I have heard people call nickel-plated handguns "chrome".

I have heard people call handguns with a shiny, silver finish chrome (me not knowing if they are truly nickel).

I know that at one time auto parts were chromed.

Is there a difference in the metallic finishes or is it simply a different way to describe nickel?

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Have guns...will shoot'em.

Nickel is nickel.

Chrome is chrome.

The shiny plastic parts on today's cars are, believe it or not, chrome plated plastic.

Different processes, different materials, different outcomes. For shiney guns, I like nickel plating better, it seems to be "deeper" in color, some I have seen seem to have a very slight reddish tint to them. Chrome seems a little too white. For durablility though a good hard chrome has it all over nickel.

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Even older, even crankier....

Until the late 1960's auto bumpers and some trim were plated with nickle-chromium.

Most trim was polished stainless steel, giving way to polished aluminum in the '70s

The process requires fine sanding of the metal surface followed by etching, then copper plating, then the chromium dip or plating.

Electroless plating is used on plastics and other materials.

Just what I remember about it.

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Take your time..quickly.

Most but not all of what they are calling chrome is actually nickel. Remember, there is a lot of ignorance in the world. I have met a lot of people that didn't know how to distinguish between a centerfire and a rimfire and could barely tell a double barrel from a single barrel so forget about them being able to tell chrome from nickel.

Thanks for the replys.

NKJ nut, I agree in the fact that there's plenty of folks that will look at a nickel plated pistol and call it chrome. I'm not being snotty but it is a mark of the "uninitiated" since the speaker just hasn't learned the difference.

I ask this because a friend sent me an auction thread on a Hi-Power that was listed as "silver chrome" and looks like a stainless sort of finish.

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Have guns...will shoot'em.

People don't believe me butt: Revolvers destined to be nickel plated were machined to different tolerances to compensate for the thickness of the plate. I believe thats why S&W were stamped "N".

Introduction to Chrome Plating

The reason no one believes you is because this is simply not true. While Chromium can be plated up to several thousandths of an inch thick Nickel plate is measured in microns, much thinner than Chrome. When dealing with film thickness well under .001" it isn't enough to require and change in part dimensions.

The reason for the N stamped on S&W guns was simply to designate to the "finish job" that these parts were to be finished Nickel because the production schedule required a certain number of parts sets to be finished in Nickel. No N, then they got blued, or Standard finish.

Your link to Chrome plating has nothing to do with Nickel plating, there are several differences in the processes.

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Gunsmithing since 1961

1. I stand corrected, Thankyou

2. Yes, I know my link applies to chrome only but it's interesting reading. I believe most here on the forum could deduce there's no reference to nickel plating in the link.

Your pal, Jim

Interesting read here in that nickle plating is the base layer and chrome plating is a follow up step to get the different characteristics that chrome bring to the equation, i.e. chrome is harder and doesn't tarnish, so it give a more durable finish than nickle.

I keep meaning to look up the difference in "flash chrome" vs. "hard chrome". Silver colored hammers and triggers on stainless guns are refered to as being "flash chromed" while there is an aftermarket (to S&W at least, never heard of them using it) finish called "hard chrome". There may be different versions of a hard chrome finish. I know there have been several threads where people think they found a stainless 28 or something only to find it was "hard chrome" finished. It's supposed to be a very good finish that I have to wonder why S&W never saw fit to use it when nickel is really a fragile finish in the long term. I know from what I have read on Metalife finishes that I want one on something but like all things, money money money, never enough around....