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02-22-2015, 10:32 AM
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MY DUMB QUESTION OF THE DAY: SATIN NICKEL? ELECTROLESS NICKEL?
I'm not sure this is the right category for this question, but here goes, anyway.
I'm looking at a pistol. I know it's either satin nickel or electroless nickel. Are they the same thing, just different names for the same process? I don't know how to visually tell the difference. All I know is that it isn't shiny nickel.
And what about finish durability? Does either finish show scratches and random handling marks worse than the other...or worse than a blued gun or a stainless gun.
I guess that's more than one question, isn't it? Anyway, any help will be appreciated.
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02-22-2015, 10:41 AM
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electroless nickel plating is just another manner of plating that uses a reducing agent over a power process.
satin nickel is just a finish, much like black nickel.
either process could achieve a satin finish for you.
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02-22-2015, 10:47 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jakebrake
electroless nickel plating is just another manner of plating that uses a reducing agent over a power process.
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Thanks, but I don't know what that means, "power process".
Is there a difference in the appearance of the finish, and if so, how do I tell which is which?
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02-22-2015, 10:56 AM
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Electrolysis is the plating process. Positive charge the gun parts, negative charge a bar of nickel, dip in acid and the process transfers the nickel from the bar to the gun parts. Satin nickel is usually electrolysis over a beaded finish surface. Shiny nickel is over a polished surface. Same with shiny bluing (M27) or dull bluing (M28).
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02-22-2015, 11:08 AM
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Here is a serious explanation of electroless plating:
Electroless nickel plating - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
As far as handguns go, decorative nickel is plated over a softer undermetal (generally, copper). This is what was traditionally used on handguns. It is pretty but can peel (like a chrome bumper, etc.) and is really not all that durable. Even some common gun cleaning solvents can damage it (like Hoppe's #9 as a for instance).
Electroless nickel is plated directly on the steel and is extremely hard and chemically resistant. When I was shooting IPSC, back in the day, a serious competitor could wear off the blue in his handgun just from abrasion of his hands in one season (I did). I had my 1911 frame electroless plated and after 100,000 rounds it shows NO wear.
Electroless nickel is not quite as hard as hard chrome (hard chrome is also plated directly onto the metal with no softer metal underneath unlike bumper chrome which is plated over copper). However, EN gets into sharp corners better and actually has some advantages over hard chrome.
Both EN and Hard chrome are EXCELLENT finishes for a handgun with extreme wear and chemical resistance (something like resistant to 300 hours of salt bath, etc.). Both are typically offered with a bead blasted finish. I have guns finished with both and you cannot beat them for durability. I happen to like both about equally well but YMMV.
FWIW
Dale53
Last edited by Dale53; 02-22-2015 at 11:10 AM.
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02-22-2015, 11:42 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dale53
Here is a serious explanation of electroless plating...
FWIW
Dale53
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Thanks so much for the link and the details regarding your own experience with the finish.
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02-22-2015, 02:32 PM
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Satin is just the type of finish, or "color", so to speak. Electroless is the way it is applied.
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02-22-2015, 05:02 PM
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My colt 1911a1 80 series in nickel is a combination of polished nickel on the sides of the slide and sides of the frame and grip safety and the rest is in satin nickel. She's a real looker.
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02-22-2015, 10:55 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BigBill
My colt 1911a1 80 series in nickel is a combination of polished nickel on the sides of the slide and sides of the frame and grip safety and the rest is in satin nickel. She's a real looker.
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How would we know without a pic?
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02-23-2015, 01:31 AM
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Here's my 1911 after 100,000 rounds of full house .45 ACP's (most of them from the leather). After my IPSC years, I later added the Red Dot sight you see here.
Dale53
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02-23-2015, 10:48 PM
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Satin nickel and electroless nickel are two different processes, although satin nickel is often used to describe electroless nickel.
Electroless nickel is a NON-electroplating coating process.
It typically has a satin finish, although Colt's Royal Coltguard was a shinier form of Electroless nickel used only on the Python.
Satin nickel is a process where the part is bead blasted to give an "orange peel" finish, then is electro-plated just like standard bright nickel.
The result is a electro-plated nickel finish that's satin instead of the mirror shine of standard bright nickel.
Unlike electroless nickel satin nickel tends to be a little shinier.
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