I've got the chance to pick up a TC 209X50 barrel with the speed breach and Weathershield finish for my Encore.Does anybody have any experience with the finish vs conventional stainless one and how close is it to matching the color and finish of stainless ?

no comparison, SS is the way to go IMO.

I have one and it's fine. The stainless is better.

The color is not a close match, the weathershield is more grey than shiny stainless. I prefer the weathershield coating as it's more weather resistant than T/C's bead blasted stainless.

Doc

Thats pretty good then, as I have found my TC stainless to be pretty good in terms of weather/cleanup. Much better than my black-iced standard blue ML.

Love my main ML, just wish I'd gone stainless at the time. I got sold on the Black Ice and for me its proven to be a distant 2nd to stainless.

There really is no comparison. For the exterior the Weather shield is great. But the zero effect it has on corrosion in the bore make it only so much fluff were it really counts.
I'd pass and get a custom SS tube turned.

RIG+P awesome stuff for longer term rust prevention.

Had that weathershield on a traditions and while it was nice and did not shine, if you hit it with the cleaning jag you got a scrape in it, be very careful with that stuff. I also didnt like the gritty feel of it.

Said the below when someone previously asked about the weathershield on TC guns:

I've not heard of any issues as far as pealing/bubbling but as a TC fan I'll go ahead and say it. I think Weathershield is somewhat of a joke. So it protects the outside of the gun, big friggin deal. That's what good old gun oil is for. My centerfire gun is an old Sako .308 Forester, 40+ years old blued barrel, without any rust. And its not like I baby the gun.

For a ML, if you really need corrosion protection, it's on the inside of the barrel. And that's if you are using the more corrosive propellants. If you are using BH209, that's not so important.

S/S all the way.

And that's why we use BH209....

I use to think BH209 had no corrosion issue but letting a TC sit for a month showed me different. That was with Bore Kote. Wasn't too out of hand but enlightening as to having to stay on top of maintenance even with BH209 and Bore Kote-that I carefully applied per instructions.
Pass me the SS please.

its not corrosive but it does absorb moisture from the air easily, which then lays against your barrel if you let it

+1000. Weathershield is a cost savings. I have a TC ICon Weathershield that I wish were SS.

Believe such is the case with BP and most substitutes as well.
All is fine until they grab moisture. Some grab it easier and faster than others.
BH209 is much forgiving than most others but not the same as smokeless.

I've never had a problem with blued barrels with proper maintenance.

Yep. Maintenance and durability go hand in hand.

I have both SS receiver and Weathershield. The stainless is on my BK and weathershield on my CF. No issues with either.

BH 209 is suppose to have some sulfur in it. I can't see it not being somewhat corrosive in the right conditions.

About like smokeless.

Hardly.

Blackhorn209 is based on nitrocellulose and very uniform in size but that is where the similarity to real smokeless powder ends. I do like it better than Accurate 5744 and thats about it. Mainly because 5744 is nearly worthless in a 45cal and Blackhorn does pretty good in both 45 and 50cals.