Best polish for nickel guns?

[blackbike]

Just got a vintage nickel Python 1965, really looks good, and I want it to really shine! I know nickel finish is very delicate, so what works best?

[crandall crank]

Simichrome for me. But with any polish, use it sparingly with virtually no pressure...ymmv

[Winger Ed.]

Stay away from products that advertise how fast they work.
They do it with coarse abrasives. You can 'sand' through the Nickel before you realize it.

[georgerkahn]

Just got a vintage nickel Python 1965, really looks good, and I want it to really shine! I know nickel finish is very delicate, so what works best?

Asking "what works best?", to me, is like inquiring what the best pizza, or beer is :) :) :). I bought, a while back, an A. Uberti, Brescia, Italy Model 1866 in .44-40 which someone scratched the you-know-what on both sides of the receiver, and it looked like Fred Flintstone was the prior owner who never touched the outside! I wanted to clean it up without harming plating, albeit I knew the scratched were/are there for life!314294
A local collector (now deceased :() HIGHLY recommended Flitz Gun Wax -- which I had never heard of. Gifting me a bit, I was/am impressed beyond words with what the firearm looked like after I used the product.
If I was lucky enough to acquire such a fine arm as your Python -- I would use nothing else to polish it!
geo

[country gent]

I wouldnt really push on the "polishing" aspect of this project. Polishing removes material, you want to shine the surfaces with out the removal.

I would give Never dull wading cloth a try lightly applied. Shimichrome polish is good also. Even a spray wax and soft cloth will shine it up nicely.

[stubshaft]

Flitz!

[blackbike]

Thanks guys, you'll got me off on the right foot.
Keep em comming.

[dogrunner]

Both Flitz and Semichrome will work. Used both with similar results. Take heed to the caution about using to excess or too harshly. You CAN remove the finish with either. Packed a nickled 19 for most of my LEO time, Semi was the go to stuff way back and served well to clean up and remove minor abrasions and holster wear. Had a fellow office use some on h is blued M/19 and he managed to thin the blueing to a noticable degree.

[georgerkahn]

Thanks guys, you'll got me off on the right foot.
Keep em comming.

The KEY words on the Flitz Rifle, Gun, and Knife wax container -- see the pic I posted in #4 hereabove -- are in their first descript line: non abrasive!
geo

[blackbike]

I got some Flitz wax and 3 microfiber cloths on the way.
I'll get back sone with more details.
When I was buying this gun it looked good other than corboned up cylinder, but had some finger prints and smugges so I wiped them off with an old gun colth that had been laying around the shop for years and afterwards I could see scratches I had just put on it.
Live and learn.

[JoeJames]

My cousin who owned a gun shop pawn shop introduced me to BLUEMAGIC Metal Polish Cream. It does well with nickle, blued, or stainless. And it's $3 or $4 at Walmart. It really does a great job!

[TD1886]

A good quality Silver polish.

[Wild Bill 7]

Flits, it works wonders.

[TD1886]

Sure Flitz will polish it, but Flitz is abrasive although very very fine abrasive. It does remove some finish. If you all insist on a polish like Flitz I recomment Mother's Mag polish as it's even a finer abrasive then Flitz. That's why I recommended Silver polish.

[blackbike]

Yea I'll go down to my local auto parts store and get some mothers mag polish, also the mothers leather conditioner works great and smells fantastic on old leather coats.
I got some silver maple leafs with milk spots I;ll try the mothers polish on.

[TD1886]

Yea I'll go down to my local auto parts store and get some mothers mag polish, also the mothers leather conditioner works great and smells fantastic on old leather coats.
I got some silver maple leafs with milk spots I;ll try the mothers polish on.

Best to use the high grade silver polish on those mapel leafs, I meant for the mothers mag polish on Nickel plating.

[deltaenterprizes]

I have heard of people using toothpaste as a polish but I haven’t tried it!

[georgerkahn]

Sure Flitz will polish it, but Flitz is abrasive although very very fine abrasive. It does remove some finish. If you all insist on a polish like Flitz I recomment Mother's Mag polish as it's even a finer abrasive then Flitz. That's why I recommended Silver polish.

Perhaps I'm wrong (wouldn't be the first time ;)) but I believe there are TWO different products here -- both marketed with the first word as "Flitz". The Flitz item I suggested (post #4) is their non-abrasive wax. They also purvey -- bion what I had believed to be the "only Flitz" -- is their Flitz metal polish.314332 I love this product -- but just by virtue of it being a polish it is, albeit very mild, abrasive. (I used it to polish a zillion or so spoons used for Lake Trout and Salmon trolling, as well as quite a few firearm-related polishing needs).
But -- I do suggest the Flitz WAX is the one to use on the OP's firearm.
geo

[Txcowboy52]

I have had great luck using Flitz. I recently used it to remove some discoloration on a knife blade . Nothing else I tried would touch it.

[Soundguy]

Asking "what works best?", to me, is like inquiring what the best pizza, or beer is :) :) :). I bought, a while back, an A. Uberti, Brescia, Italy Model 1866 in .44-40 which someone scratched the you-know-what on both sides of the receiver, and it looked like Fred Flintstone was the prior owner who never touched the outside! I wanted to clean it up without harming plating, albeit I knew the scratched were/are there for life!314294
A local collector (now deceased :() HIGHLY recommended Flitz Gun Wax -- which I had never heard of. Gifting me a bit, I was/am impressed beyond words with what the firearm looked like after I used the product.
If I was lucky enough to acquire such a fine arm as your Python -- I would use nothing else to polish it!
geo

yeah.. flitz is pretty good stuff...

[Rapier]

+1 on Flitz. I ran an 8" Silver Snake for a dozen years in competition shooting, with cast. Do not use a copper solvent on the gun and leave it on the gun when stored.....real Nickel plate is copper over steel, with nickel plate on top of the copper, a chip, crack or scratch will expose the copper to the solvent. Good idea to pull the grips, remove all of the oil under the grips, then wax the nickel plate under the grips, put grips back on.
Before you try to polish anything, make very sure the finish is not satin nickel, it will not polish well.

[cuzinbruce]

Careful with the polishes. I had one change the color of a nickel S&W. Factory nickel seems almost golden. After the polish it was more like chrome. If you are determined, take off the grips and try it somewhere it won't show.

[ShooterAZ]

Flitz is pretty hard to beat as a gun polish. I use it often, and not just on guns.

[blackbike]

Fritz delivers fast two days from Wisconsin to Texas. Very nice to deal with too.
Thanks for the tips guys.
I will definitely start under the grips.

[country gent]

For a fine polish and or clean up Instead of cloths I use natural cotton balls. charge with the polish and use replace often. Polishing the pad used will pick up dirt and material then carry it in the polish and create new scratches if used to long. Another trick for tight areas is to work a cotton ball into the bristles if a tooth brush This gives a comfortable handle to work with and get into tight areas. Also the handle provides a consistent pressure to polish with.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I would just wipe it down with a Silicone Gun Rag and be done with it.

Here's my S&W 696 oops it made out of Stainless. But Stainless has a lot of Nickle in it, that's what makes it Stainless.

Randy

[murf205]

Renaissance Micro-Crystalline wax polish. It's not cheap but it it is good stuff. If your gun doesn't have a lot of scratches, this will polish it beautifully. If it is scratched, THEN you can go the Flitz route and then use Renaissance to protect it. Take the stocks off and was the inside of them along with the frame.