Has anyone gotten a rifle engraved?

[Kev18]

So I have an original winchester 1886, and was just wondering about this, but who could potentially engrave it? I bought The Winchester Book last weekend and i'm seeing alot of nice engraving patterns. Of course, they were from factory but I was wondering if anyone ever got their gun engraved by a jeweler or someone other then a factory selling the rifles?
https://i.imgur.com/mmhfp00.jpg

[lefty o]

its not my place to tell you what to do, but i sure wouldnt molest that rifle.

[Bazoo]

Looks like some pits on the side? I think if you like engraving you should go for it. Personally, I like old guns with no finish. The fact that it's an old and historic rifle wouldn't stop me if engraving was my desire.

[gnoahhh]

Ditto on molesting an original half-magazine M1886. You won't increase its value (rather the opposite) by engraving, and in the end it'll look like an otherwise elegant 80 year old grandmother wearing a mini skirt and fishnet stockings. Lots of venues for engraving but I would draw the line with this one.

[Kev18]

I didnt say I was going to do it for sure, I wanted alittle bit of info. I love this rifle, its my first one that I bought myself so I dont want to hurt it in anyway.

[gnoahhh]

Sorry, it sure sounded like that was your intent. Have you done a thorough internet search for engravers? The woods are full of them. Perhaps google engraving schools and inquire as with them?

[Bazoo]

Kev, I don't suppose you ever go to Doug Turnbull's website and drool do ya? You have a wonderful gun with lots of personality, but I tell ya, Turnbull's guns sure makes ya ponder.

[Walks]

I've had one Rifle Engraved.
There was a GunSmith/ Engraver that used to come to the old Cowboy Action Annual Matches. Such as End of Trail, Winter Range, etc. 25 - 30yrs ago.
Had him Engrave an extra pair of Blued SidePlates for a Uberti 1873 Clone Rifle for a COLOR-CASE-HARDENED Frame.

Make sure you see many examples of the Engravers work before you EVER let him touch your gun.

[country gent]

While factory did engraving a lot was farmed out to known or established engravers. Most historical references will give the name of the engraver used in certain periods of time. A little research will show who manufacturers are using. On engraving by a top name engraver figure your firearm being out for 1-3 years depending on pattern and detail required. The established engraver has a back log and engraving isn't a speed event by any means.

[Winger Ed.]

If it's what ya want,,,, check around, find an engraver, make your best deal, and do it.

Or another option, like I did with checkering a stock, is to get the tools & patterns from Brownell's,
practice on some wrenches, and maybe do it yourself.

As far as the value, if your not going to sell it--- the value doesn't matter.

[Kev18]

I dont have any engravers near me. I do have an ex turnbull employee that works out of his home. By the tales I heard, he's a true gunsmith. Makes tapered octagon barrels apparently. Sadly he's more of a loner and does't want anyone at his home.
I was just wondering if anyone has ever seen jewelers do any work? I have a few near me that would be good, im just not sure they can do that much work on a gun. And imagine the cost!

PS: Its not in yet bought my dad turned 50 last march... I bought him a henry 45-70 brass frame wildlife edition. There's a crazy long waiting time. I ordered it in December just as reference... The rifle is engraved all over, looks really good. The only thing missing would be his name on it. Id need to get info on jewelesr if they would be able to just engrave it on for me.

[HollowPoint]

I think that the right artisan could tastefully engrave it and still leave it with it's authentic look if they perhaps do it up minimally in a factory pattern.

No one likes a nice looking unaltered factory sample as much as me but it's your rifle. You can do whatever you want to it. Any time someone post an inquiry like yours you will always get those who somehow feel it some kind of desecration to alter a rifle like this. I'm not one of those. The artisans who know what they're doing can apply their craft and still have the rifle look like it came that way.

The patina on the rifle now can be artificially applied if the person doing the work knows what they are doing. The key is finding the right artist to do it.

