Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
Forum rules
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.
Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.
Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
-
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 9090
- Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:05 am
- Location: Sweetwater, TX
Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
What's your preference? I am getting the hots for a Ruger Bisley flattop in .44 Special, but living in the desert, there's really no need for stainless and it will take more firelapping to smooth up should it have the dreaded Ruger "thread choke." That said, I find SS strangely attractive, if untraditional, and the cylinder bolt drag marks common with Ruger SAs aren't quite so obvious as on blued cylinders. What are your druthers, friends?
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
I like stainless too, but all my stainless revolvers are Smith DA's.
For a single action, I will always be a blued/blued & case color fan. I like the look with a nice set of stags or ivory too!
For a single action, I will always be a blued/blued & case color fan. I like the look with a nice set of stags or ivory too!
"Oh bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round.
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
I`m with OldWin,
Because I Can, and Have
-------------------------------------------------------------
USAF-72-76
God Bless America.
Disclaimer, not responsible for anyone copying or building anything i make.
Always consult an expert first.
-------------------------------------------------------------
USAF-72-76
God Bless America.
Disclaimer, not responsible for anyone copying or building anything i make.
Always consult an expert first.
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
I have both and find the blued easy to remove powder residue, but it seems to be much more obvious on the stainless and much more difficult to remove.
-
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 9090
- Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:05 am
- Location: Sweetwater, TX
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
Well, boys, I'd love a color-cased frame and ivory grips, too, but barbecue guns are currently well above my pay grade ...
Charles, that's a point worth considering.
Charles, that's a point worth considering.
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
Trust me, most are above mine too! Some of the repro SAA's are pretty good quality nowadays and some of the imitation grips arent bad either. I have a set of "aged" Tru Ivory grips that look pretty darn good.Bill in Oregon wrote: ↑Sun Nov 26, 2017 9:28 am Well, boys, I'd love a color-cased frame and ivory grips, too, but barbecue guns are currently well above my pay grade ...
Charles, that's a point worth considering.
Of course, none of the SAA clones will meet the strength of the Ruger.
The .44spec is a great cartridge in a single action.
Ole Pitchy is currently holding the one I covet.
"Oh bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round.
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
.
I prefer blued carbon steel for my handguns, but my SD/HD .44 Bulldog is stainless - go figure !
.
I prefer blued carbon steel for my handguns, but my SD/HD .44 Bulldog is stainless - go figure !
.
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
My hands literally attack blued steel. So for practical purposes stainless is the way I go if possible.
Jeepnik AKA "Old Eyes"
"Go low, go slow and preferably in the dark" The old Sarge (he was maybe 24.
"Freedom is never more that a generation from extinction" Ronald Reagan
"Every man should have at least one good rifle and know how to use it" Dad
"Go low, go slow and preferably in the dark" The old Sarge (he was maybe 24.
"Freedom is never more that a generation from extinction" Ronald Reagan
"Every man should have at least one good rifle and know how to use it" Dad
-
- Levergunner 2.0
- Posts: 165
- Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2017 5:39 pm
- Location: N Idaho
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
Due to the weather here, and always dragging them thru the woods, I’m going all stainless
“YOU CAN’T SHOOT A BIG ONE IF YOU SHOOT A LITTlE ONE FIRST”
-
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 6972
- Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 8:52 pm
- Location: Ridgefield WA. USA
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
I like both but my collecTion has about 5 stainless for every blued one. I guess that says something.
Sometimes when I come home from a shoot I just don't feel like cleaning my guns right away and they will lay dirty for some time. Stainless is good for that.
Sometimes when I come home from a shoot I just don't feel like cleaning my guns right away and they will lay dirty for some time. Stainless is good for that.
- AJMD429
- Posting leader...
- Posts: 32263
- Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2007 10:03 am
- Location: Hoosierland
- Contact:
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
My hands literally attack blued steel. So for practical purposes stainless is the way I go if possible.
Same here on both counts.I like both but my collecTion has about 5 stainless for every blued one. I guess that says something.
Sometimes when I come home from a shoot I just don't feel like cleaning my guns right away and they will lay dirty for some time. Stainless is good for that.
Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
Get both i believe is the correct answer!
My favorite will always be blued with case color frame and ivory grips, no question about that. But lately I've been wanting a stainless with bone grips, don't know why but I think that looks pretty slick as well.
My favorite will always be blued with case color frame and ivory grips, no question about that. But lately I've been wanting a stainless with bone grips, don't know why but I think that looks pretty slick as well.
-
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 9090
- Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:05 am
- Location: Sweetwater, TX
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
Well, with blued, I could have the frame color-cased at some future date if I ever came into some extra cabbage. Say, just how hard is it to get a Ruger SA timed to avoid the cylinder bolt drag marks?
