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Nickle Finish

grandpaw
I have a Colt MK V that is nickle plated. When you open the cylinder you can see a copper color on the front chambers. I also have a couple of flaking spots above the trigger guard.You can notice these places quite a bit. Should I have this refinished to prevent any further damage? Also who would you send your gun to to do this work?
Thanks,
grandpaw
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Comments

6 comments

Date Votes
  • grandpaw
    Can nickle finish be removed semi easily so a gun can be blued?
    There is a smith 357 that looks great exept for the nickle finish.

    Larry
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  • nmyers
    Sounds like a poor quality aftermarket plating job.

    Unfortunately, the places I used to recommend for this type work are no longer in business. It's probably because not enough folks were willing to pay the $300-400 that quality plating often costs.

    If you had a Python, it might be worth restoration. A MK V, I'd use it as is, & just give it the usual cleaning & oiling.

    Neal
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  • COLT
    ...Might possibly be a ColtGaurd/Satin Nick finish, the color would be kinda "gold" looking, not a shiney/matte looking finish? Copper was the base metal for that finish...along w/other finishes too...never heard of ColtGaurd flaking(?) though, just disscoloration/darkening badly.

    ...IF, you just want to put the money into it, check with Chris Peters here, Metaloy, used them many times and they are good.
    Metaloy offers a Matte Hard Chrome finish that is excellent, and hard chrome is one of the most durable of all finishes too.

    IF you re-do it, now's your chance for several types of finishes, if you want blue, and it's not an SS/Alum frame gun, Chris can turn you onto a top notch Co. that does blue also; both do quality work at fair prices with a good turn around time; of course the "time" depends on thier work load and they are always busy but, for the quality/service, the time is short by industry standards...IF you can find a Co. that is decent and will take the job.

    ...The Government along with greenie whackos are making it tough for plating Co's because of all the chemicals they use, even selling the property where a plating Co. was located is costly because of the Govt. required clean up...[;)]

    METALOY: http://www.originalmetaloy.com/

    ani-texas-flag-2.gif
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  • Bill DeShivs
    Colt did not use a copper underplate on it's nickeled guns.
    A copper underplate is not necessary when plating nickel on steel.
    Colt and S&W plated nickel directly to steel.
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  • socks
    Interesting, Bill. If not copper, what did they use?
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  • Hawk Carse
    Saw a factory nickel Colt S70 here that a doofus laid on a buffing wheel. The side of the slide was kind of a pink color as he started cutting through the nickel to the copper strike. I think Colt electroplated guns have a copper strike, the electroless guns don't.
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