[Jeff Higgins]

Real guns have wood grips. Rubber is for hammers and garden implements.

I have a few stainless revolvers that I use for extended outdoor use here in the wet Pacific Northwest. Extended backpack trips, hunting trips, and stuff like that. Just so I don't have to worry so much about them.

That said, they can rust - my 6" stainless .44 mag Virginian Dragoon that was on my hip for two weeks in inland Alaska on a caribou hunt - the wettest, most miserable hunt I have ever been on - rusted in a few spots. So has my 4 5/8" stainless .45 Colt Ruger Blackhawk that normally comes along around here. They both have some ugly black stains where I steel-wooled it off.

I prefer blued guns. Handguns or rifles. Funny enough, my blued Model 70 (in .375 H&H) that was also along on that caribou hunt (and many others up there) did not rust at all. As a matter of fact, I do not own a stainless hunting rifle, and none of my blued ones have ever rusted under any circumstances. Go figure. If I'm only out on a day hike, or a few days backpacking or hunting, I never worry about blued guns. The rust issue is highly overstated.

Holster wear is an issue. I have yet to see the bluing that will hold up to being slid in and out of a holster for long. I guess that is the only downside to bluing that I can think of. Not a big deal if you don't carry it.