# Stainless or blued revolver?



## Sebastian C

Hola everyone,

So I'm almost done paying off my first handgun, if I want it in dark steel (that's blued, right?). Stainless steel would be about $120 or so more expensive. Guns are expensive here in Costa Rica, the stainless one is more 'spensive!

So what should I do in y'all's experienced opinions? Get the blued one next week or the stainless one in a few more weeks? It's humid here...

Thanks!


----------



## crehberg

Personally, I'd take the blued if you're going to keep it up and not leave it stuck in a drawer. If you're going to leave it stuck in a drawer for 6+ months and not touch it then get the stainless.

I've had both....and I can't stand the "glimmer" of stainless.... especially in the woods when I'm carrying while hunting.

A lot of it is up to you....what your intended purpose is and whether you know you'll keep up maintenance. Either ways, congratulations! A new "tool" is always fun!


----------



## Sebastian C

Thanks!


----------



## Ross

Stainless handles high humidity better but both need care


----------



## IndyDave

It is difficult to improve on the previous replies, but all said and done, the stainless is more forgiving in terms of maintenance but the barrel will erode faster than carbon steel. Please note that this is only an issue after thousands and thousands of rounds which I doubt you will be firing if you are asking questions like this, so I doubt this is a relevant concern.


----------



## flewism

The only stainless steel hand gun I’ve ever owned I gave to my son, didn’t like shooting it outside.


----------



## Sebastian C

Hmmm... I thought everyone would say the stainless is better, save up for that! Good thing I asked, seems most prefer the blued. Hadn't thought of the "shiny" factor, it's true I like to keep things low key.


----------



## GunMonkeyIntl

A blued revolver is going to take holster-wear as bare steel, which is going to be that much more prone to rusting in your humid environment.

As someone pointed out, stainless steel (at least the grades suitable for firearms manufacturing) can rust as well- just not as readily. Also, when it gets a decade or two of patina on it, you can make it look new again just by polishing it. Even if it is a “high polish” stainless, it’s probably not much above a 320 or 400 grit, so you could easily repolish it with common materials from your local hardware store.

Too, if it’s shinier than you like, from the factory, you can always take it to a wire-wheel and knock the shine down in a way that looks very professional and even elegant. Then your periodic “touch-ups” from the Costa Rican air would just be a quick trip across that same wire wheel- good as new.

Something that is going to be carried in a holster in a coastal region? Stainless steel every time.


----------



## muleskinner2

A revolver won't only rust on the outside where you can see it. It will rust and gather dust on the inside where you can't see it. In a humid climate a blued revolver will start to rust the day you bring it home. To keep it from rusting inside and out, you should strip it down and clean it inside and out once a week. If you are not willing or able to do this, it will rust up and eventually cease to function.

With a stainless revolver, you can get by with wiping it down once a week. And a complete tear down every few months. The vast majority of guns that are used for home protection and even hunting are carried often but fired rarely. So, unless you fire it a few hundred times a week, it will take a few hundred years to wear it out.

I began to carry revolvers way back it in dark ages, before anybody actually carried stainless steel firearms, revolver or pistol. I wore out two S&W Mod 19's from shooting a lot, and wear and tear. And it seemed like I was always loosing screws, springs, and pins.

If I were buying a revolver, for everyday use. Weather for every day carry, or to keep in a desk drawer in the house. It would be a Ruger .357 Stainless Steel. Ruger because they are easier to care for than anything else, and they are built like a tank. The Ruger doesn't have any screws holding the frame together, and no side plate. It will shoot the lightest .38's and the most powerfull .357 loads.


----------



## Nimrod

Slightly off topic but. I like a gun partly because it's a work of art. My 586 S&W is nickle plated. Beautiful but you have to be careful cleaning it. Can't use any solvents that dissolve copper, like #9. They first plate the revolver with copper then the nickle sticks to the copper. 

I vote for the SS in a humid environment near the ocean.


----------



## Sebastian C

Okay... Leaning back towards stainless for practical reasons. Thanks!


----------



## Bearfootfarm

muleskinner2 said:


> And it seemed like I was *always loosing screws, springs, and pins*.


Maybe this is why:



muleskinner2 said:


> To keep it from rusting inside and out, you should* strip it down and clean it inside and out once a week*.


That's really not necessary as long as you use some oil once in a while.
I've seen lots of guns damaged or parts lost due to excessive "cleaning".


