Stainless or Blued?

[Hokkmike]

Probably been asked before.

What is your preference in revolver finishes?

 

[skt239]

It really depends. For the most part I prefer the darkest finish available for the gun. While that is my preference, a majority of my handguns are some type of stainless.

 

[Dframe]

I've never liked the look of stainless guns. They always look "In the White" to me. I prefer dark guns with plain black or dark blue finishes. One of the best is the dark matt finish on the slide of my SIG, AND the slide is stainless

 

[g_one]

I like the appearance of blued guns more, but for guns I own I prefer the durability of a stainless or hard chrome finish.

 

[SleazyRider]

Depends. Classics, of course, should be blued. As sidearm for hunting, I'd prefer stainless. Aesthetically, few things are as pretty as a deep-blued revolver or rifle, especially if we add walnut to the mix.

 

[llwsgn]

Old school blue thank you very much.

 

[Confederate]

Blue wears off with holster wear and the standard steel doesn't resist pressure and gas cutting like stainless. I was around in the early 80s when stainless guns were almost impossible to get in any other make than Ruger, and my first gun was a stainless Ruger Security-Six. I went up in the mountains behind Provo, Utah, and found a place where people were shooting. Having never fired a handgun, I noticed that the others shooting were making a lot of noise. Soon my ears were ringing and others, noticing I was new at this, gave me some hearing protection and taught me the basics.

Something else I learned as a student was, "Hey, this is expensive!" So after cleaning my gun, I zipped it up in a pouch and returned to the gun store. I left with an RG .22lr cowboy pistol, chrome plated with cheap, brown plastic grips. That I could afford and I bought four boxes of ammo and yes, some hearing protection.

Say what thou wilt about RG, I had more fun with that little gun than just about any other. Not only did it look like the cowboy gun I had as a kid, it didn't weigh that much more, either. Plus I didn't have to worry about losing it. Still, about six to eight months later, I traded it in for a Ruger Standard Auto. What a gun! It was blued, but I wished they had made it in stainless. From then on, I haven't bought blued guns unless left with no other choice. The gun I never had was the S&W Model 66 with recessed chambers and pinned barrel.

I had enough friends who complained about rust forming on their blued rifles within an hour of being exposed to morning drizzle. I also noticed that when it began raining, the folks with blued handguns packed up their stuff and left while those of us with stainless guns continued shooting without a second thought.

When I bought one of the first S&W 629s, I had to agree to let my friend and dealer display it on his shelves for a week before picking it up. Never did shoot that gun and it was one of the most magnificent guns I ever had. When I picked it up, people at the store wanted to touch it and dry fire it. It was like being a celebrity.

So white guns are more natural to me than blued guns. And even though products like BreakFree finally allowed shooters of blued guns to be fired in the rain, it was too little too late. Besides, BF worked just fine on stainless guns. As for those who claimed these stainless pistols would be too visible in low light, I took a blued gun and a stainless gun, both Ruger 4-inch Security-Sixes, downstairs one evening in very subdued light. Never could see that much of a difference. If you're a hunter and don't want any glare, simple wax shoe polish solves that problem on both stainless and blued guns.




A screenshot from a free Android ap called iRevolver. A distant
second best to having the real thing, a S&W 66.




A S&W 686 (top) and a Ruger Security-Six. The former is a great
range gun and the latter a great hiking, hunting and camping gun.

 

[hAkron]

The gun I never had was the S&W Model 66 with recessed chambers and pinned barrel.

I'm not trying to make you jealous, but this since December I've added 3 M 66's (2 dash 1's and a no dash) as well as 19-5. I ended up giving one to my dad for his birthday because I had so many

I like the look of blued guns, but I appreciate the durability of a stainless gun.

 

[oneounceload]

While I like blued, where I live stainless means a lot less headaches

 

[Hondo 60]

I like blue.
It makes me a jolly good fellow .. oh, wait no that's beer.

Any way, I like blue.

 

[Deaf Smith]

I have some blued guns, but they are either rifles, shotguns, or collector handguns.

But normally I pack stainless with the exception of Glocks.

Deaf

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I prefer blued. Stainless was not being used yet for the guns that I collect. In fact it did not even exist yet for most of them. The New Model Number Three at the top of this photo is nickel plated.

 

[BYJO4]

I prefer stainless for both the looks and ease of maintenance.

 

[bannockburn]

I couldn't vote on any one option listed. With revolvers I guess I like them all. I love the look of a blued finish, especially along with a color case hardened frame. Nickel is mighty fine too and its really pretty easy to give stainless steel a nice bright polished look.

They're all good to me.

 

[Bush Pilot]

Looks of a blued gun, durability stainless.

 

[PuddleMonkey]

stainless all the way, you old farts.

 

[joed]

I no longer buy blue anything. S&W turned me against blue long ago with a blue that doesn't last. After my first stainless gun I was sold.

 

[yzguy87]

I like both! There are good looking handguns in both finishes.

 

[Thursday45]

Ill take either. If I had to choose though, I like the look of blued better but the ease of care of SS.

 

[CraigC]

Blued, stainless is overrated.

 

[JohnM]

Just a matter of taste and we know what that's all about.
Blued for me, but I have developed a liking for some of the new synthetic grips.
I just bought my first stainless revolver, it's nice, but if it had been available blued I'd have gone that way.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I'm not predjudice. I like em all.

 

[2zulu1]

It doesn't really matter to me, I have both and have carried both; plus nickel and black. Today is a scandium day, so it's black;

 

[Hokkmike]

Frankly, I am surprised at this point. I thought the stainless would come out way ahead.

My take is, why not go with easier maintenance? Except for the black deposits on the cylinder face.

I love stainless.

 

[CraigC]

...why not go with easier maintenance?

Because some things are worth the effort, real or perceived. Personally, I never considered it any effort at all but I treat all my guns the same.