Show Me Some NICKLE!

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!!

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.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/Luteif/DSCF4085.jpg
BTW that's not me, it's a friends g/f. No asking for phone #'s! :p

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: http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p263/twagger/guns/oldNM1.jpg

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.

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=90726&d=1231626804

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.

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m247/matquig/DSC05240.jpgA 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. http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m247/matquig/DSC05241.jpg

Satin
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3521/3271708105_f1ed5bb2c1.jpg

"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?imgurl=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/tipoc/seven1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php%3Fp%3D1819623&usg=__AJDN_5kHwCAub9jrycxTGc6sGnU=&h=528&w=704&sz=63&hl=en&start=24&tbnid=6AcrheRTVLpyaM:&tbnh=105&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3DNickel%2Bplated%2BColt%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D20

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.

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

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o127/prizzel/PearlGrips.jpg

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.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v322/tranefan/100_0430.jpg

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.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o25/pogo2/ColtGoldCup70nickel35.jpg?t=1237768905

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o25/pogo2/SigP22620.jpg?t=1237769302

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. :evil:

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f303/rklessdriver/Weapons/DSC00968.jpg

Will

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.

http://www.fototime.com/52F068890B1C778/standard.jpg

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

http://www.fototime.com/084B41586F35B94/standard.jpg

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

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01240/pqi1_1240345c.jpg

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

8" Python
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/Gixerman1000/Handguns/ColtPython8inch.jpg

Model 36 Chiefs special
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/Gixerman1000/Handguns/SW36.jpg

Electroless nickel.

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/earlthegoat2/SDC11210.jpg

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/

This nickel is 26 inches diameter.

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

That's Bull, Rob. :)

http://www.coinlink.com/News/images/bm_buf_nickels_april08.jpg

:D

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y5/gjeans/cobra002.jpg

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

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

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....

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k57/paul10mm/100_0354.jpg

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

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k57/paul10mm/100_0297.jpg


http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k57/paul10mm/100_0412.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k57/paul10mm/100_0454.jpg

I know Paul, but it's my gun and I have a better one from 1962 for originality in this one: http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p263/twagger/guns/COLTNM2.jpg

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

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p263/twagger/guns/Talo4.jpg

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!".http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p263/twagger/guns/70SeriesGCb.jpg

http://www.imfdb.org/images/thumb/8/82/JerichoStainless.jpg/400px-JerichoStainless.jpg

saw one of these in the store the other day

It's Friday, and I'm just starring at the clock... sue me.
http://www.balesorthodontics.com/images/pagePhotos/nickle.png

:neener::neener::D:D:p:p:D:D:neener::neener:

Maksim, I'm waiting for something like that right now - I mean it'll be on it's way soon. It's a Tanfagliano (?) or EAA elite match something or other in .38 Super. Has four holes factory drilled in the frame for a scope mount, is single action, and it's capacity is 18 + 1. Maybe some of you saw it in Bud's used guns section.

I'm not really sure why I bought it yet but I knew a decent deal when I saw it and I don't have a pistol even remotely like it. Turned out that it was one of Gurney's personal guns - he said he didn't like letting it go but a Nighthawk came in that he said he just had to have. That poor guy - the used gun manager at Bud's Gun Shop. Must be an awful job.:rolleyes:

Taurus M66, early 90s pre-lock/MIM, but transfer bar action.

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=64999&d=1191515163

krs, I see your point. How bout a hardchrome? Would be more durable, and I believe you can get satin or shiny?

Nope! A pimp or barbeque gun is what it'll be. That is, it will unless the fine folks at Ford's refuse to do it - LOL!

I'm shopping for ivory grips and an alternate set of black pearl to switch back and forth as the whim takes me. :)

There's a 'warmth' to nickel that hard chrome, whether matte, satin, or bright does not possess. I've studied on this, Paul.

How about the Talo like so?....http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p263/twagger/guns/talocased.jpg

KRS,

I'm SO glad you started this thread: I'm thinking about the exact same thing with a similar gun.

Of all the 1911s that I have, I don't have one with a mirror-like nickel finish. Based on what I've learned here and some of the pics I've seen on the Net, I'm going to get it done; I should also mention that I've been wanting to do this for some time.

I need to find a good company to put the finish on and decide what grip panels to use.

What great problems to have!

Take care,
DFW1911

DFW, I'm not sure how you could have gotten along without a barbeque gun in Texas because I've had the impression that such a pistol is a necessary part of a gentleman's attire while in attendance at select social events in your state, but since you have I would certainly encourage you to follow this lead.

I'm not sure, of course, but I don't think that you can do much better than to entrust your pistol to the fine folks at Ford's Custom Refinishing in Florida. They come very highly recommended, in fact are one of the two enterprises most often touted as the best at what they do. The other place to consider is Accurate Plating and Blueing in Alabama :http://www.apwcogan.com/Refinishing.htm.

There's a link to Ford's higher, in one of my posts to this thread.

I talked to both places and both are ready to do the job. I guess I chose Ford's on a gut feel because the impression I got was of a less businesslike more friendly or personal sort of encounter on the phone. I mean, as I think on it it really is a tossup but I had more fun talking to Horace at Ford's. Might not be the best reason but I went for it anyway.

It is a requirement indeed. I have a fancied up Ruger .45LC w/ ivory grips that will pass for now, but I need one of my 1911's dressed up a bit!

Then again pretty much most any gun is a-okay when attending such a function; some of the more battered ones have the best stories, of course!

Thank you for the links and info.

Regards,
DFW1911

Well, it'd better be a private bbq since we don't have open carry here. :D I have an engraved, stag gripped stainless .45 Colt Blackhawk. I like stainless much better than chrome. I also like nickel better than chrome. Chrome just reminds me of pimps and Raven .25 autos.

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc177/DoubleAction77/SA%20Revolvers/SAARMY.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc177/DoubleAction77/Double%20Action%20Revolvers/29-2A.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc177/DoubleAction77/Double%20Action%20Revolvers/29-2.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc177/DoubleAction77/Double%20Action%20Revolvers/29-2Recessed.jpg

http://www.brent-krueger.com/images/2004%20Uncirc%20Nickel%20obverse-gs.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/doc540/Guns/Model%2036/rosesmall1-1.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a73/Laserlips/100_7024.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a73/Laserlips/100_5058.jpg


Jesse

PX15; I have seen your revolver once before. It's a small world.

http://www.georgiapacking.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8802



That is a JAW DROPPING beauty; I love it. You take good pictures too.


DA:

Thank you.. Actually I recently (in a moment of Seecamp fever) was going to sell the DS and was offered $550 for it. My Son (26) happened by the computer when I was emailing back and to regarding the possible sale, and asked my to please not sell it, he would like it one day.

My Son is not a "gun person" like his gun-nut Father, but if he wants the DS I want him to have it, so the person I was dealing with was kind enough to let me off the hook when he found out my Son wanted it.

The nickle DS is a beautiful old snubby. Here's a photo of an old pawn shop rescued J-frame model 49 (Bodyguard) you might like. My wife and I were "gun shopping" one day and she saw this and thought it needed a good home (for $250).

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a73/Laserlips/100_7023-02.jpg

Best Wishes,