By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to sample some superb revolvers in stainless steel, and while some didn’t perform as well as others, none of them failed the biggest test of all out in my Pacific Northwest: Getting wet didn’t make ‘em hiccup.
I can’t say for sure who produced the first stainless steel wheelgun, but it was a stroke of genius for lawmen and private citizens who live in high-moisture environments, whether on the coasts, up in the Great Lakes or anywhere you might wind up getting wet.
I’ve had some remarkable field tests involving stainless guns, including double-action Ruger revolvers in .480 Ruger, .44 Special, .357 Magnum and .327 Federal Magnum; a couple of Colts, some really spruced-up .38s from Charter Arms, along with one each from that outfit in .45 Colt and .41 Magnum, and a few single-action sixguns from Ruger in .22 Long Rifle or .22 Magnum. Only a limited bank account prevented me from keeping some, if not all, of them, along with the fact there was not enough room in my gun safes to house ‘em all!
Contrary to what some folks might believe, stainless guns still require maintenance, because they can rust, and in a salty environment, they might even show a spot of corrosion if left neglected long enough. Shame on anybody who shots their stainless sidearm without ever cleaning the bore and chambers, adding a bit of oil to the action and the crane, and wiping their guns after a tough day or weekend in the field.
When Colt resurrected its line of double-action revolvers, they appeared in stainless steel. I may never have seen a more beautifully-finished stainless wheelgun as a Python some years ago by its owner, a police officer pal who had spent hours polishing the flutes in the gun’s cylinder, and the result was simply spectacular.
I only personally own two stainless steel revolvers, a Ruger Single-Six “Vaquerito” in .32 H&R Magnum and a North American Arms mini-revolver, the Earl, in .22 LR/.22 WMR. Both have fixed sights. The Ruger has a 4 5/8-inch barrel, and it wears a Pachmayr replacement grip which fills my hand far better than the shorter grip faux ivory factory panels. Even with the fixed sights, this gun is nicely accurate for taking small game, and I’ve carried it on occasion for walks in the woods, and when I use that term, I’m talking about places off the pavement where “things with teeth” might be found.
The NAA Earl is a dandy little single-action five-shooter and I keep the magnum cylinder installed and loaded up with magnum hollowpoints.
I confess to being more fond of blued revolvers, but the stainless versions I’ve fired over the years have worked just as well.
Not being a metallurgist, I can’t speak with any authority about the relative durability of stainless guns as opposed to the same models made from carbon steel. I know from experience some gun companies have produced stainless steel semi-auto pistols with various finishes covering the exterior surfaces—my son owns a Sig Sauer P220 in .45 ACP which seems pretty much indestructible—but that always seemed a bit of a cheat to me, since stainless has a beauty all its own, and it should not be hidden.
One thing we should all look for, and which I touched on in the last installment, is condensation which might appear on your stainless wheelgun’s surface and even interior when the gun spends the night in a warm tent with a nice wood stove, but by morning the temperature has plummeted to refrigerator level and your poor revolver has a damp coating.
For what it’s worth, stainless revolvers fitted with contrasting buffalo horn, black Micarta, dark brown walnut or even stag grips really get the juices flowing, at least in my case. They’re almost too pretty to shoot, but fear not.
They go “boom” with the best of ‘em, and cleanup can return them to like new condition because those powder burn stains can actually be removed with Hoppe’s No. 9 and some gentle hand rubbing with very fine steel wool. Bronze bore brushes will not harm the barrel or the chambers, and the result of a good cleaning just might leave them gleaming.
I would always opt for a stainless revolver with an adjustable rear sight, done in blue/black, with a matching front black sight blade, not only for contrast, but because I think black sights are easier to use in bright sunlight. I just don’t care that much for fixed-sight double-action revolvers, although on single-action sixguns, they seem to belong.
If you own a stainless steel revolver, take care of it and it should last a lifetime. On, and it won’t be marred when your pals drool a little while examining it!