-
- Senior Levergunner
- Posts: 1052
- Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2009 9:12 pm
- Location: Bushwhacker Capitol, Missouri
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
For what it's worth, my stainless ROA is more rust prone than my blued model.
- Old Savage
- Posting leader...
- Posts: 16740
- Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:43 pm
- Location: Southern California
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
I have Rugers in both. Get both, only way to know.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
Bill in Oregon wrote: ↑Sun Nov 26, 2017 12:29 pm
Say, just how hard is it to get a Ruger SA timed to avoid the cylinder bolt drag marks?
Bill, AFAIK:
With a traditional SA (4-clicks/3-screw) all you have to do to take care that your cylinder is never ringed is to never lower the hammer from the half cock notch.
Doing so causes the bolt to rise between the lead(s) and then when the cylinder is turned, the bolt drags on it.
Always draw the hammer all the way back to full cock before lowering it.
With a Ruger New Model SA, it's unavoidable unless the loading gate is opened prior to indexing the cylinder so the next chamber aligns with the bore.
.
- marlinman93
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 6496
- Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 3:40 pm
- Location: Oregon
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
Blued are always my preference!
Pre WWI Marlins and Singleshot rifles!
http://members.tripod.com/~OregonArmsCollectors/
http://members.tripod.com/~OregonArmsCollectors/
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
I think I'm runnin' about half and half - although not by design!
The older designs look better blued to my eye. Big Redhawks look
better in stainless, methinks.
-Stretch
The older designs look better blued to my eye. Big Redhawks look
better in stainless, methinks.
-Stretch
- AJMD429
- Posting leader...
- Posts: 32263
- Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2007 10:03 am
- Location: Hoosierland
- Contact:
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
I always thought they may as well just ornament the 'drag line' instead of trying to make it not happen.
Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
- ollogger
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 2807
- Joined: Mon Jul 05, 2010 2:47 pm
- Location: Wheatland Wyoming
- Contact:
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
For me I do like them blued, I have a sweet Colt in 44-40 but it is starting to show holster wear as well as any other hand gun I own
so some where over the last 10 years I now have 2 Rugers & a S&W that are SS & I do prefer them over a blued gun as they handle
the wear & tear of a lot of use with out rubbing of all that pretty color
Brad
so some where over the last 10 years I now have 2 Rugers & a S&W that are SS & I do prefer them over a blued gun as they handle
the wear & tear of a lot of use with out rubbing of all that pretty color
Brad
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
I like the look of the blue, but I will gladly use either.
D. Brian Casady
Quid Llatine Dictum Sit, Altum Viditur.
Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire---Bill Jeans
Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up---Robert Frost
Quid Llatine Dictum Sit, Altum Viditur.
Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire---Bill Jeans
Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up---Robert Frost
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
Late to the thread. Ain't I always..
Like blued own both.
Powered residue on SS cylinders is easily cleaned if you shoot Holy Black after smokeless. When you start your BP cleanup you will be amazed to watch the smokeless residue disappear.
Like blued own both.
Powered residue on SS cylinders is easily cleaned if you shoot Holy Black after smokeless. When you start your BP cleanup you will be amazed to watch the smokeless residue disappear.
-
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4296
- Joined: Wed Sep 15, 2010 12:57 pm
- Location: Vinita, I.T.
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
My "Main Match Guns" are a brace of Colt SAAs, full blue with ivory grips. 4 3/4" 44-40. One 2nd, one 3rd generation. They are NOT case colored as I prefer the full blue. I own some that are nickel too but nothing stainless. I have never liked the "stickiness" of stainless, it's lack of lubricity compared to carbon steel.
If we still had fotopuke i'd post pics.
If we still had fotopuke i'd post pics.
M. M. Wright, Sheriff, Green county Arkansas (1860)
Currently living my eternal life.
NRA Life
SASS
ITSASS
Currently living my eternal life.
NRA Life
SASS
ITSASS
- Sixgun
- Posting leader...
- Posts: 18748
- Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 7:17 pm
- Location: S.E. Pa. Where The Finest Winchesters & Colts Reside
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
Probably one person in 1000 "needs" a stainless gun for its corrosion resistant properties.....you know, those cats who live in Alaska.....I'll take blue.---6
- Ji in Hawaii
- Senior Levergunner
- Posts: 1987
- Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 1:05 pm
- Location: Moku Manu, Hawai'i
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
Living here in salty humid air Hawai'i where even stainless steel rusts without regular maintenance I will always prefer stainless steel. All my handguns are SS. That being said my dream handgun is a Colt Python in highly polished almost jet black blued.
Illegitimus Non Carborundum
Akā, ʻo ka poʻe hilinaʻi aku iā Iēhova, e ulu hou nō ko lākou ikaika;
E piʻi ʻēheu aku nō lākou i luna, e like me nā ʻaito;
E holo nō lākou, ʻaʻole hoʻi e māloʻeloʻe,
E hele mua nō lākou, ʻaʻole hoʻi e maʻule.
