I have a CZ 75B .40 satin nickle, a CZ75B 9mm Duo Tone, and a 1903 S&W .32 Hand Ejector in nickel. I prefer the look of nickel to hard chrome (which is the next step in the plating process). It gives a more golden undertone to the firearm that makes it look more "alive" and less sterile.
With a nickel plated gun, you don't want to use any type of solvent designed for "copper fouling." The reason is because of how the plating process works. When a gun is nickel plated, it is first stripped of any type of finish down to the original steel. Nickel will not bond to steel, but it will bond to copper. So the gun is first plated in copper, and then the nickel will bond to the copper. By using a "copper fouling remover" or other ammonia based cleaner, the cleaner will get below the nickel to the copper and break down the copper. When the copper breaks down, there is nothing bonding the nickel to the steel so the nickel peels off.
All in all, nickel is my favorite looking finish. I think you will really enjoy your plated upper! PLEASE post pics for us after you get it back!
