Show Me Some NICKLE!

[krs]

I've got a 1969 Colt National Match ( #33313 ; pre Gold Cup) with a really pretty awful blue finish, or I guess it could be called the remnants of the original blueing. The slide has been cold blued and is mottled and faded as that stuff will do.

So I bought it thinking that for the price I'd send it to Ford's and have it reblued. It's in pretty good shape overall.

But I've seen some nice looking nickle plated 1911's (CockedandLocked - get in here!) and started to think about how it'd be to have ane that way. Ford's price is about the same either way.

I'm hung up with the idea and doing nothing because of being hesitant. I need some inspiration!!

 

[Guy de Loimbard]

Not a Colt, but it is nickle plated. Personally I think nickle plated 1911's look better than stainless, the high gloss seems to have a certain warmth about it. YMMV.

BTW that's not me, it's a friends g/f. No asking for phone #'s!

 

[krs]

Yes, I like those RIA nickled models but haven't seen them available anywhere.

I agree with you Guy, about nickle as opposed to the high polish stainless. Still, I've nearly pulled the trigger on the Colt Custom model in .38 Super a half dozen times - every time Bud's has one in stock at their $954. price.

This is what I'm talking about and I think everyone would agree that it needs help:

 

[geronimo509]

how about this Colt MK IV series 80 General officers model. 3.5 inch officers barrel and a full size/regular grip. A weird combo but I like it. I have ivory grips for it but they are not on, I also have custom grips that you can see in this thread(but beware because they have offensive writing on them)http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=417286 I have a picture that I can't find, but you can see me smiling in the reflection of the gun.

I think colt calls this a bright stainless steel or high polish stainless steel, but it i can't tell the difference from a nickle. Sometimes I call it a nickel plated gun. I don't what it is officially called.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

[/IMG]A nickle S&W Model 24, and my wife's Colt .38 Super with burgundy pearl grips. Colt's polished stainless is just as nice as polished nickle on this gun.

[/IMG]

 

[Delaware_Dan]

Satin

 

[Duke of Doubt]

"Nickle" is a computer programming language:

http://nickle.org/

"Nickel" is a chemical element:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel

Now here are some beautiful nickel-plated Colts:

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...plated+Colt&gbv=2&ndsp=20&hl=en&sa=N&start=20

 

[Guy de Loimbard]

Wow, the polished stainless looks beautiful on those. I'm too used to seeing matte stainless, even some that look kind of rough.

I haven't seen another Rock Island in a gun shop, so I know what you mean about availability. I found mine on Gunbroker. Last summer when I bought mine there were a lot of them on there, it looks like even now there are a few but they're all .45ACP this time around.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

I'm using nickle instead of nickel, as both have been and are used in the English language, way before computers.

 

[[email protected]]

 

[trane fan]

This old S&W I-Frame in .32 cal belonged to my Grandmother. When I was young I thought it was the most beautiful gun in the world and pretty much still do simply because it was her's. Instead of cartridges she said "catridges" like John Wayne's character Ethan in The Searchers. She was born in 1898 and was 98 1/2 when she died. It's been 12 years and I still miss her dearly.

 

[pogo2]

Colt and Sig, electroless nickel

I have two guns with factory electroless nickel, and they both look pretty good. The first one below is a Series 70 Colt Gold Cup, and the second one is a Sig P226 which dates to about 1991.

 

[rklessdriver]

Colt Series 70 in electroless nickel. The finish held up well to 25+yrs of abuse by it's former owner (looks like it spent it's life under the seat of a truck). Good thing that neglect didn't affect how it shoots.



Will

 

[SaxonPig]

I don't have a nickel plated 1911 (wish I did) and I only have 2 Colt revolvers in original nickel (wish I had more).

A Police Positive Special.



And a 4" python (flanked by a Blues Brother... I just came up with that).

 

[woad_yurt]

You wanted to see some nickle?

"Upon my word, truly, 'tis one!"



Note: The swiped picture above is not being used for personal or financial gain.

 

[Gixerman1000]

8" Python


Model 36 Chiefs special

 

[earlthegoat2]

Electroless nickel.

 

[krs]

Saxon Pig,

It's a treat and a preview to see your nickeled Police Positive Special as there's one much like it on the Fedex truck for delivery to me today. I bought it from a member here and it was a presentation to a New Jersey police official at some time, according to it's owner. The owner says that he's never fired it and it appears to be mint in photos. It's wearing unchipped original hard plastic grips though, the type with the fluordelay (I know -sp) and checkered embossment.I have it's blued twin already - have owned it, in it's box and as new for about twenty years so the two of them should make for a nice set.

As for the Colt NM I show above - it's boxed up and will be picked up by UPS this afternoon for it's trip to Ford's to be bright nickel plated.

If anyone is considering such a venture as this Ford's is currently running a "Ford's Stimulus Package" special that gives a $40. discount on any refinishing job. http://www.fordsguns.com/

 

[robsc]

This nickel is 26 inches diameter.

http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq296/southerngent0012/Picture137.jpg

 

[krs]

That's Bull, Rob.

 

[SCKimberFan]

 

[greenjeans]

Bad picture, but 1975 Colt Cobra. It doesn't get out much. Others to carry.

 

[TJHell]

IMHO--nickle 1911's look alittle flashy, I wouldn't want one, but to eaches one.

 

[paul45]

I guess I would send it to Colt for a re-blue, possibly Royal Blue, keeping the work order. For me only, I would be concerned of severely lessening the value of that National Match, so would keep it in the original finish re-done by Colt.

Here's a pic of a Royal Blue Colt....



while I'm at it, here are a couple nickle Colts....

 

[krs]

I know Paul, but it's my gun and I have a better one from 1962 for originality in this one:

As well as about all the Royal blue a person could ask for in this one:



Aside that, if you look close at the subject pistol you'll see that a previous owner (s) altered the front sight, blued the hammer, and probably refinished the gun more than once. The guy I bought it from told me that he had used it as his carry gun and apologized for the condition. So I don't think it could ever be satisfactorily original again, and of all 25 of my 1911 pistols not a one is nickelplated. I do have three stainless pistols but stainless isn't the same.

Besides having it plated it'll be somewhat unique and I'll have about 2/3 the price of a new custom bright stainless government model in it total.


It gets kind of boring keeping guns original, and it gets me thinking about my old friend who, when we'd run into someone who still had the plastic covers on their car seats would say "Nice of you to keep it so good for the next guy!".