

Must be the natural lubricity of blued metal or something on these Older Blued guns or something. ;)

Being receptive means not slamming the door on proven history.

[Ala Dan]

I don't know the answer, but I sure wish they would bring back the good
old rich bluing that we became use too from such firearms giant's as Smith
N' Wesson and Colt. S&W called theirs "bright blue", and Colt referred to
theirs as "royal blue". Lots of S&W model 27's, 29's, and 57's were done
in "bright blue"; and a lot of Python's, and Gold Cup's were seen in "Colt
Royal Blue". Anybody else wish these good ole' days would return~?:scrutiny:

[Matt King]

Anybody else wish these good ole' days would return~?


Remember when Smith and wesson's were sold without internal locks?
Still remeber buying my first gun, It was a Blued, K-frame S&W .357. Still have it.

Sorry for my rambling.

[ABTOMAT]

I understand the practical side, and I am very much a "fuction before form" person, but a gun is as much a individual preference as anything else. Looks will always matter to a degree. If the most durable finish out there only came in pink/purple two-tone would you buy it? Conversely, if you had two guns of identical function but one was better looking which would you choose? If I covered my truck in rubber bedliner I'd have the most durable finish out there, but it would be ugly as sin rolling down the road.

Bluing doesn't seem as fragile to me as many make it out to be. Maybe I'm not picturing hard enough use or poor enough maintenace, but a good blue finish should hold up OK with care and it'll age/wear gracefully. All the old police Model 10's you see with lots of holster wear don't bother me.

I don't like the current trend with revolvers at all. Chunky shiny stainless wheelguns with big ergonomic rubber grips turn me off. To me they look cheap and flashy in a bad way. The classic blued steel revolver with checkered or smooth carved grip panels is still unbeatable in my book.

As far as autos, I'm a little more open minded. Parkerized finishes are cool (love those old 1911A1'a), black is acceptable but it seems like most black guns are just ugly, silver is so-so, and two-tone is gross. Actually, the most beautiful auto I've ever seen a picture of was a blued P7 with finely checkered hardwood grips.

Now, odd finishes on long guns don't bother me much. I like the way original (triagular forend) AR-15's look. Park'ed pump guns are neat. Stainless barrelled varmint guns are fine. Of course, doubles have to be blued, with engraved or case hardened receivers. :)

[otomik]

I spent a while looking for a older Beretta 92 because it has wood grips, blued finish and a rounded trigger guard. I guess I'm a throwback for liking such things, I also think nose art on airplanes would be good for morale, instead we get the flat "tactical" finishes.

[birddog]

For me, a blued gun, to remain decent looking, would have to be a safe-queen. It would not survive being a carry gun.


I respectfully disagree. I have two blued Taurus revolvers (which I guess would fall under the original poster's definition of "inexpensive imports" though my wallet would disagree). One is the 651B snubby in 357. I carry this more than any other gun, and the deep, blue finish has survived. No safe queen, there. The other is a Taurus M-44 (Taurus' version of the 629) in 44mag. This gun has seen two hunting seasons, much ice, snow, hours and hours and hours of rain. Yes, it needs to be cleaned at the end of the day, but I don't own a hunting gun that doesn't. The selection of bluing on the M-44 was because I don't generally believe in a shiny, SS gun for hunting. The 651B doesn't get any special care other than to wipe the fingerprints off every week or two.

Both guns' finishes have held up remarkably well.

[JohnBT]

"Anybody else wish these good ole' days would return~?"

Me.

Stainless is practical for some applications I suppose, but it's still ugly. Even hardchrome looks better. I like all sorts of bluing and blacking, including a brushed Carbonia finish...

http://www.ronsgunshop.com/images/big1911reproleft.jpg

...but glossy blue is my favorite.

http://www.ronsgunshop.com/gallery/bisley%20backstrap.jpg

[Avizpls]

Where are all the blue handguns?

they all rusted away. All thats left is Stainless, Nickel, etc

[Ala Dan]

Very nice there, JohnBT My Friend-

and great photography, I might add~!:cool: Enjoy:D

[JohnBT]

Thanks, but I can't take credit for them. The pics are on Paul Lippold's site: www.ronsgunshop.com

He does the Carbonia finish on the WWI repros for Colt. I do have a WWI repro though. I wonder if he'd polish it and give it a Royal Blue finish? :)
_____________________________________________________________

"Where are all the blue handguns? they all rusted away. All thats left is Stainless, Nickel, etc"

:rolleyes: Pfui, nonsense and hogwash. You might fool some folks with that silliness, but not me. I was born at night, but it wasn't last night.

John

[Ala Dan]

It might be worth a try, John? I'm sure he commands "top dollar" for his work.:uhoh:

[JERRY]

for "looking at guns" and ones to be photographed a lot.....the blued guns are just so much prettier.

but for use in the field, street, woods, the stainless is the hands down winner based on ease of care, tolerance for neglect....

my blued guns are slowly getting redone in a "tuffgun" coating based with parkerizing....they were not "looking at guns" anyway. they all have some holster wear, and ive grown tired of scotch brighting the barrel on one and cold blueing it after every hunting season....

[ArmedBear]

I think that blued guns in pristine condition will be sought out by collectors willing to pay big money than comparable stainless guns.

That's also because a pristine blue gun (that hasn't been reblued, which collectors despise) is a rare thing. It usually means a gun that's unused, or has only been fired a few times.

[BluesBear]

I've been carrying blued guns for 30 years.
My guns that show the most wear were actually purchased that way.
Seems that a little honest holster wear really brings the price down.
The ones that I have carried a lot show only mimimal wear.
Because I use good holsters with a proper fit.
And I clean (Hoppes #9), oil (Ballistoil or Clenzoil) and wax (Boeshield) them often.
But then I do the same to my one stainless revolver.

People are always talking about how much extra work it is to keep a blued gun looking nice but I just don't see it.
:confused:
I guess it's the way I was brought up.

[Lone_Gunman]

That's also because a pristine blue gun (that hasn't been reblued, which collectors despise) is a rare thing. It usually means a gun that's unused, or has only been fired a few times.


Firing the gun a lot does not do anything to mess up the blueing. I have many blued revolvers that have been fired extensively, and the only noticeable difference is the drag line on the cylinder, but even stainless revolvers will end up with one of those.

[45auto]

I don't own any stainless guns, of any variety...pistols, shotguns or rifles.

None of mine have rusted away. ;)

It's good for silverware though!! :p

[osteodoc08]

I'd rather have a high maintenance gun than a high maintenance women any day of the week.:neener: