Anybody else just not like stainless pistols?

prater · February 13, 2017, 09:27 PM

Try as I might I just can't buy one.

Sometimes I think I want a stainless finish, then when I get to the counter and hold it I just can't get over how shiny it is, it seems flashy, not what a gun should be to me.

I like blue, parkerized, tan, green, etc. coatings. But just not stainless or inox.

I can't be the only one.

bedbugbilly · February 14, 2017, 12:02 AM

You aren't!

I have owned a lot of pistols over the last 50 plus years and I have never owned a shiny one. I just don't like them. I like blue and I don[t care if the steels hows through a little from good honest wear - I love vintage pistols - vintage Smiths especially.

That doesn't make liking a shiny gun wrong - different strokes for different folks. I guess it's sort of like tires - some like whitewalls (I think they still make them - maybe I' showing my age?

) and some like blackwalls.

I look at it this way . . . since I don't like shiny guns, it leaves more of them available for those that do and the opposite applies for blued ones!

b.thomas · February 14, 2017, 12:36 AM

All my handguns are stainless steel or plastic.
I had blue steel in the past but stainless or plastic is so much nice when it come to maintenance! A lot less worry about rust problems.

arquebus357 · February 14, 2017, 01:51 AM

I don't actually dislike stainless handguns but I enjoy finding blued ones that are a bit shabby looking and can be had for vastly lower prices. Stainless handguns hold their value better.

I have gotten pretty good at rust bluing so refurbing has gotten to be sort of a hobby.

kozak6 · February 14, 2017, 03:15 AM

I like stainless just fine.

Shiny doesn't bother me. In fact, I've even been flirting with the idea of sending a beater Makarov and maybe a shotgun out for hard chroming.

You like what you like. To each his own.

tallball · February 14, 2017, 06:03 AM

Blued looks better. Stainless wears better. Win-win.

mdcmn7 · February 14, 2017, 06:07 AM

That's the best part about this hobby

There are so many options to fit everyone's different tastes

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Targa · February 14, 2017, 07:17 AM

Depends on the firearm I guess. I appreciate the stainless slide on my Kahr for concealed carry and I like the stainless Ruger SBH's much better than the blued ones. I prefer blued shotguns and lever action rifles over stainless. I prefer blued or parkerized 1911's over stainless. Yep, just depends.

old bear · February 14, 2017, 07:34 AM

For appearance, I much prefer the old school high polish blued finishes. Hard to explain but there is something special about them. Yet, for working firearms stainless steel is hard to beat. Easier to maintain with fewer worries about storage rust problems. So, I accept and use them for the great tools they are.

Not to nitpick, two small points. Stainless steel is not a finish it’s a specific steel. The natural appearance of stainless steel is dull not shiny. Unless it is a custom order all the factory revolvers I’ve seen have a dull, almost gray, finish.

redrick · February 14, 2017, 08:32 AM

I agree blued looks better but stainless wears better . I buy stainless to shoot and blue to look at . I am speaking of revolvers ( except the SAA ) , pistols it doesn't make much difference to me .

buck460XVR · February 14, 2017, 09:42 AM

Glare(shine) off a nicely blued gun is more than a brushed stainless, especially in the hunting woods. Some folks just like the looks one way or the other.....no legitimate reason one needs to validate that preference to others. One reason there are so many different finish options out there, is because there are so many different preferences. IMHO, if it trips your trigger.....go for it and don't look back.

5whiskey · February 14, 2017, 09:47 AM

Quote:

I can't be the only one.

You aren't. I have two shiny guns. A Kahr CW9 that is my on-again, off-again carry piece, and an H&R 733 (that is actually a nickel finish) that was passed down from my father. His only handgun ever, to my knowledge. The Kahr is silver colored, but it is a dull gray and isn't pretty. That's fine... it does not rust when I sweat in the summer.

