Blued Colt or stainless Gold Cup?

[UKWildcatFan]

First, I'm set on a Colt GC, so save the comments about it's not as good as yours, etc. I've heard the blueing will wear over time, and I'm not liking that idea. Further, I have stainless 1911s, so I don't really want another one. I've heard the upkeep on a blued gun is key to keep it from rusting. What's your experience with your blued Colts?

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I prefer a blued 1911. Sure, if you use it alot and holster it, it will show wear on the high spots. I find an old blue gun with honest wear attractive.....FWIW, I recently bought a new blue National Match. To me the stainless Gold Cup looks like a bland hunk of steel.

 

[Liberty1776]

^^^This^^^

 

[CNobbe]

Agreed, go with blued.

 

[moxie]

If you keep the blued gun cleaned and lubed properly it won't rust. Sure you'll get wear corresponding to how you use it, but that's character IMO.

 

[AustinTX]

A blued Colt Gold Cup is a beautiful gun. It's a timeless look. Like poster above, I too find the stainless GCNM a bit drab and soulless. (My opinion is based on owning a stainless GCNM in addition to a blued pre-Series 70 Gold Cup from the '60s.) Finish wear is unavoidable on a blued CCW, though, so you'll have to decide according to your own preferences if that's acceptable to you...though I guess you didn't actually explicitly mention carrying it. Is that what you're thinking of as the source of finish wear?

If you don't plan to carry it, another huge advantage of the blued GCNM (to me, anyway) is that it's available in Series 70 configuration, whereas the stainless only comes as a Series 80.

 

[rcmodel]

Get a Rig-Rag from Brownells and wipe the fingerprints and sweat off of it every time you use it, keep the holster lining clean, and it can look almost new 50 years from now.

I built this National Match in 1967.
Finished polishing it and blued it it 1970.
Made the Ivory grips about 1980?

It's been carried a lot in a well fitted lined leather holster or three, and shot a lot.

Showing some holster wear.
But still presentable I guess?



Anyway, it's not rusted shut yet!!

rc

 

[ColtPythonElite]

That gun looks exactly like a used blue 1911 should look.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Never knew what a rig rag was till I looked it up...Anyway, I keep a 5" sheepskin applicator and a piece of flannel on top of my gun safe. Each have Eezox on them. Any blue gun gets a wipe down after handling. Never had a speck of rust.

 

[bannockburn]

Never have had a problem with keeping my blued guns free from rust. I had a blued Gold Cup years ago and it was strictly a range gun so I can't speak as to how well the bluing will hold up to carrying it in a holster. Regular use and cleaning, followed by a light coating of RIG kept that beautiful deep Colt blue looking great. Go blue; stainless makes it more appear to be more utilitarian and industrial grade.

 

[UKWildcatFan]

Yeah, it won't be carried. Either way, I'm going with blued. The look, even with some wear, is just too beautiful. I'll be proud to hand this down to my son someday. He's only 5, so I have a lot of time to "make it my own," so to speak. Thanks, guys.

Oh, and rc...beautiful weapon. Wow.

 

[AustinTX]

Yeah, it won't be carried. Either way, I'm going with blued. The look, even with some wear, is just too beautiful. I'll be proud to hand this down to my son someday. He's only 5, so I have a lot of time to "make it my own," so to speak. Thanks, guys.

Oh, and rc...beautiful weapon. Wow.

In that case, you have nothing to worry about. It's not hard to keep a non-carry blued gun in great shape. This Colt is 48 years old, and if you saw it in person, you would think it was new. It doesn't take me any great effort to keep it looking this way.

 

[Tequila Mockingbird]

I guess I'll be the contrarian here, but if I have the choice of the same gun in blue or stainless, I'll pick stainless every time. I like the clean look of stainless, the ease of maintenance and the fact that in ten or twenty years, the gun will look exactly the same, regardless of how many times it's been fired.



I guess I ain't much for "honest" wear, whatever that is...

 

[moxie]

Sweet piece RC.

Rig Rags are nice. Also any brand silicone impregnated cloth. A few wipes in between cleanings are a great idea. Amazon has them in about half a dozen different brands for under $10. I've got a couple of 45-50 year old Garcia "Silicote" cloths that I still use. They were 60 cents each when I bought them. Great for fishing tackle too.

 

[Paul7]

Stainless can scratch easier. I prefer blued also, I believe the carbon steel is harder than stainless.

 

[Reloadron]

I like the blued flavors and having a few blued if a stainless came along at he right price I wouldn't hesitate. With proper care the blued will hold up just fine.

Ron

 

[SSN Vet]

FWIW, the newly released S70 Gold Cup National Match (which only comes in blue) has a raised flat top with serrations and looks very nice.

The stainless Gold Cup Trophy doesn't have a flat top.

 

[Chocolate Bayou]

Is this gun going to be for carry or strictly range? Why would you get any holster rub if it is only for the range. If you are going to carry, why a Gold Cup. get an XSE if you are going to carry it then leather rubs just make it look like it's been used and has the natural look.

 

[AustinTX]

I believe the carbon steel is harder than stainless.

Harder and tougher. For gun production, carbon steel is superior to stainless in everything but corrosion resistance. (And these days, of course, there are treatments and finishes for carbon steel that negate any advantage stainless has there.)

 

[CraigC]

Harder and tougher. For gun production, carbon steel is superior to stainless in everything but corrosion resistance. (And these days, of course, there are treatments and finishes for carbon steel that negate any advantage stainless has there.)

Hard chrome over carbon steel is going to be harder, tougher and more corrosion resistant than stainless. Not to mention slicker and easier to clean.

 

[CoalTrain49]

I just buy whichever one the dealer happens to have that day. I have both, not seeing a lot of difference in either. Stainless scratches easier but that can be buffed out. Blued will rust in 5 minutes from contact with blood. Grapefruit or lemon juice will remove all bluing in about 5 seconds. Today's blued finishes on production guns aren't much to get excited about.

I've noticed that the blued Colts seem to have a tighter slide to frame fit.

I'll take stainless if I can but nothing wrong with blued.

 

[UKWildcatFan]

I went with blued, and I'm so proud of it. I hope to get it out to the range next week.

 

[WVsig]

Pics or it didn't happen LOL

 

[SSN Vet]

I've noticed that the blued Colts seem to have a tighter slide to frame fit.

I believe this is because stainless steel is prone to galling. When the Ruger SR1911 first came out, they had a lot of praise for tight slide fits, followed by many complaints about galling of the slide and frame rails.