My problem with Vaqueros is that most of them are in Stainless and I don't like stainless. The blue ones are non flattering either. I'd like a gun with a case hardened frame or a fully nickle plated gun. This is the same reason I won't buy a new S&W, they are all stainless and brushed stainless at that.
I know some of the new retro ones are in blue but that's really recent when you put it in perspective.
Howdy Again
I too prefer blued guns over stainless. There are several versions of the Vaquero that are available blued.
Vaqueros never had true case hardening. Case Hardening is for relatively soft iron or steel and produces a hardened surface while retaining the ductility of the underlying metal. The colors that result from the Case Hardening process are attractive, but they are only a byproduct of the process, they do not impart any superior qualities to the metal.
Ruger uses Investment Castings for their frames. The frames are heat treated all the way through for consistent hardness. Case Hardening the frames would be counterproductive. For quite a few years blued Vaqueros had chemically created colors on the frame to simulate the appearance of true Case Hardening. However there were constant complaints of rust with this method. Finally Ruger decided to completely do away with the color treatment and just blue the frames as they always did with their Blackhawks.
True Case Hardening is an expensive process. It takes time. Parts are placed in a furnace with carbon bearing substances like bone and leather. Then they are heated to a specific temperature and then taken out and quenched in water. The process infuses extra carbon into the surface of the steel, producing a harder surface. The colors come along as a byproduct.
Uberti does not have true Case Hardening on their parts either. If they did, the guns would be more expensive than they are. Uberti uses a chemical bath to bring out colors resembling Case Hardening, but it is not done in a furnace.
Colts frames are Case Hardened the old fashioned way. So are the higher priced USFA guns. If you want real Case Hardening, you will have to pay more.
When Ruger first experimented with Stainless Vaqueros, the prototypes had a matte finish. However Ruger quickly realized that by putting a high polish on the Stainless it would look almost exactly like Nickel Plate that was often applied to guns in the 19th Century. The methods of bluing in the 19th Century were different than today, and 19th Century bluing was not as robust as modern blue. It wore off more easily and then did not provide as much rust protection. So Nickel Plating was an alternative to help prevent rust. In fact, Nickel Plating was more common than bluing with many of the pocket pistol models made by S&W. Ruger decided that a high polish finish on their Stainless Vaqueros would make them look just like the old Nickel Plated guns. Nickel Plating does have a slight yellowish tinge to it, but it is difficult to tell a polished Stainless Ruger from a Nickel Plated gun unless one compares them next to each other. For all intents and purposes, Stainless Rugers look just like a Nickel Plated gun.
The other advantage of Stainless over Nickel Plating is it will never chip or peel.