Other than that, all of my other firearms are parkerized or blued (or nitrite or whatever the new finish method is). To me, stainless = soulless... other than my father's old gun. It only has a soul because it was my father's.

shootbrownelk · February 14, 2017, 10:55 AM

My S&W mountain gun is brushed stainless, my Ruger SRH is Ruger's "Target Grey" finish. I like them both over blued guns. Less to worry about as far as rust goes.

coolbreezy · February 14, 2017, 11:03 AM

I have around 14 handguns, only 4 are not stainless steel and none are blued (i am not sure if you would consider a s&w model 28 blue).

Ricklin · February 14, 2017, 11:13 AM

I like stainless, in fact I went as non-traditional as possible with my Remington New Army......oh the horror of it, it's stainless. It's also ten years old, and not a speck of rust on it.
I live in rain country. I'm also a boat guy, salt water and brackish. I like Glock for the same reason. Heck my 1918 LC Smith shotgun does not get shot as often as it should, cuz I don't like getting it wet.
My old Model 12 is the rainy day trap gun. Yes, it does get cleaned and dried when I get back home. In fact it gets pretty well dried before I go home.

**OldMarksman** · February 14, 2017, 11:43 AM

I much prefer the appearance of blue steel, but vulnerability to holster wear and corrosion susceptibility mitigate against it.

Lohman446 · February 14, 2017, 11:50 AM

To me guns are stainless or blued - and it depends on the gun which I prefer.

As long as it's not one of the new toy colors

SaxonPig · February 14, 2017, 02:49 PM

They look cheap and fairly ugly to me. But they are practical if you need a gun that's a tool rather than a piece of art. I own two SS handguns and both are working guns.

Nathan · February 14, 2017, 03:13 PM

It's ok, but a little raw to me.

SIGSHR · February 14, 2017, 03:20 PM

Skeeter Skelton wrote that in the dry desert where he lived there were no advantages to stainless steel. If I had a CCW I would carry stainless-I am an awful sweathog.

RUT · February 14, 2017, 04:43 PM

Sorry, I like stainless, and it does wear better.

sgms · February 14, 2017, 06:09 PM

In revolvers I do like the looks of blued steel. That said I do have a number of SS revolvers and semi autos but they are used more as working/carry guns for me.

lefteye · February 14, 2017, 06:37 PM

I don't like highly polished stainless steel, but I do like matte or satin finish SS. Black "plastic" or black "plastic" and matte SS are my favorites from a practical perspective. Polished blue is beautiful but shows everything including small specks of perfectly dry dust - AND it requires more attention to careful maintenance.

SauerGrapes · February 14, 2017, 06:55 PM

S&W mod 19-3.jpg

S&W 37 .jpg

I like nickel on revolvers, not so much on autos. Love a nice hot blue finish.

RickB · February 14, 2017, 07:04 PM

I'm not a fan of the appearance of stainless.
The first stainless gun I owned, I gave it a spray 'n' bake black finish.
I've since bought another one, and it still appears as original . . . so far.
The most recent purchase has a stainless slide coated with some high-tech black to match the black anodized aluminum frame.

February 13, 2017, 09:27 PM	#1
prater Member Join Date: March 28, 2006 Posts: 77	Anybody else just not like stainless pistols? Try as I might I just can't buy one. Sometimes I think I want a stainless finish, then when I get to the counter and hold it I just can't get over how shiny it is, it seems flashy, not what a gun should be to me. I like blue, parkerized, tan, green, etc. coatings. But just not stainless or inox. I can't be the only one.

