How difficult/expensive would it be to have a chrome finish removed from an N frame? I'd like to restore it to the original blue. I have had motorcycle parts refinished and chromed. I understand that removing old chrome requires a good bit of stripping and polishing. Would these processes be too damaging to the revolver? Any thoughts would be appreciated!

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SV,14,17,21,28,29,39,66,586

Removing plating from anything is just the reverse of the plating process. Any plating shop should be able to do it. I would expect your N frame is electro nickel plated. At any rate, if done properly, the plate strip should not harm the base material at all. Now having said that, certain acids are used in the plating/unplating process. Leaving the parts in the acid too long could etch them.

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NRA Benefactor

Thank you!

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SV,14,17,21,28,29,39,66,586

First, don't take it to a motorcycle shop. Unless they have a FFL Dealers license for gunsmithing, it's a Federal crime for them to do gun work.

Second, there's a big difference between doing gun plating work and motorcycle plating.

In most cases, what you think is chrome is really bright nickel. If it is decorative bright chrome, there's a difference in how the finish is removed without damaging the steel.

My suggestion is to send the gun to an experienced firearms re-finisher who does good plating work.
They can identify WHAT the plating is and will know how to remove it and any under plating like copper that might be under the surface plate.
They can remove whatever it is without damaging the steel.
If you want, they can also give it a high grade blue job while they have it.

Companies recommended for this work are:
The S&W factory. They can do a factory quality blue job after stripping the plating.

APW/Cogan and Ford's are noted for high quality blue jobs and both do a lot of plating and stripping work.

Both the Factory and especially Ford's do absolutely primo blue and nickel work. You may be able to strip it at home but this is one job best left to the person who will redo the finish to blue. If the nickel is not stripped properly, tiny specs of it can remain which are virtually invisible to the naked eye UNTIL the gun goes thru the bluing tank. At that point the specs become easily visible because they won't take the blue and the only fix is to start over-at your expense if you or somebody other than the refinisher did the stripping.

Bruce