Nickel finish almost gone ,now what?

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I have a very nice antique S&W .44 Russian DA that was nickel plated at one time but now most of it has worn off. It has done it's job of protecting the gun and the steel is not at all pitted or damaged.

I am wondering what to do?

I could just leave it but it looks awful.

I could strip the rest of the nickel with some fine sandpaper and either leave it bare of blue it.

I could send it somewhere to be renickeled although I am not sure if there is even a place that does that in Canada?

It has it's RCMP papers but I am still not into sending it out of the country and back.

I am leaning towards stripping and bluing but would like to double check with people who are a little more knowledgeable about these things before I do.
If this is going to be considered Bubbaing I want to know before not after:rolleyes:

Thank you very much and any other suggestions would be appreciated?

I am a terrible photographer so I don't have any photos of my gun but this one is similar although mine has even less nickel left.
Ashooting002.jpg


When I look at it I see something like this.
100052834-3-L.jpg
 
re finish

Hopeless case!!!!!!! You may as well sell it to me!!!!! ha
It would be best left alone as far as collector value goes. Apart from that I don't know where you may get a good , proper re-finish for it.
 
Refinishing

I cant help with renickeling, but in my opinion, after sanding off the old finish, just, chuck it in the trash - as that will be all it will be worth!
Leave it be!!
 
Just leave it as is! There are pristine examples in collections and museums around the world. There are also reproductions now being made if you really get the urge to tinker. Leave it as it is and enjoy it as a piece of history. At some point we stop being owners of certain guns and become care takers. These guns have/will outlive us and we should do what we can to preserve them for future generations. Take care of it, give it a place of honour in the safe, take it to the range on occasion and enjoy it. When the time comes, pass it along to someone else that will appreciate it for what it is - a well used but not abused old timer.
 
As a collector and dealer, there is nothing I hate more than
someone how does not know what the hell he is doing destory
the collector value of fine old gun , even if they look like crap
By sanding , polishing , reblueing , etc.
The only thing you should do is keep it clean and oiled.

Of course, it is your gun and you can do what you want with it.
Just my thoughts on the thing after 40+ years of collecting.

P.S. A case in point, I had been looking at a eary WW1 1911
that was about 70-80% , but the fellow thought it should look
like his 80 series 1911A1 stainless _ you all know what happened?
Yes he took a gun I would have paid top dollar for and made a
$350.oo gun out of it. O -the pain of it all
 
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Guns are worth nothing to me if I can't take them out and shoot them. I guess if we left the finish alone on every gun, there would be plenty of ugly looking guns out there. But, if you just want to sit there and stare at them thats your perogative. I do that with my coin collection.
 
Leave it be

There is a way to remove the nickle plate chemicaly, the pistol would have to be stripped into components. There is also an electroless nickle plating process to bring it back.

What you will end up with is something akin to the image of a little old lady in high heels and mini skirt.

Even though right now it may look like crap, it has collector value because all the signs of age are there, including the flaking nickle. Remove the finish and all evidence is gone, and so will much of its intrinsic value.

If something has to be done because you the owner can't stand seeing it like that, I would suggest that you paint it with GunKote or similar. The process could always be reversed.

I have some pretty rough finish guns in my collection, I love em as much as the pretty ones, if not more so as they have character.
 
Leave it be.

P.S. Nickel cannot be stripped chemically, you're thinking of chrome, englishman. Simple muriatic acid will completely eat off chrome. Nickel has to be electroplated off, using the gun as the donor anode, and plated onto something else.

That's the difference between chrome and nickel. Chrome is slightly prettier, and a bit harder and resists wear a bit better.

Nickel is slightly softer, slightly less pretty, but is unbelievably resistant to chemicals. It resists all acids, and all bases, (very unusual, most things which resist acids are vulnerable to bases, and vice-versa) which is why it's so common and so important in laboratories. (I used to be a chem major).
 
As sad as it may look to your eyes they are right. The aging and general condition is what makes it collectable. By all means do what you need to do to avoid further rust or pitting but if you choose to "restore" it then you'll lower the value greatly.

If you're keen on a new looker in the same style see if you can trade or sell it and buy one of the Uberti Schofield replicas. Who knows you may score enough money from your antique to be able to afford the engraved Model 3 replica they sell. Like these....

http://www.uberti.com/firearms/engraved_top_break.php
 
Bobby Ironsights said:
Leave it be.

P.S. Nickel cannot be stripped chemically, you're thinking of chrome, englishman. Simple muriatic acid will completely eat off chrome. Nickel has to be electroplated off, using the gun as the donor anode, and plated onto something else.

That's the difference between chrome and nickel. Chrome is slightly prettier, and a bit harder and resists wear a bit better.

Nickel is slightly softer, slightly less pretty, but is unbelievably resistant to chemicals. It resists all acids, and all bases, (very unusual, most things which resist acids are vulnerable to bases, and vice-versa) which is why it's so common and so important in laboratories. (I used to be a chem major).
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Interesting, so that is why Robar's NP3 (nickle/teflon) is such a long lasting and low maintenance finish. I think it would be the best thing to refinish that old revolver with if that was the route chosen. It is expensive though, and probably not worth it.

As far as I'm concerned, unless a non-mint firearm has certain historical importance, it is open to refinishing. There is a difference between being a bubba, to restoring a firearm back to it's former glory as painstakingly as possible. If that were not the case, then all the Lee Enfield's, Danish Garands, and other military rifles that have been FTR'd, would be considered junk. Just look how much a Danish Garand runs for these days, compared to ten years ago.
 
This is why I like to check with the experts before I do anything major.
The overwhelming feeling seems to be leave it be so that's what I will do.

However I think that Spectre's dissenting post made a lot of sense. It sure as hell would be worth more than throwing in the trash if done with care and skill.
The gun I posted was clearly refinished and looks fantastic.

Mine has a lot less nickel left than this .38.
Ashooting002.jpg


You really think this should be thrown in the trash?:eek:
100052834-3-L.jpg
 
In your last post above, you make valid points , that engraved
gun will be worth more than yours, unless there is some historical
value to yours.
If not go ahead, cost will be more the the gun is worth, but I
have also done more work on things than the value of the unit.
When I said not to refinish it ,I was referring to the usal steel wool
and buffing wheel that rolles over all the sharp edges and printing,
or heavens forbid, the bead blaster.
You all have seen that.
But a craftsman that knows what he is doing is something else.
Also finding him is getting harder all the time.
One time I dropped 3 months into a 400.oo colt 1911 .
Turn out real nice, but did not pay the bills, But I know that going in.
Kind of like buying a Ruger 10/22 and then spending 200.oo- 600.oo
to make shooter out of it.
 
Unsub said:
I have a very nice antique S&W .44 Russian DA that was nickel plated at one time ......................................

...................................I am a terrible photographer so I don't have any photos of my gun but this one is similar although mine has even less nickel left.
[/QUOTE]



PM me and I will buy/trade you a cute gun if thats what you want.
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An old gun with a nice patina is one thing but that gun with the missing nickel looks like #### to me, and if yours has even less on it I can't see it being better.....
I say find someone who will do a nice job and get it refinished.
If it's a famous gun from history and has a story and belongs in a museum then maybe there is an argument against refinishing, but you want it as a shooter that looks like it did back in the day then go for it.
Post some pictures.
 
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