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S&W Revolvers: 1961 to 1980 3-Screw PINNED Barrel SWING-OUT Cylinder Hand Ejectors WITH Model Numbers


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Old 03-25-2015, 11:00 PM
mjack mjack is offline
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Hi Guys I recently saw some posts talking about the dangers of certain chemicals on nickle guns. I am ignorant about this. I have a 29-2 that is very clean, & a 22-4 , both nickle. I do not want to harm them. The 22-4 is used hard in competition, and is already much dirtier then the 29 ever has been, and my concern with it is serviceability. The 29 I want to keep as close to new looking as possible. Any help will be appreciated.
Karl
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Old 03-25-2015, 11:07 PM
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I have a new unfired, by me model 27 in nickel and I contacted S&W about the same concern you have and they said to use Hoppes Elite.
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Old 03-26-2015, 01:42 AM
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I have a nickel 29-2 that I bought new over 35 yrs. ago & have alway used Hoppes #9 to clean it, when needed, & it's finish has had no problems.

Not telling you what you should do, just what I've done & the outcome.
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M29-2


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Old 03-26-2015, 04:25 AM
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Nickel guns stand up quite well and I have never "babied them". Unless you soak them in solvents that contain Ammonia there should be no extra preventative steps over any other gun. Just shoot them and enjoy them!
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Old 03-26-2015, 05:02 AM
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This is a recurring topic here. It never comes up without someone writing ammonia can be harmful. That may be the case with other brands’ nickeled guns but not S&Ws. Ammonia reacts with copper, not the nickel itself. The fear is ammonia will attack an under coat of copper. S&W never used copper underneath their nickel so old and new Hoppies #9 are O.K. Just clean normally, wipe dry, then oil with a clear oil like Hoppies. The oil is mostly so the non-nickeled parts like the bore, triggers, hammers, extractors and sights don’t rust.
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Old 03-26-2015, 07:03 AM
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Waxing your nickel guns is a good idea; cleaning and scrubbing will take off more wax and less nickel. Many suggest Johnson's Paste or Renaissance Wax.
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Old 03-26-2015, 07:19 AM
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While I would not dunk a nickeled gun in a bucketful of Hoppe's and leave it for a week, I can state with absolute certainty after decades of experience that normal usage of Hoppe's No. 9 and other common cleaners and lubes will do absolutely no harm to a nickeled S&W revolver. Treat them just as you would a blued gun.
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Old 03-26-2015, 08:31 AM
rockquarry rockquarry is offline
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The nickel finish is a protectant. Wiping the nickel finish with a soft and very lightly oiled cloth after cleaning is more than sufficient, but the non-nickeled parts will need this bit of added protection.

None of my nickel revolvers are safe captives. They are regularly fired with cast bullets, and cleaned immediately afterwards. Finishes remain fine after many years.

One can turn this into a big job, but it's not necessary. Simple seems to work best here.
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Old 03-26-2015, 09:27 AM
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Hoppe's #9 will not harm a S&W finish, as there is no copper underplate. However, I would recommend you use a metal polish like Flitz or Mother's Mag to shine it up, followed by waxing. I use Johnson's Paste Wax.
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Old 03-26-2015, 09:42 AM
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I wipe them down, wax them, then soak them with G96 silicone spray, then completely wrapped in the s&w parchment paper before there put to sleep.
All of them get the same treatment. There as snug as a bug in a rug. Till the next wipe down and re-silicone. Every 4-5 months. Unless I shoot them.
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Old 03-26-2015, 01:40 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by murphydog View Post
Waxing your nickel guns is a good idea; cleaning and scrubbing will take off more wax and less nickel. Many suggest Johnson's Paste or Renaissance Wax.
Ditto!
Jim
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Old 03-26-2015, 03:01 PM
k22fan k22fan is offline
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BTW, that's a nice pile of reloads Blue Dot. You even slipped in a picture of your screen name powder. I swiped the pic for my week's desk top to inspire me to get my identical looking, except for stocks, 57 out to the range. Who made the stocks with one finger groove? That's an option Hogue offers on their wood but I don't recall it any where else.
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Old 03-27-2015, 01:16 AM
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Who made the stocks with one finger groove?
That's what I've been trying to recall recently also. I bought them shortly after I bought the gun. All that pops into my head is they may be Mustang Grips, but I can't say for sure & I can't find the packaging for them.

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Old 03-28-2015, 04:20 PM
Lt JL Lt JL is offline
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I have a nickle Centennial, a nickle 29-2, and a nickle 13-3. Use Hoppes on them. maybe very gentle Mother's on the cylinder faces.A little Rem Oil for the innards and ejection rod.
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Old 03-28-2015, 04:38 PM
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I've never owned a nickel plated gun, but I do have a question.
I've seen many nickel plated pistols, S&W and other brands, that have the plating peeling off of them. Some have just a few small spots while others have almost no finish left at all. Likewise, I've seen some very old guns with perfect finishes and some only 20-30 years old that look awful.
So is it age, hard use, poor cleaning or what?
Why do some guns peel and others don't?
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