RA40
Member
Beautiful Anaconda there! I'd liked the blue Colt Pythons just that the price that I recollect in those days at ~$650-$700 was steep. The S&W 5/686's were easier on the wallet at $375-$450 range. (Early 90's.)
Yeah, very little of that is true. Rugers are blued, not painted or coated. Some of their guns get a beautiful polish beforehand, some do not. That is the difference. All bluing is "real bluing". The only significant change is the level of polish beforehand and very, very little of it was ever done by hand.Ruger revolvers have some kind of paint like coating. They're not polished at all under it. White vinegar still dissolves it though. Found that out when I used vinegar based leather dye on a holster and lacked patience.
Nobody does real bluing any more. Costs far too much to do the required prep work polishing. All of which is done by hand.
Smith & Wesson used to do a bluing that was like a midnight blue tux. Not black like they are now. Their revolvers I mean. Much more 'blue' than Armybrat's SAA. Know a guy who has a BAR LMG with it on the gun and the mags.
I still own blue myself, though not many. Over the years my stainless revolvers have come to outnumber the blue. If you like blue that's your choice, myself, I haven't bought a blued rifle or pistol in the last ten years.I've owned any number of stainless revolvers & semi autos, and a few nickel revolvers. I still prefer blue, so your statement about spitting on blue is false. You are entitled to your opinion but don't tell others what they are going to think.
Dave
I have been told that the cost of environmental compliance with the bluing process has become the big issue.
Yep, which takes skill and time.
Well, unlike some folks here, the laws of physics don't stop at my gun storage areas.Yes, right next door to the Arizona swamp land.
Ruger revolvers have some kind of paint like coating. They're not polished at all under it. White vinegar still dissolves it though.
I have a stainless Taurus Judge for home defense. I keep my black ruger 9mm and the judge next to my bed and in the middle of the night, stainless is going to be the easiest to see. It can be found easily even when the lights are out.Is there a reason 95% of revolvers these days are stainless polished or matte? What happened to beautiful blued carbon steel paired with wood grips? Stainless plus black rubber grips to me is just very unattractive. I've never had any interest in a raw stainless gun. I'm not opposed to the material stainless as long as it has been coated, in fact there have been numerous revolvers I like and would buy such as the Ruger Super Redhawk, the Ruger Blackhawk Hunter, and the Colt Cobra. But they are all stainless with black grips unfortunately... I hope we see wood grips and blued steel make a comeback. Or at least some alternate factory coatings.
I really like the Ruger Target Gray stainless finish .
View attachment 361162
Is there a reason 95% of revolvers these days are stainless polished or matte?