Stainless vs. Blued

Given the choice I prefer

  • stainless

    Votes: 118 57.8%

  • blued

    Votes: 86 42.2%
  • Total voters
    204
  • Poll closed .
I vote stainless solely for the ability to remove scratches and make the gun look factory new by yourself for very little money, I also prefer the looks on most guns. Whether you go polished, bead blasted, or brushed, all are relatively simple and cheap to do. Although, I absolutely hate the look of two tone and think it makes guns look toyish, so on polymer or alloy framed guns I always go blued/black. Plus I would have no desire to refinish a stainless slide to new condition only for the blued frame to retain it's holster wear and scratches.
My blued guns tend to look well-used after six months or less of carry.
I really hate turning a good-looking gun into something that looks abused in such a short period of time.
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I have a solution for that, buy a second sometime down the road to keep as a safe queen. That way you really don't care what happens to the one you carry because in the back of your mind you know there's one sitting at home in pristine condition. I have yet to do this since there are still a few more pistols I need, but eventually I will be buying doubles of certain models.
 
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Blued definitely looks best...until it's been subjected to anti-blue conditions enough times. I have 12 old mod. Blackhawks and don't really like the new mod. as well, but do have a stainless one and that's what I use in bad or unpredictable weather. Pardon me for being practical.
 
I like blued, I've bought a couple of Ruger New Vaqueros recently and had the choice of blue or stainless. Just couldn't do stainless as it didn't look right to me. All my 1911's save for 5 (out of 18) are blued as well, of the 5 two are stainless, one nickle (series 70) and three are parkerized (WWII 1911A1's).
 
Blued/case colored/case hardened for me.... Look 'finished' :) . Never have had a problem with 'rust'.... Even on my BP guns. You clean them and oil them and they'll stay nice for you... and show some honest wear. I do have a couple SS revolvers BTW ... and I don't find the SS any easier to clean than the blued.
 
Besides looks, does blueing actually have anything positive about it? Does it resist damage or rusting or anything other then look good? I have a M15 that is blued and it looks great despite some minor wear and tear.
 
I have both. I like both. My EDC happens to be blued, the finish is worn, but I don't care. That pistol isn't for looks.
 
Stainless every day of the week and twice on Sunday!

Nothing at all wrong with blue, its just a personal choice. Maybe blue on a presentation firearm or collectable. I am just an average joe, so if I spend the money its got to be a shooter.

If the firearm I am looking at is available in either finish, I will usually save a little longer to get the stainless version when there is a price difference.
 
I prefer stainless for all the practical reasons mentioned, but I love a deep blued handgun. I almost bought a new blued Ruger SBH but the blueing looked like it was done with black shoe polish and an old rag. Some of the new blued handguns aren't attractive enough to buy over a SS.
 
Blue-v-Stainless (I can't decide)

Well, I have only one blue revolver and four stainless steel revolvers.
All the pistols I own are either blue or what ever Glock puts on there slides to make it black.
Now if we are also talking long guns...
 
I like blue or any other dark finish over stainless. The only one in my collection that's stainless is my S&W 4506, which is a great looking pistol.
 
For maintenance, either is just fine. A blued firearm can remain pristine for many years if properly cleaned and oiled. I like the blued 1911s, semi-autos and revolvers for the less-conspicuous look.
 
on new guns, stainless - no such thing as 'blued' anymore - dark guns are black now

on older guns, i prefer a vintage blue on those guns -- python, 1911, BHP, mod 19
 
...no such thing as 'blued' anymore...
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Bluing is bluing, no matter how blue or black it is. The only thing lacking these days is a proper polishing before the bluing process.

Charcoal and nitre blue are as blue as they ever were.
 
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