Nickel or Blue?

[carguychris]

Bumper plating shops still use nickel? Would have thought chrome.

What's a bumper plating shop? How would one apply nickel OR chrome plating to flexible plastic?

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Bumpers are plastic now, Bob!
The old bumper plating shops used copper under nickel under chrome.
Copper underplating CAN be used on guns, but it's not necessary. It's a common misconception, often repeated.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

BTW- plastic CAN be plated. It's not a good idea to plate flexible plastic, though!

 

[Anchor44]

When S&W does a factory renickle job, their practice is to stamp R-N and a date under the grip panel. My model 27 was built in 1969, renickled in 1975. Under the grip panel is stamped R-N 12/75.
They did a beautiful job, looks like it wasbuilt last week.