Nickel Guns...What's Your Opinion?

[Model39]

Doing the regular retired thing on Saturday, making the rounds at the various gun shops in hopes of them helping me get rid of my excess money, we started talking about nickel guns. Most of the guys didn't care for nickel guns, and lately I haven't seen that many nickel guns for sale anywhere. I personally only own 4 nickel guns, always having prefered blue finish guns, and now have been collecting some stainless guns. What's your opinion? If you had a choice of finish between the same model, what would it be? All my nickel guns are from the early 1970's. I paid very little at the time for the Model 58, Model 40 and Model 39, and 3 years ago found this factory Class "A" engraved Model 59 on GB for $800 (aftermarket grips from Greece/eBay). I know some guns are very rare in nickel, and sought after in two-tone (pintos) but generally are nickel guns more desirable given the choice? (Sorry for the poor pictures, nickel guns are hard to photograph especially for me with my poor photo skills)

 

[old bear]

I really enjoy seeing pictures of Nickel guns when they belong to someone else. I strongly prefer the high polished blue finish. But as you said to each his own.

 

[DRYHEAT]

I am down to one nickel hand gun... but I love it!

Here it is with my other (Teflon) nickel firearm:

 

[Iggy]

While I prefer a nice blue gun, I've got a couple of Nickles and they tend to grow on a feller.

 

[mhg2tld]

Nickle Guns

Although a nice nickle finish looks good I have always preferred the high polish blue guns.

 

[Frank237]

This is one of those "redheads vesus burnettes" or "Ford vs Chevy" sort of things. Nothing wrong with liking one over the other.

I am not and never have been a nickle guy. Several years back I found a stash of early 1970's snubbies and other assorted Smiths from a long out of business shop. More than half were nickle...they were the first to go. I kept most of the blued guns, but sold off the nickle guns.

I do like stainless Smiths though.

FN in MT

 

[.357magger]

Many don't like nickel, I do.

I've gone to stainless only in the last several years however as they tend to hold up MUCH better down here in the constant humidity and salt air. But I polish them to look like nickel unless they are true matte finish.

So...shine on Brother!!

 

[k22fan]

I used to view nickeled guns as a trade of good looks for better rust resistance that became unnecessary after stainless guns became available in most any size or caliber you wanted. Before stainless, most buyers could keep their S&Ws in warm dry houses so they didn't buy nickel. Additionally, you need to use more care selecting cleaning solvents for nickeled guns. I had a nickeled 586, 34 and 10 in the past but I only bought them because they were screaming deals and I didn't keep them very long. When you showed a nickeled S&W revolver for sale the potential buyer would unzip your gun rug just far enough to get a peek at nickel then zip it back up as fast as they could and hand it back saying "wrong color". Now that stainless revolvers have made silver the right color and nickeled guns are a bit of a novelity I wish I'd kept all three. After a long time without any nickeled revolvers I recently bought a nickeded 6" 57 at Cabela's but again primarily because they had it marked unusually low. Presumably Cabela's priced it low because it combined two hard to sell features, .41 mag. and nickel. The shinny 57 is sort of growing on me so I wish I'd at least hung on to the 34. It came and went at about $200 so it wasn't much to have kept invested.

Your engraved 59 is a very impressive gun but would be too flashy for me even if it were blued. However, I'd love to have the 57. In the early to mid 90s police dept. surplus nickeled 57s passed through the Shotgun News. I wish I'd bought one.

Best Regards,
Gil

 

[Shooting4life]

I don't have any nickel smiths. I cannot find one for a price I want to pay. I love the way they look compared to blued. Most of my smiths are stainless steel at this point.

 

[Hyperion]

I inherited my Dad's Model 36 with nickel finish. I don't like it because the reflection of overhead light on the rear sight groove makes it even more difficult for me to see the sights. The tiny groove is bad enough; with the nickel finish, it is even worse. I darken the rear sight area with a felt tip pen and it makes all the difference in the world. The felt tip pen blacking will come right off if needed.

It may not be an issue for others, but as I get older (56), my eyes are sometimes less accommodating than they used to be ...

 

[wheelgun28]

I like nickel...
They are easier to keep clean, they dont get every rub or mark on the finish. They just look nice to me all cleaned and waxed up. I also think that there are less nickel than there are blue, blue being more popular.

Not saying I dislike blue and I really like stainless. However nickel dressed for sundays is hard to beat

 

[Vulcan Bob]

I like a nickeled six gun although they are a pain to clean!

 

[rck281]

I really like nickel guns that have blue front sights. Why would a company put nickel front sights on a gun? Even with the red insert, they glare on a sunny day. Even with a nickel ramp base, they need to have a blue blade - IMHO.

 

[fyimo]

I didn't have nay nickel revolvers until 18 months ago and now I have many. I don't think there is any revolver as pretty and a mint niclel revolver.

A few of mine

 

[Butchbird]

Nickel is a favorite for me -- I love blued guns but if I have a choice these days I'll opt for nickel -- Of course if I have the option I just get both -- Can one have too many nice guns????

 

[RussellD]

I like nickle. There is just something attractive about a the shiny finish. I have blue, nickle and hard chrome guns. Wish the nickle held up as well as hard chrome.

 

[CajunBass]

I've only got one nickel gun, a Model 19-4. I like it, but it's not something I'd want a lot of.

Although, if I ran into another factory nickel gun at the right time, I wouldn't turn my nose up at it.

(Yea...Yea...I know. I've got the original S&W target grips that came on it. I just like the black/silver look on this particular gun)

 

[texagun]

What's not to like.......

 

[TNDave]

I always shied away from nickeled guns because it always seemed once the nickel started going you couldn't stop it and while a blued gun can age gracefully a gun with flaking nickel just looks bad.

Later I learned many nickeled guns that had bad nickel had been exposed to cleaners like Hoppes that are bad for nickel. Right now I am trying to get a cherry nickel Model 19 snub gun from my favorite pawnshop but the folks keep paying the interest on it.

The nickel on it is perfect and I think I could keep it that way and would like to give it a try.

 

[Art Doc]

Worn or damaged nickel looks worse than blued in the same condition. But when in good shape...

PS: I hate stainless. Practical, but looks cheap and ugly to my eye. I have two stainless guns. Both are working guns and both have been polished shiny.