Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Cleaning a Nickle plated revolver

My wife found a H&R Young American revolver in some of her late Aunts stuff we inherited. Has a cracked cylinder (7 shot 22 Long), which I could get from Numrich. It is not worth much but is an interesting little gun and probably very early as the serial number is 3XX. Not nearly as bad as some old guns I have seen but it could use a good cleaning. Anybody have any idea how to go about that? Thanks, TM

I haven't cleaned many nickle guns but I used Hoppes #9 and Hoppes lead solvent to clean the bore and cly charge chambers........the discoloration on the front of the cly and the topstrap is burned in and is very hard to remove without damage to the plating.......and repeated short soaks with the solvent removes most of it and doesn't hurt the nickle.......some 0000 steel wool and med weight oil will get the top layer off and the solvent will get the underlayers......on Nickle guns I wouldn't soak the parts long-hours as I do with blue/stainless guns....HTH..good luck and good shooting!!!

Don't clean nickle plate with Hoppes, or any copper solvent. Nickle is plated over copper and the solvent will
cause it to flake.
Good luck!

A white eraser will help with the oxidation. Make sure the surfaces are wiped clean of any grit before you start.

As mentioned, VERY FINE steel wool and a 3 in 1-type oil.

Lamp black also works well. It works like a ultra-fine polishing compound. It can be a little difficult to find, but I have the best luck at arts & craft stores. I think they used it as a paint pigment.

Thanks for the ideas. I will do my best and see what happens. TM

For brightening old nickle and chrome try Flitz polish.Has worked well for me in the past; is non abrasive.Frank.

Good to see you posting Frank. Didn't get to come up this year, I'm moving back to Mineola. Hope to get up your way when the weather breaks. TM, Hoppies will clean it down to the base metal, listen to Frank about the Flitz. Best thing is to use it as a conversation piece or wall hanger. When are you coming back this way? -- no

You may already have some JB Bore Cleaner. Try that on a small spot.

Ditto on the warning about Hoppes #9. Don"t know what to or not else to say except don"t use Hoppes.

I am a bit late on this, Don't use anything containing ammonia on nickle it causes it to cloud. Flitz is about the best for bringing back the finish IMHO.

Plan is to pick up a Flitz cloth when I return from my Elk hunt. Thanks for the advice guys. TM