Nickel finish
I have noticed that nickel plated new guns are more than blued, but used guns nickel plated seem to be cheaper and don't get as many bidders as blued,is it because nickel is harder to refinish than to reblue if needed?
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I was told that the government changed the way the old nickel plating was applied and bonded due to "environmental concerns", so the "new" process is much more prone to peeling and flaking. Even Hoppes #9 will remove the nickel plating on new guns. 0 -
I don't know that's necessarily so. I see nickel plated Smiths & Colts selling for more than the same guns with blue finish. On many of these models, fewer nickel guns were made & those in prime condition are quite collectible. 
The government's concern about plating is what happens to the byproducts of the plating process. Platers used to dump their waste on the ground or in waterways, resulting in pollution that is difficult to clean up. Chromium is toxic & lasts for millions of years.
Neal0 -
One reason is that excellent nickel plating is attractive looking, but worn nickel looks a lot worse than worn blue.
And nickel is more expensive to refinish or to change to another finish, most shops charge extra for nickel stripping before refinish.0 -
I agree with nmyers, for collectible S&Ws and Colts, nickeled guns are at least the same value as blue and as he says, since they were often fewer of them produced than the same model in blue, they can be more valuable. Interest in nickeled guns was originally driven by the nickel finish being less subject to rust. Back in the '50s and '60s folks who carried a lot in warm climates wanted nickel. That's one of the reasons that many fine blue S&Ws and Colts were nickeled. That improved the "carryability" of those guns for their owners but ruined the "collectability" for the rest of us. With stainless steel becoming available in the '60s the demand to renickel guns was reduced, along I suspect, with the interest in new guns with nickel finish. 0 -
Environmental laws have changed, but no laws have changed specifically related to nickel plating guns.
Modern nickel plating is as durable, if not more so, as old processes.
Hoppe's #9 will not harm nickel if used properly.
Nickel is a very durable finish-much more durable than bluing. The nickel plating process does not use chromium.0 -
quote:Originally posted by nmyers
I don't know that's necessarily so. I see nickel plated Smiths & Colts selling for more than the same guns with blue finish. On many of these models, fewer nickel guns were made & those in prime condition are quite collectible.
The government's concern about plating is what happens to the byproducts of the plating process. Platers used to dump their waste on the ground or in waterways, resulting in pollution that is difficult to clean up. Chromium is toxic & lasts for millions of years.
Neal
You're right. Some nickeled finished firearms might even be considerably more spendy, while, for example, a nickeled plated Colt Derringer will commonly bring less than their blued counterpart.0 -
FWIW, my experience has been that used nickel-finish Smith revolvers invariably cost MORE than similar-condition ones with a blued finish.
I have to believe this is because the nickel-plated guns are scarcer (and therefore more desirable from a collector's standpoint).
I'm also pretty sure that new nickel finish guns ALWAYS cost more than new blued steel guns. . .nickel plating being a more expensive process than hot bluing.
In terms of maintenance, nickel is more rust-resistant than a blued finish, with a good electroless nickel being particularly corrosion resistant, but if the nickel goes bad, refinishing it is more complicated.0
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