Cleaning a Nickel Plated 70s Colt Python

C

cjsoccer3

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Is Balistol a no-go? I know Hoppes #9 is a no. I have renaissance wax, but is that just for the outside? Maybe Balistol in the barrel and chambers and renwax on the outside? I took the gun to the range and shot it for a change.

Thanks
 
Proper cleaning with Hoppe's #9 will not hurt your nickel plating.
Don't soak the gun in it, and it will be just fine. Clean the bore and chambers, run a dry patch through them, wipe any Hoppe's off the finish, oil the gun, and go about your business.
 
Ballistol is what I've used on all my Nickle guns for years.

It's got no ammonia in it at all.

I emailed Hoppe's once and asked about #9.
They told me to avoid using it on anything with solder or nickle.

I have an old M2 machine gun oiler can. It's an olive drab painted can with a really neat brass cap & spout.
I wanted to stick a #9 label on it so I wrote Hoppe's for a label.

They sent me a couple of labels & warned me not to fill the can with #9 because it would attack the solder joints.
They also said, in the same email response, to avoid using it on Nickle plated guns.


Proper cleaning with Hoppe's #9 will not hurt your nickel plating.
Don't soak the gun in it
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Somewhat true - but - why risk it when Ballistol works just fine?
 
Nickel is very similar to copper chemically so any cleaner or lube that attacks copper will likely attack nickel !
 
The label on the bottle of Hoppe's #9 sitting right next to me states "do not soak nickel plated firearms in No. 9. Wipe nickel surfaces dry after cleaning".
Doesn't say not to use it. I do, but if you don't understand how to properly clean a gun you should probably avoid using it.

Jim
 
I dont use #9 on my nickel guns, just dont want to take the chance. I use CLP on them instead and have had no problems with it.
 
I have two nickel-plated guns, and have used Hoppe's on the bores, and the revolver chambers, but try to not get any on exterior.
My current cleaner of choice is Strike Hold CLP, and it has worked well on exterior surfaces.
 
Nickel is very similar to copper chemically so any cleaner or lube that attacks copper will likely attack nickel !
Click to expand...

Not quite.

Any cleaning solvent that contains ammonia will attack copper. Nickel plated guns have a thin layer of copper plating under the nickel. Copper binds to steel, nickel not so much. So a solution that contains ammonia can attack the copper plating under the nickel, which can cause the nickle to flake off.

M-Pro 7 claims it will not attack nickel.

http://www.mpro7.com/will-m-pro7-attack-nickel-plating.html


Regarding Ballistol: I use it all the time with Black Powder, but there are much better cleaning solutions for Smokeless powder. I did a side by side test on a 1911 a bunch of years ago. It took far more elbow grease to clean the 1911 with Ballistol than it did with Hoppe's #9. Ballistol is not a very effective solvent for smokeless powder.

Suggest you try the M-Pro 7.
 
Nickel is a ferrous metal. Copper isn't. They are nothing alike chemically.
Most nickel plated guns don't have an under layer of copper anyway.

As far as "risking it," there is no risk if you just clean the gun, and wipe it down like you are supposed to.

I do quite a bit of nickel plating, and stripping nickel.
Chemically stripping nickel plating takes quite a while-even with chemicals designed to do it.
 
There is risk if you get pulled into doing something else like having to go out to help the wife in the garden and you are in the middle of cleaning the gun, with an ammonia free product you dont have to worry at all.
 
I have another question. I bought a stainless gun that looks like it's actually nickel. It gets filthy and scummy and never looks clean. Any great suggestion s to keep it clean and resist gunking up?
 
Nickel is a ferrous metal.
Click to expand...

A ferrous metal contains significant amounts of iron.

Nickle does not contain iron.

Nickle does classify as ferromagnetic, but it is not a ferrous metal, per se.
 
I think its great when the keyboard commandos start telling and disputing facts with someone that make their living working with metals and plating metals. Great stuff, sit back and grab the popcorn
 
OK. Dumb question. Aren't nickels made of nickel? A magnet won't stick to a nickel.
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No, mostly copper. Pure Nickel (elemental), is slightly magnetic. But in the instance of a nickel coin, likely too much copper content to demonstrate any magnetism.
 
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