TRIGGER RESTORATION/PLATING

[J. A. EARLY]

A little about this plating story. At Christmas 1968 I graduated as a fourteen year old from a single barrel to a double barrel, coming from a double gun family (one per person). My uncle talked my dad into a 20 gauge from me, even though he was a 16 gauge man. The inexpensive Spanish double (not to my dad) was my gift. I never shot it well. It was supposed to be IC/Mod. But I learned only a few years back that it was cylinder and light modified. Being slow on the draw as a youngster, I never killed many quail with it. I now know why.

But knowing now that these are the very ideal chokes for rabbits, I took it the other day. One shot with the cylinder barrel at fifteen yards, one rabbit. I felt sorry for the old gun, looking at its missing bluing and rust on the barrels and trigger guard, so yesterday I put new rust bluing on the barrels that look better than the factory ever did, niter blued the trigger guard and screws, and was hung up on one issue, the worn to steel gold triggers!

I had purchased a gold, nickel, brass, copper, silver plating set from Texas Platers Supply (can’t find them now) in 2011. I had redone a pair of Parker triggers in nickel, and put the kit away. I have never seen anything on this site about plating triggers at home. I had called a rude silver plating company locally about redoing some DH triggers for me, but the word gun brought out a reply that they did not do gun parts.

Anyway, I got the gold plating kit out and in a matter of minutes I now have gold plated triggers again. I used a low voltage transformer for my power source. See the photo, left finished, right prepped. How long it lasts I don’t know, but they are definitely gold again. The poor forgotten Spanish double is now back in action for future seasons, better than ever.

So I believe that it would be easy to do the nickel or silver plated triggers on any DH gun using the same process, or if for some reason you wanted gold triggers on your gun it is fairly easy and inexpensive.