LGS has P&R 19-4 nickel...Since I don't own a nickel s&w, and want to add a .357...I'm torn between another K frame or a 28 or 27...Is a nickel 19-4 more valuable than a blue gun?..It will be a shooter.. has target stocks,great condition. one spot on top rib,looks like factory finished over something small...just some opinions, will get pics' if I get serious...Are nickel 19's rare???...Thanks for the help

People estimate around 25% of total revolver production was nickel plated. So not rare but harder to come by.

I think you would like the gun. 19s are really great guns!

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Even older, even crankier....

I love blue since it is easier to maintain. Nickel does not like e.g. Hopes copper remover and even soaking overnight in Hoppes 9 is not advised.
The forcing cone on the model 19 is really quite thin if you look at it. A short barrel 19 is great to carry and shoot if the need (hopefully not) arises. But not as a regular shooter at the range I think. If you like smaller frame than 27/28 go find a 586 or 586 nickel if you must. Those are a bit beefier and they have a decent strong enough forcing cone, shoot accurately and look cool.

But to me the best looking is the 28 all day long all the time. Fantastic accurate shooters. The actions keep getting better as time goes on.

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Personally I am not a fan of nickel plated revolvers but I admit it is a personal prejudice. I would not pay a premium for one but they are certainly less common than blued guns. If you like it, why the heck not go for it. If you already have the K frame I would go for the big brother, but then again that's just me.

I love nickel guns.

I'd prefer a nice nickel M19 over a blue, and any M19 over an L frame any day.

I'd prefer a 4" nickel M 19 over a 6", and a 2 1/2" nickel M19 most of all.

I'd pay a modest premium for nickel over blue.

I've always found nickel to be more durable than blue as well.

Of course, that's my taste.

I am a big believer of 3 is 2, 2 is 1 and 1 is None. Not knowing what handguns you have I would chose one that gives me at least a pair.

Was at a LGS this past weekend and asked about trading my nickel 19-3 towards a nice blue 29. The seller said: "Come one, you know nickel flakes off and he'd never trade for one." I'd never heard that before. Is there any truth to his claim or was it just his personal preference. I also had another older seller that said he wouldn't own a nickel plated S&W either.

I have seen nickel guns that were flaking or peeling but I don't know how common it is or what caused it. I've never owned a nickel gun but that was just taste preference. A 19 should hold up fine to a lot of shooting although a steady diet of hot mags may be ill advised. I have no idea on relative values. Overall the 19 is one of my favorite guns and if you don't have one you should.

Here is a nickel 19-3, 4" that I picked up more than a decade ago. The number of nickel Smiths in my safe constitute a distinct minority, but this one is among my favorite range guns, which is why it is shown wearing non-original Magna stocks. They feel and handle better in my hand on a K frame than Target stocks do.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Love the 19s, prefer 4 inch over 6.
I do have a Nickel 19, it’s my only Nickel gun.
Would not pay a premium for a Nickel!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Yes, nickel can peel off under the right circumstances, but bluing can get trashed even more easily. The old saw of nickel being fragile is simply BS, it was the original hard use finish. I'm assuming we're talking about a quality nickel finish instead of some cheap, bumper hitch chrome job. People see guns from the old west with peeling nickel finishes and get the impression it's fragile. Compare that to blued guns of the same vintage and see how much finish is left on those?

Rumor has it that Hoppes #9 will remove nickel plating. Maybe, if you soak the gun in a bucket for a few days but I've never seen it. Then again, why anyone would use that sorry excuse for a solvent in the first place is beyond me.

I currently have three guns that are nickel plated. They're all around fortyish years old and aren't safe queens. The finish on all of them is in excellent condition. I'm sure someone will claim that bluing is better because it can more easily be restored. No it can't, not a quality blue job at least. You're half-assed refinishing job with old Birchwood and Casey isn't in the same league. The oft stated fragility of a nickel finish is simply ignorance.

Here's the reason why many don't like nickel: they think it looks sissified. They won't admit it, but their guns are phallic symbols and shiny finishes threaten their macho self image. They've seen to many old movies featuring nickel plated pimp guns.

I have owned a lot of nickeled guns and have nickeled a few when the bluing had too much holster wear. (I prefer Hard Chroming if I am redoing a gun). I have never had a factory nickeled gun have peeling, though I have seen some redone guns that probably had that problem, probably from poor prep before the nickeling.

Right now I only have one Nickel Revolver, a model 29 from the 70s and no peeling or wear.

Today though I prefer S/S and then have them polished to a high gloss.

Bob

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Sag Harbor & Manhattan, N.Y.

I have owned several nickel guns and at one point in time that was going to be what I collected. If I had gotten my hands on a M19 in nickel I think that would have done the deal for me.

But, then, sadly, I sold one, I gave another away, one was stolen, and the next thing you know I'm a blue gun collector. OH WELL!

Nickel is very cool - but it needs extra care, especialy if you are shooting it. And be VERY careful how you store it.

SOOOOOOOOO PRETTY!!!!!!!!



This doesn't show up well but this nickel M10, now pretty much destroyed by fire but I still have it, was a Wells Fargo gun that was ridden hard and put up wet but could still take the eye out of a fly at 10 yards:

To oink, JP@AK, THE PILGRIM, Trooper224, rkittine, and ISCS Yoda, thank you for all of your great knowledge and insight into nickle finished S&Ws. I ended up trading mine for something I liked better and would shoot more often. Plus, it wasn't a show piece but was still a good looking shooter. Ended up getting a little more than I had in it, so I'm happy. But I won't shy away from another nickel if I happen to come across one. I still prefer my SS S&Ws though...they are just beautiful. Thanks again guys!

John

Unless LGS is giving them away I'd prefer a Model 66, especially if you like silver guns.

Attached is my dads nickle model 19 and its sweet and rare. It was one of the pistols I grew up with and it inspired me to find my own K frame ~ a Mod 66.

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Nickel isn’t worth dime.

As of today, it is $6 per pound.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

What’s a pound of dimes worth?

I can see this conversation going off the rails . . .

To answer your question would require knowing which dimes we are talking about. Dimes from 1965 onward would be worth only the face value, so it depends on how many of them constitute a pound (no, I'm not going to go weigh them). However, a pound of dimes from the period when they were 90% silver (so-called "junk silver") would be worth more. You figure it out.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

We can do this-
One source says 200 Dimes to a pound.
Melt silver value of a Silver Dime is $1.23 x 200 = $246 for a pound.
I can come up with a pound of for Dimes for a 19!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

A pound of modern dimes is worth about $20.