With any blued gun I always put it away after shooting or just holding with a lite coat of CLP or for longer storage rigs. On my resent buying spree I bought a model 10 & 36 both in nickel , I have never owned a nickel gun before and was wondering what is the best way to care for my new revolvers? Both guns are in 99% shape w/no flaking...ect. and I wish to keep them that way. Any tips would be helpful.
storing nickel gun
- Thread starter jd67
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Same manner as your blued guns;
Low humidity, lightly oiled or waxed, and never store in gun rugs/pouches.
Low humidity, lightly oiled or waxed, and never store in gun rugs/pouches.
Point 357
US Veteran
I'm sorry OP, I don't have an answer but I like this post because I have the same questions. I also want to keep my two old nickel plated revolvers in the pristine condition that they are in now.
My M29-2 (bought new 1977) is my only nickel revolver. Other than trying to always put it away clean after shooting, I never did anything much special to it. Used to use a silicone rag years ago but not lately. Store it inside a gun safe with some desiccate bags to ensure there's no moisture problems. So far so good. 
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I always just cleaned them same as I would any other gun, wiped them dry and clean, put them in a white cotton sock, and stored them in my safe. No different than I would any other gun.
Never had a problem.
Never had a problem.
I use bore stores for all mine after a coat of Ren wax. the bore stores add a,layer of protection from incidental bumps and contact with other guns and stuff in a crowded safe.
"Ren Wax" is Renaissance Wax and available on-line. Other members have opined that other waxes work just as well and Johnson's Paste Wax seems to be another popular wax. I can give a thumbs up to personal experience with Renaissance Wax.
I have stored nickel revolvers in all the manners mentioned above and all seem satisfactory but overall I would give a big thumbs up to Bore Stores. For price, practicality, and satisfactory performance old, clean, white socks, 2-layers, is hard to beat.
I am NOT a fan of storing guns in a foam lined case, in direct contact with the foam, as the foam can break down and leave a residue on the guns and the foam can hold moisture that can damage the surface of the gun. Perhaps placing your gun(s) in a sock or two (or Bore Stores), then placing in a Ziplock baggie (getting all the air out, and then placing it in the foam lined case might not be such a bad idea? If you use a desiccant be sure it does NOT rest up against the surface of your firearm.
Myself and many other members have use original Hoppes No. 9 Bore cleaner on nickel with no problem, despite the label (supposedly?) stating not for use on nickel, probably because we don't soak our guns in it and wipe them down well after cleaning. I currently use CLP when cleaning a nickel gun. Read the labels. It's probably not a good idea to soak your nickel gun in cleaning chemicals for prolonged periods and make sure you wipe them off after cleaning in a timely fashion. Nickel seems to be fairly durable and forgiving. A little common sense goes a long way.
I have stored nickel revolvers in all the manners mentioned above and all seem satisfactory but overall I would give a big thumbs up to Bore Stores. For price, practicality, and satisfactory performance old, clean, white socks, 2-layers, is hard to beat.
I am NOT a fan of storing guns in a foam lined case, in direct contact with the foam, as the foam can break down and leave a residue on the guns and the foam can hold moisture that can damage the surface of the gun. Perhaps placing your gun(s) in a sock or two (or Bore Stores), then placing in a Ziplock baggie (getting all the air out, and then placing it in the foam lined case might not be such a bad idea? If you use a desiccant be sure it does NOT rest up against the surface of your firearm.
Myself and many other members have use original Hoppes No. 9 Bore cleaner on nickel with no problem, despite the label (supposedly?) stating not for use on nickel, probably because we don't soak our guns in it and wipe them down well after cleaning. I currently use CLP when cleaning a nickel gun. Read the labels. It's probably not a good idea to soak your nickel gun in cleaning chemicals for prolonged periods and make sure you wipe them off after cleaning in a timely fashion. Nickel seems to be fairly durable and forgiving. A little common sense goes a long way.
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iPac
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I clean my nickel with Break Free CLP cleaner. I clean the whole gun with it. Hoppes 9 is supposed to be ok for nickel in excellent condition. If the nickel has honest wear, I would avoid Hoppes 9. After CLP cleaning, and thoroughly wiping excess off dry. I strategically apply single drops of Hoppes Elite Oil to key areas. Then I apply Ren.Wax and buff off after drying. Then I store the gun in a silicone sock and put it in an AceCase gun rug. I do this for all my revolvers, blue, nickel, STS, BSTS. They have been stored like that for years without issue.
I also use Flitz paste to clean nickel. Just apply with micro fiber cloth and your finger. You will see you cloth turn black from the oxidization on the surface. I just took a chance on a '64 nickel Python that needed TLC. It cleaned up really well, but you should have seen the cloth by-products after I was done. I have never seen so many black q-tips, cotton squares, and cloths than the pile I had in the trash after cleaning this gun. However, my risk paid off and it cleaned up excellent. I would say it is now worth about $1K more than I got it for.
I also use Flitz paste to clean nickel. Just apply with micro fiber cloth and your finger. You will see you cloth turn black from the oxidization on the surface. I just took a chance on a '64 nickel Python that needed TLC. It cleaned up really well, but you should have seen the cloth by-products after I was done. I have never seen so many black q-tips, cotton squares, and cloths than the pile I had in the trash after cleaning this gun. However, my risk paid off and it cleaned up excellent. I would say it is now worth about $1K more than I got it for.