----------



## Cornhusker

While I like the looks of a blued revolver, if I lived in a humid area, I'd go with stainless.
Just keep it clean and wipe it down with an oily rag once in a while.
I've also read that if you keep it in a foam padded case, you are asking for rust.
It might be a good idea to store it in a container with some desiccant packs or a dehumidifier?


----------



## Sebastian C

Cornhusker said:


> While I like the looks of a blued revolver, if I lived in a humid area, I'd go with stainless.
> Just keep it clean and wipe it down with an oily rag once in a while.
> I've also read that if you keep it in a foam padded case, you are asking for rust.
> It might be a good idea to store it in a container with some desiccant packs or a dehumidifier?


Hmmmm... I keep my blued rifle in a foam padded case. I oil it on the exterior every time I shoot it but worry about the interior


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE

if you live in constant 80+ degrees and 100% humidity , stainless.

it is still a good idea to use something like Hornady one shot dry lube on it as it has excellent corrosion resistance


----------



## Fishindude

Really just depends on which one you like the looks of. Hard to beat a blued finish revolver with wood grips IMO.


----------



## wannabfarmer

I always like darker colors so i'm partial to the blued. BUT I agree for your area get the stainless. and I also agree with the post about a ruger revolver. I love the ruger revolvers. unfortunately ive had multiple reliability problems with their semi auto. found the only thing a ruger semi is good for is throwing at the bad guy. I understand its not everyones experience but I've shot 3 different rugers and they all fed badly even after trying to change the type of ammo still did bad. even had the range look at the guns and they said they were fine so I won't buy another one.


----------



## shawnlee

S&W 686...………..in stainless, good luck ever wearing it out or hurting it.


----------



## Sebastian C

I think Taurus revolvers are the good deal around here. The others are friggin 'spensive or total garbage. I've heard the Taurus is alright and it's still relatively affordable


----------



## GunMonkeyIntl

Sebastian C said:


> I think Taurus revolvers are the good deal around here. The others are friggin 'spensive or total garbage. I've heard the Taurus is alright and it's still relatively affordable


Taurus revolvers are fine. They are essentially a copy of the S&W, and, last I’d heard, Taurus was actually making a lot of the parts for S&W since they went to MIM internals (Taurus is a big MIM house). 

Being that their QC is not quite up to S&W standards, I would give the gun a good look over before you buy it, and immediately put some rounds down range to make sure you got a good one while your gun is still fresh in your dealer and his distributor’s memories. 

If everything checks out after a thorough once-over and range trip, it’ll probably be good forever.


----------



## muleskinner2

Bearfootfarm said:


> Maybe this is why:
> 
> 
> That's really not necessary as long as you use some oil once in a while.
> I've seen lots of guns damaged or parts lost due to excessive "cleaning".


So tell me, have you ever done anything in your life except run your mouth and bad mouth your betters?


----------



## Sebastian C

Gun monkey, thanks for the advice. Muleskinner and BFF, please play nice.

Hey, that rhymes!


----------



## Bearfootfarm

muleskinner2 said:


> So tell me, have you ever done anything in your life except run your mouth and bad mouth your betters?


Yes, I've done lots of stuff.

One thing was spending 6 years working in a gun shop, seeing people bring in lots of guns that needed repairs because they felt a need to take them apart to clean them. 

I'm not sure what you mean by "betters".
I'm not into gambling.


----------



## Shrek

Sebastian C said:


> Hola everyone,
> 
> So I'm almost done paying off my first handgun, if I want it in dark steel (that's blued, right?). Stainless steel would be about $120 or so more expensive. Guns are expensive here in Costa Rica, the stainless one is more 'spensive!
> 
> So what should I do in y'all's experienced opinions? Get the blued one next week or the stainless one in a few more weeks? It's humid here...
> 
> Thanks!


Both have advantages other than the price, blued steel has classic character, surprise factor if carried concealed and smoothly drawn often leaving the threat unaware you have filled your fist due to the dark color and as a first weapon as blue steel requires cleaning and oiling to protect the finish, your weapon cleaning ability will improve through rote practice.

almost 40 years after purchasing my first blued revolver, I fully clean and oil any blued weapon I am carrying after shooting or an especially humid sweaty day to protect the workings and finish from the powder residue or salty sweat moisture and on just dusty carry days , I short clean a blued weapon of dust and grass chaff with a gun oiled bore rod if not fired that day and wipe the finish with the oil on a soft cleaning cloth for the next day of carry or storage.

