Model 10 Nickle Plated

ThomasT · November 6, 2019, 04:21 PM

My mother worked for the Tarrant County Sheriffs office for around 18 years and carried a Nickle Plated S&W model 10 at work. She is 83 and decided she didn't want it around the house anymore and wanted me to take it with me.

So now I have a new model 10-8. This is the only nickle plated gun I own. It was grungy but cleaned up fine. I also got two boxes of ammo. In those two boxes was 18 Nyclads, 7 Glaser Safety Slugs and 2 Silver tips. These are rounds I don't think I will shoot but will save. Thanks mom.

shurshot · November 6, 2019, 05:27 PM

Nice present! Love that nickel finish!!
Those Nyclads ... I have 6 of those rounds still loaded in my old Police trade in model 10, loaded with that late 80's vintage ammo. Perfect fit!

RVER · November 6, 2019, 06:21 PM

Be cautious if you use Hoppes to clean your Nickle plated gun. Hoppes attacks copper residue. Back in the day they used copper in the process of applying nickel finishes. Great family heirloom!!!

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

T. O'Heir · November 7, 2019, 01:44 PM

Geezuz! Mom really knows how to care for her stuff. Nickle usually flakes off.
"...they used copper..." Usually copper plated then nickle plated.

SIGSHR · November 7, 2019, 02:44 PM

Yes, do NOT soak nickle in Hoppe's.

Bill DeShivs · November 7, 2019, 02:49 PM

S&W did not use a copper underplate.
Even with a copper underplate-unless you soak your gun in Hoppes, it won't hurt it.
Just clean it and wipe the Hoppes off the surface.
This old wives' tale comes from improperly cleaning guns that were aftermarket-plated in bumper chrome shops.
As usual, T. is wrong.

lunger · November 7, 2019, 04:35 PM

Nice gift and revolver. Coming from Mom makes it priceless.

ThomasT · November 7, 2019, 08:25 PM

Even if Hoppes at one time would damage nickle plating it was probably the old formula that would cause cancer in lab rats in California and they changed the formula to what we have now.

Moral of the story. Don't clean chrome plated lab rats with old formula Hoppes.

ThomasT · November 7, 2019, 08:28 PM

I cleaned the gun once more with Turtle Wax polish that removes scratches per the can. I also dug around and found some diamond center Magna grips and put those on it. I think it looks better.

J.G. Terry · November 9, 2019, 06:51 AM

There is all vintages of Hoppe's #9 about. The instructions were pretty clear about not using on a nickle finish. Many years ago there was a piece in one of the gun magazines. A reader wrote in about flaking nickle after using #9. One of the sachems there suggested the he read the instructions.

SGW Gunsmith · November 18, 2019, 02:26 PM

That's a very nice gift your Mom presented to you. Glad to see you got it rather than some dude trying to learn engraving.

I wouldn't soak it in any solvents either, but give a call to a local jeweler ( professional sort ) and ask them what they'd recommend for cleaning nickel plating. I think you'll get a very accurate and more professional answer, rather than from a hobbiest.

SGW Gunsmith · November 18, 2019, 02:29 PM

"There is all vintages of Hoppe's #9 about. The instructions were pretty clear about not using on a nickle finish. Many years ago there was a piece in one of the gun magazines. A reader wrote in about flaking nickle after using #9. One of the sachems there suggested the he read the instructions".

Excellent advice!

SGW Gunsmith · November 18, 2019, 03:03 PM

"Geezuz! Mom really knows how to care for her stuff. Nickle usually flakes off.
"...they used copper..." Usually copper plated then nickle plated."

Mr. O'Heir makes a very good point. Here is some information from a "PROFESSIONAL" plating firm and how copper plating fits in:

Electroless nickel plating is a much more simple process to apply, quick and cheap to do.

Bill DeShivs · November 18, 2019, 03:36 PM

.

I have done quite a bit of nickel plating-along with other metals. I'm also a trained jeweler-still involved with the jewelry business.

I watched the whole Hoppes/nickel thing unfold in the 1970s. Aftermarket nickel and chrome plating was all the rage, and much of it was done in automotive bumper plating shops. Almost exclusively, these shops used a copper underplate. These plating jobs were not usually done well and the nickel was thin or porous. Hoppes was the standard gun cleaning solution. The combination of bad plating, copper underplate, poor maintenance saw the aftermarket nickel plating flaking.
Most, if not all gun manufacturers did NOT use a copper underplate-so Hoppe's didn't affect those guns. Rather than try to explain all of this, Hoppes just added a warning not to use their product on nickeled guns.

walnut1704 · November 21, 2019, 10:31 AM

Very nice! That nickel really helps protect the gun.

Nickel is like the poor man's stainless. I bought a nickel model 15-4 in 1979 and it has been a faithful bedside companion for forty years. Looks the same as when I bought it.

I really wanted a Model 67 or 64 but stainless S&W's were always hard to get in those days. I ran into the new nickel Model 15 in a pawn shop and went with it.

S&W gave Law Enforcement dibs on whatever they wanted and various agencies were sucking up all the stainless production. I never even saw a Model 67 until many years later. The nickel worked just fine.

