Blackhawk (Super Blackhawk) Brushed Stainless Finish Options

Help Support Ruger Forum:

Joined
Dec 5, 2011
Messages
524
Location
FL
Has anyone here ever tried to change the finish on their stainless Blackhawk to be high-polish or ceracoat or other modern finish? If so, how did it turn out? In these days of not being able to buy new Blackhawks, it's common to find used revolvers on GB that turn out to be fixer-uppers in need of help. I acquired one that I'm thinking of doing a ceracoating on, but not sure if just taking a Scotch brite pad to it to clean up is best, or to think outside the box and try something new. Anyone here ever try something new like this?
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
8,966
Location
Ohio , U.S.A.
stainless be stainless and can be brushed, bead blasted or highly polished to the point it looks like nickel plated BUT NOT......as for doing any other finish, a darkening ( Phosphate) or ANY sort of coating 'Cera ,Duro', whichever NO , NO , NO thats just MY opinion and the fact you do it will forever harm the true value of the gun...been in the refinish business since the early 70's , seen it, did it all, done many, many ,except the new stuff out,,,so can tell you what happens in the "market" later on in the guns life..... :shock:

Nice thing about stainless the surface is relatively soft and can be brushed, polished and done over very easily and simply, so "K.I.S.S."...8) :roll: :wink:
 

DHD

Single-Sixer
Joined
Sep 12, 2016
Messages
128
Location
Low Country South Carolina
Having done a lot of Cerakote, I'm a big fan. However, I only considered doing a revolver for as long as the thought entered my head and then exited (approximately 2.15 seconds). Cerakote even at it's best will still scratch and scuff. Correcting those scratches is very simple, you Cerakote it again andbif you're paying for it, it gets expensive. In other words, you live with the "artifact marks" (think turn line).

What I appreciate about stainless steel revolvers is how easy it is to touch up artifact marks if you so choose (I stole artifact marks from Hondo in another thread) . Of course, your toy is yours to play with as you please.
 
Joined
Dec 5, 2011
Messages
524
Location
FL
Thanks for the input. I guess I borrowed the idea from the different 1911-style pistols and their success story with various finishes like DLC and ceramic coatings. The purists could argue both the 1911 and SA revolver should remain a blued firearm, and stainless is okay, but nothing else is acceptable. But in recent years the 1911-style manufactures have toyed with finishes (some good and some bad) and the traditional blued 1911 finish seems to be all but extinct and replaced with stainless models with a black finish. Living in a high-humidity state, a blued gun will rust the minute you let it, but a coated SS gun can be a little more forgiving, IME. So I was just wanting to get your thoughts on those that have modified their SS brushed finish in an effort to do something different for a change of pace. Obviously, if a guy had only one revolver, he might want to maintain the factory look and that's understandable and expected. But if you've owned a bunch and been there, done that, and wanted to do something new on a project gun, that's what I was getting at.
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
8,966
Location
Ohio , U.S.A.
keep in mind the key word here is "coating" and all, and I mean ALL of them are just that "coatings" and you know what happens in time, use, carry touching ,holding, accidentally bumping, dropping , turn line, wear and on and on.....over all these years as I said above we have seen most all and have had them in our shops or see for sale at shows, as well as in use at all the ranges we have used over all these years, been at , worked at...........coatings CHip< CRACK< FLAKE AND PEEL......best example of one of the earliest coatings, in fact used by Ruger, the "Martin coat' on their aluminum cylinders for the Lightweights,,that's what happened when the cylinder stop ( bolt) came up , to lock in , engage, the "cyl notch" they chipped, if used, simply turned , work the action, not even shot !! 8) :roll: :wink:
 

Xrayist

Single-Sixer
Joined
Nov 9, 2007
Messages
240
Location
Fort Collins, CO
I will be the one to disagree here. I really dislike stainless pistols, or rifles for that matter. If I have a stainless pistol, it is only because they do not make a blued steel version of it, such as a Super Redhawk. I have a Redhawk that I bought before they brought out the blued steel version. I sent it off to CCR refinishing and had them do a satin black coating. IMO it looks 1000% better. I had it done about 5 or six years ago and the finish looks as good as the day I got it back from them. Carry it in a holster and have shot about 3-5000 full power loads through it.
 

Latest posts

Top