If doing dirty and sweaty chores I often carry one of my stainless carry pieces as a snake and critter dispatcher just in case I get over worked and just want to take a shower and rest or have to shower before a social evening where my carry piece of choice is a matte blued piece and can comfortably put off the cleaning of the stainless carry weapon to the next day if I am time contrained to do my normal end of day cary piece cleaning regardless of the finish.

Sadly I have seen a number of stainless weapon owners who somehow get the idea because their weapon is stainless and less susceptible to firing and carry muck up and they go a week or so to a couple months before cleaning and cant understand why their weapon isn't functioning as well as it should.

The son of a friend brought his stainless Smith and Wesson to me because it wasn't ejecting properly and his father had been deployed as a stateside NG trainer.

When I inspected it, I found more powder gunk build up than boogers in a kids nose with allergies and made him come and watch me as I spent two days cleaning his weapon and lecturing him as I cleaned it.

After the cleaning , he tried to take the clean weapon from me and I told him I wasn't done yet and made him follow me to my berm range as I shot three magazines of ammo at my silhouettes and handed it to him telling him all it needed was a good cleaning and ushered him back to my cleaning table to clean it himself as punishment.

When his father returned from his training deployment, the kid told what I did to him as a so called friend and how he felt like I had treated him like a D.I. would and his father corrected him and said that I had treated and taught him as a friend or uncle because a D,I. would have test fired and made him clean the weapon and then put him on KP. 

Years later when I see the son at the range I sometimes ask how his weapon is doing and he tells me his weapon is clean as whistle and he keeps that machine clean and smooth sliding so it wont jam up regardless if he is plinking or facing someone wanting to tuck him in for a long dirt nap because that weekend years ago while cleaning his weapon, I told him of a guy his father and I went to school with who has been dirt napping since 1996 because his weapon gunk jammed as he tried to stand his ground during a home invasion at his home.

Back to your question, get the first weapon you like and can afford, but keep in mind a bled steel offers you better cleaning practice and less noticeable weapon finish shining if you have to quiet draw to fill your fist for first response life insurance and all weapons regardless of finish should be kept cleaned and lubricated in case your life or lives of those dear to you have to rely on that tool to see tomorrow.


----------



## GunMonkeyIntl

Shrek said:


> Both have advantages other than the price, blued steel has classic character, surprise factor if carried concealed and smoothly drawn often leaving the threat unaware you have filled your fist due to the dark color and as a first weapon as blue steel requires cleaning and oiling to protect the finish, your weapon cleaning ability will improve through rote practice.
> 
> almost 40 years after purchasing my first blued revolver, I fully clean and oil any blued weapon I am carrying after shooting or an especially humid sweaty day to protect the workings and finish from the powder residue or salty sweat moisture and on just dusty carry days , I short clean a blued weapon of dust and grass chaff with a gun oiled bore rod if not fired that day and wipe the finish with the oil on a soft cleaning cloth for the next day of carry or storage.
> 
> If doing dirty and sweaty chores I often carry one of my stainless carry pieces as a snake and critter dispatcher just in case I get over worked and just want to take a shower and rest or have to shower before a social evening where my carry piece of choice is a matte blued piece and can comfortably put off the cleaning of the stainless carry weapon to the next day if I am time contrained to do my normal end of day cary piece cleaning regardless of the finish.
> 
> Sadly I have seen a number of stainless weapon owners who somehow get the idea because their weapon is stainless and less susceptible to firing and carry muck up and they go a week or so to a couple months before cleaning and cant understand why their weapon isn't functioning as well as it should.
> 
> The son of a friend brought his stainless Smith and Wesson to me because it wasn't ejecting properly and his father had been deployed as a stateside NG trainer.
> 
> When I inspected it, I found more powder gunk build up than boogers in a kids nose with allergies and made him come and watch me as I spent two days cleaning his weapon and lecturing him as I cleaned it.
> 
> After the cleaning , he tried to take the clean weapon from me and I told him I wasn't done yet and made him follow me to my berm range as I shot three magazines of ammo at my silhouettes and handed it to him telling him all it needed was a good cleaning and ushered him back to my cleaning table to clean it himself as punishment.
> 
> When his father returned from his training deployment, the kid told what I did to him as a so called friend and how he felt like I had treated him like a D.I. would and his father corrected him and said that I had treated and taught him as a friend or uncle because a D,I. would have test fired and made him clean the weapon and then put him on KP.
> 
> Years later when I see the son at the range I sometimes ask how his weapon is doing and he tells me his weapon is clean as whistle and he keeps that machine clean and smooth sliding so it wont jam up regardless if he is plinking or facing someone wanting to tuck him in for a long dirt nap because that weekend years ago while cleaning his weapon, I told him of a guy his father and I went to school with who has been dirt napping since 1996 because his weapon gunk jammed as he tried to stand his ground during a home invasion at his home.
> 
> Back to your question, get the first weapon you like and can afford, but keep in mind a bled steel offers you better cleaning practice and less noticeable weapon finish shining if you have to quiet draw to fill your fist for first response life insurance and all weapons regardless of finish should be kept cleaned and lubricated in case your life or lives of those dear to you have to rely on that tool to see tomorrow.



