XM1014 | Blue Steel (Well-Worn)

Skin overview

The skin is built around the look of cold-blued steel, and in Well-Worn that steel shows clear signs of use. The dark coating is rubbed through on the muzzle, rails and receiver edges, while the polymer parts keep their sand-grey tone. The weapon reads as an old, heavily handled shotgun, a look some players prefer.

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.

The remaining qualities of this skin: Factory New, Minimal Wear, Field-Tested and Battle-Scarred.

How the skin looks in Well-Worn

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.

Bare metal is clearly visible on the muzzle, the rail, the receiver edges and along the magazine tube. The dark coating on the barrel looks patchy, and the blue sheen is broken up. The forend and stock become duller but keep their sand-grey tone, so the contrast with the metal is softer than on cleaner copies.

Well-Worn wear: float 0.38–0.45

The whole float range of XM1014 | Blue Steel is 0–1; Well-Worn takes the 0.38–0.45 segment (7% of the scale). Within the range, copies with a lower float look cleaner and are valued higher.

Origin of the skin

The skin’s collection is The Lake Collection with 15 skins in total.

It drops from:

• DreamHack 2013 Souvenir Package
• EMS One 2014 Souvenir Package

What it costs in each quality

Among 7 skins of the XM1014 in the Industrial Grade grade and this quality, this skin ranks 4th by price, counting from 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 the Well-Worn quality suits

• Players who prefer an old, heavily handled look on blued steel.
• Budget buyers who still want visible dark metal on the barrel.
• Conclusion: a choice for those who like a lived-in weapon.