Ever stripped nickel off a gun?

[Odessaman]

I was given an older nickeled revolver as a project. It was missing some parts and the barrel was toast, so I scrounged the needed bits off of eBay. Unfortunately, the best deal I could find that had the most parts I needed at the best price was from a blued gun. So now I've decided to strip the nickel and reblue everything so it'll be uniform instead of ghetto pinto.

I've been researching various methods. I've ruled out just taking a wire wheel to it, because that'll just require extra polishing when I'm ready to blue.

So the two methods I appear to be left with are chemical stripping, with a product such as this one, which is smelly: https://www.caswellplating.com/review/p ... tegory/47/

or I can do electrolysis, using a homemade setup with an acid bath and power supply.

Any other options I've missed, or any experience with one or both of those listed above?

[P5 Guy]

https://www.finishing.com/210/20.shtml

Doesn't look like a pleasant afternoon pastime.

[Odessaman]

Thanks -
Maybe two-tone wouldn't be so bad after all . . .

[rentprop1]

good nickel/chrome strip chemicals are super expensive and usually an EPA PITA to deal with, the cheap shit takes months to strip, and sometimes provides half-assed results, then what are you gonna do with it ?? the chemical disposal is important....the big question ?? the gun will almost never re-blue correctly once it sits in those chemicals, about the only thing to do is have nickel re-applied, call Ford's they are still the best around if you can deal with the lies, wait time, and associated baggage

[Big bore lover]

I have used this in the past. Not to insanely priced especially if you have more to do.
082-078-160MB 
Brownells Room Temperature Nickel Stripper

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tool ... -3942.aspx

[Odessaman]

Thanks for the suggestions. The gun was a freebie to me, but even so the cost of a professional refinish would exceed it's final value, and I have no sentimental attachment to it to justify that.

Reviews on the various chemical strippers seem to run from poor to mediocre, and I don't plan on ever stripping another nickel gun.

I think I'll either bead blast the nickel off or strip it with an abrasive wheel, and see where it goes from there.