Gun Frame

[warchild]

Can anyone tell me what knid of Metal an old 22 RG hand gun made in Germany is made of? I have not seen the gun yet. someone wants me to Nickel plate it. I think it maybe zinc. im not sure.

[mcaswell]

Not sure about the gun, but if you want to see if it's zinc, drop a drop of weak acid onto an inconspicuous area and see if it bubbles. If it bubbles, it's zinc.

I'm not a gun fanatic, but seems to me that zinc would be an odd metal for a firearm, it corrodes and weakens. Not something I'd want to pull the trigger on after a few years in a wet basement.