Blued.
Set aside Wood-n-Blue looks if you will.
I am over 50, and growing up in the hot, humid south, duck hunting in freezing rain, and being outdoors in all sorts of weather, we used blued guns.
I /WE still prefer Blue, though I and we do have some stainless guns, of certain makes and models.
Bluing is a form of "forced rust" and then stopped.
The key to the deep bluing Colt and S&W were known for was the Master Polishers that prepped the Quality Carbon Steels for bluing.
No finish is ever any better that what the metallurgy will allow and how well one can polish it out.
Be this Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, Gold, Silver, Copper , - any metal.
We did not have all the hyped up cleaning solvents and gun oils, just common sense and inspected and maintained.
Bluing actually resists corrosion.
How many threads have we seen with Stainless Steel guns rusting?
New guns, name brand mfgs, pretty pricey and new solvent and lubes also expensive used and one hot , summer day, that gun is rusty?
Human pH factor comes into play as well. Some folks are just more acidic than others.
Metals have properties, and it is how these properties are used, that make up the integrity of metals.
Some metals have smaller "pores" and some are more "granular".
One cannot simple say Stainless will not rust - as some stain-less is actually more of a pain to maintain due to properties of that "stain-less" steel.
Early days, RIG+P was developed to deal with Stainless guns galling.
Blued guns never had this problem, due to metallurgy and properties.
Stainless Steels of different properties were then used to alleviate or lessen galling we never had a problem with, with blued guns.
Oh I remember when Cops started getting Stainless Model 60's for instance and it was the rookies, all into status and telling the seasoned cops how the new guns were better.
Old seasoned cops were using old blued S&Ws here, and Colts elsewhere and BHPs and 1911s in blue and looking at the young bunch, shaking heads.
A lot of sin can be hidden with a finish.
Stainless is easy for a gunsmith , and less monies for a customer to have worked on, simply because it can be sandblasted.
Blued guns means re-bluing for some of this adding curb feelers and fuzzy dice folks seem so intent having to have today.
The stainless does not have to finished out to the degree a blued gun old was as it is going to have a emery, sand blast or whatever finish done.
Master Polishers are a dying breed, the craft is less and less being passed forward like so many talents of craftsmanship.
Yes some environments are that harsh and some metallurgy and finishes hold up under those environments.
That dive knife for example is not as sharp as a carbon steel knife and can't be made as sharp as one, nor hold the edge as long...Function dictates this is sacrificed for Salt water use.
Function...some of these stainless steels are for the function of the mfg not having wear and tear on equipment, not having to pay for better metal, or someone skilled to polish out.
It is not about you, instead them.
Razzle dazzle marketing and the stainless cult is born.
Tool steels and carbons are used to cut stain-less steel...
Old hand tools , non stainless, got a patina, and resisted rust, so does Carbon Steel and CV knives...
Those old screwdrivers, channel lock pliers, linesman pliers, were tool steel, not stainless...better ones still are.
Set aside the looks, cult status, marketing, and investigate your pH , where you live, and how well a metal is metallurgically, how prepped and finished out.