November 7, 2019, 01:44 PM	#4
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Geezuz! Mom really knows how to care for her stuff. Nickle usually flakes off. "...they used copper..." Usually copper plated then nickle plated. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

November 7, 2019, 02:49 PM	#6
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,981	S&W did not use a copper underplate. Even with a copper underplate-unless you soak your gun in Hoppes, it won't hurt it. Just clean it and wipe the Hoppes off the surface. This old wives' tale comes from improperly cleaning guns that were aftermarket-plated in bumper chrome shops. As usual, T. is wrong. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

November 9, 2019, 06:51 AM	#10
J.G. Terry Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2014 Posts: 577	Old time Hoppes #9 There is all vintages of Hoppe's #9 about. The instructions were pretty clear about not using on a nickle finish. Many years ago there was a piece in one of the gun magazines. A reader wrote in about flaking nickle after using #9. One of the sachems there suggested the he read the instructions. __________________ Intentionally Antagonizing Another MemberInsults and Ad Hominems

November 18, 2019, 03:36 PM	#14
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,981	. I have done quite a bit of nickel plating-along with other metals. I'm also a trained jeweler-still involved with the jewelry business. I watched the whole Hoppes/nickel thing unfold in the 1970s. Aftermarket nickel and chrome plating was all the rage, and much of it was done in automotive bumper plating shops. Almost exclusively, these shops used a copper underplate. These plating jobs were not usually done well and the nickel was thin or porous. Hoppes was the standard gun cleaning solution. The combination of bad plating, copper underplate, poor maintenance saw the aftermarket nickel plating flaking. Most, if not all gun manufacturers did NOT use a copper underplate-so Hoppe's didn't affect those guns. Rather than try to explain all of this, Hoppes just added a warning not to use their product on nickeled guns. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com Last edited by Bill DeShivs; November 19, 2019 at 02:54 AM.

November 6, 2019, 05:27 PM	#2
shurshot Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2006 Posts: 1,819	Nice present! Love that nickel finish!! Those Nyclads ... I have 6 of those rounds still loaded in my old Police trade in model 10, loaded with that late 80's vintage ammo. Perfect fit!

November 6, 2019, 06:21 PM	#3
RVER Junior Member Join Date: September 6, 2013 Posts: 8	Be cautious if you use Hoppes to clean your Nickle plated gun. Hoppes attacks copper residue. Back in the day they used copper in the process of applying nickel finishes. Great family heirloom!!! Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

November 7, 2019, 02:44 PM	#5
SIGSHR Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2005 Posts: 4,700	Yes, do NOT soak nickle in Hoppe's.

November 7, 2019, 04:35 PM	#7
lunger Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2007 Posts: 443	Nice gift and revolver. Coming from Mom makes it priceless.

November 7, 2019, 08:25 PM	#8
ThomasT Senior Member Join Date: January 22, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 2,753	Even if Hoppes at one time would damage nickle plating it was probably the old formula that would cause cancer in lab rats in California and they changed the formula to what we have now. Moral of the story. Don't clean chrome plated lab rats with old formula Hoppes.

November 18, 2019, 02:26 PM	#11
SGW Gunsmith Junior member Join Date: December 31, 2014 Location: Northwest Wisconsin Posts: 285	That's a very nice gift your Mom presented to you. Glad to see you got it rather than some dude trying to learn engraving. I wouldn't soak it in any solvents either, but give a call to a local jeweler ( professional sort ) and ask them what they'd recommend for cleaning nickel plating. I think you'll get a very accurate and more professional answer, rather than from a hobbiest.

November 18, 2019, 02:29 PM	#12
SGW Gunsmith Junior member Join Date: December 31, 2014 Location: Northwest Wisconsin Posts: 285	"There is all vintages of Hoppe's #9 about. The instructions were pretty clear about not using on a nickle finish. Many years ago there was a piece in one of the gun magazines. A reader wrote in about flaking nickle after using #9. One of the sachems there suggested the he read the instructions". Excellent advice!

November 18, 2019, 03:03 PM	#13
SGW Gunsmith Junior member Join Date: December 31, 2014 Location: Northwest Wisconsin Posts: 285	"Geezuz! Mom really knows how to care for her stuff. Nickle usually flakes off. "...they used copper..." Usually copper plated then nickle plated." Mr. O'Heir makes a very good point. Here is some information from a "PROFESSIONAL" plating firm and how copper plating fits in: Electroless nickel plating is a much more simple process to apply, quick and cheap to do.

November 21, 2019, 10:31 AM	#15
walnut1704 Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2009 Posts: 156	Very nice! That nickel really helps protect the gun. Nickel is like the poor man's stainless. I bought a nickel model 15-4 in 1979 and it has been a faithful bedside companion for forty years. Looks the same as when I bought it. I really wanted a Model 67 or 64 but stainless S&W's were always hard to get in those days. I ran into the new nickel Model 15 in a pawn shop and went with it. S&W gave Law Enforcement dibs on whatever they wanted and various agencies were sucking up all the stainless production. I never even saw a Model 67 until many years later. The nickel worked just fine.