Question about value of nickel plated vs blued.

[Steve St.]

Hello Forum.

I have 4 Nickel plated M19-5s and 1 blued 19-3. What is the difference in value of the nickel compared to a blued gun in the same condition?
I inclued pictures so everyone can slobber over them...

When I got them from the safe I remembered I really need to make an order from Altamont. That Houge grip has to go.

 

[lppd4]

I think the nickel brings a higher price however I prefer the blued offerings

 

[UncleEd]

In pristine shape, the nickel
guns can bring a premium.

My dislike of nickel guns is after
they've been used such as duty
guns.

I've never seen a nickel used gun that
looks as nice as a worn blued gun.

Give 'em both the same treatment and
the nickel gun will chip and scar worse
than the blued gun.

 

[rockquarry]

I've always liked nickeled guns. I've had quite a few nickeled S&Ws, some for many years. I've shot them all, some pretty extensively, but they always get cleaned with Hoppe's #9 and wiped down with an oily soft cloth to keep the finish looking like new. I've yet to have one where the finish "chipped". That requires some serious abuse, far beyond what most of us would ever do to any gun. I suppose a substandard nickel finish might chip, but I've never encountered this on any S&W.

I don't know what kind of premium a nickel finish will bring over a blued handgun, but seems a nickel gun will always bring more and I've found they're easier to sell than blued counterparts. I like blued guns, too.

I suppose no one knows the percentage of blued S&Ws vs. nickeled ones, but there seems to be far, far more blued specimens.

 

[LPD256]

Depends on what the buyer prefers. I like both. Nice guns. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Rpg]

I like Smith’s nickel finishes.

In general, a Smith with a nice nickel finish brings a 10% premium over a comparable (model and finish) blued gun from me.

Comparing different models (19-3 vs 19-5) is tricky: one is P&R, the other not. P&R adds a premium of its own.

 

[Damol]

I have a nickel M-19 that I have had for 41 years and no chips.
Also have a M-58 I bought used about 12 years ago and no chips.
And a used M-15, yup no chips.

 

[ken158]

Thinking opposite of the majority here... Nickel guns are nice when new or taken very good care of but when that first chip happens... and any solvent or oil gets underneath then you will have enough peeling to make it look bad. I do know from when I spent armorer’s time at the factory they told us they saved inferior guns that would not buff properly for bluing and when they had a batch they would nickel plate them.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

What is the difference in value of the nickel compared to a blued gun in the same condition?

"Beauty [and therefore value] is in the eye of the beholder" (with acknowledgement to Irish writer Margaret Wolfe Hungerford who wrote the phrase in Molly Bawn, her 1878 novel).

Given a choice of two ANIB S&W revolvers, one blue and one nickel, I'd pay more for the blue one.

Given the choice of the two with some "character" I'll always pick the blue. A blued S&W revolver with "character" appears to have earned its stripes. A nickel one with "character" automatically gets rejected because it looks abused.

Now then, I have two nickel Chiefs in the corral. Both are almost pristine, and I paid far less for them than I've been willing to pay for blue Chiefs of similar years and condition.

This is not at all like asking a parent "which is your favorite child?" It's okay not to like nickel.

 

[Jack Flash]

In general, I'm guessing that nickel only goes for a slight premium over blue.

But there are special cases. The one that comes to mind for me is the Model 58. Only about 10% were nickel finished, so they bring more from collectors. There are probably other models where this is true as well.

 

[outta_ammo]

When I'm around silver guns—nickel or stainless, doesn't matter—I remember the set of chromed SAA cap-guns I had as a kid, and how terrible they looked after about a week.

To this day, I can't do silver guns. The long arc of childhood traumas...

 

[3rdgeargrndrr]

When I'm around silver guns—nickel or stainless, doesn't matter—I remember the set of chromed SAA cap-guns I had as a kid, and how terrible they looked after about a week.

To this day, I can't do silver guns. The long arc of childhood traumas...

Would you like some stainless revolver therapy? Yes, you can touch them. It’s ok. It will all be ok.

 

[BigBill]

Since nickel finish isn’t offered in new s&w revolvers I would think the prices are do to soar value wise. I prefer nickel finish first.
Here’s my used m27-2. It’s like new.
I don’t want a pickle I want my s&w in nickel. Blue is cool, stainless is better, but the world famous s&w nickel finish freaking rocks. Even the Russian Zar son knew this.

 

[BigBill]

What got me into nickel finish guns was a co worker. In the 70’s he had a s&w m29/6.5” in nickel and a colt government 1911 in nickel. For decades I had the images of his nickel finish guns in my mind. I always wanted a nickel finish gun. I wonder. In the next ten years where the prices on the nickel finish guns will be?

 

[outta_ammo]

Would you like some stainless revolver therapy? Yes, you can touch them. It’s ok. It will all be ok.

Nooooooooo, they touched me here [points to doll]. And the last time they let me go to the toy store all the cap-guns had vanished!

(note to mods: no disrespect for a valid therapeutic modality was intended here)

 

[mtgianni]

I prefer blue but would offer up to a nickle more if pressed on a sale.

 

[magmag]

Depends on desirability of the gun. If you have a Pre 27 in nickel it'll command way more than blued.

 

[BigBill]

Watch the online prices they have been soaring already.

 

[chief38]

While I do not profess to have the records of manufacturing numbers, I'd bet that for every Nickel Plated Revolver there are at least 10 blued ones. That makes Nickel Plating not only a more rare item, but a more expensive item to produce as well. Back in the day, S&W always sold their Nickel Plated guns at about 5% - 10% premium.

Back in the day, Nickel Plating was in demand for people working in harsh conditions such as marine environments, wet environments, etc. and would typically stand up to abuse and harsh conditions longer and better than blued guns. The NP "killer" I believe was Stainless Steel because Stainless is not a finish - but a solid metal, I think NP guns have sort of fallen by the way side a bit.

Now don't get me wrong...... there's nothing "purdier" than a Colt SAA six shooter in Nickel! That said, the younger generation has grown up with Stainless and has barely seen, handled or shot NP guns. Not only that, but no matter how great the NP job was, it will not stand up or be as forgiving as stainless.

So to get to the point, while most of our lives NP-ing has always been desirable, I don't know if that will continue to be the case. The other factor is simply which one someone likes better - despite the actual finish on the gun. I started off liking NP guns better but now only have 3 left as I have gravitated to blue. While NP may still bring more according to a gun value book, I prefer Blued guns myself and would pay more for Blued guns - same model & everything else being equal. The only exception might be a Colt SAA.

 

[stansdds]

Nickle plating was S&W's premium finish and whether the firearm was brand new or used, factory plated S&W's always command more than their blued counterparts. The increased value averages 10%, but in some cases nickel plated versions were made in such small numbers that the value of a factory plating can be nearly double the value of the blued version.