ENGRAVED GOLD INLAID S&W .32 Long Revolver

[Ed Hicks]

GOLD INLAID S&W .32 Long Revolver...any idea who may be the engraver? Thanks for looking. Ed Hicks
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[Ed Hicks]

GOLD INLAID S&W .32 Long Revolver...any idea who may be the engraver? Thanks for looking. Ed Hicks
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[B]CLICK LINK FOR MORE IMAGES[/B]<span class="ev_code_RED">CLICK WINKFLASH LINK FOR MORE IMAGES</span>

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[Ed Hicks]

Originally posted by Ed Hicks:
GOLD INLAID S&W .32 Long Revolver...any idea who may be the engraver? Thanks for looking. Ed Hicks

http://warpathinc.winkflash.com
[email protected]

 

[Ed Hicks]

 

[Ed Hicks]

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[Ed Hicks]

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[Camster]

A wild guess from a non-expert.Alvin White?

 

[rburg]

Wow, thats impressive workmanship. I have several suggestions (besides you giving the gun to me.)

First, get some cloth gloves to handle the gun. Then spend some time with it and a big "Dick Tracey" magnifying glass. Look at every inch of the gun, and do it over and over. What you're looking for is a signature.

Of course look under the grips, too.

Many artists signed their work. The did it in obscure places and sometimes it even looks like part of the design.

Its not unpleasant work at all. When that fails... take the gun to some of the larger gun shows or write to some of the "experts" that engrave guns. Engravers often have their own style that they use or fall back on in difficult places on the gun. Someone might be able to tell you.

 

[Ed Hicks]

Thanks, Dick, it is a nice pistol and I initially thought it would make a great concealed carry gun! Ed

 

[Guest]

Originally posted by Ed Hicks:
Thanks, Dick, it is a nice pistol and I initially thought it would make a great concealed carry gun! Ed

Just a guess but if you ever had to use it, you just might get arrested as a "Pimp" just for "carrying" something that belongs in a Vault! Of course, you might have to add a set of Pearl Grips to complete the picture. At least for your "Booking Photos"!

Mike

 

[rburg]

I don't see that gun as a pimp gun by any stretch of the imagination. Its a work of art, apparently well done.

The problem with using it for casual CCW is that its a bit under powered and much carry will damage it. Gold is a very soft metal and wear will show rapidly.

If you can give the approximate serial number, maybe we can get an idea of the date. To carry it you'd need a lined holster (to prevent damage.) Its what we prefer to call a barbecue gun. This one qualifies if you can figure out how to carry it without damage.

The 32 long is a pretty dismal CCW round. Not really a whole lot better than a 22 lr. This one's a keeper. Buy a well worn M36 for your CCW.

 

[2152hq]

I doubt you'll find an engravers name on it but never say never. The style is known as 'gold damascening'. The style goes way back but more recently on firearms (1900 forward) the Spanish made the style popular on their handguns probably more than any others. The work is more overlay work than inlay. The surface of the metal is roughened by scoring in a pattern to create a field of tiny burrs that will impale the gold onto the surface. The gold is in the form of very thin foil and wire that can be better described as thread. Most often 24k gold is used as it is the softest and easiest to work, but red and green karat gold along with silver is used also. Lightly tapped onto the surface into the required patterns and gently burnished down, the gold is then worked over with mostly punches to create most of the 'engraving' but some gravers are used on the thicker areas. After the gold work is done the piece is blued leaving the gold bright against a dark blued background of steel. It's look has never been used much in American style engraving though the technique is used in attaching some inlays by some engravers. I have seen some recent pics of a couple of engravers doing up some pieces that were said to be of this style/appearance but I don't know if they were using the old application techniques or not. STAR, ASTRA & LLama all offered this type of engraving on their pistols. Star and Astra well into the '90s when both went out of business.

 

[Guest]

I don't see that gun as a pimp gun by any stretch of the imagination.

Dick; I have seen more than one such gun being carried by the local 'Pimps' in this area. They say it matched the "Gold Caddy". Gold was "the" status symbol of the Pimps in Seattle; whether is be cars or guns.. I will admit the usual choice wasn't a Smith & Wesson but I did see more than one Colt 1911 so "desecrated". Most the engraving was done by "Street Artist" and was on the same level and quality of the "Jail House" Tattoos of the 70s and 80s.

I see nothing wrong with well done engraving and I agree that this looks pretty nice.

Mike

 

[Ed Hicks]

Before this gets out of hand-I was kidding about using the revolver! It's one of the most intriguing I've owned. Ed

 

[OFT]

"I was kidding about using the revolver!"


Bummer

 

[rburg]

Wasn't it Leroy Brown that had a 32 gun in his pocket for fun?

Our local pimps all carry automatics. I think I run in the wrong circles and never see many of them (or drug dealers, either.) Yes, I live a sheltered life.

The local gunshows used to have a few poorly engraved off brand guns. For whatever reason they've submerged. At the shows for a few years some poor guy had a gold plated Uzi. It even had a single gold plated magazine. There was a swivel in the top of the receiver and it came complete with a long gold plated heavy chain. The chain was long enough that when worn over a shoulder, it hung at the persons waist. To me, that was a pimp gun.

I looked at it every show, kind of as a joke to irritate the seller (I knew him pretty well.)

He finally got off his $3000 price because he felt he'd own that gun forever, and he feared his widow would bury him with it. One show he cornered me and honestly told me that I was the only person to ever even look interested in it. He said it could be mine for a mere $1000. Then he finally came down to $750, but I still balked. No way I could be seen with that luxury piece.

 

[Camster]

I tossed out the name of Alvin White based more on the grip work than the engraving.