With all due respect, those two points about SS giving a false impression that a gun doesn’t need cleaning as frequently, and that SS gives you up in a draw are kinda bunk. 

As far as the cleaning goes, if someone isn’t maintaining their weapon, that is an issue of their mindset, not the material of their weapon. If anything, SS is going to give you a more ready-reminder that you’ve fired it since carbon fouling is going to show up quicker than on blued steel. 

Being a revolver, the muzzle, the rear of the barrel, the top-strap, and the front of the cylinder are going to show carbon after about 50 rounds. That’s going to stand out more on a SS gun than blued, and remind you when you forget that you put a bunch of rounds through it without cleaning it. 

Too, while I’m not trying to claim that cleaning too frequently is a bad thing, most civilian gun owners who clean after every range trip are cleaning way more often than is necessary. They may enjoy the process of cleaning, but any quality firearm should hold up to running through several of all but the most demanding range trips. Look at the PMCS tables and MRBS figures for modern military arms, and you’ll see that the average civilian range trip is barely a blip on the maintenance radar. 



On the point of being more noticeable on draw, I don’t see how that makes a difference. Most lighting conditions that would allow you to see a SS gun being drawn aren’t going to conceal a blued gun, and most lighting that would hide a blued gun will also hide a SS one. 

Besides, if you’re drawing on another human being, chances are that you need to be showing them a muzzle flash long before their brain catches up to “_is that a gun or a ham sandwich_?”


----------



## Sebastian C

Thanks guys for all the cleaning advice. Good to know, even all the opposing viewpoints.


----------



## Grafton County Couple

Does Costa Rica have limitations on the caliber/capacity of handgun(s) that one can purchase/own?


----------



## Sebastian C

Grafton County Couple said:


> Does Costa Rica have limitations on the caliber/capacity of handgun(s) that one can purchase/own?


Hmmm, I think the magazines have a limit, unless it's a 22. The main limitation is the cost of the ammo. 22 bullets cost about 15-25 cents each. Anything else is like a dollar a pop or more even. At prices like that I'm gonna just have to be happy with 22's cuz I'm not going to have a gun I can't afford to practice with. Reloading ammo doesn't exist here it turns out. Can only buy ammo you have a registration card for

Limit on the amount of guns you can have, 3 longs and three shorts. There are forces trying to limit it further but it hasn't happened yet. Waiting and registration periods, etc. It's a pain in the ass. Pretty nice country altogether but gun control is in effect here. Personally I think it's not that bad, guns are dangerous and I was able to get one following the rules. It's a slippery slope though, I understand.


----------



## Grafton County Couple

Thank you for answering my question.


----------



## oldasrocks

Sebastian, I've thought about a retirement move down your way. I'd have to rent a cargo ship to move my weapons and ammo that direction. HA. Guess I'll have to sell them. Just acquired a DP-12 I wonder if it is legal there. Guns are not dangerous. My main carry weapon is a SS 45acp.

From what I've read about Costa Rica it's pretty laid back and I like that. I haven't dove in years but assume there are places to SCUBA dive around there. 

I would go with SS as rust will be a problem around any salt water area and even the air contains more salt. Try to find something with SS firing pins and springs too.
.


----------



## Sebastian C

Costa Ricas a great place. To live and retire. but yeah you may not want to go through the hassle of importing your collection. Foreigners gotta have permanent no conditions residency also to have guns legit. Although I think you can pull some strings with corporations and such. Unregistered guns are a risky business, couple years I think.


----------



## Sebastian C

There's very good snorkeling I know personally, I imagine that means there's good scuba diving also although I've never been.


----------



## oldasrocks

I wouldn't bother trying to move my weapons there. I was mainly commenting on the difference between here and there. I read that if you deposit 60K or more you are given a Permanent Resident permit. Or buy a house there.

Just looking for a laid back, slow paced, warm place to hang my weary bones up. May visit there in a year or two.


----------

