About 14 years ago I decided to have the trigger guard and grip strap on my Colts silver plated.
The original Colt C&B pistols sold to the public had all of the brass parts silver plated so I thought, "Why not?".
After visiting a few plating companies in the Phoenix area I found they wanted over $70 to do each gun ! :shocked2:
I ended up buying one of the "kits" that uses no battery electricity and is not toxic.
It's only weakness is it cannot build up a thick layer of silver. After one silver atoms thickness is reached there isn't access to the brass to produce the electric charge that will build up a thicker plating.
Anyway, at the time I posted a topic telling our readers about it.
Here's a link to that topic
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/227052/post/638229/fromsearch/1/
At the time, several members wondered how well the plating would hold up and today I took a look at it.
It had pretty much vanished over the last 14 years so I decided to re-plate it.
During those 14 years, my house was burgled and I lost most of my pistols but the crook dropped my 1849 so that's the one I re-plated.
It's the bottom one in this picture.
After all that time, the solution in the bottle was still good so after removing the grip, grip strap and trigger guard I removed all traces of oil and wax on their surfaces.
Applying some of the solution to a small, clean rag, with just a bit of rubbing, like magic, the silver plating reappeared on the parts.
Looked good as new.
To get the full value from this, the surfaces must be polished, mirror smooth. If they are, the outcome will end up looking like the grip straps and trigger guard are made of fine sterling silver.
If any of you want to try this, I found the company that I bought my solution from is out of stock but a Google putting "Silver Plating Solution" into the search block will show a lot of places that sell the stuff.
Prices are around $15- $25.
Oh!
Another nice thing about buying this solution.
You can make points with your wife. :grin:
Just tell her, "Honey, I'm going to fix up that old silver pot you got from Aunt Lilly.
You remember? The one that I said looked like a thunder jug for a elf? Boy O boy. Did that ever rankle her ! Ba-ha-ha-ha.
Yes. I do remember, it was her wedding present to you. :redface:
Anyway, this stuff I'm going to buy for just a few bucks will work wonders on bringing out the new silver look that thing must have had before Lilly got a hold of, er... I mean, before Lilly gave it to you.
Who knows? I might even find a use for it on one of my old guns that's laying around here someplace." :thumbsup:
Oh. If you do silver plate your Colt, be sure to give the new silver a GOOD coating of wax. Two coats would be even better.
Like I said, the plating is very thin and although silver is somewhat resistant to clean air, those raunchy egg winds that occasionally might waft thru the room can play havoc with unprotected silver, turning it black. :grin: :hmm:
The original Colt C&B pistols sold to the public had all of the brass parts silver plated so I thought, "Why not?".
After visiting a few plating companies in the Phoenix area I found they wanted over $70 to do each gun ! :shocked2:
I ended up buying one of the "kits" that uses no battery electricity and is not toxic.
It's only weakness is it cannot build up a thick layer of silver. After one silver atoms thickness is reached there isn't access to the brass to produce the electric charge that will build up a thicker plating.
Anyway, at the time I posted a topic telling our readers about it.
Here's a link to that topic
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/227052/post/638229/fromsearch/1/
At the time, several members wondered how well the plating would hold up and today I took a look at it.
It had pretty much vanished over the last 14 years so I decided to re-plate it.
During those 14 years, my house was burgled and I lost most of my pistols but the crook dropped my 1849 so that's the one I re-plated.
It's the bottom one in this picture.
After all that time, the solution in the bottle was still good so after removing the grip, grip strap and trigger guard I removed all traces of oil and wax on their surfaces.
Applying some of the solution to a small, clean rag, with just a bit of rubbing, like magic, the silver plating reappeared on the parts.
Looked good as new.
To get the full value from this, the surfaces must be polished, mirror smooth. If they are, the outcome will end up looking like the grip straps and trigger guard are made of fine sterling silver.
If any of you want to try this, I found the company that I bought my solution from is out of stock but a Google putting "Silver Plating Solution" into the search block will show a lot of places that sell the stuff.
Prices are around $15- $25.
Oh!
Another nice thing about buying this solution.
You can make points with your wife. :grin:
Just tell her, "Honey, I'm going to fix up that old silver pot you got from Aunt Lilly.
You remember? The one that I said looked like a thunder jug for a elf? Boy O boy. Did that ever rankle her ! Ba-ha-ha-ha.
Yes. I do remember, it was her wedding present to you. :redface:
Anyway, this stuff I'm going to buy for just a few bucks will work wonders on bringing out the new silver look that thing must have had before Lilly got a hold of, er... I mean, before Lilly gave it to you.
Who knows? I might even find a use for it on one of my old guns that's laying around here someplace." :thumbsup:
Oh. If you do silver plate your Colt, be sure to give the new silver a GOOD coating of wax. Two coats would be even better.
Like I said, the plating is very thin and although silver is somewhat resistant to clean air, those raunchy egg winds that occasionally might waft thru the room can play havoc with unprotected silver, turning it black. :grin: :hmm:
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