Cleaning and protecting a Shiney Nickel Pistol?

[bloodtrail]

I just bought a 1966 Colt Government .45 and it has the shiney Nickel finish.
What does everyone with nickel plated finishes use to clean and then protect the finish?

 

[BillCA]

1. Avoid any solvents that include ammonia or agents to remove copper fouling. These are hard on nickle finishes.

2. Clean the gun and then wipe down with a soft, absorbent cloth. Old baby diapers are great for this!

3. I had previously used a thin film of oil applied and then lightly wiped down. Others have said that this will "tinge" the nickle brownish over the years. I now use a plain, non-abrasive paste wax (Flitz rifle/gun wax or Johnson's paste wax which is cheaper). Apply, let it haze over and then buff with one of the aforementioned diapers. The carnuba wax will protect the finish without any oil residues.

4. Store your nickle gun with a VCI product, such as the VCI chips (van patten industries) or VCI paper. This will help reduce atmospheric moisture from spotting the gun while it's in the safe.