Hi all. Is there any definitive way to tell if a nickel plating is a true factory finish or if it was applied after?

Also, is it nickle or nickel? I've seen it both ways.

It can be spelled either way, but the "modern" spelling is "el".

I am not certain when S&W started marking their nickel plated revolvers, perhaps someone with more knowledge can clarify, but S&W revolvers with model numbers and a good number of those that pre-date the model number system will have a "N" stamped on the grip frame of factory nickel plated revolvers. Those that were refinished by S&W will have "RN" stamped on the grip frame. If you are looking at a nickle plated S&W revolver, remove the stocks and look for either of these stampings.

If you see a S&W revolver that also has nickel plated trigger and/or nickle plated hammer, these are not factory plated. S&W did not plate hammers or triggers.

Also, S&W did not apply a copper plating to the base metal before applying the nickel. Some gun manufacturers and aftermarket finishes do have a layer of copper under the nickle, these are the nickel plated guns that are prone to having the finish peel if you use copper solvent gun cleaning solutions.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

I'm not a collector and am not up on markings, etc., but one or more of my nickel S&Ws have an "N" stamped on the rear of the cylinder. I've also seen grip frames marked as well, but I seldom remove stocks. Maybe they're all marked.

Welcome to the Forum Gary

There is a Very Easy way to tell what finish a firearm left the Factory with . . . . Just order a Factory Letter

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"Acta non verba"

Oh, yeah, many factory nickel plated S&W's do have an "N" stamped on the rear of the cylinder. Also, the extractor would be blued, not plated.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

Thanks all. Starting to really dig the nickel finished snubbies and wanted to be sure.

Once you go nickel it’s over you won’t go back. Look for the N frames in nickel too. In ‘75 my co worker showed me his new m29 in nickel finish and since then I couldn’t get that picture out of my mind. I had to get the nickel finish.

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Plant garlic in the fall

More recent guns have an N, older guns have a P on the grip frame for Plated. Even older had no mark if plated but a B for blued.

As mentioned, a plated hammer , trigger or ejector star is a sure sign of Not Factory. More subtle signs are soft roll stamps, open seams on the sideplate and dished sideplate screw holes.

You know it when you see it.

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SWCA #3356, SWHF#611