Gun finish, Beauty and its importance to you?

The purpose of a finish is and always has been rust prevention for the vast majority of gun owners. There pretty much always has been a market for high end finishes and nice wood as well, but most gun manufacturers would be out of business if that was their only market. So they would sell special high grade pretty models alongside their bread and butter and people would pay premium prices for them.

I've seen the transition from blued steel and wood to what we have today and what really led the transition was people willing to pay extra to remove blued steel and wood and replace it with a more durable rust resistant finish and replace wood with plastic by aftermarket offerings. The manufactures saw they were missing out on opportunity and started offering what was available aftermarket in house at first at a higher price. They sold big time. Before long it pushed blued steel and wood aside.

I've heard people say it was manufactures trying to save bucks but that just isn't true. It was the market speaking and they listened.

I have three types of gun: one is a utility device that is roughly equivalent to a power tool, another is an entertainment device that serves no other real purpose, and the third is a collection of historical objects, most of which can fire projectiles of some sort.
Careful workmanship and fine finishes are satisfying if they happen to be present but function or historical appropriateness is far more important to me.

I would have said 5 years ago that I much preferred blue/wood in appearance and black guns were ugly...but if you look at my "bedroom" safe, it is almost all black guns or rifles with synthetic stocks (except for the 1970's Remmy 870 set up as an HD with 000 buck)...because those are the guns I shoot most often. The other safe has the blued/wood and collector stuff which isn't shot nearly as much. And I've come to appreciate the true beauty of AR type rifles over time to the point that they're now my favorites.

I appreciate and respect the fine craftsmanship that goes into a well finished gun. If I'm forking up big money for a gun, I do like it to look nice. That being said, it's not my top priority. I see it as "icing on the cake." I do what I can to take care of the existing finish but if it gets roughed up a bit i think that adds character and makes it more valuable in my eyes. Just like a ball cap, i can be proud of the sweaty nasty ones because i worked hard to get it so grimy

Olon said:

I appreciate and respect the fine craftsmanship that goes into a well finished gun. If I'm forking up big money for a gun, I do like it to look nice. That being said, it's not my top priority. I see it as "icing on the cake." I do what I can to take care of the existing finish but if it gets roughed up a bit i think that adds character and makes it more valuable in my eyes. Just like a ball cap, i can be proud of the sweaty nasty ones because i worked hard to get it so grimy

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I will say, however, that I have a strong disdain for fake "battle worn" guns where some jack-leg just rubs sandpaper on their glock to make it look like they actually shoot...

Sorry had to gripe a bit haha

Olon said:

I will say, however, that I have a strong disdain for fake "battle worn" guns where some jack-leg just rubs sandpaper on their glock to make it look like they actually shoot...

Sorry had to gripe a bit haha

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heck they sell em with "worn" looking finishes now-a-days..


My issue is people thinking beautiful guns cannot be "tools". Guess what people.They can be used just as hard as the cheaper ones...

I slather 'em all in spray paint, except the M1A or the Mosins.

Well,I do paint the M1A's stock to match the season, and my Black powder rifle and shotgun........the .22 lr's are always in the boat, so is the shotgun, and the salt water , salt air, winters condensation plays hell on 'em all, so I just add another layer.

Beats Rust

Some nice walnut and a browned damascus barrel can be a joy to see but I'd be worried about scuffing the finish on a £10,000 + shotgun!

In earlier times, the fine craftsmanship and hand made beauty of a gun allowed the rich man to show the world that he was "a cut above" the guy with the "trade rifle."

I think we're mostly past that kind of snobbery today.

I can own and use a gun with composite stocks for hunting. And for my carry gun I don't mind that it has black plastic grips. But even my carry gun is blued, and not a plastic gun.
As for beauty of a gun in my consideration before purchase; it's of the utmost highest importance to me. I am a blued steel, and fine wood guy, and I still shoot them, regardless of how nice or valuable they may be.
I just can't bring myself to buy anything but blued steel and nice wood, unless it is a utility gun. And it's not about snobbery, elitism, or somehow wanting something better than the next guy. It's about the craftsmanship involved in building fine guns from fine materials. And just because it's beautiful doesn't mean they weren't built to be shot, and used like any other gun.
I'd rather shoot my old Smith & Wesson than a plastic gun.



Or my old Marlin Ballard than my AR15.

I love a deep, rich blue on a fine firearm. I don't know how some people get walnut to look as good as it looks on some of the finer Weatherby's I have seen. I further don't understand how anyone can own a firearm and resist the impulse to use it. Guns were made to be used, period. Not using a gun for it's intended purpose is akin to putting a Rembrandt in a safe and locking it away from all those prying eyes. Just my humble opinion. YMMV!

I shoot em..... Since I don't h ave a huge budget I try to purchase what reliability and accuracy I can afford. Kinda prevents full customs. Doesn't keep me out of the range. I shoot about 11K rounds a year, just for fun. Not planning on stopping soon.

flightsimmer said:

The prettier it is, the less I use it.

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Pretty much it in a nutshell, por moi. I found this beautiful Blued Winchester, 1895, NIB, with, IIRC, a Black Walnut stock. Turned into a safe queen I eventually sold. I was petrified that I would get a ding in the stock.

I have beautiful firearms and they get used. I have a 10/22 Sporter I've had for four decades. Beautiful walnut stock. I've shot tens of thousands of rounds through it and carried it many miles in search of the elusive jackrabbit.

I have a Remington 700 Mountain Rifle. It also has a beautiful walnut stock and good bluing. It too is well traveled.

Other beautiful rifles include a Davidson Marlin LTD III in 45/70 and a pair of Marlin lever action 22s. All three have beautiful walnut stocks, good bluing and octagonal barrels.

Back in the late 80s, I scored a S&W 686. Beautiful stainless steel finish. It's been shot a lot and carried many miles.

I have a stainless steel Colt Gold Cup Commander that is one of the prettiest 1911s I've ever seen. It too has been shot and carried a lot.

I love beautiful firearms and I love shooting them. I take good care of them. My firearms travel to camp or the range in a case. I keep them clean and oiled. I protect them when busting through heavy brush, or when falling down and sliding off a mountain. They still show wear, get nicks and dings but considering the use they've seen, they're in good shape. If I had a $10k 20 gauge side by side, I would make it a point to take it quail hunting.