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http://s1248.photobucket.com/user/cardiacharp/media/GENE-DESKTOP/Nickel1890-2_zps98651c18.jpg.html
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http://s1248.photobucket.com/user/cardiacharp/media/GENE-DESKTOP/Nickel1890-1_zpsc1dbd824.jpg.html
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I’m still working on posting pictures
I’m still working on getting the picture rules in line with my ability rules.
I thought I’d put this nickel 90 I picked up for $320.00 in a dark church basement auction. The thing was filthy and I had no idea it was nickel. The metal was covered with a brown residue and the wood was covered with a black oily type of finish but for the price I couldn’t stop myself. It’s a short and the bore is maybe a 3 or 4 but there is still rifling in there. The wood is above average and had a crack that I got a good Acraglas fit and it can hardly be seen and I know it’s there. The barrel has issues (a longer story). The rifle has a sporting rear sight that is missing the correct elevator and the correct front sight. The barrel address and tang stamp are correct according to Schwing. The butt stock has some nice grain and only minor handling marks. Ned’s book doesn’t get to heavy on nickel except to say it could be ordered in any combination. There aren’t any examples of nickel buttplate, receiver, magazine and slide arm. Mag. must be real because the inner tube cap is also nickel. Serial # 562031 can live to fight another day. She looks a lot better now with her nose powdered!
I know there are issues but she looks to pretty to part out.
I did learn how to quickly move the pictures from photo bucket to this sight (I think).
Gene
Offline
Hello Gene,
I am doubting it is nickel plated but rather has had the bluing "buffed" off at some time. Could you please post a few detail photos of the receiver sides and tang stamp?
Michael
Model 1892 / Model 61 Collector, Research, Valuation
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Hello Michael,
When I first started cleaning it I figured the same thing but the sharpness of the stamps, holes and inspection marks have me thinking nickel. Those inspectors’ stamps on the front of the receiver are sharp and comparing them to other 90s are the same. The trouble is I don’t have anything nickel to compare it to. I would have thought, with the condition the rifle was in when I picked it up, that if it was buffed, it would have been the rust bucket I expected. The brown tarnish came off fairly easy. Whatever it is it’s down inside the receiver proof mark and the inside of the bottom tang. Could be an after market job but the edge sharpness makes me think not. The striations seem to be in a number of different directions.
Is there some kind of chemical test to detect a nickel finish? To bad it’s not in the SN range. There was no profit motive at this sale. Some other guy and myself were the only two interested. The other rifles there were all old and corroded with broken and cracked stocks. It was more a general auction of stuff. Let me know your thoughts.
Gene 😕
I don’t see nickel at all. Its just metal colored.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Bob,
I think you’re right. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before, but I pulled out a nickel Rem. Smoot and a nickel Colt clover leaf I have and put them alongside the rifle. It doesn’t look nickel alongside of them. Although they both have a different tone and texture then each other, the rifle doesn’t look nickel next to them. I will make it a point to take them out of the safe and study them more often. I think I’ll try to hunt out some nickel Winchesters at the shows. To tell the truth, I never thought much about nickel Winchesters until I started cleaning this 1890 up. This will be another lesson along the way. Thanks Bob and Michael for getting me back on focus.
This was also a couple good lessons on using the photo bucket site. I think I got it now! You’d think an old photographer would get it quicker, but bad eyesight and film tech don’t help with computers. I’m still amazed, no darkroom. I don’t have to worry about letting the dark out. Thanks.
Gene 🙂
Gene,
Old nickel should be dull or a satin finish and if it hasn’t been cleaned on, the nickel cracks from age and might start to peel.
Some guys will take a old gun with not much finish and polish and buff it to a shine and try to pass it off as nickel. This happens to 94’s more than other models since the 94 tends to loose the receiver finish first.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Thanks again Bob. That Rem. Smoot has a higher luster then the Colt but I can see the lifting and cracking starting on both. There is none of that on the rifle. I can’t figure why that rifle didn’t rust up more. It must have been all the muck preserving it. Just when I thought I was starting to discern the difference with bluing, along comes a nickel lesson. It was a cheep one though, not like some of my stock picks!
Gene
Gene61
Here are some picks of an 1890 in 22LR we had some years back that was nickeled with a stainless barrel with the Winchester Proof only (no Circle-P). It came from an elderly man advertised a few of his guns in the local newspaper who was selling because he was moving into a retirement home. Said he had it since he was a kid.
http://s992.photobucket.com/user/cleto539/media/189083360030_zps1fa41289.jpg.html
http://s992.photobucket.com/user/cleto539/media/189083360024_zps0e807af5.jpg.html
http://s992.photobucket.com/user/cleto539/media/189083360028_zps9431b15d.jpg.html
http://s992.photobucket.com/user/cleto539/media/18908336009_zps6e0d3231.jpg.html
1892takedown @sbcglobal.net ......NRA Endowment Life Member.....WACA Member
"God is great.....beer is good.....and people are crazy"... Billy Currington
Chris,
Thanks for the pictures. I enjoyed seeing the comparison between the two.
Chris, I was also glad you brought up the circle P since I was having some confusion about it. I had a 22 rifle with a P inside an actual circle on the bottom and thought it was one of the mail order barrels. In Schwing’s book (Vol. I) he has a picture of the stamp and the circle is actually an oval. I went looking in the Madis book and found (p. 614) the mark on mine to be an inspector’s mark for 90 and 06 rifles. 
Your Jefferson quote is quite apropos.
Gene
Here is a photo of the proof marks.
http://s992.photobucket.com/user/cleto539/media/189083360025_zpsa26c5a59.jpg.html
1892takedown @sbcglobal.net ......NRA Endowment Life Member.....WACA Member
"God is great.....beer is good.....and people are crazy"... Billy Currington
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