Honestly the older and fatter I get the more I grow to hate SS metal, plastic stocks and camo ANYTHING! But I realize I'm far in the majority when I desire a rich, deep finish on a nice wood stock complimented by a nicely blued or slightly matted finish on the metal work. But for me guns are as much the look and feel as the performance and "weatherproofness". In the old days when we hunted in the rain we just spent an extra half hour at night cleaning the gun as a labor of love.
But to answer your question, if you ARE going to paint it then in theory it shouldn't matter. BUT having said that, I assume you are talking about a serious hunting tool you have no concerns with regarding cosmetics so wood and blueing are off the list anyway. In such a case I'd honestly STILL pick SS over black matte for the main reason that the internals of the gun will be that much more weather resistant than any carbon steel gun would be. You can paint the barrel and outside of the action but that doesn't do anything for the internals or even the barrel inside the stock if you aren't going to seperate the barrel/action from the stock when you apply whatever finish you desire. Just be sure that if you pick a slick/polished SS finish like Ruger or the Marlin lever guns that you first prime them or I doubt you'll get most paints to decently stick on such a slick finish.
Some of the cheap, spray on enamel matte sprays like the Wal-mart brand rattle can will actually wipe easily off of a blued gun and even high luster/polycoated wood stocks! But with todays ultra cheap, crappy blues, mattes and stock finishes that might not necessarily be the case anymore.
HL
blued or stainless, what if you paint?
