Hey all,
Well, after my "simple, high quality" post, I got to thinking. Now we all know that the new Colt 70's are the "darling" for using as a base gun. I have one (just don't have the heart to get it "cut up" though) and I love it. Now, I'd like to have a "bare bones" type blaster (like Cockedandlocked's "workhorse")  built up, so naturally I'm thinking of getting another one.

However, here's the "moral dilemma" part. I'd like to have this pistol parked. Something just tells me though that getting a Colt 70 parked will somehow send the planets out of alignment, cause plagues of locusts, and generally get the god's panties (or togas) in a bunch. Do any of y'all have pics of a nice Colt that's parked? I toyed with getting a SA WWII or milspec, but unfortunately, I think that even if I do I'd be constantly questioning myself; "this is as good as if I had it built on a Colt, right?" So what would you recommend? What about a "matte" bluing? Could that be a less sacreligious alternative?

Help me fellers!

Rich

Bluing will wear and so will Parkerizing.  However, the bluing is easier to touch up and cheeper than parkerizing.  If you want a Colt and you want it park'd then go for it!  It is your gun so be happy do what you want.  I would not go with a Matte finish it seems to wear real quick.  You could look at Armor Tuff.  The gun is first park'd then whatever color of Armor Tuff you want is applied and then it is baked perminately bonding with metal so even if you scratch it off it still will not rust.  Lumpy has posted some pictures of his Wilson wearing this finish, while it shows wear there is no rust.  Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide.  I hope it works out well.

I am not really familiar with park, except that which comes on AR barrels, but I am more familiar with bluing. If you don't keep it oiled, it will rust overnight, at least in some circumstances. It looks good and is cheap, but comes off easily. Might I suggest Black T or some other wonder finish? Hard chrome? Hard chrome = krylon?

I didn't really consider any of the black-T type finishes.  This gun will prolly be shot alot and carried little (ie. NONE, I live in freakin Maryland ).  I figured since this pistol will be more of a "utilitarian" piece, that parking would fit in better.  Are there different "grades" of parking?  I remember my first Colt (1991 commander) was parked, but it had a "rough" quality to it (sorta like the Rem 870 HD express, or that on the PSS rifles).


R

If its just a range gun, and you have the discipline to keep it oiled when it's stored, bluing looks great and should hold up OK. I wouldn't shoot a nice blued pistol with rings on my fingers though. Silly girls scratched my gun up

Any of youse have any pics of a lightly customized park'd Colt (to get an idea)?  Are there any places out there that are known for doing higher quality parking?  Granted I haven't handled a factory parke'd gun in a while, but what factory offerings I've seen recently (Rem 870's and PSS's) haven't particularly impressed me.  However IIRC, it really isn't park, but some spray on type.

R

Why do you want a parked or matte pistol?  Looks?  Ease of maintenance?  Cheap to apply?  "Tacticality?"  

Personally I am no fan of parkerized pistols.  The only pistols phosphate finishes look good on are the old war horses that have about 50 years of patina on them.  It doesn't hold up to rust much better than matte bluing in my experience.  And the solution will also roughen up every surface of every part, which will result in a grittier feeling gun, at least until the parts smooth out again.

To answer your question about grades of parkerizing, there are two main types: zinc phosphate and manganese phosphate.  Zinc gives a lighter grey and manganese is a lot darker.  

For a while I owned a Springfield Loaded that had a black phosphate finish that was nearly indistinguishable from matte blue, it was a little more "sparkly" if you examined it closely but otherwise it was a good enough looking gun.

Matte bluing is perfectly acceptable.  Even if rust forms, it generally wipes right off with no damage.  If you ever need it reblued, just have them throw it in the tank, and maybe a sandblast first if you are feeling generous.

I wouldn't even consider a paint or Black-T finish, but then again my SEAL days are behind me.  And I think it probably is a mortal sin to put a park job or sandblast a previously high-polished blued 1911.

Here's a photo of my blued Sistema that was sandblasted with 100 grit al-ox first:

Thanks Ken,
That's the type of finish I'm talking about.  I like blued, but I just didn't want a really "fancy" blue job ala Turnbull.  

My Colt 1991 is parked [mang] and Colt did a nice job. They do look a bit funny at first, but after a bit of use and oiled up so the pores fill a bit the look good. So far, it has worn quite well, better then I thought it would, however, a flat blued gun looks better to me IF it is done right and the finish of the metal is consistant under[yes I know bluing is not a coating] the bluing. A crappy blast and blue looks like crap.

I love parkerizing.  My field 1911 is a custom Springfield finished in manganese parkerizing.  Having had Black-T, Lauer, and many of the other wunderfinishes, I have come to prefer park for a hard-use gun.  It is FAR more resistant to wear than any of the wunderfinishes except hard chrome.

My Colt 1991 is parked [mang] and Colt did a nice job. They do look a bit funny at first, but after a bit of use and oiled up so the pores fill a bit the look good. So far, it has worn quite well, better then I thought it would, however, a flat blued gun looks better to me IF it is done right and the finish of the metal is consistant under[yes I know bluing is not a coating] the bluing. A crappy blast and blue looks like crap.