Stainless or Blued 70 Series

[Gtack]

I am planning on getting a new 70 series Colt soon. The problem is, I can't decide between the stainless or the blued. Can you tell which one you prefer and why?

Thanks!

[Wolfgang]

THe blue is nice to look at. The stainless I have scratches very easily. If I were going to use one it would be the stainless.

[MPG1737]

Great pics! That blued gun looks perfect with those grips.

[Wolfgang]

Thanks for the kind words.

The blue one is as it came from Colt. I shot it once to see how it functions. It was perfect shooting 230 fmj, Golden Sabre, and Hydra Shock. It is a beautiful gun and I occasionally take it out to admire.

The stainless did not have the arched MSH as you can see in the pic, did not have white dot sights...and I'm trying to remember what else. (It is on a list at my office) Anyway, I sent it back asking for a trigger job to spec, the sights, and Steel arched MSH, and to be refinished.

It came back to spec and refinished. I changed the trigger to a 3 hole Kings which I like a lot better. The trigger averages 5 lbs and is perfect for me. It has since scratched and I shoot it occasionally. There are some cosmetic issues with this gun so I have decided it is a shooting gun. I have considered it as a carry gun, but still use a G26 or S$W 642 for that.

All this was done at Colt's expense including shipping both ways. I am pleased with Colt and the gun for the most part.

As for parts on them, I just saw a blue 70 and it looks to have a defferent finish on it and a long trigger. I'm deciding on it and a NRM series 80....might have to trade a Glock, Sig, or Beretta to get one of them. In 10 years it will be a better value than the others.

[shuwtist]

I have always liked blue, especially after very slight holster wear. Just a nice look. I came across a beautiful Series 70 in a gunshop in WV last week. He was asking 650. Wish I had the cash, but had to pass it up!

[BillK@tcmhmrs.o]

Man oh man, this is a dilemna. I like the looks of both and in time will have a stainless. I'll give you a thought to think on, maybe it'll have some merit for your consideration. Stainless guns pretty much stay that way. It is pretty difficult to put a different finish on one. Blued finishes can be redone. I have a Colt 1991 Commander that started out with the phosphate or parkerized finish. I got tired of that and after some research, sent it off to W T Birdsong, a fellow with a shop and proprietary finish called "Black T". It's a finish that is a deep glossy black, adheres great to the parkerized finish and actually has teflon in the formulation. The smoothness of the action is increased by the teflon and it's holding up really well to holster and normal handling wear. Sorry I don't have any pictures. Mr Birdsong is quite a fellow - he answers his shop phone himself and apparently gets tons of special work from agencies and the government, but has time to be a real gentleman to the average fellow. The turn around time was about 6 weeks, and the refinish job cost me $140 and that included 2 magazines in the package price, and he'd do additional mags for $5 apiece.I had him refinish an original 7 round Colt magazine and a Wilson magazine. I've been really happy with it.

Last spring I was at the range and somehow ended up putting a big gouge in the slide. I called him up, fessed up to what I had done and he said he'd redo the slide for the price of the return postage- a total of $5. Got it back looking brand new. Really impressed with the finish and the man who came up with it and treated me like a prince.

In the most recent edition of American Handgunner, the editor, Roy Huntington, has an article on handgun finishes that is a great read and really helps to demystify this subject. He speaks highly of Robbie Barrkman and his company and finish called Robar or NP3. This is a great finish as well. The article talks of the different finishes around, pros and cons etc - and has decent pictures. Shows a nice Hi-Power that was all but rusted out in a wet car trunk, and what it looks like after being rehabilitated. Amazing...

One thing to think of before refinishing a gun is to BE SURE you have done all the gunsmithing and modifications to it before getting it redone... and I'd also suggest shooting the snot out of a new gun to settle in all the parts before refinishing it. The finish is only several microns thick, so it never interferes with the fitment of the gun. I also have used the services of CCR. They refinished the slide and barrel of my Glock 36 to stainless.I now have a two-tone Glock that I like the looks of. If I had to do it over, I believe I would have left the barrel in the stock black, as the 3/8" just aft of the barrel hood and slide on top has a distinct scrape that is less noticeable when left in the original Glock black. All G36's and I suppose other Glocks have this action mark on them as it is how the barrel is cammed up and back under recoil operation that puts the mark there. One other gun I have that has been refinished is a nice old 1903 hammerlesss Colt in 32ACP. This particular gun was made in 1916, and somewhere along the way to me somebody had it hardchromed. Still shoots great and looks fine. I did replace the old grips with a new set from Numrich.

Sorry for the long post, I sure like the pictures on this thread and wish you good luck in your pursuit of the model 70.
Regards, Bill Keith

[Gtack]

Thanks for all of your help and input!

Gtack