About a week ago I was given a 1960's era Premier kit. Some of the parts are in pretty sad condition, but all of the shells are still beautiful... well, except for the snare.

The snare is all metal. This inside is polished and the outside has some sort of shiny coating that is flaking off all over the place. The underside of the outside looks nothing like the inside. It's quite dull, a bit white-ish, and cakey.

What is it that this snare is coated in, and more importantly, how do I strip it off without damaging the shell?

This is the first time I've ever worked with or tried to restore a kit, so any help would be much appreciated.