Nickel Finish Care

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Keep any bore scrubbers that remove copper away from the finish. If it finds it's way underneath, it will hasten peeling. Other than that, be aware that it will scratch easier than hard chrome. It is an excellent finish for resisting rust.
 
You can use standard bore solvents like Hoppe's #9 safely to clean the frame, just don't let it soak longer then you have to.
People hear that bore solvents "can" cause nickel to de-bond from the steel, but they often do more harm by not properly cleaning a gun.

To care for the bright nickel finish, just wipe it down with a clean cloth.
Don't use any metal polish, all of them are abrasive and much use will thin or even remove the nickel.
 
Yes, don't worry about using Hoppe's with Nickel. Just don't drop parts that are nicked up and damaged in it and walk away a few days.

Most modern nickel methods DO NOT use a copper substrate, so this warning is moot anyway; you might want to just call CZ and ask them how they apply their nickel plating if you want to be totally on top of the game.

I use Renaissance Wax on my high-polish blue and on my nickel plated guns/parts. I think it works great.

Basically, there IS NOT anything really different than caring for a nice blue gun. If the finish get's worn or knicked/scratched all the way through, then don't soak it in ammonia containing compounds. That's about it.
 
True, modern nickel plating does not use an substrate of copper, but I don't assume anything about nickel plating unless I know about a specific gun. And it doesn't take any obvious nicks or scrapes to allow the copper solvent to get under the nickel; it can happen at the muzzle, on a cylinder face, around a sideplate, in an auto where the slide rubs on the frame or where the hammer rubs off the nickel, anywhere.

The chemical is ammonia, long used as a bore cleaner to remove cupro-nickel fouling and copper washing from the barrel. (Hoppes No. 9 is one of the oldest, but there are others.) If it can dissolve copper in a barrel, why would anyone think it won't dissolve the copper under the nickel?

I once got into a discussion that ended with calling Hoppes; their customer service woman did a song and dance, but finally admitted that the product should not be used on nickel plated guns.

Jim
 
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