Re-Finishing Question

**cruzans** · August 25th, 2012, 12:01 PM

I am looking at an older Colt but had a question on re-finishing it. The pistol appears to have been a Nickel gun ( might also have been Nickel over Blue? ) and then has a Hard Chrome finish over that and is chipping away. Can a qualified gunsmith re-finish this in any finish ( blue, nickel, etc. ). If the gun was originally nickel, can it be re-done now in blue? If I do buy it, I'm not sure if I want to go with nickel or blue - just curious what can be done.

**aubie515** · August 26th, 2012, 12:26 PM

I doubt it has Nickel and hard chrome...if you are looking for best finish...look no further than hard chroming.

I don't know if you can refinish over something like Nickel since it's a bonding process.

**cruzans** · August 26th, 2012, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by aubie515

I doubt it has Nickel and hard chrome...if you are looking for best finish...look no further than hard chroming.

I don't know if you can refinish over something like Nickel since it's a bonding process.

Thanks - I didn't know what could and couldn't be done. According to the seller, the guns hard chrome is flaking and chipping away revealing a nickel finish beneath ?? Maybe that's whey the hard chrome didn't take - it was over nickel ??

**edritchey** · August 26th, 2012, 07:46 PM

Are you sure it's not the nickel finish coming off and your looking at the white ((bare) metal underneath the original nickel...?

**Xringshooter** · August 27th, 2012, 09:38 PM

A nickel or hard chrome finish can be stripped off (this would be the best way to start) and then you can get it refinished in whatever you want; nickel, blue, hard chrome, Cerakote, Duracoat, etc. They strip the nickel or hard chrome off in a reverse process of that used when doing a plating job. It will strip it to bare metal and then you decide what to put on.

**knight0334** · September 5th, 2012, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by cruzans

Thanks - I didn't know what could and couldn't be done. According to the seller, the guns hard chrome is flaking and chipping away revealing a nickel finish beneath ?? Maybe that's whey the hard chrome didn't take - it was over nickel ??

Decorative chroming is usually over a nickel plating. Which in older guns, the gun was first nickel plated, then the chrome was plated on top of that. If you look at some older guns, or even car parts, at the seams, bends, or joints you will often see a discoloration or duller finish - that is the nickel base plate for the decorative chrome to adhere to.

Hard chrome typically doesn't use a nickel plating.