I have seen some beautiful engraved pieces on here. Those of you that own them do you carry, or shoot them? I have NO safe queens, everything I own gets shot, or carried. Is it foolish to shoot a engraved weapon? Thanks.

Don't do the laser route. The laser rubs off easily.

My engraved peice has not been fired since I had it done. I have so many guns (and slowly selling them off) that I choose not to shoot it at this time.
One day I'll dirty it up. It's all tuned up and will run great!

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NRA Benefactor Member

That is absolutely beautiful, please who did that work?

Whoa! Is it from factory or ..?

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All the best,
Omil

Yes, it's the factory's work. I sent it in with what I wanted done.

I bought it new from the Internet, however the gun was a lemon. It didn't carry up, big dent on the crown, ejector rod had heavy run-out, on and on. I worked on it at my leasure for several months until mechanically it was perfect, then I sent it in. Several months later this is what the result was.
Personally if I would sell it, I'd lose several thousand dollars. But I wanted it done. My first and last engraved gun.

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NRA Benefactor Member

I would not shoot or carry an engraved model, but that's also why I wouldn't buy one either. If you want a custom engraving job on a carry piece let time take care of that for you or can speed the process by carrying it in your pocket with some loose change. --

An uncle who was a state trooper once arrested one of the "kingpins" of crime in Oklahoma in the mid 50s. He took a double barrel 410 sawed off shotgun from him that was engraved, nickel, and with gold inlay.
He still talks about that every once in a while and still wonders what happened to the gun.
If you want to make a statement to impress others, I guess an engraved gun will do it before you shoot someone.

I thought about getting my last name engraved on the backstrap of the grips on both of my Bodyguards. Along with maybe some small scrolling on either end of the "LEE"

Kinda like the "CABLE" on the backstrap of Tom Selleck's revolver he carried in Last Stand At Saber River remember?

I just wanna do it so I won't be tempted to sell/trade these two little humpbacks ever again.

THAT is funny,and true.

There is nothing wrong with carrying an engraved gun IMO. I'd like to do it myself some day.
But what gun and who to do the engraving are questions I don't know the answer to yet.
Much less the expense.

My primary carry gun is my 696. I'm on the waiting list to have it engraved. Part of the engraving will be a small version of my badge on the side plate. When the engraving is finished, I will carry it and I will be shooting it. Don't know how long I have to wait, but when it is finished, I will be posting pictures of it.

There is nothing wrong with shooting a finely engraves gun. Heck.... I been using finely engraved Browning Superposed shotguns to hunt Pheasant for many many years. That's what it was meant to be used for, and the fact that it gives my hunting buddies a "case of the jaws" is all the better! I have a few minor dings and scratched on them from the woods, but I have never been bothered with "honest wear" on a firearm. I was never big on Safe Queens (only have one of those).

Regards,
chief38

that any gun used for self defense may be held indefinitely in police custody. While there it will not be cleaned, not even to have blood wiped off the outside, as that is evidence. Also, the evidence lockers I have seen were not really configured for the kind of careful storage the piece would receive at home.

That's why I don't carry heirlooms or one-of-a-kinds, only those I can replace if necessary.

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Big bang, much smash'em.

My feeling is that if a firearm engraved or not engraved is used to save either my life or the life of a family member, it has served its intended purpose. I can not loose sleep about what might happen under the circumstances, and in fact would probably be the least of my worries. A gun can always be replaced, a life can not.

However, my mind set is that I love to use and enjoy beautiful firearms. That's what they are meant for. If one is married to the most gorgeous woman in the world, would you not touch her in fear of damaging the goods? If I had a beautiful collectible automobile I would want to drive it and enjoy it. I know there are people who sit in their garage and polish the hell out of it and basically would never drive the damned thing, but to me that would take the joy out of owning it. Just my opinion and to each his own.

Well now Boys right there it is, the truth if'n I ever heard it.

I like and use engraved firearms, handguns as well as long guns.

