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Thread: Colt's Stainless Mark IV/Series 70

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  1. #11
    Rio Vista Slim Guest
      
    Radar and tombstone,

    Thank you very much for your kind words.

    Quote Originally Posted by tombstone
    Tell me a little more about your preference for the blued; I think I'll prefer the blued as well. The dry air in Arizona isn't hard on blued finishes, they look real nice, and I think the slide and frame function feels smoother?
    I stated in my test of the stainless Series 70 that I had owned two of the original Series 70 pistols in the early 1970s. I suppose that I feel a sense of nostalgia whenever I carry or shoot my new, blued Series 70. The quality of both guns is exceptional.



    As you can see, I changed out the originally issued Chip McCormick grips with the ones pictured here. These are slightly thinner than the issued ones, and they feature the gold Colt medallion.

  2. #12
    Join Date
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    Beautiful Series 70

    Wow - that is a beauty...the grips with the medallion really set it off. Thank's for adding the photo of the blue one.
    Regards

  3. #13
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    I love the look of the blue Colt. From what I have gathered on these forums is that the blue finish is not as wear and corrosion resistant as other finishes. How hard is it to maintain a blue finish? For my first Colt (and gun) I'm trying to decide between blue or stainless. Thanks

  4. #14
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    Well you are on the right track choosing Colt. Rio Vista Slim has done a fine job of showing how well a Colt can preform. To me the blued is a little better looking but it can wear off over time. Stainless is less maintainance and is also an excellent look on a 1911. I think you would be pleased with a stainless Colt 1911. Who wouldn't?

  5. #15
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    How hard is it to maintain a blue finish?
    Not to sound like a smart aleck, but it all depends on how you treat it. Will it be for carry or target, both?
    "The pistol, learn it well, carry it always ..." - Jeff Cooper

  6. #16
    Rio Vista Slim Guest
      
    Quote Originally Posted by OD*
    Not to sound like a smart aleck, but it all depends on how you treat it. Will it be for carry or target, both?
    Coaster,
    OD has pretty much nailed it with his question. If the pistol is a range only gun, then you can keep the finish looking fairly new. I say "fairly", because each gun is going to develop its own set of wear marks due to being fired.

    If the gun is carried, then holster wear (accelerated by drawing and re-holstering), every day bumps and dings, and environment will rather rapidly add "character" marks to the weapon.

    You get the same thing with stainless steel, it's just not quite as noticeable as on a blued pistol.

    (I guess I could take a couple of Macro photos of my blue one to show you its blemishes. .

  7. #17
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    A blue gun will eventually require refinishing, at some point in time. That can vary according to the use (as Steve said, many holstering/drawing sessions will wear the blueing faster), but you can expect to see it sooner or later. Unless of course, it is a safe queen.

    The stainless is more durable in that respect, and easier to repair, when the inevitable little scratches start to show.
    John Caradimas SV1CEC
    The M1911 Pistols Organization
    http://www.m1911.org

  8. #18
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    17th April 2006
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    I should have been specific about what the pistol was for. It will be mostly for range duty, but with some carry. I have been trying to read as much as possible about maintaining a 1911 before I get one and some of what I read makes it sound like a blued pistol rusts easily and the finish wears off after pulling it out of a holster a few times.
    I understand that the finish and gun will show wear with use, my main concern is corrosion. What is the best way to protect the metal? I have ready about wiping the gun down with an oily rag, but doesn't that make the metal parts of the grip slick?
    Thanks for indulging a new guys questions and any info that I can get is appreciated.

  9. #19
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    It will take a while to wear the bluing off of a blued pistol even with daily carry. It will really only wear off the high points for the most part. Even then rust really is not a problem if you take care of the pistol. Keep it rubbed down with a silicone rag after shooting, cleaning, or handling (which is good practice for stainless pistols as well) will keep the corrosion off. There is not enough silicone or oil left on the metal to cause a problem as far as the grips are concerned. To me a blued pistol with a little wear shows character. Anything else please ask.

  10. #20
    Rio Vista Slim Guest
      
    Coaster,
    A little clarification is in order.
    OD, John, and Hunter have all given you good, sound advice and logical explanations of the wear that occurs on all guns that are fired and/or carried on a regular basis.

    I've never had a blued gun (or stainless either) to show signs of abuse or rust. I fire all my pistols on a very regular schedule, and practice drawing them from various types of holsters. The "character" marks that Hunter and I have referred to are just the normal wear that any gun that is used will show after a period of time. If you clean and maintain your firearm, wipe fingerprints off the gun, be mindful of the environmental issues that might affect the weapon's appearance, and generally take care of your pistol, then the finish will remain nice.

    As John said, eventually you might have to have the gun refinished. But that is dependent on several "ifs", and those "ifs" shouldn't deter you from getting a pistol with a blued finish, if that's what you want.

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