The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

It seems to have been a while since this question was last asked, so...
Has anyone had a gun nickel plated and are they able to recommend anyone to do it?
I've an old Colt 1873 that I'd like plated. Currently it's Sec.58 and off ticket so it would be a lot easier to do it now then after the rules change and it goes on FAC.

You can get very good results with electroless nickel plating kits such as those sold by Caswell. The trick is preparation prior to the plating process.

Won't refinishing an original Colt 1873 ruin its value? I once read of someone with a Colt 1873 that was in a very rare calibre that was on the obsolete list. However, they unfortunately got it deactivated and turned a £25,000 pistol into a £1,000 pistol.
Regards
Peter.

PeterN wrote:Won't refinishing an original Colt 1873 ruin its value? I once read of someone with a Colt 1873 that was in a very rare calibre that was on the obsolete list. However, they unfortunately got it deactivated and turned a £25,000 pistol into a £1,000 pistol.
Regards
Peter.

Possibly. it depends what someone is after - original but tatty looking gun or do they want a nice looking functional piece. The gun itself doesn't have any rare or special provenance amongst Colts so I don't feel I'm destroying a particular piece of history.
And I don't have any intention of selling it anyway, I'm going to keep it and enjoy it

As you say, people want different things. I would have the tatty looking original finish gun with its history rather than one that has been done up to look nice. But that is just me. Once it is done up, the originality has gone along with some of its value. I hope you have researched the revolver. I have looked and some of these go for some thousands of dollars in original condition. What calibre is it in?
Regards
Peter.
https://www.collectorsfirearms.com/126- ... generation

As David says, the secret to a good refinish is in the preparation. If you want it done commercially the chances are they will want you to prepare it which means polishing out all imperfections to try and get a glass-like finish. Any pitting left will show more once it is nickelled. Polish too much and you may remove some of the markings. I'm assuming the gun is a .41? If it's a 7½" barrel leave it alone as it's a quite rare piece - the other two not so. There were around sixteen and a half thousand of this calibre, the fifth most popular in the gun's production. Regardless of who does it, you are unlikely to get as good a finish as the factory, unless you are lucky. Enjoy it as it is - its condition is part of its history, which a refinish will destroy. Just my opinion but as a Colt fanatic I hate to see history lost forever. This is how I like to see Colts. The gun is not mine by the way but belongs to a friend.

Redcat

It's a .41 with a 4.75" barrel from 1912.
Unfortunately when compared to its companions on the shelf it rather lets them down.
Pics of the Colt in questions & the ones it sits with.

I'd pick the SAA every time from that group and I disagree that it lets the others down. The SAA was a working gun and as such was likely carried every day of its early life. Many lawmen still carried such a piece well into the twentieth century, and the copper and silver mines in Arizona may still have been buying them in 1912. While the date might not make it worthwhile to get a Colt letter (they were $100 many years ago) a refinish will certainly destroy any provenance that the pistol may have. Look upon those guns as pieces of history, of which you are merely the present curator. Somewhere down the line a future owner may check out the SAA and find it has an interesting story to tell, only to be told that your re-nickel has taken the shine off that story (pardon the pun). If you want a nice shiny single action go buy a Uberti
The Thunderer looks nice - is that original nickel and are those ivory grips? I had a blue one many years ago with 4¾" SAA. Neither had much finish left but I loved them for what they were. Never did get around to buying a Bisley.

Redcat

I am an "outsider" and know very very little about those. However, if I had to chose one without knowing history or value, then maybe I would go for the centre one as it shows it was used on a regular basis and has "had a life".

The Lightning and the S&W look stunning... but a SAA in its original clothes! Really nice. I’d be tempted to leave it as I don’t think you’d come close to a decent nickel refinish job in the U.K.