S&W revolvers in nickel finish-Question about quality

D

DARTH 44

New member
Following the advice of Mal H I start this thread with the
following question:
Rumor has it the nickel finish on S&W 19s,25s,27s and 29s
was of rather lousy quality,chipping,flaking etc.
What`s your opinion about this rumor,TRUTH OR BS?

I know there were more nickeled models in the history of S&W,
but I`m specific on the four above.

Thanks

P.S I know about nickeled Colt SAAs,actually when was the process of nickel plating first used on a handgun??
What type/model of handgun it was?What year?
 
An old timey tale from many years ago told the story of
"perfect firearms" with regards to fit and finish. It went
something like this; "blued Smith & Wesson's had to be
perfect; and the handguns that were not perfect were
covered with a thin layer of copper, and the nickel finish
was applied". I forget where I got that information, but
when you stop and think about it; it does make a lot of
sense. Just cover up the imperfection's of finish, and let
'em go!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
I've seen many old, well-used S&Ws with pristine nickle finishes.

I've seen others with virtually NO use behind them with the nickle finishes just sheeting off.

I've seen many new, well-used S&Ws with pristine nickle finishes, and others, not so used, that are dropping serious flakes.

There's a LOT that can cause a nickle finish to fail early.

Bad surface prep.

Bad copper under coat.

Bad nickle over coat.

Oil contamination of one of the coats.

Variations in plating chemicals.

Microscopic "pores" in the nickle overcoat, allowing the copper underlay to oxidize.

Scratchs that penetrate the nickle plating.

Over time, simply shooting the gun, heating up the steel, the copper layer, and the nickle layer, can cause problems, because all three expand at different rates. If it goes on long enough, the nickle, copper, and steel layers can actually separate, causing bubbles in the finish with flaking not far behind.

Nickle plating is a good, relatively durable finish.

But if you're looking at purchasing a nickle plated handgun, you have to examine it VERY carefully.

And if you really want a shiny Smith & Wesson, I'd even suggest considering a stainless steel one instead of nickle plated.
 
my 2nd smith was a nickled 8.375" m29 that i was able to get for retail at the height of the "dirty harry" craze.

the finish was perfect then and also when i sold it for an obscene amount (actually got 2 guns for it)

i was told, by my gunsmith, that the finish on nickled guns had to be flawless as the bright finish would show every surface flaw. he also warned me not to use hoppe's #9 to clean it as it would take the finish off if it sat long...after all, that is what hoppe's does
 
My model 10 is nickel and was made in the early 70's. It's finish is perfect. I don't know about the newer guns.
 
I have two S&W guns with nickel finishes and both look as nice as the day I got them. The first is a 586 purchased around 1986 and the other is a 37 airweight purchased around 1990. The 586 is just for fun paper punching but I have carried the 37 quite a bit in Uncle Mike's pocket and IWB holsters and none of the finish has even begun to wear off at all. I'm actually going to retire it this year and get a new 642 for pocket carry.:D
 
Smith&Wesson was applying nicklel finish as an option to there pocket rrevolvers in the 1860s and to their .44s in the late 1860s and eraly 1870s. I think that Colt offered nickel finish as an option on their hand guns as an option at the same times.:cool:
 
I've got a nickel finish on one of my 25-5's and it is wonderful, I shoot the gun alot and have yet to see any of the afore mentioned problems with flaking.
 

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I love the shiny guns. In my experience Colt nickel is a bit flashier than is S&W. But there are exceptions. Most of my S&W nickeled revolvers are rather flat looking, but I do have a shiny M27 that looks like a mirror.

When nickel goes bad it looks much worse than worn blue. Bluing wears through while nickel chips off.
 
When nickel goes bad it looks much worse than worn blue.
Click to expand...
Agree with Saxon Pig.
5 percent of blueing worn off is honest holster wear.
5 percent of nickel gone is an embarrassment to the owner. And ugly.

sam
 
Some of the earliest Smith & Wesson revolvers weren't nickle plated.

They were brass frames with silver plating!

After about 1870, nickle plating wasn't an optional finish, it was the STANDARD finish. You had to special order a blued gun.
 
I own about a dozen nickel Smiths and have no complaints about the finish, though I do think that Colt's nickel tended to be a bit nicer due to better polishing. One of the guns is a second-hand Model 12, whose nickel had stood up rather well to abuse (scuffs and dings) before I bought it. I shipped it to S&W, which renickeled it as good as new.

Once I saw nickel peeling off a brand-new Model 13. This was a factory goof and is not common, in my experience.

My nickel 38 tarnished from occasional contact with a leather pocket holster. I've never been able to get the finish to look right since (Flitz just scratches it--really). Of course, the lesson is that damaged nickel looks worse than damaged blue.
 
Thanks for all these interesting replies.

Blackhorse,this is a very COOL looking duo!

Looking at what`s available today,would you agree that
NP3 is THE ULTIMATE nickel finish?
Can it be applied to alloy frames?
 
You guys check me if I'm wrong but I believe that the more recent (don't know what year) nickled Smiths have an electroless nickle plating which, as I understand, does not have a copper undercoat. When electroless began I don't know, but if true it should be more resistant to things like Hoppe's No. 9, right?
 
Laz,

Electroless nickle started to gain prominence in the gun world in the 1970s, I believe.

I don't know when, or if, S&W started using the process, but I don't think S&W produces too many nickled guns these days.

One big advantage to electroless nickle is that it doesn't generate nearly the amount of highly toxic waste.
 
Mike, thanks for that info. Recently I found a real good deal on one of the PC Model 15s, 4 inch barrel, nickle finish. I would have preferred the blue but the blue was not the bargain so I got nickle. My dealer also has a nickled PC Model 29 in his case, NOT at a bargain price. I also found an older, like new, Model 10-5 with a perfect nickle finish. I've not been a big fan of nickel but really like both of these revolvers.
 
laz - i hadn't heard that, but it has been a long time since i've seen a nickled smith...most seem to be stainless or blued

might you be thinking of the flash chrome they are applying to their triggers and hammers on stainless guns?
 
9mmephiphany - No, there was a recent run of performance center pseudo-reproductions of older Smiths and some of them were offered in nickle. My 15 is a model 15-8, four inch nickle. The other is an older but virtually new 10-5 (late 60's, 70's??) which is also nickle. I once had a 442 in nickle and seem to remember that one was for sure electroless nickle but could be wrong about that. The Model 29 in nickle that my dealer has is, I have to admit, really purty. It has, I'm guessing, a 6.5 inch or so barrel, maybe 7.5, half-lug, wooden grips, etc. These are "modern" guns with frame mounted firing pins, round-butts, etc. but they are very nicely put together and are etched with the performance center logo. They even had a small number of blued skinny-barrelled model 10s with the round but, etc. but by the time I found out about them they were gone...so sad. Nope, they're nickle, not flash-chromed.
 
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