Nickel Plating removal Help!

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

That all seems rather weird. Who would plate something and then use it so much that the plating would wear off of it like that?

My thoughts exactly.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Might be thru. Somewhat pleased with the results ( far better than the plating ).
Results below. Still have plating under the wood which I may or may not tackle.
It seems to me to look much less messed with than before and less than if I tried to refinish all the metal.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Agreed. It is very odd. Especially as the tang of the trigger guard is exactly where one would expect heavy wear from rubbing by dirty fingers. Unlike the magazine plate, which is hardly touched by the hand in normal use, but in this case is corroded, even slightly pitted.

So I don't think the plating was applied overall, and then wore off in this somewhat unlikely fashion. Instead, I rather suspect that Bubba partially plated the badly corroded areas after buffing them. A fudge, in other words.

If there is a more plausible explanation, someone please enlighten me!

I am at a loss. Plating is intact below the wood & bayonet and the trigger guard tang.

[Flying10uk]

Pretty good result, I'd say.

[Aragorn243]

I think it looks great. I'd get it all off because knowing it's there would seriously bother me.

[browningautorifle]

It seems to me to look much less messed with than before and less than if I tried to refinish all the metal.

Well, if you did that it would look new because you'd glass bead and hand polish and blue. Then it would look like a new made yesterday rifle.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Well, if you did that it would look new because you'd glass bead and hand polish and blue. Then it would look like a new made yesterday rifle.

If the wood was better I would probably do that because like it or not it has and will always be obviously "messed with".

---------- Post added at 12:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:20 PM ----------

I think it looks great. I'd get it all off because knowing it's there would seriously bother me.

That is my predicament. It bothers be as well. To be determined if it bothers me enough.

[Flying10uk]

That is my predicament. It bothers be as well.

Leaving any remaining nickel plating on metalwork under the woodwork, where it can't be seen, will give excellent corrosion protection to the metalwork that is normally hidden by the woodwork.

[browningautorifle]

xcellent corrosion protection

Well yes, but we're not really going to be putting our stuff through what it already went through. Most of these get regular cleaning now compared to an Arisaka of WW2 time frame...

[GUTS]

I restore motorcycles for a living so I deal with removing all kinds of plating. The only correct and sensible way to remove chrome or nickel is to send it to your favorite chrome shop(which if you have one your lucky because I think they all suck)and have them remove the plating. The reason is the plating has to be removed the reverse way it was applied, with electric current. They basically reverse the current and flow the plating back off. This way there is no abrasive destruction of your white metal. I don't think they would charge much either. Believe me, I like to do all things myself but there is a few that you just have to farm out to get them done right.