How much does holster wear really matter?

[Tamara]

You know what makes me lift an eyebrow? Serious fighting pistols with high-dollar price tags that have obviously never been used for anything but holding down the carpet on the gun safe shelf. Colt Gunsites and Les Baer Thunder Ranch Specials that have obviously never been to Gunsite or Thunder Ranch; HK USP Tacticals with the "Hostile Environment Finish" that have never been exposed to an environment more hostile than the trip from the car trunk to the indoor range.

I mean, I get wanting to not ding up an antique with a fragile blued finish, but a cerakote'd 1911 clone or an HK USP? For real?

(Conversely, I have no kidding sat in a room at a Type 07 and participated in a discussion about the feasibility of offering a sort of "stone-washed" finish. I mean, if you can buy an Italian Peacemaker clone with an "antiqued" finish that's supposed to make it look like a survivor of the Old West for the SASS crowd, why not a railed 1911 that looks like it's been in the $#!+? You know they'd sell.)

[Drang]

...(Conversely, I have no kidding sat in a room at a Type 07 and participated in a discussion about the feasibility of offering a sort of "stone-washed" finish. I mean, if you can buy an Italian Peacemaker clone with an "antiqued" finish that's supposed to make it look like a survivor of the Old West for the SASS crowd, why not a railed 1911 that looks like it's been in the $#!+? You know they'd sell.)

Well, you know, once dad's Buick had that first scratch on it, he didn't worry about letting me drive it. So a 1911 or 226 or whatever that looked like it had been through two or three tours in the 'Stans, well, I wouldn't worry so much about maybe fumbling it in the dirt at the range...
...Of course, it would lead to all kinds of Cletii amping up the stories about how "The Navy let me keep it, it's the one I used to cap Bin Laden."

[BobLoblaw]

I love the stonewashed finish on ZT blades. Stonewashed slides? If there are no serious drawbacks over most other finishes, why not? Only Cletus makes Cletus run his mouth, not the finish of the blaster...

[Lester Polfus]

You know they'd sell.

They already do it with guitars.

[GardoneVT]

You know what makes me lift an eyebrow? Serious fighting pistols with high-dollar price tags that have obviously never been used for anything but holding down the carpet on the gun safe shelf. Colt Gunsites and Les Baer Thunder Ranch Specials that have obviously never been to Gunsite or Thunder Ranch; HK USP Tacticals with the "Hostile Environment Finish" that have never been exposed to an environment more hostile than the trip from the car trunk to the indoor range.

Their money, their choice. Some people collect baseball cards. Others collect fighting pistols and carry .380s. Each to their own.

[Tamara]

Their money, their choice. Some people collect baseball cards. Others collect fighting pistols and carry .380s. Each to their own.

I didn't say I want to ban it, just that I don't get it.

There're a lot of things that make me lift an eyebrow, believe me. Like people who make chin-stroking quasi-philosophical responses to throwaway comments, for instance.

[BLR]

.... an Italian Peacemaker clone with an "antiqued" finish that's supposed to make it look like a survivor of the Old West for the SASS crowd...

That's a thing?

[NETim]

My dings=my memories.



The small area of buffed out AT on the trigger guard is a reminder of the three days shooting support side at a TR TH2 class using some kind of kydex loaner from Mr. Smith. I had just finished a two day tutorial with him. He told me to shoot the TH2 from my other side for the experience. And it was.

[Tamara]

That's a thing?

Google "uberti old west finish".

[Malamute]

I guess it depends on just how sensitive you are to sand in your... holster.

If you don't want to wear the finish on a gun, don't put it in a holster.

I havent figured out how to keep them looking pretty when carrying them much. The two areas I've lived most of my life both have crazy amounts of fine dust that permeates everything. Leather holsters seem to collect it like a sponge and apply it to the finish on your guns. Even the dust on my bedside table is stupid abrasive. My 24 was the main bedside gun for some time, it has some nasty abrasion on the points that touch the table. From 10 years of off and on carry its getting a bit shiny around the edges, not as bad as the 29 though. The g-19 is a little scuffed from mainly pocket carry. Once in a while I forget about the change or pocket knife in the back pocket. The finish on them is pretty tough.



The Ruger 45 was only cold blued where I took all the writing off the barrel. It's been blued once since I've had it, but not after removing all the junk on the barrel. It was my main carry for several years after the hand injury when I couldnt shoot a DA with heavy loads.



Another favorite carry gun. It's held up OK, but hasnt had as much carry time. The "color case finish" doesnt hold up very well. Nothing like true color case hardening.