Nickel plated guns

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

I have always had a preference for nickel plated SAA's.  Probably goes back to my childhood "B" western movie days, watching Roy pull out his nickel plated, 5 & 1/2", stag gripped SAA.  On a more practical note, living here in the sometimes soggy Pacific Northwest, I appreciate the protective properties of a nickel finish (especially around the salt waters of Puget Sound).  Nickel plating was the 19th century's equivalent of stainless steel.  So…  flashy or practical?  What do you think?  Here is a list of the "all US made" USFA's that I have with the nickel finish;

3 & 1/2" Double Eagle with hard rubber grips (satin nickel)
4" ejectorless Sheriff model
4 & 3/4" SAA with factory elephant ivory grips, factory certified to POA
5 & 1/2 SAA with Sambar stag grips from Elenhunting.com (my "Roy Rogers gun")
7 & 1/2" SAA with factory premium walnut grips (the most accurate POA SAA I have ever owned)

In addition to these I have several nickel plated Colts as well but would give up any one of them before I ever let go of one of my USFA's!

Any other aficionados of nickel plated guns out there?  Let us know what you've got and why you like them.

[yahoody]

Nice collection there Captain!  I'm also a big fan of the nickel USFAs.

Just fitted some old ivory to this consecutive pair of Long Hunter .38s.  They also shoot pin point, POA.  Nothing I like better than a SAA that actually shoots where you point it.  These two will both do quarter size groups at 25 yards if I do my part.  Best of all....both guns will do it easily for POA/POI.  These are a recent acquisition but I couldn't be happier.  I always expect that one gun will shoot better than the other from a pair.  History has proven that out time and time again.  So I didn't expect much.  But not these.  For once...they are virtually equals in every way from what I can tell.   I don't own a better "matched" pair.  Better sometimes just to be lucky...good has nothing to do with it

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

Beautiful pair of guns, Yahoody!
When I ordered my Double Eagle I ordered bright nickel.  It was delivered, to my dismay, in matte nickel.  I was disappointed at first but the more I looked at it, the more I came to appreciate the subtle, smooth finish of the "Rodeo II" matte nickel plating.  If nothing else, my Double Eagle is somewhat unique as I have been led to believe (here on this board by Gary Granger) that very few DE's left the factory with this finish. 

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[yahoody]

Yep, not my favorite nickel finish.  But it grows on me.   Thank you for the compliment!

[Galloway]

Nickel plating was the 19th century's equivalent of stainless steel

I've never really agreed with that quote. While i understand it provided some protection, I think it had more to do with aesthetics than anything else. I dont think everyone thought if a gun was to be subjected the elements, nickel was the obvious way to go like we do stainless today. I think it was more of ''I cant wait to show this off in town''. I'd say it was todays equivalent to nickel, otherwise where are all the nickel plated rifles?

[yahoody]

Might agree with your observation of Nickel as something to show off in the past.  And no question it got used both ways as cosmetic appeal and as a protective firearms finish.  I would think think the cosmetic appeal was equal to the protection qualities from what I have read of the time frame.  Things changed quickly for firearms between 1873 and 1911 as an example of that.   

I would think that nickel was most often used in the field on a handgun in the 19th Century because of the effects of weather and the corrosive result of moisture and black powder residue.  It made a huge difference with black powder then and still does even with smokeless today.  Having just cleaned the two guns pictured above last night after 200 rounds loaded with Bullseye powder  a nickel finish does make an obvious difference.  Many small areas on a SAA exposed to powder residue and extensive corrosion if left unattended.  Nickel helps in cleaning.



Even the US Army on occasion issued nickel plated guns in cases where they thought the environment of lack of maintenance would be extreme.  7th Calvary Indian Scouts got a few....and they were  guns Army Officers were known to pilfer or have made up on special order.  Not seen very often in Martial form because the nickel guns cost more to produce.

http://www.rockislandauction.com/viewitem/aid/56/lid/1319

http://www.rockislandauction.com/viewitem/aid/56/lid/3265

Or often as not refininished in nickel when sold to avoid confusion with the US owned property.  No question it added some eye appeal as well when matched up to ivory or pearl.

http://www.rockislandauction.com/viewitem/aid/59/lid/3177

Hand guns (or long guns for that matter) for the most part were tools originally.  No doubt some liked just how flashy a nickel gun might be.  But others realized just how "flashy" might be quite dangerous in the wrong place.  And no question as you might have suggested early nickel guns were used to entice new sells.

Here in one in that category:

http://jamesdjulia.com/item/1049-386/

Another point worth mentioning, more than one old gunman talked about how much easier it was to pick up the nickel front sight in a smoke filled room.

Rifles simply didn't take the physical abuse a handgun did and were much easier to clean the Black Power residue from.
 

[Galloway]

Great post Yahoody, one of the attributes to nickel I wish was better known, is that plated sights come into their own before and after sunset. Often when game is most active.

[yahoody]

Nice shot on that Jack, Senor Galloway!

I like to search out and the old read accounts of  the gunmen 1875 to 1920s or so.   Stories of missing 5 times in a row across a poker table come to mind.  Now that takes some skill and likely too much of "who hit john"    But if you are in a tight space, stuffy air, lit up by kerosene lanterns,  the residue of just one 45 Colt BP load in the air things would get awful dim.  It is literally the "fog of war".  Make it five and it is lights out!

Nickel front sights ..barrel and frame would make actually hitting anything in that environment a might easier. 

Some a nickel gun the first "high visibility", "night sights" I suspect 

Down side is they aren't easy to shoot accurately in day light hours and bright sun.

[Galloway]

Down side is they aren't easy to shoot accurately in day light hours and bright sun.

Boy you got that right right! They darn near require a different sight picture for every degree of 360. And if the targets straight toward the sun, shoot from the hip! lol

[yahoody]

Sure makes a guy think about cutting that front post square doesn't it?    I've done that to my wife's 32-20s.  Sights were way to high to actually shoot point of aim.  And they are "in the white" almost nothing like the issues a bright nickel gun has.   Drives me crazy shooting groups.

[yahoody]

There are a few guys that will compete with a nickel gun.  But generally they recut, serrate and blacken the leading edge of the front sight.

This pair won a number of SASS world championships a while back.....note they are blue



Take a look at the front sight....

[yahoody]

Marshal Harland Wolffe seems to do OK with nickel guns   Same guy that smithed the blued guns shown above.
No clue what he has done with the sights on his guns.  At that level my guess would be cut, serrated and black.







http://www.onsp.us/Profiles/5019.html

[LonesomePigeon]

I think a person or soldier would be much more likely to need to use a rifle from cover than a pistol. By the time you need to use a pistol the enemy probably already knows where you are so shiny reflections giving away  your position is not as much of an issue.

 

[yahoody]

Target indicators for the last several thousand years: shine, shadow and movement. 
Kinda the basics  for hunting.