We bead blast finish a lot of the Ruger SP101’s that come through our shop. Most of the time it is a cosmetic choice for the owner. There is something about having a satin finish on those guns that is really fantastic. You could possibly make the argument that their is tactical nature to the finish as well since the gun isn’t so shiny, but that is a debate for the gun forums.
Sometimes there is a blemish that can be corrected by the blasting process to make the gun look better. That is what the following before and after photos show. Cost is $100 for blasting.