What is the best way to preserve the blue finish on a revolver?

Oil it up and lay it away in a clean, dry place whee it will never see the light of day.

Short of that, though, use only a well-fitting holster ( I am firmly convinced that most blue wear comes from guns shifting around in loose-fitting holsters), wipe it down and lightly oil after every use, and if it gets wet get it dry ASAP and re-oil it. For longterm storage, consider using a gun grease to wipe it down instead of oil, and avoid storing it in (most) holsters and cases.

With use, some wear is inevitable, no matter what you do. No matter. To someone who knows, a used, well-tended revolver says, "Here is a tool more reliable than a brand-new one."

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Pisgah

Bluing can be a beautiful finish but it also shows wear and damage easier than stainless or nickel. However it is easy to maintain. Just clean your gun regularly with a good quality solvent after shooting and keep a very light coat of oil on the gun. Old t-shirts are great for wiping down blued guns and wiping with a silicone cloth provides good protection. Be sure not to store the gun in a fleece lined case or leather holster because they tend to attract and hold moisture. The gun should be stored where it not exposed to high humidity or excessive heat and cold. If you carry a gun in a holster, you can expect blue wear. If bluing shows sign of wear, it is no big deal, just have it refinished when it begins to bother you.

I'm an advocate of having two different groups of firearms. The first group is the collection pieces that remain in pristine condition at all times simply because you don't use them. The second group is the one that you actually use. Yes they will show signs of wear and they probably wont be worth as much to collectors. almost all my guns are in this second group because I do not buy guns for the purpose of collecting alone. I do far too much competitive shooting, concealed carry, and small arms instruction to simply be a collector.

For collectables, I recommend Renaissance Wax. There are several other threads about the wax.

In short, don't use it. If you want a "Safe-Queen" put it away in it's original box and don't touch it. See Pisgah's post.

If you are going to shoot it then carry it in a gun rug and never put it in any type of holster. Only use oils and solvents to clean it and don't get overly enthusiastic by insisting on cleaning the gun so it is spotless after every time you take it out. Any rubbing, even with a soft flannel rag will cause finish wear.

If you are going to carry it then get a well-fitting, lined, leather holster that the gun will not move around in. Stay away from holsters that have oiled leather in contact with the gun as the oil will hold fine dirt/duct particles more than dry leather will. I won't bet lining is really better than un-lines as the majority of wear is from dirt embedded in the surface of the leather, but it isn't any worse! Finally, don't repeatedly draw and re-holster any more than necessary.

Don't ever use lead remover or any form of polish on the outside surfaces. ALL polishes are abrasive to some degree, they wouldn't work otherwise! There are those on this forum that say they use Flitz or Mothers on blue guns and it hasn't done any harm. You can believe them if you want but remember you were told when you start seeing wear on the finish!

Shooter's Choice makes a very good spray on preservative/lube.

Alk8944,
My experience with lined holsters is that they hold crud, dirt, powder, fowling, etc, and actually wind up creating more scratches on the gun that it was meant to protect. When I first started carrying a gun 32 years ago, I too thought a suede lined holster would help reduce wear. After a month or so when I finally figured out how my blued Model 10 2" snub was getting scratched, I did 2 things. First I got a stainless M 60 revolver that I designated as my carry piece, and a regular unlined leather holster. I still carry the same gun and it actually still looks pretty good, but I have purchased a new holster for it several times over the years. Because I designated this revolver as my carry gun, I do not get upset at all with the honest wear & tear it gets. As long as it functions 100% I will be very happy. Oh yea, I have also replaced the grips a few times over the years as they have worn out. I personally like the factory wooden stocks with a Tyler-T-Grip. I can usually get about 8 years out of a pair before I replace them.

Regards,
chief38