Nickel carry guns -- protecting the finish

Cal44

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I posted earlier that I purchased a Nickel Model 442.

My question is, what (if anything) should I do to it to prevent (or reduce) flaking of the Nickel.

The gun is intended to use as a carry gun -- not just sitting in the safe.

Should I give is a thin coat of Rem oil when cleaning it and call it good?

Use a Silicone cloth?

Or use Renaissance Wax?

Or is there something better?
 
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Use Ren Wax. You can also buy or make a cloth sleeve fitted to the gun to protect it from holster wear. The nickel on a gun that modern should not ever flake from carry. I only see flaking on Smiths that are approaching or over 100 years old. We're not going to live long enough to worry about that.
 
The best way to protect a nickel finish is to buy a stainless gun in the first place. If you like shiny objects, you can polish the surface to look almost like a nickel gun. Nickel has more of a yellowish cast; stainless looks more blue.


Be careful of using very common solvents like Hoppe's No. 9 on nickel guns. I've heard that it can damage the finish. I've avoided nickel guns for all my life, but someone will probably come along and tell you about the solvent issue.
 
The best way to protect a nickel finish is to buy a stainless gun in the first place. If you like shiny objects, you can polish the surface to look almost like a nickel gun.

It is a felony to polish a stainless steel gun, if it didn't come that way from the factory. You might get a visit from Revolver Protective Services for even mentioning such a thing.
 
I posted earlier that I purchased a Nickel Model 442.

This does not tell us much. What kind of nickel is it? Is it old school circa 1970s nickel? Is it NP3 or electroless nickel?

There is a huge difference. Old school nickle was applied over a base coat of copper, which is why using certain gun cleaning solvents, Hoppe's 9 being the number one, caused the nickel to flake. The Hoppe's attacked the base coat.

If its modern electroless nickel or NP3 then its just about total proof from anything on the market.
 
I've carried and used my old nickel 4" 29 in leather and nylon holsters since 1976.....Just a wipe down after......Shows no wear and still looks good.....

As to polishing a stainless gun....I've done a couple as I prefer the "nickel look" to stainless.........
 
The best way to protect a nickel finish is to buy a stainless gun in the first place. If you like shiny objects, you can polish the surface to look almost like a nickel gun. Nickel has more of a yellowish cast; stainless looks more blue.


Be careful of using very common solvents like Hoppe's No. 9 on nickel guns. I've heard that it can damage the finish. I've avoided nickel guns for all my life, but someone will probably come along and tell you about the solvent issue.

Some good ideas expressed here, IMO. I have a high polished Ruger Single Six .32 and Taurus .44 Special, both stainless, and they were finished at the factory that way and are about as shiny as any nickel gun. Might be a good option. We just have to face the fact that a nickel finish isn't as durable as other finishes.

I recently acquired a late 60's Taurus with a factory nickel finish because it was cool and unusual. I don't believe it was used that much, but it still has cosmetic wear because that's nickel...and the old nickel S&W model 10 I had was the same way.

Nothing wrong with a nickel revolver and nothing wrong with carrying it as long as you don't have unrealistic expectations. I've heard the same thing about Hoppe's #9, so I cleaned my Taurus with CLP cleaner and even then, only the internal surfaces. Exterior can be cleaned with Windex.
 
This thread is periodically revived with what appears to be the same parroted comments. How many of those commenting have actually seen or have evidence of nickeled guns damaged by cleaning (not overnight soaking) with Hoppe's #9?

I'm no expert, real or perceived, but I've been cleaning nickel S&W revolvers with Hoppe's #9 for more than forty years. Finishes remains as new. Never quite understood waxing. A wipe-down with a lightly oiled cloth probably provides at least as much protection and is far less time-consuming.
 
This does not tell us much. What kind of nickel is it? Is it old school circa 1970s nickel? Is it NP3 or electroless nickel?

There is a huge difference. Old school nickle was applied over a base coat of copper, which is why using certain gun cleaning solvents, Hoppe's 9 being the number one, caused the nickel to flake. The Hoppe's attacked the base coat.

If its modern electroless nickel or NP3 then its just about total proof from anything on the market.

Well, I don't know anything about the process used by S&W.

