What finish do you find most attractive on a handgun?

What finish do you find most attractive on a handgun?

  • Satin Stainless

    Votes: 58 23.0%

  • Polished Stainless

    Votes: 25 9.9%

  • Matte (bead blasted) stainless

    Votes: 21 8.3%

  • Matte nickle

    Votes: 4 1.6%

  • Polished nickle

    Votes: 16 6.3%

  • Gloosy blued

    Votes: 69 27.4%

  • Satin blued

    Votes: 17 6.7%

  • Matte blued

    Votes: 13 5.2%

  • other...please specify

    Votes: 29 11.5%
  • Total voters
    252
Case-hardened frames!

For some strange reason I love the case-hardened finish of the frames of the Colt SAA. Each one is unique and has an appeal to me that is unlike any other finish.

I need to get a picture of my SAA up so you can see what I mean. I did a web search and could not find a nice pic.
 
Another vote for Bright Stainless Steel with Nickel as a close second. I'm a shiny gun type of guy. To me nothing gives the visual "pop" like BSS. All the others are very nice but just something about a gun that I can see myself in really does it for me.
 
I find polished stainless attractive, but I like some contrast with it - fine bead blasting and fine satin brushed areas combined with highly polished areas really make it "pop".

However, polished stainless scratches very easily. I find that some of the hard-chrome finishes actually hold up better than stainless.

I also like deep glossy blued guns, or a combination of glossy blue and stainelss. Heck, I like a number of finishes on guns. The only finishes that I really hate are certain painted finishes. As much as I like the CZ large capacity 9mm's, I just can't stomach that stuff they paint them with. If they would only polish the thing and put a nice blue on it!!!!!
 
Generally...

On revolvers, glossy blue with walnut grips.

On autos, stainless with walnut grips.

There are exceptions to both, though. ;)

108193_10.JPG


standard.jpg
 
Not to be confused with 'Most Useful'...

Glossy Blue, that old style S&W or Colt Royal Blue has to be the most attractive. (Gloosy Blue is nice, too.) Accompanied of course by walnut or ivory grips, depending on the actual sidearm.

Second best is bright nickle.

When it comes to use and longevity, that's another discussion. But most of my handguns are near to be fancy dress these days.
 
Depends on the gun. I mostly like glossy blue, because that's what guns looked like when I was growing up.
Stainless of any persuasion is fine and dandy, but I think of it more as being a utilitarian anti-corrosion thing.
 
For looks alone, I'm a glossy blued kind of guy, as long as it is a quality, original bluing. And real wood.

I never was into the nickel finish thing. And everything else to me is utilitarian. I haven't got anything against them, but they aren't blued.
 
For revolvers, glossy blue. I have one or two that are almost too pretty to carry. Almost. I carry and shoot them anyway, just not as often as others. Stainless would be my second choice, especially if I were to carry it regularly.

For semi-autos, I have come to appreciate a two-toned finish--black frame, stainless slide with cocobolo grips a la Kimber CDP or Springfield EMP. Again, stainless would be a decent second choice.
 
Can't make up my mind between polished stainless and gloosy blue.:D Generally, I forget about the finish when I'm shooting.
 
Anything not silver looking ;)

Satin stainless, stainless and nickel. BLEGH.

I liked blued, matte blued,,etc.

Of the ones I like the BEST? That deep blue oily black on the old Colt and S&W revolvers.....just beautiful. Seriously I love the looks of it.

I also like "Worn" finishes.......No not the factory applied ones. Guns with an honest, used working over, loss of blue ;)
 
BEARCOAT matte black. Goes on stainless steel or carbon steel.

Fast, friendly service with a lifetime warranty. Comes in brushed stainless and titanium now.

I have it on S&W 645 in black, Weatherby 30-06 in Green w/green stock, Desert Tan on a 1911....Desert Camo AR........... wears great since 1991
It is self-lubricating and my barrel doesnt rust or corrode from snow or game blood when hunting. I guess I have to agree with Les Baer on this one..It's tough stuff !

www.bearcoat.com
 
Highly polished blued handguns are the more visually appealing to me, oddly enough the bulk of my handguns are stainless or nickel. Go figure...
 
I'm partial to a duo-tone (deep blued slide over a polished or brushed nickle frame with deep blued controls), with a very close runner-up of a satin nickle with matte black controls. I know, these were not on the list, but everybody likes something different, yes?
 
I'd like a self cleaning handgun. And it has to work better then my "self cleaning" oven does. Not really a finish per say but.....
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top