`Isaia 40:31
Akā, ʻo ka poʻe hilinaʻi aku iā Iēhova, e ulu hou nō ko lākou ikaika;
E piʻi ʻēheu aku nō lākou i luna, e like me nā ʻaito;
E holo nō lākou, ʻaʻole hoʻi e māloʻeloʻe,
E hele mua nō lākou, ʻaʻole hoʻi e maʻule.
`Isaia 40:31
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
Blue is pretty, but I prefer stainless for a gun I'll actually be using.
- Old Ironsights
- Posting leader...
- Posts: 15084
- Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2007 9:27 am
- Location: Waiting for the Collapse
- Contact:
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
Here's a "Me too".
Can't own a blued handgun. They rust both in hand and on belt.
Same with long guns, so they are either Stainless, Phosphate/Parkerized (PTR91), full stock (Garand) or handled/shot only in gloves...
Now, preference in looks?
In the White/matte stainless,
Parkerized,
Tennifer,
Case Colored,
Matte Blue,
Bright Blue,
Polished Nickel/Chrome
In that order.
C2N14... because life is not energetic enough.
מנא, מנא, תקל, ופרסין Daniel 5:25-28... Got 7.62?
Not Depressed enough yet? Go read National Geographic, July 1976
Gott und Gewehr mit uns!
מנא, מנא, תקל, ופרסין Daniel 5:25-28... Got 7.62?
Not Depressed enough yet? Go read National Geographic, July 1976
Gott und Gewehr mit uns!
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
It just has everything to do with your body chemistry. Probably more salt, more acid, and maybe even a volt or two more than normal. Most humans produce less than 1 volt across their skin under normal conditions, but a few go up to 5 volts. Rare, but not unheard of. Add salt, acid, and electricity, and you have a solution which will dissolve most steel in a hurry. More electricity and the reaction speeds up. One Uncle of mine had to buy watches with all stainless steel on the outside of the watch, including the pins holding the strap on. Anything other than stainless and it would be showing etching in a few days. He couldn't carry a carbon steel pocket knife in warm weather without rusting the blades beyond use in less than a month. Oiling the blade every day did not stop it.Old Ironsights wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2017 8:21 pmHere's a "Me too".
Can't own a blued handgun. They rust both in hand and on belt.
Same with long guns, so they are either Stainless, Phosphate/Parkerized (PTR91), full stock (Garand) or handled/shot only in gloves...
Now, preference in looks?
In the White/matte stainless,
Parkerized,
Tennifer,
Case Colored,
Matte Blue,
Bright Blue,
Polished Nickel/Chrome
In that order.
D. Brian Casady
Quid Llatine Dictum Sit, Altum Viditur.
Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire---Bill Jeans
Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up---Robert Frost
Quid Llatine Dictum Sit, Altum Viditur.
Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire---Bill Jeans
Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up---Robert Frost
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
Stainless with stag grips makes for a fine looking piece in my opinion.
If you're gonna be stupid ya gotta be tough-
Isiah 55:8&9
It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled.
Isiah 55:8&9
It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled.
- Old Ironsights
- Posting leader...
- Posts: 15084
- Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2007 9:27 am
- Location: Waiting for the Collapse
- Contact:
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
When I was a grunt in FRG, I bought a pair of CZ 75 pistols from the Darmstadt Polezi.
Stupid accurate even with milled fixed sights.
The Polezi were disposing of them after transitioning to 9mm.
I loved these guns. Eyeball Accurate at all combat ranges.
But I flash rusted them. They went from gorgeous blue to reddish bleah in a couple of days IWB... Even after a reblue.
So I sold them and soon got my Noisy Cricket NAA Guardian .32. Not as accurate, but smaller and rust proof... Even when swimming in the toxic Gary IN Lake Michigan coast.
But man, those CZs made me shoot like Sean Connery in a Bond flick.
Stupid accurate even with milled fixed sights.
The Polezi were disposing of them after transitioning to 9mm.
I loved these guns. Eyeball Accurate at all combat ranges.
But I flash rusted them. They went from gorgeous blue to reddish bleah in a couple of days IWB... Even after a reblue.
So I sold them and soon got my Noisy Cricket NAA Guardian .32. Not as accurate, but smaller and rust proof... Even when swimming in the toxic Gary IN Lake Michigan coast.
But man, those CZs made me shoot like Sean Connery in a Bond flick.
C2N14... because life is not energetic enough.
מנא, מנא, תקל, ופרסין Daniel 5:25-28... Got 7.62?
Not Depressed enough yet? Go read National Geographic, July 1976
Gott und Gewehr mit uns!
