I have a chance to buy a nickel plated S & W revolver. I have many blued and stainless steel revolvers already. How is that compare to a blued or stainless. It is more expensive than a blued but it looks very nice. Would that be a problem to take care of ? Thanks.
Nickel plate Revolver
- Thread starter cwlam3
- Start date
gunasauras
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Western Manitoba
It's actually easier to take care of because it is more corrosion and scratch resistant. You'll find it similar to Stainless Steel as far as preventive maint/cleaning goes....
gunasauras
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Yes, it would likely cost a little more too....do a price comparison online between stainless, nickel, and blued.....you'll see.
Nickel plating is very shiny like a chrome bumper and some people find it glares a lot if you shoot outside in the sun often. Stainless steel does not reflect the light nearly as much unless it has been highly polished. Also, nickel plating is just that, plating and the older shiny finishes will rarely peel off the gun. This is rare but once it starts, the finish is done for. Electroless nickel plating is better as it does not peel the same way but wears off and is usually a duller finish like stainless steel.
It was used to prevent rusting in very humid locations when holsters were made from leather (in the old days). Many southern US police depts. required nickel plated guns because blued guns would rust in a matter of weeks. Florida HP used to issue nickel plated 4`Pythons but this all went away with the adevent of stianless guns (which can still rust but are better than blued or nickel). Some people also like the `pimpy` look of nickel.
It was used to prevent rusting in very humid locations when holsters were made from leather (in the old days). Many southern US police depts. required nickel plated guns because blued guns would rust in a matter of weeks. Florida HP used to issue nickel plated 4`Pythons but this all went away with the adevent of stianless guns (which can still rust but are better than blued or nickel). Some people also like the `pimpy` look of nickel.
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NAA said:T'ain't nuthin' quite finer to a southern Sheriff than a nickel pistol with ivory or pearly stocks on it...
Gotta be ivory.
"Only a New Orleans pimp would carry a nickel plated gun with pearl grips!"
Gen. George S. Patton said after a reporter asked him about his pearl grips which were actually ivory.
Well, a while being 100 years or so if taken care of. Yes, nickle can peel, (and blueing can rust, so it goes). It was the original hard wearing, rust resistant surface, which is what it was prized for originally, not the "oooh, shiney" factor. It is reasonably durable, although the quality of the plating depnds very, very much on the surface prep and technique. As for the 27 being the "best" S&W revolver, well, that was certainly true before WW2. Now days not so much. Post war quality slipped a little, and the 70's and then the 80's weren't kind to quality in most American manufactured firearms. I have seen quite a few nickled S&W's (including a fair number of 27's), and currently own only one, a 4" 29. FWIW - dan
- Location
- Tucson, Arizona
Ya reely need a set of pearl grips to go with that. Remember Patton's comment?
Patton was a squeeky voiced closet queen. - dan
- danproperly done( factory or electroless) you'll get at least 25 years before it even starts to show any signs of peel- mine's a 1911a1 series 70 circa about 1980 ( one of the last ones i beleive) in nickel and there's no sign of peel yet
A few years ago I was going to buy a number of revolvers off a guy in town. His brother died and he was selling off his guns. Advertised the guns as stainless steel. They were nickel plated. The problem was they were not nickel from the factory. The original owner had them plated by a friend of his. I think the bore was even plated. The original owner never shot any of these guns so it didn't matter if the shooting ability was effected.
If you are really interested, make sure they were plated by someone competent. Hopefully the factory.
If you are really interested, make sure they were plated by someone competent. Hopefully the factory.
I am waiting for it comes. It is NIB and nickel plated from the factory. It comes with a presentation wood box as well. It looks so nice and I can not control myself for not buying it, even I have two 27-2s already. I have not seen many nickle S&W in Canada.
I just looked at the pic of the 27 in question, a very nice revolver indeed. - dan
