Yesterday I did a trade for the revolver shown below. It is a S&W Model 19-4, pinned & recessed, in nickel. This is the first gun I have ever owned in nickel finish. I need knowledge of what the proper care, cleaning, and general maintenance is for nickel. I have heard several different things, and would truly appreciate everything I need to know provided by those of you who are well versed in this. This revolver is in what I would consider 99% condition. The only problems in the nickel is on the cylinder. On opposite sides of the cylinder there appears to be some very small specks, about the size of the sharp end of a pin, where the nickel is chipped or worn away. These are hard to see with the naked eye. There is one small place on the frame where the nickel appears cloudy, about the size of a watermelon seed. I intend to carry this revolver, and would like to keep it in excellent condition.

Thanks in advance for any knowledge you can share!

Steve

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Steve

Nice 19! I use MAAS fine metal polish, which works miracles in restoring the factory mirror like finish. I have before & after photos of a model 29-2, and if you would like to see them just e-mail me at [email protected] . I use a miracle cloth on the cylinder front and around the forcing cone and topstrap in the area of the forcing cone. Hoppes for the barrel and cylinder holes, but don,t leave it wet with the solvent. Having the proper size brush, swab, and jag is VERY important. Soak the swab with only enough Hoppes, or whatever you use, to coate the barrel and cylinders. Use the brush in a in a way the it doesn't exit the holes and spray a mist of solvent on everything around it. Hard to do at first, but practice, as they say, makes perfect. After the cleaning of the interior areas, I put on cloth (cotton) gloves, the cheap ones from Lowe's, and then polish the exterior. Be sure to use a jag and patches until the barrel and cylinders are clean and dry. Then if you want, just enough oil, I use RemOil, to lightly coate the interior sufaces. I don't know how much of this you already know or do, but I believe in complete answers. I now own, and have owned several nickel S&W revolvers, and since they are, particularly these days, an investment, I have learned to care for them.
Good Luck ..... David

I don't have much to add, but I DO have a warning. Many years ago before I knew any better, I didn't remove the grips when cleaning my nickel plated model 29 with Hoppes. As I recall, I put the gun away for several months in its presentation box. The next time I took it out and removed the grips, I was shocked to see horrible corrosion where the Hoppes residue had creeped under the wood grips and severely damaged the nickel plating.

Since it's covered by the installed grips, I have not attempted to do much restoration of the finish. I will never repeat that stupid mistake.

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ONE NATION UNDER GOD

Thanks for the info guys! Anyone else have anything I need to know???
Steve

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Steve

dont use ANY solvent on nickle that contains ammonia...

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

Hello “slowburninsteve”

I’m no expert, so this is just another dummy’s opinion for you to consider, and I have a question for “Catbird33”.

Metal polishes contain fine abrasives that gradually thin your nickel platting. I have read that the polish in “miracle cloth” does also. I think it’s foolish to obsess with regular shining to the long term detriment of your model 19’s nickel plating. I think a shine with metal polish is appropriate every 10 to 15 years or maybe never, unless you are a gun show wheeler-dealer. It’s silly to remove the blackening around the throats on the front of the cylinder. It will just be blackened again the next time you go target shooting.

In my experience, WD 40 has been the cleaning solvent for nickeled guns for decades, mainly to avoid using solvents that were designed to remove metal fouling from bores. WD 40 works fine, at least for lead and powder fouling, and I’m primarily a cast bullet shooter. While this is supported by “dlbx2” using unusual procedures to avoid getting Hoppies on his nickel platting and “Catbird33’s” belief that Hoppie’s #9 damaged his nickel plating, the last time I posted this, moderator "RBURG" posted that bore solvents, particularly ammonia based solvents like Hoppie’s #9 due not harm nickel plating.

Back when Hoppie’s #9 was the best lead fouling remover, it contained benzene. Benzene was removed from solvents because it causes cancer. New Hoppie’s #9 without the benzene is no better than WD 40 for removing bore leading. “RBURG” did not mention benzene. My question for “Catbird33” is: was the Hoppie’s #9 that damaged your nickel platting the old Hoppie’s #9 with benzene?

I hope I have not offended “dlbx2” and I look forward to additional replies regarding more modern solvents and their use on nickel platting.

Best regards;

Gil

At the risk of repetition - Hoppes is potentially dangerous on nickel. I have seen damage personally. It made me cringe.

Today for nickel Breakfree is good and there are others. Keep a bottle of Hoppes for the wonderful aroma, and for blue firearms.

Concur that always removing the cylinder blast rings will thin the nickel if abrasives used. A pre-wipe of Corrosion-X on the cylinder face helps lessen the rings by denying particles as good a toehold on the metal.

Good luck and enjoy those beautiful nickel guns!

Dyson

I prefer blued guns so I don't have a lot of personal experience with nickel finish. I have also heard that Hoppes will turn the finish on nickel guns milky. As I said, not from experience but from the grapevine. FWIW

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James Redfield
LM #497

I cannot comment with certainty regarding the benzene question; all I can say is that my Hoppes mishap occurred 30 plus years ago. At that time, I recall only 1 type of Hoppes that was readily available. I could be wrong, but most places only carried Hoppes or Outers and that was it.

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ONE NATION UNDER GOD

Catbird33,

Thanks for answering anyway. I also don't remember whether 1980ish was before or after Hoppie's dropped benzene.