Electroless nickel a couple questions

[ACORN]

I have a Model 38 with a satin nickel finish.
Did S&W use electroless nickel or use a blasted surface and nickel it.
I've heard some complain their electroless nickel has discolored/darkened.
And tips to prevent this?

 

[armorer951]

Unless there has been a recent change, I don't believe Smith and Wesson has ever used the electroless nickel process when applying nickel plating to their firearms. Electroplating has been their standard process over the years, in either polished, brushed or "satin".



Carter

 

[Baxter6551]

I agree with armorer951. You could get a Colt with electroless nickel (Coltguard Finish) but never a S&W that I ever saw. There are matte hard chrome and Armaloy / Metallife type finishes that look similar.

 

[ACORN]

FWIW my M38 was bought new.

 

[Protocall_Design]

Electroless nickel is an excellent and very durable finish that is mostly overlooked due to all the newer coatings and finishes on the market now.

 

[ACORN]

Electroless nickel is an excellent and very durable finish that is mostly overlooked due to all the newer coatings and finishes on the market now.

My concern is mainly for my Tisas Stakeout in E-less nickel.
I'd like to keep it bright and shiny

 

[Protocall_Design]

I have a gun with E nickel that's 30 years old and still looks like when it was first done. I haven't done anything but clean it occasionally. I don't know the particulars about care for this finish, but you might google it to see what comes up.

 

[ladder13]

40+ yo EN/Coltguard …

 

[stansdds]

My concern is mainly for my Tisas Stakeout in E-less nickel.
I'd like to keep it bright and shiny

Probably the best way to preserve a nickel finish is to clean it, dry it, then apply Renaissance Wax.

 

[armorer951]

One of the great characteristics about electroless nickel is that, unlike electroplating, it goes on in a very thin layer that is uniform in thickness, even on edges and sharp corners.

Electroless applications are usually below .001" in thickness. Thickness of the material depends on how long the parts are held in the plating bath. As with all finishes, cleanliness and temperature constraints are the most important factors during application.

Be sure to keep this in mind when cleaning or attempting to polish this finish. Although the nickel finish is very hard, polishes and cleaners that contain ammonia or abrasives should be avoided.

Here's a model 34-1 I plated back in the 1980's. The finish has held up well over the years.





Carter

 

[minconrevo]

Electroless nickel tests out Rockwell C50 or so, and normally is matt finish. Fairly easy to apply well. It is reasonably salt water and sweat resistant. Good hard use finish.

Hard chrome is Rockwell C70. Finish for it will vary from satin to bright, depending on how much substrate prep is done. It will build up in thickness on sharp edges. Bright is seldom seen, because it will mirror any minor subsurface imperfection. It requires lots of man hours to polish and true subsurface just right for bright HC. HC typically is applied thin , usually .0003" and may be applied thicker. HC guns require skilled hands to remove chrome "balls" and to smooth knife edges where it builds up on sharp edges before gun reassembly.

 

[BenelliSlim70]

My concern is mainly for my Tisas Stakeout in E-less nickel.
I'd like to keep it bright and shiny

Don't clean it with anything that contains ammonia CLP Break free and Ballistol work. Or so I've read

 

[Gunz50]

I have a Walther ppk/s that I carried for several years that had a 40% worn blue finish, along with some shallow pitting due to high humidity and sweat, I had it cleaned up and coated with Electroless nickel back in 1975, yes 50 years ago ,the finish is 99% as when first done, and I wax it with Renaissance wax twice a year, I believe a properly done electroless plating is one of the best for controlling wear, and its very thin coating keeps all markings crisp, and all parts still fit and work like new. best money for refinishing a firearm I have ever spent.

 

[BenelliSlim70]

I have a Walther ppk/s that I carried for several years that had a 40% worn blue finish, along with some shallow pitting due to high humidity and sweat, I had it cleaned up and coated with Electroless nickel back in 1975, yes 50 years ago ,the finish is 99% as when first done, and I wax it with Renaissance wax twice a year, I believe a properly done electroless plating is one of the best for controlling wear, and its very thin coating keeps all markings crisp, and all parts still fit and work like new. best money for refinishing a firearm I have ever spent.

James Bond would concur

 

[stansdds]

Here we go with the "no ammonia" thing again. If it is a factory S&W plating, ammonia will not cause the nickel to lift. This is because S&W did not electroplate the aluminum or steel with a layer of copper before applying the nickel. Ammonia dissolves copper and if the ammonia gets beneath the nickel on a firearm that has the copper intermediate layer, then the copper gets dissolved and the nickel lifts and flakes away.

 

[Hatch47]

In 1975, i had a Win 94 plated while stationed in Austin, because at the time and location, 94's had a problem with rust. Now, in 2025, the finish is still as good as when it was first applied, and i have a very poor condition 336 that i'm considering the same. TBH, i don't "scrub" the exteriors of my firearms unless its needed. As others have said, though, avoid ammonia.