HollowPoint

[country gent]

Most Jewelers wont do a firearm for a simple reason, They are used to working in much softer materials than the Steel of the firearm. Gold silver and other precious metals are a slightly different skill set.

[bob208]

that 86 has a rear combination a full octagon barrel and a button mag.in the condition it is in I would do no more then oil it and shoot it.

how to lose money quick. take a nice original rifle and start modifying it. be like throwing dollars in the air in a wind storm.

[pietro]

Most Jewelers wont do a firearm for a simple reason, They are used to working in much softer materials than the Steel of the firearm. Gold silver and other precious metals are a slightly different skill set.


Not many jewelers hold a Federal Firearms License - a legal requirement to have another person's firearm for more than a single day.

There's an entire industry built around aftermarket firearm engraving - in the US forming a guild: http://www.fega.com/

This is the guild's find a member (engraver ) location web page: http://fega.com/MemberWebPages/MasterPage1.asp


.

[Kev18]

that 86 has a rear combination a full octagon barrel and a button mag.in the condition it is in I would do no more then oil it and shoot it.

how to lose money quick. take a nice original rifle and start modifying it. be like throwing dollars in the air in a wind storm.

I know its pretty rare. Im not sure if its a heavy barrel, but it has the button/half mag. It was my first gun. I bought The Winchester book and was looking at all the options. I paid it dirt cheap because it was all rusted and the man said it was a project gun. Iv'e gotten offers 12 times higher then what I paid for it.

[Kev18]

Not many jewelers hold a Federal Firearms License - a legal requirement to have another person's firearm for more than a single day.

There's an entire industry built around aftermarket firearm engraving - in the US forming a guild: http://www.fega.com/

This is the guild's find a member (engraver ) location web page: http://fega.com/MemberWebPages/MasterPage1.asp


.

Im not from the US so laws are abit different. I was jsut asking for fun. Im not a fan of leaving my stuff to people I dont know. Even if I know them sometimes I won't leave it!

[gnostic]

Angelo Bee is the best I've ever seen. When I lived in LA., the high rollers at Oak Tree Gun Club would show up with some of the most beautiful engraved Model 42 Winchesters I've ever seen....

[ulav8r]

As mentioned, jewelers usually work in soft metals and do not know how to disassemble guns. A good gun engraver will have access to professional heat treaters who can anneal hard parts so they can be engraved and then reharden them after engraving. Many parts won't require heat treatment, but unless the engraver is familiar with guns, they can quickly ruin a gun. This particular gun receiver may have originally been color case hardened, in which case the frame must be annealed before it can be engraved.

I had D'arcy Echols engrave the caliber on a barrel I installed many years ago. We were students together ar CST and he had been practicing for at least 6 months at that time and he was very good with lettering but was not comfortable with his abilities to do fancy patterns at that time.

If an engraver is good, they will have a large backlog and a long wait time. If they are not, you might as well take a BFH to the gun yourself and the throw it in the trash.

[dave roelle]

Bert Edmonston----------www.westernengraver.com

Bert is a Master Engraver in the Guild, he has done 2 pieces for me , a Shiloh Sharps lever and an 1885 C-Sharps in 22lr, a BPCR Silhouette Target rifle---------both are Excellent

Dave

[truckjohn]

The thing is....

An average engraver's work will reduce the value of an antique rifle like that. It's looked at negatively by the market as a sort of bubba hack job modification.

On the other hand - work by a top name can increase the value substantially - though often not enough to recoup the full cost of the work.

That's where a fellow like Turnbull can add value. His Name carries weight and prestige - and as such his work adds value. There is also a *very* low likelihood of him messing up the rifle and making it unsalable.

If you want to test the waters with a local jeweler or a local engraver/smith - try them out with a pawn shop 1970's+ Winchester 94 or Marlin 336 and see how that goes. This way - if the work goes really well you have something to be proud of but if it doesn't - at least they won't ruin a valuable and rare antique piece.