Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

Daisy BB Guns / Air Rifles and Their Black Nickel plating ... Early 1900s

Disambiguation --

• This thread is specific to the plating on early air rifles / BB guns

Hi, Robert.

When Will Your Research Book be completed as I have a few Daisy Black Nickel Guns in my extensive collection of over 50 Years.

I ran across an air rifle called Dandy, produced by Atlas Gun Company that Daisy purchased in 1906.
This Air Rifle had traces of the Black Nickel finish on its brass nickel plated barrel.
I don't know if some of these were sold by Daisy through Sears-Roebuck as the Dandy models are not marked, many of them.
Daisy was very secretive, even with their Purchase of the Markham Air Rifle Co. Located across the tracks, as well as the Plymouth Air Rifle Company all in Plymouth, Mi.
I have many Hours of research and such if you need my help; I was also a friend of Arni Dunathan and Wes Powers.
Thank you for your time.

⇩ Related postings, oldest first ⇩

Q. Good morning:

This request will be slightly unusual. I'm an illustrator, working on a project for Rogers Air Gun Museum in Rogers Arkansas. I am illustrating a chronology book about Daisy air guns from 1888-present. In the process of my research, I am attempting to explain, using layman's terms, about a "Black Nickel" finishing process that was used on air guns of the early 1900s. "Special" air guns sold by DAISY were plated with Black Nickel. It definitely was not a superior class of "Bluing," as ordinary bluing goes.

Daisy No. 25 Pump Gun
50 shot repeater; walnut straight stock, 5 groove forehand grip
Black-Nickel plating; manufactured from 1914-1925

During that early era, a chemical engineer working for Daisy, in Plymouth, MI was experimenting with the Black Nickel (oxide) process. What ever it was, it was included with the regular Nickel plating process. Eventually, Black Nickel found its way onto the metal finish given to Daisy No. 25 Pump guns; No. 30 lever action rifles, and No. 3 lever action air rifles. Bluing as I understand, was not perfected at that time, to properly be applied to the type of soldered assemblies, which Daisy performed in their rifle assemblies. Nickel plating was a more expensive means of preventing rust, but it did give a satisfactory finish.
"Black Nickel" plating was a very impressive finish that was added, and it sold air guns. When Daisy went to "spot welding", the finishing process of "Bluing" became the norm. It was by far less expensive. Black Nickel was then reserved for the "Special" sales of specific model air rifles.

Many younger, avid collectors of today's generation believe the process of "Black Nickel" plating was nothing more than a lacquered process, since Black Nickel plating had a tendency to flake off of the surface, as the gun aged. I'm quite certain they are painting a picture of what they assume to be correct, rather than to "do the research." Can you help me?

Finally... why do I not ask DAISY? During that era, DAISY did not keep explicit records of their manufacturing processes. The processes were patented for protection, I'm sure. However the reality of their doings was not as important at that time, as manufacturing and selling air guns. I thank you for your time and consideration, if you choose to reply with any information that will shed some light on this query.

"Daisy Air Rifles and BB Guns: The First 100 Years"
by Neal Punchard

on AbeBooks

or eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

I happen to have the model 25 (same stock, 5 groove grip and everything) you described and the finish is a little faded but not flaking.

Dan Larson
- Coon Rapids, Minnesota
2005

A. The Daisy Black Nickel finish is achieved by dipping a standard nickel plated part into a solution that oxidizes the surface of the nickel turning it black. I don't have the formula at hand presently, but have seen it in a "Machinery Handbook" from the 1910 time period. You may also note that many Benjamin air rifles from the 1920s also used this finish.

Bill Johnson
- Tehachapi, California
February 21, 2010

Thanks, Bill. Books.google.com offers the 1914 Edition of that book as a free download; Tom Pullizzi gives us that formula and another on thread 982

Luck & Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Multiple threads merged: please forgive chronology errors :-)

Gentle Readers:

This meeting place welcomes Q&As, photos, history, & interesting tidbits -- but it's not a consultancy.

Please engage with others

• When people show interest in each other's situations, the forum is informative, and fun too !

• If people post their own question but show no interest in others', it can quickly become a long string of unanswered questions

Q. I am seeking information on the connection (if any) between C. J. Hamilton & Son, mfr. of small 'boy rifles' in the early 1900s and the Daisy Air Rifle Co.

No commercialism involved, I happen to have had each at one time or another, and believe there was a connection.

Any information or references greatly appreciated.

Q. Daisy markmanship fun sportmanship rifle what's the year? Can you help?

Q. I HAVE A MODEL NO.25 THAT HAS IMAGES ENGRAVED ON THE METAL. HI MY GRAND DAD GAVE ME A MODEL 25 THAT HAS A MAN & 2 DOGS HUNTING BIRDS ON IT DO You KNOW ANYTHING BOUT IT, [YR, PRICE, WORTH]?

Q. Myself and my eleven year old son are having a disagreement about the gun we have at home. It is a Daisy No 25; it says Daisy MFG Co Plymouth, Mich, USA patents pending. Could you tell us if this gun was used for the war? or was it used for child's play ? -Annmarie and David

"Plymouth's Air Rifle Industry"
by Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens

on AbeBooks

or eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Air guns (BB guns) can be used for very small game hunting (like field mice) as well as for child's play target practice, but certainly not for war.

But please check your state laws. In New Jersey, while the police may chuckle when a boy plays with this toy, they can charge his father with a felony ... because it's an "unregistered firearm" !
This is NOT exaggeration: I served on the county Grand Jury for a few months, and we indicted about a dozen men for this. My guess is that the police were called for domestic violence and the victim was unwilling to testify, so they find a BB gun and charge the father with a felony, forcing him to plead guilty to the lesser crime. Giving a prosecutor this extreme level of discretion strikes me as worse than the old vagrancy statutes because vagrancy was a misdemeanor, but having an unregistered BB gun is a felony. If you have a BB gun in NJ, be really careful to not tick off a muckety-muck :-)

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2007

Q. Hi. I have a King No.1 bb gun that is in good working condition with a good stock and both sites and load shot tube, but unfortunately it appears someone before me has painted the barrel a golden paint looking color. I have been told by the museum that Daisy or Markham never painted there barrels. A lot of this paint has worn off and now showing some rust spots.

Is it possible to have the gun restored, and by whom, or do this myself in a proper manner. Anyone have any suggestions on how to get the gun barrel and rest of the metal part of the gun back to the way it should be, would be greatly appreciated, or would it be best left alone, but I do believe it hurts the value of the gun and I do not want to rust further. Thanks