chrome revolvers need help

[esmith]

What would be the best chemical to take minor pitting and rust off of a few small chrome/nickel plated revolvers. These are from the 1910-1920s by the way. I was thinking regular graphite penetrant would do fine since i have used that on my other gun however not on any that are chrome.

 

[dfariswheel]

There's no way to get the rust and pitting off.

The rust is also UNDER the plating, and the pitting is actually tiny holes into the metal.
This is the downside to bright nickel and chrome: Once it starts to rust there's nothing you can do but refinish.

What you can do to slow the problem is to coat the metal with a good rust preventing lube like CLP Breakfree.
High grade penetrating fluids like Kroil may actually work their way under the plating and lift it off, so don't use them.

 

[bannockburn]

You might want to try using Flitz which is a German made metal polish and cleaner. I have found it to be great on not only nickel plated guns, but blued and stainless ones as well. It will not remove any plating, or bluing for that matter, is non-abrasive, and leaves a layer of corrosion protection on the gun. Whatever you do, DO NOT use something like Hoppes or any kind of copper removing solvent. What will happen is that the solvent will dissolve the copper plating which is the base over which the chrome or nickel plating is applied. The result will be that the plating will literally peal or flake off the gun within a very short period of time.

 

[Rexster]

Simichrome first choice, Flitz second choice.