XM1014 | Blue Steel (Minimal Wear)

Skin overview

This skin dresses the XM1014 as a real-world blued shotgun, with no pattern or artwork beyond the metal itself. Minimal Wear keeps the dark steel almost untouched, so the look stays close to a fresh copy. It suits buyers who want the clean blued look without paying for the top grade.

Item type: shotgun. Industrial Grade is the second tier from the bottom: common skins from drops and collections.

Patina: an aged metal surface; wear is part of the design, so the gap between qualities is less visible.

Other qualities of this skin: Factory New, Field-Tested, Well-Worn and Battle-Scarred.

How the skin looks in Minimal Wear

The barrel, the magazine tube under it and the receiver are covered in dark blue-black bluing with a cold blue sheen along the top of the barrel. The ribbed forend, the folding stock and the trigger guard area are in a muted sand-grey tone, and the pistol grip is a lighter grey.

Small light marks may appear on the muzzle and the sharpest receiver edges, mostly on copies near the upper end of the range. They are hard to spot without zooming in on the model. In game the weapon looks practically identical to Factory New, and the barrel and polymer parts stay clean.

Minimal Wear wear: float 0.07–0.15

The whole float range of XM1014 | Blue Steel is 0–1; Minimal Wear takes the 0.07–0.15 segment (8% of the scale). Within the range, copies with a lower float look cleaner and are valued higher.

Origin of the skin

XM1014 | Blue Steel belongs to The Lake Collection, which holds 15 skins.

It drops from:

• DreamHack 2013 Souvenir Package
• EMS One 2014 Souvenir Package

What it costs in each quality

By price this skin is 3rd of 7 skins Industrial Grade XM1014 in this quality (the first being the dearest).

Souvenir version

There is also a the Souvenir version with tournament stickers.

Which stickers suit it

The dark blued metal works well with silver, holo or blue-toned stickers, which pick up the cold sheen of the barrel. Muted sand, grey or black stickers on the receiver keep the realistic service-weapon look, while one bright accent stands out clearly against the dark steel.

What to look at before you buy

• Look at the float position within the wear range, since the bluing on the muzzle and receiver edges changes noticeably between low and high floats.
• Check the top rail, sights and muzzle in the inspect view, as these spots lose their bluing first.
• For Souvenir copies, check which stickers are applied and whether they fit the dark metal and grey polymer.
• Check the name tag and any applied stickers, because they affect how clean the plain finish looks.

Who should buy Minimal Wear

• Players who want a near-clean look and are fine with barely visible marks.
• Sticker crafters who need a dark, clean base without paying for the top grade.
• Conclusion: a sensible compromise between appearance and cost.