[horseshoe]

I jist bought a 336RC in 35 Rem that has been nickled. I must say that it is extremely good looking. It looks like stainless but is Nickled. Is there any oil or bore cleaner that you have experience with that I shouldn't use that would damage the finish? I have seen nickling flake off on pistols and such and I would like to avoid this if possible. Any replies will be appreciated.

Regards
Horseshoe

 

[neilca]

Horseshoe,

You need to know if the plater used a copper base or not. THe Hoppes will eat up the copper base and make the nickle flake off. My gun was plated without the copper so no problem. I do find that the gun oils make the finish look bad, kinda oily. I like the look better when I use a car wax on the gun. Shines up real nice. BTW my gun is a 336 in 35 also and the nickle always blows off the crown when fired. Tried it twice and gave up. Does yours have nickle on the crown?

neilca

 

[Flat Top]

To my knowledge, I know of no bore solvent that will affect nickel plate, but, if the nickel plating on your rifle is a high grade job, it will have been copper plated before the nickel coating was applied. Bore solvents as you well know will affect copper, and a nick or ding in the nickel plate that allows the solvent to creep to the copper plated underlayment may cause the copper to be affected and thus the nickel plate to peel. Personally, I wouldnt worry about it to much. A high grade nickle plate will last a long time on a firearm. I would just keep it clean and protected with a good lubricant....inside and out.

Now, to the serious stuff..............photos!!!!! ;D

 

[TNWoodsman]

You really don't need a bore cleaner, and oil won't hurt it.

 

[skmarsh77]

Please hold all further suggestions until we see some pictures. ;D

 

[pisgah]

This business of being cautious with Hoppe's No. 9 and nickled guns is at least somewhat overblown. Nickle plating is done by a variety of different processes. The one using a copper "strike" or "flash" is the cheapest and easiest. I have been told by one retired S&W employee that this is not the process S&W uses, nor is it a process typically used by quality plating outfits that do gun refinishing. Think of it -- what outfit wanting to do a quality plating job on a gun would be foolish enough to use something that will succumb to Hoppe's, of all things? Might as well use something that smokeless powder will destroy, as the gun will often likely be exposed to Hoppe's about as often as it will to powder!

If they use a strike method, the strike used is normally a very thin coating of highly pure nickel, which will adhere fiercely to a properly-prepared surface, and the nickel alloy used for final plating will cling to it like there's no tomorrow. A properly-done nickel finish (not cheap) will last a long, long time and will not be affected by solvents.

 

[six_gunz]

horseshoe,
Sounds like a nice rifle, but.........

 

[horseshoe]

I will post some pictures when I receive the rifle, it is enroute as of now. I have not been to fond of shiney rifles but this one looked right and reminded me of some of the nickled rifles I saw while in my youth. It is done right and is a New Haven RC with lots of custom features on it. Action slicked up, trigger 2 to 3 #, Forearm glassed bedded , Barrel bands fitted to tube and barrel, barrel crowned and barrel lapped, Wood furniture slicked up and varnished. The rifle looks like stainless, kinda a dull bead blasted nickle finish. A 1/2 inch shooter with a 1 inch accuracy guarantee assuming rings, scope and ammo are quality. It was tested with Hornady 200 grain LE's. The front and rear sight are left black and makes for a good looking contrast. I'm sure some of you know or have heard of the Gunsmith that did the work. Surprising enough the cost wasn't that much considering what a new 336 goes for.

Regards
Horseshoe

 

[papabear]

I have had several nickel plated S & W-s, and a Model 97 Winchester, and still have an old Browning semi-auto with nickel plated Receiver [bead blast finish.] No problems with any of these. I once had a beautifully engraved/silver plated Model 15 S & W. When I shot it, the plating blew out of the cylinder flutes. I took the felt pad for the dremel and polished the flutes to look about like the rest of the finish. Sold the piece to a Texas Ranger who could not stand it that I had a nicer BBQ gun than he did [even if it wasn't a .45 1911.] Pretty revolvers are easy to fall in love with! Good day, jack

 

[Rachethead]

A nickel plated (or brass, or chrome, etc) Marlin 336? Just not to my personal tastes at all on a Marlin lever; something like that would be worse than lipstick on a pig, but to "each his own" and to you I extend my best regards.

 

[swany]

Never been able to understand the reasons to nickle plate, when many other coatings are available without any caveats.