Favorite finish?

I like the stainless steels being used today. There is a lot to be said for the great bluing on the early Smith and Wesson model 27 and 29. I have seen nothing that really compares to the bluing on a Colt Python. They were and are works of art.
 
First is high-polished, glossy deep blue
Second is factory hard chrome - way more scratch resistant than stainless steel, and just as corrosion resistant
Third is polished or polished and then finely brushed stainless steel
Fourth - I like some case hardening; some I don't like.
 
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1. Polished Stainless or Nickel
2. High gloss blue
3. Hard chrome

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I'm surprised nobody mentions the new type of stainless finish Smith & Wesson uses on all their new revolvers. It's called "scratched to hell and unfinished, incredibly lazy stainless steel". It looks really great, and by great I mean terrible. And by terrible I mean completely unacceptable.

I like a stainless like S&W used to put on their revolvers, or the blueing Colt used on there DA revolvers back in the day...you could see into the future when staring into one of them. These days, Ruger does a very nice stainless finish that is very tough and stands up to wear nicely.

Locally, I cant seem to find a single new S&W in blued but because of the damn lock I wouldn't but it anyway.

Sig has more finishes you can shake a stick at these days, some are very durable too and some are not so much. For pure variety Sig is king, and they do have one of the nicest parkerized finishes on new guns in my opinion.
 
It really depends.
I love the look of a quality blued weapon, but for a gun that I am going to carry, looks don't even factor in. I would much rather have a dull durable finish on any SD, or even a weapon that is going out in the woods with me.
 
My hard chromed Kel Tec P3AT has been outstanding at taking abuse and doesn't show a single bit of it.

I think hard chrome looks the most classy. I paired the hard chrome with a grey grip. Love the thing for looks.


I know it isn't a finish, but I wish desert sand were more popular on grips.
 
I have blued firearms that look good and are 60 years old. It is the most attractive firearm finish, and reasonably tough and corrosion resistant.

The original tenifer type finish with black oxide would be number two.


I hate platings and coatings. Stuff that can flake just seems wrong.
 
For durability it's hard to beat Tenifer. I'm pretty sure you could throw a Glock in the ocean, come back in a year and it wouldn't have any rust. It's pretty awesome stuff. You can't beat the look of a rich, deep, high gloss blue though.
 
If I'm going off of looks, I like stainless semis, but blued revolvers. I also don't mind a bit of color when it comes to semis as long as it is still something subdued.
 
well since this is only opinions, there is no wrong answer...

I much prefer polished stainless... I have several satin / bead blast finished stainless guns, & if I get holster wear, or a light scratch, I find it's better to leave it alone, rather than try to "fix" it... I've found it difficult to exactly match the factory satin finish, & often end up with a bigger "spot" of unmatched finish... with the polished stainless, a little Flitz, & you can't tell after a light rub down...

after that, & since everything can't be shiny silver ( that would be boring ) I like high polish blued...

the black "coated" stuff in flat black is probably next, but I have a lil air weight J frame that I dropped a couple times, right after I bought it, before I got a good holster for it ( trust me, leave those cheap nylon holsters alone :o ) combination of the softer scandium frame, & the "painted" finish turned that one ugly really fast... the cylinder is steel, & has nary a mark, but the soft frame has much silver exposed :mad:
 
One thing nice about stainless is, if you have access to a bead blast cabinet, you can have a new looking gun in short order.

I never had good results using the other methods.
 
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