Blued or SS

R

Rudel

Inactive
Excuse my ignorance regarding revolvers, but....

...is there any real difference between blued steel and stainless steel, I mean besides looks. I've noticed that blued revolvers are always cheaper and want to know if there's any legitimate technical reason for this, or is it just that the demand for SS is higher?
 
Stainless is more resistant to corrosion. It will rust, but you almost have to try to get it to happen. This is really what makes it so popular. Stainless is more difficult to work with. A gunsmith I once knew commented once that it was much more difficult to put a really good trigger on a stainless gun vs. carbon steel (blued guns).
 
Not sure if you can generalize between companies. Ruger I believe admits it's blued revolvers are made of a stronger steel than it's stainless guns, but when they needed a really strong revolver for the 454 (or 480?) they went to a stainless steel even stronger than than that.

Several knowledgable posters here contend that blued S/W's last longer than thier stainless counterparts. I don't have science or large sample numbers they have but from my limited exp I'd tend to agree with them.
 
I BELIEVE, but am not 100% certain, that stainless steel is more expensive to produce because of the composition.

Stainless has also generally been more popular over the past 20 years or so, so the manufacturers can charge higher market prices for those guns, as well.
 
I think

That if you are outside in the rain alot that stainless is the better choice as it gives you a little more time to get your gun dry before it has any effect.
 
Stainless is generally easier to maintain, but I think a well-blued gun is better looking. Esp. with nice wood. But that's just me.
 
My uneducated thoughts: I prefer, Blue, Nickel, and stainless in that order. I believe the big move to stainless is the general public is given the impression its stronger. I think gun manufacturers like stainless cause it eliminates any further finishing, as in blueing.
 
Thanks for the info.

I was specifically shopping around for a Ruger 357, and my main concern is that the gun has a long life. If what Blue Duck357 said was true, then I guess blued would not be a bad choice. It wouldn't be exposed to much mud or rain, if any at all, but Rugers are such tanks anyways it wouldn't matter.
 
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