Recommend that you DO NOT store any firearms in a hard case with foam lining...foam lining/hard case combination traps moisture and condensation. I have five nickel Smiths, and all are stored in individual Boyt canvas cases (canvas "breathes") with a dessicant bag in each case. As previously mentioned in this thread, after cleaning and drying, I wipe nickel guns down with a silicone cloth before placing them in their respective case. Lastly, I don't fully close the zipper; I leave about an inch "gap", the thought being that doing so increases the likelihood that any moisture that could develop can more easily escape. Though said nickel Smiths are now stored in the Boyt cases in a Fort Knox gun safe containing a dehumidifier, they were stored for years in only the Boyt cases as previously described, to include several years in coastal North Carolina, with no problems whatsoever. Due to the recommendations of this forum's members, I just purchased Renaissance Wax, and will use that to coat my nickel Smiths from this point forth. I found the wax on Amazon, and it was relatively inexpensive.
RalphMP9FS
Member
I stored my Colt Lawman MKIII 2" nickel plated .357 in a zippered cloth pistol case for over 35 years. I used a liberal coat of Hoppes gun oil on it while stored, and it still looked like new decades later. I sold it last year to a very pleased FFL dealer that later sold it on Gunbroker for over $1800.
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I probably shouldn't say this but here goes. I was in a position years ago where I had to store guns long term because I was leaving the country for a while. Initially I would be overseas for 3 years. I lived in a state with very stiff gun control laws and I couldn't just leave the guns with a friend nor did I want to. I thoroughly cleaned, oiled and lubed them, packed them in boxes and rented a bank safe deposit box. The three pistols fit into the box and I left them there for safe keeping. I also arranged for automatic payments for the box rental. Ended up being overseas for 7 years but I was able to check the guns about half way through and they were fine. Took em out when I finally returned home and got right back into shooting. They did stiffen up a bit from sitting so long but absolutely no rust or other damage. To this day I have no idea if that was against the law at that time.
So, I think if you had a safe and wanted to store your guns there it would be perfectly OK. Clean them well before hand and check them occasionally and they'll be fine.
So, I think if you had a safe and wanted to store your guns there it would be perfectly OK. Clean them well before hand and check them occasionally and they'll be fine.
BigBill
Absent Comrade
Before storage I soak the gun with G96 silicone gun spray then wrap the revolver in the silicone parchment paper so it's sealed. Every six months everybody get a wipe down, a new rub down back in the safe.
raylan007
Member
Ren Wax availability
As it is a imported item Amazon has it and the best deal is the $18.00 size which will last a lifetime. Just remember to apply a light coat, I use a gun patch after I remove the cylinder works, grips, and latch for the initial application, makes life easier and you cover all the surfaces that way. Think of the wax acting as it does on other surfaces as a moisture repellent. Let it dry for a few minutes and repeat. Works great on the grips also. The original foam rubber lined box is the last place I would store a firearm as it is a sponge for collecting moisture. It would also depend on your climate, I live in the high desert so moisture is not a issue with the lack of rain and humidity. If I was to store in the original box as I sometimes do I wrap the gun in a towel you get in the auto body dept so it does not make contact with the foam rubber. It is also a good idea to remove all petroleum products from your gun before you wax. Not being an owner of any nickel guns I can't speak to the best degreaser but I use Frog Lube Degreaser on my blued revolvers. You will like the results and easier clean up of a waxed gun. Also, I store all my revolvers in Allen gun cases in a safe and have never had any issues but as I stated I live in a very dry climate. A gun sock is a good storage option as they are cheap and allow for air circulation. Sealing the pores of the steel is the answer in my opinion.
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loeman
Member
This is what I do too except my socks are green instead of white (got a good deal on them). I also use Ren Wax every once in awhile.
Vulcan Bob
Member
If it is really long term I use CLP Breakfree long term storage oil. It is heavier/thicker than the standard CLP, how good is it, don't really know but so far so good and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy about the whole thing. The wax thing is good and I keep my hand guns stored in the plastic zip lock bags and do not zip em closed, just left open and folded over, so far so good after many years of doing this and it also protects em from storage dings and such.
Lou_the_welder
Member
That was interesting. This reminds me why i read these. You know this could be a different thread possibility. Although, you made a point at how "forgiving" metal can be. A point i wanted to make as well and thats as long as you have a good layer of oil and dont necessarily expose the metal to humidity, it may be ok to store them however you can, if a humidity controlled safe isnt available.
When i first purchased my first gun, i stored it in the smallest $20 lock box money could buy with a small bag of desiccant! And it was like that for a long time! I didnt have any rusting issues. This comment made me remember that.
I dont think you need a thousand dollar safe with a digital panel and humidity controller! Just be smart. "Stay lubbed!" I used rem-oil and clp. No.9 on bores only! Thats just me. That stuff stinks crazy! I now use bore stores? ( i forget the name, but they're grey and have padding and velcro) to make it easier to put guns on top of each other. I think someone else mentioned that. Especially if you move them around and bump each other. You dont want them to scratch. You'd really hate that..
On nickel, just a good layer of a quality gun oil of your choosing.
Tom_R
Member
Clean it, make sure it is dry, put a coat of Renaissance wax on it, put it in a good gun fug, and you are good to go.
Nickel is super durable as long as you take care of it, and it cleans up great.
Nickel is super durable as long as you take care of it, and it cleans up great.
Also, forgive me if I am repeating this, one of our stock experts has advised removing the wood stocks from nickel guns during long storage as the wood is acidic. I myself own one and have seen other nickel guns with the outline of the stock etched visibly into the nickel finish. I remove them as well as the treatments listed above.
Steve
Steve