February 14, 2017, 12:02 AM	#2
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 3,287	You aren't! I have owned a lot of pistols over the last 50 plus years and I have never owned a shiny one. I just don't like them. I like blue and I don[t care if the steels hows through a little from good honest wear - I love vintage pistols - vintage Smiths especially. That doesn't make liking a shiny gun wrong - different strokes for different folks. I guess it's sort of like tires - some like whitewalls (I think they still make them - maybe I' showing my age? ) and some like blackwalls. I look at it this way . . . since I don't like shiny guns, it leaves more of them available for those that do and the opposite applies for blued ones! __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

February 14, 2017, 11:03 AM	#14
coolbreezy Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2010 Posts: 271	I have around 14 handguns, only 4 are not stainless steel and none are blued (i am not sure if you would consider a s&w model 28 blue). __________________ S&W highway patrolman 28-2/ Springfield mil spec 1911 (semi custom)/ Sig P220 match elite .45 acp/Kimber micro 9 stainless/ Remington 870 tac14/ Taurus pt22/ S&W 629-1 3" .44 mag/ S&W 629 PC V-Comp/ Beretta M9/ Stevens/Savage 311A 12 ga double bbl/ Magnum research Desert Eagle XIX .44 mag/ S&W 460 xvr/ Glock g40 10mm longslide/ H&K usp compact .45 acp/ Ruger SuperBlackhawk Lipsey Edition/ S&W 686+ 3-5-7 talo edition

February 14, 2017, 11:13 AM	#15
Ricklin Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2008 Location: SW Washington state Posts: 2,013	Rust! I like stainless, in fact I went as non-traditional as possible with my Remington New Army......oh the horror of it, it's stainless. It's also ten years old, and not a speck of rust on it. I live in rain country. I'm also a boat guy, salt water and brackish. I like Glock for the same reason. Heck my 1918 LC Smith shotgun does not get shot as often as it should, cuz I don't like getting it wet. My old Model 12 is the rainy day trap gun. Yes, it does get cleaned and dried when I get back home. In fact it gets pretty well dried before I go home. __________________ ricklin Freedom is not free

February 14, 2017, 04:43 PM	#21
RUT Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2004 Location: NH, USA Posts: 812	Sorry, I like stainless, and it does wear better. __________________ Liberals don't care what you do... as long as it's mandated.

February 14, 2017, 12:36 AM	#3
b.thomas Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Posts: 461	All my handguns are stainless steel or plastic. I had blue steel in the past but stainless or plastic is so much nice when it come to maintenance! A lot less worry about rust problems.

February 14, 2017, 01:51 AM	#4
arquebus357 Senior Member Join Date: December 19, 2016 Location: Atlanta, Georgia area Posts: 455	I don't actually dislike stainless handguns but I enjoy finding blued ones that are a bit shabby looking and can be had for vastly lower prices. Stainless handguns hold their value better. I have gotten pretty good at rust bluing so refurbing has gotten to be sort of a hobby.

February 14, 2017, 03:15 AM	#5
kozak6 Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2005 Location: AZ Posts: 3,113	I like stainless just fine. Shiny doesn't bother me. In fact, I've even been flirting with the idea of sending a beater Makarov and maybe a shotgun out for hard chroming. You like what you like. To each his own.

February 14, 2017, 06:03 AM	#6
tallball Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2014 Posts: 2,444	Blued looks better. Stainless wears better. Win-win.

February 14, 2017, 06:07 AM	#7
mdcmn7 Member Join Date: January 19, 2013 Posts: 46	That's the best part about this hobby There are so many options to fit everyone's different tastes Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

February 14, 2017, 07:17 AM	#8
Targa Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2014 Posts: 2,084	Depends on the firearm I guess. I appreciate the stainless slide on my Kahr for concealed carry and I like the stainless Ruger SBH's much better than the blued ones. I prefer blued shotguns and lever action rifles over stainless. I prefer blued or parkerized 1911's over stainless. Yep, just depends.

February 14, 2017, 07:34 AM	#9
old bear Senior Member Join Date: November 3, 2009 Location: Not close enough to the beach Posts: 1,477	For appearance, I much prefer the old school high polish blued finishes. Hard to explain but there is something special about them. Yet, for working firearms stainless steel is hard to beat. Easier to maintain with fewer worries about storage rust problems. So, I accept and use them for the great tools they are. Not to nitpick, two small points. Stainless steel is not a finish it’s a specific steel. The natural appearance of stainless steel is dull not shiny. Unless it is a custom order all the factory revolvers I’ve seen have a dull, almost gray, finish.