מנא, מנא, תקל, ופרסין Daniel 5:25-28... Got 7.62?
Not Depressed enough yet? Go read National Geographic, July 1976
Gott und Gewehr mit uns!
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
I am huge fan of blued pistols, regardless of application, though I own a stainless one or two. Yes, they are practical, but I just really dont care for how they look. Some that are highly polished to look like nickel are OK, but thats not the norm. The weird color of stainless is part of what bothers me about them. Nickel looks far better to me, and blue, even badly worn, rust stained and spotted, looks vastly better to me than stainless.
I can only shake my head at the angst about turn lines. They never bothered me in the least. On any blued gun I carried much, the turn line was the very least part of any finish wear. On all the Colt SAs Ive had, I lowered the hammer down from the loading notch, never had any problems, other than the turn line may have been slightly longer. BTW, Colts manuals say to lower the hammer from half cock. Ive heard some claim it can damage them, but its never happened to me or anyone Ive heard of.
So, for me, blued, in nearly any condition, trailed somewhat by nickel, and far far down, stainless. Ive sold guns simply because they were stainless and I preferred a blued version of the same thing, or simply passed by guns for sale I may have otherwise been interested in because they were ugly, I mean stainless.
I knew a guy in Az years ago. H loved the Smith 24s, but couldnt find one for a carry gun. He showed me his gun once, it was black, with a worn through layer of yellow, then silver below that. He could only find a stainless 24 (624) so he used rustoleum spray paint with its correct yellow primer to paint it and make it the natural color of a revolver. Thats about how I feel about stainless also, Id rather spray paint a gun black than look at it in its normal state. Simpler to just avoid stainless whenever possible.
Can hardly see the turn line.
I can only shake my head at the angst about turn lines. They never bothered me in the least. On any blued gun I carried much, the turn line was the very least part of any finish wear. On all the Colt SAs Ive had, I lowered the hammer down from the loading notch, never had any problems, other than the turn line may have been slightly longer. BTW, Colts manuals say to lower the hammer from half cock. Ive heard some claim it can damage them, but its never happened to me or anyone Ive heard of.
So, for me, blued, in nearly any condition, trailed somewhat by nickel, and far far down, stainless. Ive sold guns simply because they were stainless and I preferred a blued version of the same thing, or simply passed by guns for sale I may have otherwise been interested in because they were ugly, I mean stainless.
I knew a guy in Az years ago. H loved the Smith 24s, but couldnt find one for a carry gun. He showed me his gun once, it was black, with a worn through layer of yellow, then silver below that. He could only find a stainless 24 (624) so he used rustoleum spray paint with its correct yellow primer to paint it and make it the natural color of a revolver. Thats about how I feel about stainless also, Id rather spray paint a gun black than look at it in its normal state. Simpler to just avoid stainless whenever possible.
Can hardly see the turn line.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt-
Isnt it amazing how many people post without reading the thread?
Isnt it amazing how many people post without reading the thread?
- Griff
- Posting leader...
- Posts: 20875
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 4:56 pm
- Location: OH MY GAWD they installed a STOP light!!!
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
Blued, period. I have ONE stainless gun... a S&W mdl 65. It was on special at the LGS at a time when I needed a .38 Special revolver. I couldn't find a mdl 10 or 13... and I wanted something that didn't have adjustable sights. The mdl 65 came home with a big oversize set of Pachmyer black rubber grips. In my duty holster you can only see the grip and trigger guard. My dept armorer took a CCH trigger & hammer from outta his parts box... and swapped 'em out... I wanted the larger spur on the hammer and serrated trigger.
That gun ain't been fired since 2005. As soon as I could, I went to my blued CC.
That gun ain't been fired since 2005. As soon as I could, I went to my blued CC.
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession!
AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession!
AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
- Old Savage
- Posting leader...
- Posts: 16740
- Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:43 pm
- Location: Southern California
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
Have both, like both, don't get the angst one way or the other.
- gundownunder
- Senior Levergunner
- Posts: 1449
- Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2007 12:02 pm
- Location: Perth. Western Australia
Re: Sixguns: Blued or stainless?
I had a Ruger single six in stainless, and a Ruger security six in blue.
I liked them both, and my only prejudice is that the blue needs to be oiled religiously to stop rust.
I guess depending on your eyes the stainless could be an issue with regard to glare, I didn't have that problem.
I liked them both, and my only prejudice is that the blue needs to be oiled religiously to stop rust.
I guess depending on your eyes the stainless could be an issue with regard to glare, I didn't have that problem.
Bob
***********************************
You have got to love democracy-
It lets you choose who your dictator is going to be.
***********************************
***********************************
You have got to love democracy-
It lets you choose who your dictator is going to be.
***********************************