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Thread: Carry revolver preference Blued Vs. Stainless?

  1. #11
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    Yea, pros & cons to each.

    Nitrided is probably one of the most durable, but less attractive, if that matters.

  2. #12
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    All my revolvers except for my River LCR are stainless. If the LCR was offered in stainless, that's what I'd own. Blued revolvers aren't often made out of stainless steal, so not only is the metal more pron to rusting, the baking process is less durable when it comes to protecting the underlying metal and it is more maintenance. Blued revolvers also show wear more with use as the finish wears off. I have stainless revolvers and semiauto slides that still look brand new after years of carry and holstering. That translates to more resale value and interested customers should I ever want to sell. Most scratches and imperfections can be buffed or sanded out with stainless as well.

    There's a reason who the overwhelming majority of revolvers on the market are stainless. As far as glare is concerned, that should not really be an issue being that most revolvers have a mat brushed stainless or stone washed finish and not a high gloss finish.. Plus, in a holster concealed, I'm not sure what difference it makes. It's mainly the black or wooden grip that is visible. If you have to defend your life, not sure what difference it makes then either. Again, most revolvers are stainless steel; however, I have not seen or heard of their being any real world issue with them.

  3. #13
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    With the exception of my Ruger LCR, all of my revolvers are stainless. If the LCR was offered in stainless, that's what I'd own. Blued revolvers aren't always made out of stainless steal, so not only is the metal more pron to rusting, the bluing process is less durable when it comes to protecting the underlying metal and it is more maintenance. Blued revolvers also show wear more with use as the finish wears off. I have stainless revolvers and semiauto slides that still look brand new after years of carry and holstering. That translates to more resale value and interested customers should I ever want to sell. Most scratches and imperfections can be buffed or sanded out with stainless as well.

    There's a reason who the overwhelming majority of revolvers on the market are stainless. As far as glare is concerned, that should not really be an issue being that most revolvers have a mat brushed stainless or stone washed finish and not a high gloss finish.. Plus, in a holster concealed, I'm not sure what difference it makes. It's mainly the black or wooden grip that is visible. If you have to defend your life, not sure what difference it makes then either. Again, most revolvers are stainless steel; however, I have not seen or heard of their being any real world issue with them.

    If so were to buy a blued revolver, It'd be the beautiful old fashioned bluing and not that flat black or nitride stuff. It just makes the revolver very unattractive.
    Last edited by Styx; 09-17-21 at 01:33.

  4. #14
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    My blued 442 is the one that gets carried the most, but rarely as a primary.




    I don't honestly have a preference as far as carry goes, though I do like the aesthetics of a blued gun more than a stainless one, and own more blued revolvers.





    THE CHAIR IS AGAINST THE WALL.

  5. #15
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    stainless... all of my revolvers and steel framed carry pistols have been stainless, except for one - i can't remember which model S&W snub 357 I had years ago, but it would rust in nary but a few days in the summer, carrying concealed, if i wasn't wiping it down daily. i love blued steel, and i especially love blued revolver steel - in a parallel universe where i had reason to carry a large framed revolver in an open holster, i'd go blue. but here in reality, where all of my carry guns are concealed and held tightly to the body, stainless is all i'm interested in.
    why so serious?

  6. #16
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    Personally can’t stand stainless.
    Prior to moving west I lived my life in a very humid area and never had problems with rust or needing “more maintenance “ whatever that is. Most of my revolvers were made in the 50’s and 60’s and while there is some finish wear ( which I think adds character to the guns anyway) to the blue, they still look great. I have owned a few stainless guns over the years but only because the particular models I wanted were not offered in blue.
    For years I carried a model 36 snub in an ankle rig stepping in rain puddles and foot deep wet snow. No issues.

  7. #17
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    If it's a carry gun, that means regular training and regular practice drawing from a holster.

    And I'd rather put holster wear on stainless or similar rather than a nice blue. Also for southern states, warmer temps, I think stainless does sweat and rain better than blue.
    It's hard to be a ACLU hating, philosophically Libertarian, socially liberal, fiscally conservative, scientifically grounded, agnostic, porn admiring gun owner who believes in self determination.

    Chuck, we miss ya man.

    كافر

  8. #18
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    Usually when I am carrying a revolver I am in Alaska. It rains, I sweat, I shove it in my holster under neoprene chest waders.

    Stainless (actually aluminum and titanium since it's a 329 PD). I'd have rust freckles all over a blued gun pretty quick.

  9. #19
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    I went to this thread just out of curiosity. I found that more people seem to be carrying wheel guns than I thought were.

    Back in the day, when I was a deputy and we were a revolver agency I carried a stainless Cougar. When I got to street crimes unit my partner carried a N frame Smith blued and I carried my stainless gun. When we held people at gun point, after it was over many times the bad guys would comment on my stainless gun being so huge.

    So I got to the point where it was clear to me stainless had a psychological impact for what ever reason it appeared bigger. When the manual got rewritten most dropped our big revolvers and went with a j frame to satisfy the manual, but we were all using semi autos as our primary gun de facto. But if we were asked we pointed to our j frame as our primary. my carry was a hard chromed Hi Power.

    So my vote goes to stainless

  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by yoni View Post
    I went to this thread just out of curiosity. I found that more people seem to be carrying wheel guns than I thought were.

    Back in the day, when I was a deputy and we were a revolver agency I carried a stainless Cougar. When I got to street crimes unit my partner carried a N frame Smith blued and I carried my stainless gun. When we held people at gun point, after it was over many times the bad guys would comment on my stainless gun being so huge.

    So I got to the point where it was clear to me stainless had a psychological impact for what ever reason it appeared bigger. When the manual got rewritten most dropped our big revolvers and went with a j frame to satisfy the manual, but we were all using semi autos as our primary gun de facto. But if we were asked we pointed to our j frame as our primary. my carry was a hard chromed Hi Power.

    So my vote goes to stainless
    Ayoob mentioned that factor back in the day when talking about the Nickel finish Colt Commando 1911s that had just come out at the time. And while it sounds sorta like the "just rack a shotgun and get their attention" nonsense that gets repeated way too much, there does seem to be a factor of the gun looking bigger when you are staring at the business end of it when it is bright metal that does seem to make an impression.

    And if "big bore + shiny gun that looks bigger + whatever" translates into more reliable compliance then it is a consideration. Not the most important consideration but still one to think about. I've talked to a few guys from that era that were on the business end and quite a few commented on seeing rounds in the cylinder and saying stupid things like "I knew it was definitely loaded because you could see the rounds...."
    It's hard to be a ACLU hating, philosophically Libertarian, socially liberal, fiscally conservative, scientifically grounded, agnostic, porn admiring gun owner who believes in self determination.

    Chuck, we miss ya man.

    كافر

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