February 14, 2017, 08:32 AM	#10
redrick Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,041	I agree blued looks better but stainless wears better . I buy stainless to shoot and blue to look at . I am speaking of revolvers ( except the SAA ) , pistols it doesn't make much difference to me .

February 14, 2017, 09:42 AM	#11
buck460XVR Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2006 Posts: 4,342	Glare(shine) off a nicely blued gun is more than a brushed stainless, especially in the hunting woods. Some folks just like the looks one way or the other.....no legitimate reason one needs to validate that preference to others. One reason there are so many different finish options out there, is because there are so many different preferences. IMHO, if it trips your trigger.....go for it and don't look back.

February 14, 2017, 10:55 AM	#13
shootbrownelk Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 2013 Location: Wyoming Posts: 329	My S&W mountain gun is brushed stainless, my Ruger SRH is Ruger's "Target Grey" finish. I like them both over blued guns. Less to worry about as far as rust goes.

February 14, 2017, 11:43 AM	#16
OldMarksman Staff Join Date: June 8, 2008 Posts: 4,022	I much prefer the appearance of blue steel, but vulnerability to holster wear and corrosion susceptibility mitigate against it.

February 14, 2017, 11:50 AM	#17
Lohman446 Senior Member Join Date: April 22, 2016 Posts: 2,192	To me guns are stainless or blued - and it depends on the gun which I prefer. As long as it's not one of the new toy colors

February 14, 2017, 02:49 PM	#18
SaxonPig Senior Member Join Date: April 24, 2006 Posts: 1,900	They look cheap and fairly ugly to me. But they are practical if you need a gun that's a tool rather than a piece of art. I own two SS handguns and both are working guns.

February 14, 2017, 03:13 PM	#19
Nathan Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2001 Posts: 6,331	It's ok, but a little raw to me.

February 14, 2017, 03:20 PM	#20
SIGSHR Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2005 Posts: 4,700	Skeeter Skelton wrote that in the dry desert where he lived there were no advantages to stainless steel. If I had a CCW I would carry stainless-I am an awful sweathog.

February 14, 2017, 06:09 PM	#22
sgms Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2010 Location: Arizona or Ohio depending Posts: 1,021	In revolvers I do like the looks of blued steel. That said I do have a number of SS revolvers and semi autos but they are used more as working/carry guns for me.

February 14, 2017, 06:37 PM	#23
lefteye Senior Member Join Date: January 30, 2006 Posts: 1,433	I don't like highly polished stainless steel, but I do like matte or satin finish SS. Black "plastic" or black "plastic" and matte SS are my favorites from a practical perspective. Polished blue is beautiful but shows everything including small specks of perfectly dry dust - AND it requires more attention to careful maintenance. __________________ Vietnam Veteran ('69-'70) NRA Life Member RMEF Life Member

February 14, 2017, 06:55 PM	#24
SauerGrapes Senior Member Join Date: March 22, 2009 Location: S.E.PA. Posts: 920	S&W mod 19-3.jpg S&W 37 .jpg I like nickel on revolvers, not so much on autos. Love a nice hot blue finish. __________________ NRA member, DCF&S member, PAFOA member, USPSA member, NSCA member R.I.P.____Murphy

February 14, 2017, 07:04 PM	#25
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	I'm not a fan of the appearance of stainless. The first stainless gun I owned, I gave it a spray 'n' bake black finish. I've since bought another one, and it still appears as original . . . so far. The most recent purchase has a stainless slide coated with some high-tech black to match the black anodized aluminum frame. __________________ Runs off at the mouth about anything 1911 related on this site and half the time is flat out wrong.