1921 DWM Police Luger
 

This one came to me nickel plated. I got the plating off and found this horrible grip strap pitting. Cleaned it up and I am rust bluing it now. BEFORE metal prep and DURING metal prep pics. The owner also had me restoring a P.38, also nickel plated. No telling what will be hiding under it.
https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net...a2&oe=5DB69B09 https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net...51&oe=5DB589A5

Very impressive work. Does the nickel plating "fill in" the pitting so it is not noticeable until it is removed?

Thanks! I think the plating probably hides some but I dont really remember closely looking for it before. I will more closely inspect the nickeled P.38 before I start on it for this potential masking.

The photos aren't coming up for me on this post. No problems elsewhere. Just so you know...

Nickel plating is very thin, so it doesn't fill any imperfections. Some plating outfits apply a heavy coat of copper to rough parts (like pitted car bumpers and such) and use it as a "sanding primer" for the final polish, but that much copper on a gun would screw up the tolerances totally so if there's copper underneath it's very thin. In other words, what you see is usually what you get after stripping the nickel.

David, I think you are a member of my Luger group page on Facebook, I have shown them there too. Hope you can view them there.