Help me Choose

[Graves]

Jensen's usually carries blems, you can grab a coated vbob for about what'd you'd get a stainless unit and likely won't find the blem.

[SideShow Bob]

Yes, black is beautiful...
Have you actually handled a "Bob job" 1911 ?
To me, they just don't feel "right". I'm sure after owning, handling and shooting one you will get accustomed to the feel of one.
Just my stinking opinion.........

[J]

Yeah. I've handled a few bob-tails, I love them. Have handled the black VBob, never seen the silver outside of pictures.

Thanks for the lead at Jensens. They are a drive from here, but if they have what I want in a very minor blem, might be worth it. I should probably call first to make sure they have a unit or two to look at... but knowing me I'll just go. Whats the worst that could happen, they don't have one and I get stuck looking at a bunch of other guns for an hour or so... Terrible waste of time

[spyder]

Interesting... I didn't realize those fancy names like Tenifer were ferritic nitrocarburizing.

I do know that the black DW is stainless, so whether it needs it or not for protection, they do the treatment to it. Perhaps whatever they use to do the black finish sticks better to it?

Thanks for that lesson, learned something new.

Tennifer, Melonite (S&W), it's all nitrocarburizing. The "duty coat" is just a ceramic coating (Cerakote). Nothing more. I decided to look it up and on the CZ-USA web site, I quote:

The Valor can be had with either a matte stainless glass bead finish or our super durable black Duty finish. This finish is a ceramic base-coating that has set the standard for all coating tests. No polymer-based coating can compare.

I looked quickly, but I didn't find any mention of any kind of actual metal "treatment" like nitrocarburizing. The duty coat is just a finish, paint.

[spyder]

I am curious, did finding out that the duty coat was nothing more than Cerakote (or similar ceramic coating) help you choose? I figure with that known, the stainless would be the way, especially since you can make it black with either Cerakote, or by bluing it if you get tired of the silver color.

[J]

Yeah. I think so. Might as well save a few bucks since there won't be much difference other than looks.

Still hope to see both in person.

[Zombie Steve]

Holster wear is sexy.

[Hoser]

Pretty guns are for sissies.

[hatidua]

black.

[CO-SpAr72]

From the pics you supplied I'd say go stainless. I like the look of stainless to begin wih but as stated earlier you can always coat it later if you don't like/grow tired of the stainless look. I think you can't lose either way. Good luck with your decision :-)