But I did say it's a 442, and those were introduced about 1993, so it's not an old '70's gun.

I believe mine was made in 1995 as it says in the other thread.

Second, a 442 has an Aluminum alloy frame, so that's another issue.

As for NP3, I don't know what that acronym stands for.
 
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It is a felony to polish a stainless steel gun, if it didn't come that way from the factory. You might get a visit from Revolver Protective Services for even mentioning such a thing.

Better not look at my 629, then. It has half a jar of Mother's rubbed into it.

Oh, and I also polished the sides of the trigger on my freshly-built 1911. Started out with a soft bead-blast finish. I sanded out scratches from the fitting process with 600-grit, then moved on to 1000-grit. It was pretty shiny at that point, so just a few passes on each side with the Mother's got it nice and Klassy.

The real trick was laying some Scotch tape on the sides to protect the mirror'd surfaces from getting scratched during assembly.

I also polished the heads on the grip screws. The hammer itself was already pretty shiny...and it's a pretty pricey hammer/sear/disco set from a pistolsmith, so I didn't want to screw with it.
 
Any of the methods mentioned will work well. Two key things to remember will help: first, make sure you thoroughly remove all traces of cleaning solvent before applying oil/wax/silicone. This applies to any cleaning solvent - period (see more below). Second, remove the stocks to ensure the surface beneath them is clean and dry. Some stocks, especially those made of rubber, have a tendency to trap moisture and thus promote rust.

Store your revolver in a dry area, such as a safe with a dehumidifier rod, and make sure it doesn't rest up against anything that will trap or hold moisture. The S&W paper works well for this, providing a barrier between the gun and anything that may interact with the plating.

Here is my reasoning behind the 'remove all solvent' statement made above. The key word in cleaning solvent is that word 'solvent'. No matter the cleaning product, it works by either dissolving the material you wish to remove, or by working it's way underneath it to loosen the material. Despite what the solvent manufacturers say, their product may or may not be safe for long term exposure to plated surfaces. Will that claim do you (or your children if you pass your firearms on) 50 years from now, if you find out the solvent turns you shinny nickle surface dull or even worse, causes it to start to peel and flake off? The plating process is very different than bluing. Bluing effects the surface of the steel, plating is attached to the surface via an electrolysis process, so unlike bluing, you are relying on the bond between the metal surface and the nickle to remain intact. If something has even the remotest possibility to effect that bond, I'd stay clear of it. Microscopic nicks in the nickle from use and handling act as access points for moisture and solvents, which is why thorough 'cleaning' after cleaning is necessary.
 
The best way to protect a nickel finish is to buy a stainless gun in the first place. If you like shiny objects, you can polish the surface to look almost like a nickel gun. Nickel has more of a yellowish cast; stainless looks more blue.


Be careful of using very common solvents like Hoppe's No. 9 on nickel guns. I've heard that it can damage the finish. I've avoided nickel guns for all my life, but someone will probably come along and tell you about the solvent issue.

Yep to all of that, I have just purchased DakRats 627-0, I had a nickel 27-2 that I used to shoot, I finally couldn't bear it any longer?

So the 27-2 is looking for a home,,,,(I've never kept a nickel gun more than 4 years or so??? and I'm going enjoy the the 627.

by the way, nickel is a very durable and long lasting finish if cared for, but it is a pain to keep klean.
 
And for most of the Revolver Era, Nickle WAS the durable protective finish .

There is no doubt about the quality of nickel plating and it protecting firearms. Supposedly it is one of the best finishes, besides actual chrome.

Still, I won't own a nickel gun. I love the looks of them, but my guns are utility guns and I don't want the nickel finish. Even though nickel is tough, it is still a plating and has the possibility to deteriorate and flake with continual use. If you bump it on something you can break the plating. Too much wear will break through the plating. Can't really polish it up too much without risk of going through the plating. Scratches show up a million times more on nickel too and look terrible. A polish is the only way to spruce it up, but with risk.

I stick with blue guns or stainless, but since sts is a more recent development, I am usually a blued revolver guy. I just love the look of an honest, worn blue gun. If I wanted a safe queen I would get a nickel piece. I had a '64 Python in nickel. Gorgeous! Sold it because I didn't want to shoot it. My guns get used or they get going.
 
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