Bright Nickel Finish for Colt Revolvers

The only problem I can see is in the future with a collector. If the Colt Custom Shop did the plating, then the work should appear on a Colt Factory Letter, or better yet, all the appropriate billing paperwork would accompany the gun and insure its collector value.
If any firm other than Colt did the work, it could very well have an adverse effect on the guns collector value in the future. I will cite original period Colt percussion revolvers or original period SAA's as examples of this.

steg said:

The only problem I can see is in the future with a collector. If the Colt Custom Shop did the plating, then the work should appear on a Colt Factory Letter, or better yet, all the appropriate billing paperwork would accompany the gun and insure its collector value.
If any firm other than Colt did the work, it could very well have an adverse effect on the guns collector value in the future. I will cite original period Colt percussion revolvers or original period SAA's as examples of this.

Click to expand...

Understood, that is why I called Colt first and foremost.

Unfortunately, someone has already applied a "utilitarian blue" finish to the gun, that is, it appears to have been steel wooled/sanded, then blued.
It is very solid mechanically, and appears to have been fired very little, but the finish is degrading at best.

In My opinion, the gun may have been an armed guard's gun, or perhaps an LEO's gun, and probably had a lot of holster wear to the original finish.
At this juncture, a quality nickel finish by a qualified outfit would certainly cancel out the current finish deficiencies.

dfariswheel said:

You'd have to talk to them about the wait time.
Ford's has a top reputation on gun finishing.

Other's with top reputations are:

ACCURATE PLATING AND WEAPONRY | APWCOGAN
Cogan has a reputation as possibly the best all around gun refinisher.

Welcome to the TechPlate, Inc. Military Plating Specifications Index

Hard Chrome Plating & Electroless Nickel Plating, Armalloy & Gun Bluing by Mahovsky's Metalife

Elite Custom Plating --* Re-Finishing, Custom Work, Competition Guns

Click to expand...

As always, many, many thanks for Your input!
I'm thinking that I'll drop off a couple Colt revolvers at Ford's shop, while on My way up north to visit My grandchildren, later in the Spring.

Clark said:

View attachment 52755

I got a Python two months ago with slightly damaged Nickel finish.
I assumed that because of the tight tolerances of bolt to slot fit, that refinishing was not possible.
Is that not true?

Click to expand...

No, that's not true.
The old nickel finish will be stripped by basically reversing the plating process, which will de-plate the old nickel.
After polishing a new nickel finish will be plated on.
There's enough room around the frame window and bolt that there won't be any problems.