[cpirtle]

I have an old 10-5 snub nose from the late 60's that is functionally perfect but the finish is pretty rough. I've also always wanted to try out a hard chrome finish on a revolver so I'm thinking this may be a good candidate.

Has anyone had a hard chrome job done on an old revolver? Would love to see some pictures or hear opinions (one way or another).

FWIW, I don't really care about the collector value and I know I would most likely never get my money out of the work. This gun is a shooter.

Thanks!

[dfariswheel]

Hard chrome works VERY well on revolvers.
It has all the same benefits as autos with hard chrome.

Depending on who does the job, you can get a final appearance ranging from the original "orange peel" Satin Pearl-Gray, to a stainless steel look, to a bright nickel look.

One or two processors will even hard chrome the bore and chambers.
Most processors will also do masking, so you can keep the front sight black.
As in autos, the hard chrome makes the gun MUCH easier to clean since fouling won't stick to the "Slick" chrome.

I had a good number of guns processed years ago, and I had several of my personal revolvers done, including a Detective Special and a Python.

[cpirtle]

Thanks for the info. After posting this I did some more research and think I'm going to send it off to Mahovsky tomorrow for his Metalife treatment.

I'm probably going to go with the satin finish, I've always liked that look on HC'd semi auto's.

[Confederate]

Who does a good hard chrome for a GOOD (read, cheap) price? I've got a Beretta 70S I'd love to have hard chromed. I just don't want to spend more than the gun's worth.

[dfariswheel]

Like the options offered, each plater has different pricing.

Here's the top platers, do some reading on options and pricing:

http://www.originalmetaloy.com/

http://www.fordsguns.com/

http://www.apwcogan.com/Greetings.htm

http://www.trippresearch.com/

http://www.techplate.com/firearms_pl.htm

http://www.mahovskysmetalife.com/

http://www.armoloyftworth.com/Armoloy_WebDevelopment/Web_Pages/Firearms_Applications.htm

[Moonclip]

Can anyone think of a revolver from the factory with a hard chrome finish?

[sparkyguy]

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd206/sparkyguy/swm36.jpg
I didn't have it done, I bought it this way so I don't know who did the work.
S&W mdl 36 no-dash flat-latch circa 1964. They also had it converted from square butt to round. I added the grips I got from ebay. Unfortunately, my wife took a shining to it and it is now "hers". :fire:

[gb6491]

Can anyone think of a revolver from the factory with a hard chrome finish?
You could get a hard chrome Detective Special from Colt (in the mid 90's).
Regards,
Greg

[Old Fuff]

Traditional nickel-plated finishes consisted of a layer of copper, followed by nickel, and sometimes chrome. The three layers together could result in enough buildup to effect the gun’s operation. For that reason manufacturers would adjust the dimensions of parts that would be plated, and didn’t simply plate what was intended to be a blued gun. This is why you sometimes read or hear a warning not to plate a blued gun.

However, electroless chrome (aka as “hard chrome”) is a single layer, and the build-up doesn’t normally affect a guns tolerances.

So when it comes to plating, all you have to know is the potential effects of the particular kind you have in mind, and usually whoever is doing the job can explain the details. :)

[cpirtle]

Well, I just shipped my S&W 10-5 snub nose off to Ron at Metalife for a satin Metalife finish. Can't wait to get it back.

I picked this little guy up for $250 in 85% worn but excellent functional condition. When finished I'll have just under $400 in it and should be perfect for toting around the property and the occasional concealed carry.

I'm off to order a bronze Tyler T-grip for it..

[snorko]

Hey cpirtle, that sounds familiar.

I picked up, nay rescued, a S&W 10-6 a few weeks ago. It had cheesy plastic "stag" grips and someone had fitted a stainless cylinder and bobbed the hammer (good job though). Finish is OK at 80-85% but I don't like the two tone color. Paid $140 and plan to refinish in some matte type finish and I should have a good woods carry revolver for well under $400.:)

[Oro]

Hey Cpirtle,

I applaud you giving an old gun a new life. I did this 10 years or so ago with a 15-3 I sent to APW. Excellent results.

I would only point out, had I to do over again, I'd have chosen a higher finish - the matte/satin did a great job of providing just enough texture to it's surface to really grab powder residue and tenaciously hold it. Dfariswheel pointed that out in his first response.

If you like your guns "clean" looking (and this is a fetish for some, but not all shooters), have them do it in a more polished HC. Particularly the cylinder face will get black pretty fast and stay that way unless you soak it regularly after shooting in a pan of Hoppes over night.

And this wasn't a hack job I had, it was from APW - one of the very top.

[Confederate]

Wow. The best price by far is:

http://www.mahovskysmetalife.com/