Poll - Preferred Handgun Finish

[Bullseye Smith]

Stainless to shoot, Blue to collect. Best of both worlds

.

 

[cmort666]

High gloss blue all the way.

I don't like stainless and only own one stainless gun, a 3" Model 65. I have that gun because I haven't even SEEN a 3" Model 13 in Ohio for the better part of ten years.

 

[bnewc75]

I try not to discriminate over finish as long as they are pined

 

[bigpoppop51]

Have all three, but stainless is the easiest. finish has never been a reason for buying for me. They are all beautiful in my eyes.

 

[redcoat]

To me, there is nothing to compare with a revolver finished in high-gloss blue and wearing polished wood grips. The Smith and Wessons of the sixties and seventies that were available in this combination were nothing less than works of art and are high on my list of attainables. However, since I began collecting S & W revolvers, I haven't seen a finish that I don't like!

______________________________________________________________
May the wind be always at your back, and the road rise up to meet you.

 

[stevieboy]

Blue is prettier, stainless is easier to clean. That about sums it up for me. That's not to say that I don't like 'em both (I don't have any nickel guns at the moment but that's only because the opportunity hasn't presented itself), I do.

I own a few blues and a few stainless. I shoot all of them and I'm a fanatic about cleaning each of my guns after a trip to the range. I'm not happy if it isn't spotless. I find my stainless guns to be much easier to clean. It's just easier to remove dirt when one isn't worried about removing the finish along with the dirt. And, although I'm VERY careful about cleaning my blued guns' finishes, I notice that all of them show gradual erosion of the finish with time, particularly at the ends of their barrels and along the front edges of their cylinders.

Recently I bought my first 1911, a blued S & W model. Love the gun, but, as with my revolvers, I'm beginning to see the first telltale signs of wear in the finish.

 

[Treeman]

Blue appeals to my eyes the most but stainless looks good too and its...well..stainless. I like 'em all.

 

[roaddog28]

I am like most. I like Stainless to shoot but deep blue to collect.

roaddog28

 

[ColdBlueSteel]

A blue so deep, you feel like you could drown in it.
With ivory grips.

 

[ladder13]

I don't own any yet in this color but would love to have one in "Case" color.

Maybe this will tide you over for a bit.

 

[deuterij]

I voted for High Gloss Blue, but I like them all. Satin Stainless is a close second.

To me the main thing is mechanical functionality, so finish in general is secondary. I general I don't go for shiny things - never been a big fan of chrome for example. That said, the deep blued finish on certain S&Ws is breathtaking.

Interesting poll.

 

[BigSkiff]

I am a fan of the High Gloss Blue. No one does this much anymore and admittedly the finish does take a back seat to the function of the gun. But, all things being equal, I"d take the High Gloss Blue over Matte Black any day.

 

[bgrafsr]

A well finished S&W in any finish is a thing of beauty, but my preference goes to the high polished blued ones. The employees who did the polishing in the 50's & 60's knew what they were doing, and their guns reflect that. They are beautiful.

 

[Snapping Twig]

Depends on what I'm going to do with it, and there are exceptions to this anyway.

For snotty hunting and field work, I like stainless or hard chrome, but I also use blue - just not as much.

Range time means anything. I don't own a safe queen.

 

[jj2am44]

Stainless to carry and shoot. Blue to collect.

 

[Engine49guy]

collect blue, shoot stainless...

DITTO.......Collect Blue Shoot stainless.

All the above would have been my answer.

I do have more gloss blue,
Equal amounts of stainless and nickel,
1 flat blue.

 

[Wee Hooker]

"collect blue, shoot stainless..."

Ditto

Matte Blue/black would be 3rd. Never been a big fan of nickle in any form. Less durable than stainless, not as gorgeous as blue.

 

[Mule88]

I prefer satin stainless

 

[bigun]

Blue or stainless?

Well......between the following examples, I dunno-as I'm finding it almost impossible to decide...............because, I love them both!:

 

[borntoraisehogs]

I like this finish. What's it called?

The cops in my family would say its called "gun that's has worked for a livin" finish .