Chrome Plate on a Handgun?

[Bob96]

  I often see Nickle plated handguns. Why none in Chrome? I am speaking of mirror finish not Hard Chrome. Nickle is usually plated over Copper. Chrome is usually plated over Copper & Nickle. I think Chrome is harder and more tarnish resistant than Nickle. Why no Chrome guns around?

[The Gamemaster]

Just a thought - not an actual opinion.

Nickle is soft and can be machined.

Chrome is hard and is harder to machine.

When you add plate - you take away from the factory tolerances.  Which means that you have to remove  some - if not all of what you apply to the action - to make it function again properly.

I have seen nickle applied that was .0005 thick.

I'm not sure if chrome would have the same strength and durability at the same thickness.

Chrome will rust.

I have seen guns that were chrome plated and they didn't look right, they were just too bright.

[Rangr44]

Chrome is brittle, and more prone to craze/flake in the pressure/flex areas of a handgun. That said, some low-powered, cheap imported revolvers& pocket autos have been chrome plated in the past.

Black chrome has been sometimes used on long guns - for example on the 1871-1971 Winchester NRA Centennial .30-30 Rifle and Musket.