I don't know for sure how Ruger does it, but I achieved a similar look on a stainless 22/45 with sand blasting. It kinda surprised me that it came out the shade it did. I had the barrle/receiver polished for a while, but it kept getting small scratches and dings. Since blasting it, this hasn't been much of a problem................chim

 

I'm almost positive it's the color of the metal and not a coating. I've handled a "target grey" Ruger and it did not seem coated.

 

Not sure how Ruger does it either but, it is some sort of coating. It is pretty tough but will scratch. I have a 77/22VHZ (22 Hornet) and my son has the VMBZ (22WMR). They've both seen plenty of use and have a few rubs and scratches.

I had a 77/22 Stainless in the old UGGGLYYY boat paddle stock, that I wanted to put in a nice walnut stock. Since the Zytel stock had integral triggerguard and mag well liner, I had to order the bottom metal and the only thing available was the coated parts for a VBZ. Just a couple of passes on a wheel loaded with 400 grit P.O.R. from Brownells removed the gray coating and it now looks identical to the bright stainless receiver. Also replaced the 20" bright SS barrel with a 24" from a VBZ but haven't gotten around yet to polishing the finish off that. It is still a "work in progress" but following pic (hopefully) shows what she looks like currently -

 

I have the 7722Hornet. It is a tack driver. Mine is the target gray with heavy barrel. The gray finish is a coating and it will scratch but no more so than would bluing. I assume they put the finish on the rifle to reduce glare. I love mine but I have no idea what the finsih is or how they do it but it is a coating. I have seen these rifles well used and the coating wears like bluing but it is not bluing so beats me. I know this is a rimfire board but are you sure you don't want the Hornet. There are bullets avialble now from 30 grains to 50 grains with velocities from say 2200 FPS to 3200 or more FPS. Sierra has a new TNT hollopoint at 33grains and of course my current fav is the 35 grain V-Max at 3,100 FPS. It is easy to handload for too.
I ain't no benchrest expert--far, far from it but I have made several folks eyes bulge out with this rifle. Maybe I lucked out but it is a one holer and does not seem to care what ammo I shoot in it. Once I get the new ballistics for a different round figured out and resighted--they all start going through the same hole--I don't know--I do know it is the rifle and not me. 3crows

 

When Ruger first came out with guns with this finish on them, the gun magazines called it "Terhune Anticorro". You might find out some more by searching for that.

The way my 17/HMR heavy barrel shoots they could have made it in pink and I would still be very happy. :t

 

OK - Thanks everyone. As long as it's tough (like bluing) then I'm OK with that. I was just concerned that it could flake like paint. But everything everyone has said and searching on the internet has convinced me it's not.

 

Shows what I know.

 

Not a coating....

Ruger refers to it as a "tumbling process" finish. Not sure exactly what that means, but I will assume it is tumbled in some media that polishes it to the desired finish. I've got a M77VT in .308 with this finish. As stated above, it can be rubbed off with enough effort.

As for the "terhune anticorro", that is what Ruger called its early stainless steel, regardless of finish. Its stamped on the side of my P85 stainless 9mm as well.

Mark

 

Terhune Anticorro is a stainless steel alloy that lends itself to certain types of manufacturing processes pioneered by Ruger. Terhune is the name of the man who developed it and Anticorro is short for anticorrosion steel. The finish on the 7722s called "Target Gray" finish is something else I do believe. It appears to be a coating since like bluing it can be rubbed off. If I am wrong I apologize for leading you astray. In any case, whatever it might be, it is quite durable and attractive. If someone sees Terhune Anticorro stamped on their 7722 please tell us because I don't see it on mine and I do believe all guns built by Ruger that use that alloy bear the Terhune Anticorro stamp. This is I understand after a bit of research the only other persons name other than Bill Ruger's name to be placed upon a Ruger firearm. 3crows

 

Sorry to post again on this. I was thinking that I could be wrong about this being a coating though that is surely what I thought it was. I got out a lens and took a look up close and really cannot say anything conclusive but I wonder if it might not be some type of acid or chemical etching. Such an etching would leave a microscopic roughness to the steel much finer than mechanical etching such as using an abrasive blasting media. This could also explain why in areas that get a lot of wear it appears to wear off but what is really happening is that the etching is being polsihed away leaving a smooth/shiney surface. Just speculating, I am sure someone will eventually tell us for sure.