I guess I need to elaborate on my thoughts. Yes, this is a combination of esthetics as well as function. The reason I was looking at nitride above the "paints" is because of the benefits that it brings to the barrel. For me I don't think I would really notice the benefits of a nitrided action so that part is purely for esthetics. Having said that, I saw a pic that elkaholic posted of his Savage 6.5 SS. It has the Savage blued action and a stainless steel barrel. I thought it would look a bit odd but it looks much better than I had pictured so maybe I don't need to worry about it. Don't know why the comment about the blank.