Repairing Nickel plated finish - how?

[Robert302]

I have a High Standard Derringer .22mag chrome or nickel plated.

The silver plating is worn off pretty bad, I received the gun like this a long time ago. I just replaced some parts and now it works perfect. Time to fix the finish.

I been thinking, re-chroming the gun will most likely be expensive, so maybe I will just turn the gun black. How do I do this? just buy some gun bluing and rub it on?

The color of the finish really doesn't matter to me, I just want to make the gun look decent.

I attached some pictures. Please give me some ideas/tips on what to do.

Thank you! I appreciate it.

[Robert302]

I bought new grips for the gun, I forgot to mention that in my last post. I just want to make this gun decent condition..

[Robert302]

Another pic, its all rubbed off on the bottom.

[elsolo]

Chemially stripping the remaining nickel is the best way, see Brownell's catalog for the chemicals.

[civilwarguns]

You could blast it and give it a Duracoat or Gun Kote finnish. That would last a life time, and you would have alot of colors to pick from. A flat black would look good like a AR15 finnish and then a nice set of wooden grips.

[Sum-body1]

To refinish this gun properly, the first thing you have to do is take it completely apart. The plated parts that you are going to strip, have to be sorted as to different metals. The bottom part(Grip area) is aluminum, and the barrel is steel. I am not familiar with the chemicals that the previous message suggested. Aluminum can be stripped in nitric acid. Only aluminum and stainless steel can be stripped in nitric acid, it will dissolve anything else. A special chemical stripper is used for steel parts. Or you could strip it electroliticly in sulfuric acid. Make a mild solution of sulfic acid and water (10% acid), put it in a metal can, get a car battery and hook up the negative side to the can, make the barrel of the gun positive, and hang it in the acid solution, make sure you don't touch the side of the can, use a wood dowel across the top of the can to hang it from. You will see it start to bubble. You have to keep checking it, because once the plating is gone, the metal will start to go. I worked in a custom chrome plating shop for 8 years. This is kind of a hassle to do yourself, at home. The best advise I could give you is to call a plating shop in your area and tell them you have a couple of small steel parts, and aluminum parts you want stripped, and see if they will do it. I would not try to sand or glass bead this off. Another idea is to sell or trade the derringer to me!!! I hope this helps you. Thanks>>>>Greg