Winchester Pleasant Surprise.

[Kev18]

A few years ago I bought a Winchester 1873 for quite the sum of money. Its the most expensive gun that I own. I didn't buy it because it was a nice original condition rifle, but more for the fact that it was quite unique. When I bought it, the man said it was fully nickel plated and that it had the Canadian motto painted on the stock. Seems like half that statement is true.

I joined the Winchester collectors forum and posted pictures about the rifle. And many people stated that it wasn't nickel. Some said it was just polished steel, others said silver.
The info that I had was, that the rifle tarnished quite easily. No rust at all just black tarnish when it comes in contact with humidity and sweat.

After doing some research of my own and with help of the members on the site we came up to a solid conclusion:

If It was:
Nickel: It wouldnt tarnish at all, and may get a little dull with age.
Steel: It would rust pretty much instantly with orange surface rust.
Silver: it would tarnish with humidity and sweat...

All this time and I thought it was nickel. Turns out its silver.

[Ajohns]

Wow! Nice Winchester!

[Shawlerbrook]

Very nice. A Cody letter might be very interesting on that rifle.

[veeman]

That's a sweet looking rifle. 44-40? How does it shoot? What year was it made?

[Kev18]

I already got a letter for it. It says its just a normal rifle, the plating isnt factory, id be rich if it would be
It was made in 1888.
And it shoots nice, chambered in 44-40. I shoot factory or reloads through it.

[M-Tecs]

Very nice rifle. To me it looks like Nickel Plating. I have a couple of SXS with nickel plated receivers and they do tarnish. Hard to tell in a photo the color seems to be off for silver. The biggest indicators are in the rusted areas. Sliver plating that is flaked of or rusted looks like this. Doesn't matter is it's silverware or fireams. https://www.gunsinternational.com/gu...n_id=100681132

[Kev18]

Very nice rifle. To me it looks like Nickel Plating. I have a couple of SXS with nickel plated receivers and they do tarnish. Hard to tell in a photo the color seems to be off for silver. The biggest indicators are in the rusted areas. Sliver plating that is flaked of or rusted looks like this. Doesn't matter is it's silverware or fireams. https://www.gunsinternational.com/gu...n_id=100681132

I Heard nickel tarnishes but it takes awhile and it because a matte color, do you have pictures you could post? Id like to compare. My screw holes are chipping slightly around the edges.

[M-Tecs]

I have the same SKB 200 shotgun as here https://www.gunsinternational.com/gu...n_id=101009156

Mine tarnishes just like above after 6 months in the safe. I had just polished it about a month ago for a gunshow. Couple of days after I polished it the show was cancelled due to Covid 19. I will check to see what it looks like in a couple of hours.

[Doolin-Dalton]

Fantastic Rifle and thanks for sharing. But since you did, IMHO the photos you have seem to show a polished iron surface.

If you google "polished iron" you'll find similar finishes. Regards to silver plating, can you show pictures of the inside edges of the frame with the side plates removed? That would be most telling, if there was a substrate applied to the original Winchester Iron, and then the silver plated on top of the substrate.

[Kev18]

Fantastic Rifle and thanks for sharing. But since you did, IMHO the photos you have seem to show a polished iron surface.

If you google "polished iron" you'll find similar finishes. Regards to silver plating, can you show pictures of the inside edges of the frame with the side plates removed? That would be most telling, if there was a substrate applied to the original Winchester Iron, and then the silver plated on top of the substrate.

We already went over this on the other forum but there isnt any traces of anything on the inside, just bluing. So they said its most likely a brush plating and not a dipped one.
Its not polished since it chips and I need to be careful. I would like to do a test kinda like they do with gold. Some type of chemical test, il google it.

[Kev18]

I have the same SKB 200 shotgun as here https://www.gunsinternational.com/gu...n_id=101009156

Mine tarnishes just like above after 6 months in the safe. I had just polished it about a month ago for a gunshow. Couple of days after I polished it the show was cancelled due to Covid 19. I will check to see what it looks like in a couple of hours.

Mine doesn't take long. if I take it outside in humidity and hold it by the receiver, by the time I get back inside from a woods walk its tarnished. The picture I posted of the barrel is nothing. It was horrible the first time I took it out. It was black everywhere.

[M-Tecs]

Too me everything points to it just being polished bare metal. Brush plating would have plated the pitting also.

[Kev18]

Too me everything points to it just being polished bare metal. Brush plating would have plated the pitting also.

There isnt any pitting on the whole rifle, Looks brand new. And if it would be bare metal it wouldnt chip off. I used a screw driver that was to big and chipped some off around the screw.
I guess its a mystery

[M-Tecs]

There isnt any pitting on the whole rifle, Looks brand new. And if it would be bare metal it wouldnt chip off. I used a screw driver that was to big and chipped some off around the screw.
I guess its a mystery

That looks like pitting in the pic.

Bare metal is easy to test. On the side plate screwhead or a spot that can be re-polished degrease and touch with cold blue. If it blues it's bare.

[Kev18]

That looks like pitting in the pic.

Bare metal is easy to test. On the side plate screwhead or a spot that can be re-polished degrease and touch with cold blue. If it blues it's bare.

Im going to try that now.

[Kev18]

I tried the Blu on the bottom of the butt plate and it made the metal grey. So, just to make sure. I took my grandmas fine silver ware and added Blu to it. It's not as gray but made it alittle cloudy.

[John Taylor]

Nice rifle. I picked up a 73 that was found in the crawl space under a house that was torn down. It's got a good coat of rust but still functions. I put a liner in it but have not had a chance to take it out. Mine is 32-20 made in 1893.

[Kev18]

Nice rifle. I picked up a 73 that was found in the crawl space under a house that was torn down. It's got a good coat of rust but still functions. I put a liner in it but have not had a chance to take it out. Mine is 32-20 made in 1893.

Should shoot like new with a liner. Good luck.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I have a factory Nickle plated pre model 29 44mag Smith and Wesson, and it has never showed any signs of tarnish of any kind. It has been setting in my safe for over a year now and yesterday I went out to get some personal papers and it was just fine. My understanding is that Nickle does not tarnish or rust unless some of the nickle plating flakes off. My older Brother bought this gun in 1957.

[flint45]

What ever it is it's a nice old rifle. Hope all the experts here can figure it out and have a good time using it in the meantime.