One or two of my usin' iron;

A Colt SAA in .45 Long Colt


A guild engraved shotgun 16 ga. & she's a bird killer,


Even my squirrel rifle...(Never mind the S&W convertable .45)



Su Amigo,
Dave

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

Shooting and carrying engraved pistols is a time honored tradition. They should be carried and shot. The only limitation is that it is not recommended that a true shooter/carry piece have inlaid metals. They will eventually loosen and go flying on the range. At the price of gold these days, this is not a great idea. And, yes - I have seen it happen. A friend had a beautifully engraved and gold inlaid 1911, and he is a shooter and believes in shooting everything he owns - alot. On one range trip, the gold inlay for an animal on the slide fell out. There ended the lesson - fully engraved for carry and shooting yes - precious metal inlays - no.

Chief38, I couldn't have said it any better. I have a "once in a lifetime" Colt Series 70 LW Commander that is bullseye accurized by a master smith with a Bar-sto barrel and fitted bushing, Bomar rear sight sunk into the slide, Patridge front sight, night sight inserts, detailed, high quality metal work, beavertail, etc. by John Harrison, inlaid gold outlining of the slide and hand engraving signed by Ken Hurst (Colt Master Engraver), and slide carbona blued by Turnbull. Frame is electroless nickeled, and it wears custom made, book-matched Desert Ironwood grips. It wasn't cheap...

I carry it IWB, shoot it any time I want to, don't hesitate to take it hunting, am happy to shoot IDPA matches with it, and will use it to repel boarders, if necessary. It is a tackdriver, extremely reliable, and I love shooting/carrying it. Not to impress anyone else, but just because I really, really LIKE it.

Any honest wear it gets in the process just adds character. What good would it do me, sitting in the safe all the time?

I'd say if you like an engraved pistol, get what you want and use it -- better that than to leave it untouched for someone else to paw over after you're gone!

John

waiting to find a piece suitable for engraving i would like to get some basic coverage and my name or initials on the backstrap.

i would like to live in a CCW friendly area as well. but i eoulf still shoot said piece above.

my engraved auto 5s have all been shot and hunted with. the one from 1927 has been worked hard in the last 80 years. didnt seem to hurt the engraving.

If the inlay work is done properly, they will not loosen and fall out.

Poorly done work using improper techniques will lead to failure no doubt.
Improper/shallow undercutting, surfaces of the metal not being clean, trying to force fit an oversize inlay into the cut, not annealing the inlay material are just a few of the things that can lead to failure.

There are many ways to inlay metal to metal.
Even steel can be inlayed into the surface of steel for an effect that is very different.
For precious metal inlay work, some use a solid piece carefully cut to the shape of the inlet. Others use small separate pieces inlayed into their own socket within the whole figure(also used when different colors & alloys are used in the same figure).
Another way is to use wire in a more or less continuous coil around the shape of the inlay gradually filling in the area. Some use more than one of these in a single inlay.

The alloy (hardeness) of the inlay material (precious metal) will have an effect on the progress and ease of the work as will the shape and contour of the base surface.

A flat or raised inlay is also to be taken into account.
A raised/ relief inlay may be partially below the surface of the base metal as well as above it or it can also be done completely above it being only attached to the surface with a mechanical bond. With the right technique and the correct alloy for the technique, one attached to the surface only can be as strong as any other. Done incorrectly, it can be peeled off like a wet stamp.
It's all in how it's done and how much talent & experience the artist has to accomplish it.

Yeah,
What he said!

1911 w/gold inlay that's been shot a bunch o' times;


Another 1911 that gets packed & shot,


Su Amigo,
Dave

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

Just my opinion.

An engraved gun is beautiful. The best firearm engraving I have ever seen is a the R.W. Norton Art gallery in Shreveport, LA on some guns that are out of this world. If I had a few million dollars, I would try to buy them.

I had one gun lightly engraved with a floral pattern on the barrel and my initials on the side plate in script. Several years later I sold the gun when I tired of the engraving. I lost a ton of money on it and it took a year of advertising to find a buyer. For the little amount of money it sold for, I should have just kept it. Now I wish I had but the engraving is what made it difficult to sell and my initials did not help either. Well I may could have held out until I found a buyer with my same initials.

If I had a gun engraved today, it would be a gun that would be displayed with lights, sealed case and be passed down to great, great grand kids. Even then it would not have my initials on it.

Other than for the pretty, engraving only makes a gun depreciate. I buy them for future investments while using them today.

Damnnnnnnnnnnnn!
If you had to write a prescription for shooter engraved guns, These two would be it..

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DAV in honor of POP