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  #1  
Old 03-29-2009, 10:08 AM
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Favorite: S&W early post-war subdued blue

Least favorite: Bead blasting (ugh!)

Yours?

Tim
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Old 03-29-2009, 10:08 AM
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Favorite: S&W early post-war subdued blue

Least favorite: Bead blasting (ugh!)

Yours?

Tim
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  #3  
Old 03-29-2009, 10:12 AM
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favorite Colt blue (sorry)
least favorite nickel
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  #4  
Old 03-29-2009, 10:16 AM
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Favorite.....deep blue.
Least favorite.....nickel.
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  #5  
Old 03-29-2009, 10:32 AM
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Favorite - nickel.

Least favorite - matte stainless.
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  #6  
Old 03-29-2009, 10:54 AM
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favorite-deep blue
least favorite-matte stainless
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  #7  
Old 03-29-2009, 11:01 AM
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Favourite= Case Hardned
Least favourite=rust
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  #8  
Old 03-29-2009, 11:03 AM
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Favorite...blued
Least...nickel
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  #9  
Old 03-29-2009, 11:12 AM
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...don't know why...but I really like the looks of this two tone Parkerized Colt New Service...



...other than that...I like blued with nice wood stocks...and tasteful engraving...



.
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  #10  
Old 03-29-2009, 11:15 AM
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There is nothing as pretty as a deep blue finish. Least favorite is nickel.
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  #11  
Old 03-29-2009, 12:56 PM
gunnut44 gunnut44 is offline
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Favorite... BLUE
Least Favorite... Matte Stainless
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  #12  
Old 03-29-2009, 01:35 PM
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Favorite.....Dark Blue

Least Favorite.....Two tone guns....Especially autos that are half stainless half black paint looking stuff.

B.
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  #13  
Old 03-29-2009, 03:53 PM
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Favorite - deep, highly polished blue

Least favorite - nickel

I even like a good parkerized finish where appropriate
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  #14  
Old 03-29-2009, 04:00 PM
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.....I'm coming to appreciate the speckled reddish-brown spots so many of my treasures gradually seem to be evolving...
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  #15  
Old 03-29-2009, 04:54 PM
Mike W. Mike W. is offline
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Favorite: matte stainless

Least favorite: blue

Stainless is simple to take care of and most scratches are easily repaired. I have yet to find a good way to repair scraches or wear in a blue finish.
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  #16  
Old 03-29-2009, 05:38 PM
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Favorite depends on the use the gun is to put to:
On a working gun stainless is just flat out practical, and matte is easier to touch up if it is to be carried a lot.

On the other hand I do love a combination of bone case hardening frame with blued cylinder and barrel.

Least:
The simple opposite of the above, if it don't fit the purpose of the piece I don't like it.
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  #17  
Old 03-29-2009, 05:44 PM
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Favorite: Deep blue

Least favorite: Nickel
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  #18  
Old 03-29-2009, 05:47 PM
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Nickel is the favorite.

Parkerized-Yuck!
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  #19  
Old 03-29-2009, 05:47 PM
S/W - Lifer S/W - Lifer is offline
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Favorite - Armaloy (type) hard chrome

Least - Blue
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  #20  
Old 03-29-2009, 09:25 PM
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Fav: Hi polished blue

Fav on working guns: Matte stainless or parkerized

Hate it: Nickel, gold, bright chrome, etc.
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  #21  
Old 03-29-2009, 09:37 PM
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Walter Birdsong's Black Tea looks rather elegant considering that it is a serious gun finish.

OTOH his Green Tea finish actually nakes me nauseous. It's the color of poison gas, I imagine.
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  #22  
Old 03-29-2009, 09:59 PM
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Favorite: Parkerized

Least favorite/most disliked: Shiny silver (nickel, chrome, polished stainless, etc.)

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.
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  #23  
Old 03-30-2009, 05:24 AM
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Best: Colt Royal blue followed closely by S&W nickel!
Bad: Stainless in any shape or form.
Worst: case coloring
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  #24  
Old 03-30-2009, 06:25 AM
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Love them all, don't care what finish as long as it hits the target...but kind of partial to blue.
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  #25  
Old 03-30-2009, 07:07 AM
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I like polished blue, but one that actually looks blue instead of black. Unless, it's a Colt SAA, then casehardened and blue together. I usually like new shiney nickel, but when it's pitted or flaking, it's terrible. Satin nickel is my least favorite. It gets flattened, and looks really bad. Can you have that stuff polished? I don't like guns that look like squirt pistols either.
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  #26  
Old 03-30-2009, 09:38 AM
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Interesting topic.

My favorite is the deep blue found on Browning T Series and the Browning Model 1955s, 30-35 years ago, followed the deep blue-black used by some after-market suppliers. Both tend to show wear gracefully, unlike many others.

My least favorite is shiny stainless steel, followed by dull stainless steel.

RKO



Quote:
Originally posted by BlackAgnes:
Favorite: S&W early post-war subdued blue

Least favorite: Bead blasting (ugh!)

Yours?

Tim
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  #27  
Old 03-30-2009, 09:48 AM
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Fav: Ruger Grey

Least: Blue
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  #28  
Old 03-30-2009, 09:52 AM
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the finish that S&W sprays on their otherwise-excellent Scandium revolvers has to be the hands-down worst finish ever to leave a major gunmaker's factory. Not much more durable than spray paint if you actually carry the thing on a regular basis, which is the only good reason for owning one. I am working through the third finish on my 340SC after carrying it for maybe 7 years. The original finish was a bad joke. The second one from CCR lasted maybe 2-3 years, and the third one, also from CCR ("black ceramic") has been holding up pretty well, but still is gradually coming off some of the edges.
So, to answer the original question: favorite on a "daily carry"; matte stainless or black ceramic. For a beauty queen- deep blue over a high polish. Check out the finish on "Sarah Noh"s Hamilton Bowen conversion in the "For Sale" section for instant gratification of this desire.
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  #29  
Old 03-30-2009, 10:00 AM
Igiveup Igiveup is offline
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With the exception of nickel, I like the beauty in any of the finishes. For a safe queen, the older, polished deep blue, not black, is hard to beat.
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  #30  
Old 03-31-2009, 08:33 PM
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Stainless is my favorite, hands down.

I've never seen a BLUE finish. I have some guns that STARTED OUT blue, but become bare-metal shiny on all the edges, barrel, etc. I've seen a lot of half-blue guns.

I guess if you're not going to carry and shoot a gun, blue is great. I gave up on blue when my target Gold Cup's slide became so worn I had to Armolloy it.

(I must confess with 185 gr. semi-wadcutters downloaded, it was a favorite squirrel gun, but I didn't carry it THAT much.)

Keithcarter
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  #31  
Old 03-31-2009, 09:57 PM
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Favorites:
1. Nicely Blued
2. 2-tone Blued and nickel on some autos.
3. My son's Custom finishes: www.guncoat.com

Least Favorites:
1. Poorly done finishes.
2. Poorly cared for finishes.
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  #32  
Old 04-01-2009, 07:06 AM
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Favorite: Case colored w/deep blue; alternately, brushed stainless.

Least favorite: Plastic.
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bowen, browning, colt, hardening, parkerized, ruger, saa, scandium

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