Help re: S&W K 22

[marshhawk]

I have inherited a 6" 5 screw S&W K22, its former owner had the trigger/ hammer and cylinder release slide and screw Gold Plated [ UGH ] is there any chemical that will remove the gold or do I have to polish it off, or simply replace the parts with new factory replacements?

Thanks in advance, John

[kurac]

That's a tough on, the thumb piece and screw are easy to find and can be replaced but the hammer and trigger are fitted parts. I am thinking bead blasting them would be the best way to remove the gold. To chemically remove the gold you would have to do an acid bath or reverse electrolysis. The bead blast should only remove the gold since the hammer and trigger are case hardened.

[Gunsmith Dan]

Or you can Cerakote (tm) over the gold plus get color the way you want it to look all in one shot.

Contact me if you are interested.

Gunsmith Dan

[Hoagiem]

Mercury will dissolve the gold

[socom2shooter]

If you do take them out of gun be very careful not to break of the silver soderd parts off. There are a huge pain to replace

[marshhawk]

K22 Help

Thanks for your input Guys!
John

[gfmallett]

Leave it alone John painting or bead blasting are the only two reasonable choices, but they may leave you with something even more unwanted. Gold is the most inert metal out there and can be acid washed with aqua regia but don''t.. . .aqua regia is a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acid but will also eat into the nickel steel as well.
sell it at extra value ha ha. . .and buy another. regards, george

[Sky_DiveR]

You can always send it back to a plating shop and have it removed.

[mark501w]

Leave it alone go shooting.

[Dutch Henry]

If it really bothers you, consider sending it to S&W and have them install new parts. It probably would be cheaper than having gold plate stripped and S&W would time and tune the piece before returning it.

[Sky_DiveR]

Good point.

[kurac]

If it really bothers you, consider sending it to S&W and have them install new parts. It probably would be cheaper than having gold plate stripped and S&W would time and tune the piece before returning it.

You will want to check first but I don't think S&W will work on it because they don't have any more parts on hand for such a piece. So if they take it apart and find out it needs a new part or is missing something you may be SOL.

[kendog4570]

S&W wont touch that gun. Try having the plating professionally removed, hoping the original case colors are still there, or try David Chicoine at http://oldwestgunsmith.com/. He's the guy S&W will refer you to. He may have parts.

[marshhawk]

K22

Thanks Cal Gunners for all your input!

Marshhawk