Owners Name "electric penciled" on slide - how much does this affect value?

Just speaking for myself, I would not even look twice at a weapon disfigured like that!

If you're looking to SHOOT it, .... no problem.

If you're looking to LOOK at it (safe queen) ... Big problem!

All my guns -- Mossberg 12 g (590A1), Marlin .22LR (981T) and my Sig Sauer 22/9mm (P229) have all kinds of scratches on them, 'cause I USE them more than I look at them.

Still, it would probably bug me to have a NAME on it ......

Just keep looking. Maybe you'll find one with YOUR name on it.

I once got a very good deal on a little Bauer 25 because the previous owner had the name 'Shauna' engraved on the slide. But they had it done professionally and it very nearly matches the script used by Bauer. Fine buy me, I'll take that at half-price.
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As a shooter. No problem. As anything along the "collector" lines, Forget it.

depends on the name.
Clint Eastwood or John Wayne- OK
Adolf or Hans- not so much

Personally, I'd buy it in a heartbeat and shoot the heck out of it. Guns don't have to be pristine for me to enjoy them. Plus, they're not making any more of those vintage high standards.

My advice is to buy it, shoot it, and if it really bothers you save up and have it sent off to have the name polished off.

Bob01

Owners Name "electric penciled" on slide - how much does this affect value?

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I have passed on many good deals as a result of this. It kills any collectibility a firearm has as far as I'm concern. As a shooter, maybe - but I don't want a gun with someone else's name on it - unless the guy's name was Colt, Ruger, or Smith & Wesson?

Buy it! If anyone asks tell them "that the name has been changed to protect the inocent" or polish it off and refinish it.

I wouldn't want the gun, that's for sure.
On the other hand, my guns have my name engraved on them in places that are not visible unless one removes the grips or removes some other major part of the gun. I figure there, I can prove they were my guns - although I already have a concise list of my guns with each SN.

buy it as a shooter , when asked about the name PROUDLY tell some incredible story(lie) about the guy and then act totally dumbfounded that they never heard of it.

Adolf or Hans- not so much

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Hey! My Dads name is Hans and so is my middle name!

It's all relative. That is why a "lady smith" although being same as it's counterpart is normally priced less, I would buy one anyhow if I find one cheap. You can probablly do something to alter the appearance or just try a few coats of Duracoat, I would have to see how deep it was etched in. Perhaps a bead blasting and cerakote or one of the other finishes will cover it up ? if you don't want to spend money on it then pass on it.

I've seen worse. As said, if you want it for a shooter instead of a Ruger or Buckmark, it is fine. Just don't expect to retire on the resale value.

Just to add to Mr. Watson's comment.

Not every nice old gun is a priceless collectors item, most are not. Although in the last few years it seems most owners of such guns have come to believe they are. Most of them will remain just nice old guns, holding some modest value at best.

I like to think that there's a special place in Hell for morons who scratch their names, DL numbers or SS numbers on guns.

To me this results in a 100% reduction in value. I would not buy it at any price. Seriously, I would not accept it as a gift. I know that I would never be happy with it.

Many years ago, Skeeter Skelton wrote an article entitled, "I Hate You, Francisco Bustamente!" That was the name he found on an (otherwise) as-new Colt Peacemaker, on one of his gun-trading forays into Mexico.

That rather-long name had been "engraved" into the Colt Royal Blue finish on the Model P's barrel, apparently with a tool resembling a rusty horse-shoe nail. It gave Skeeter the cold jim-jams and nightmares for years thereafter.

Personally unless I had EASY access to a replacement slide, I wouldn't even touch such a mutilated specimen. A HIDDEN name, SSN, or code might be another matter, but out there in plain view....never.

Some jacka$$ named "Smyrna, GA" engraved his name on every glock at the store, and we still had to pay full price!

SaxonPig said:

I like to think that there's a special place in Hell for morons who scratch their names, DL numbers or SS numbers on guns.

To me this results in a 100% reduction in value. I would not buy it at any price. Seriously, I would not accept it as a gift. I know that I would never be happy with it.

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my birthday was last week and i'm not that particular

I bought a Roth-Steyr M1907 Pistol with a guns name a ssn (7didget= guy born 1918's) The gun only cost me under $800. Good price and I was happy.
Wish I met him.

I saw a S&W M28 at Cabela's that had what appeared to be a Social Security (xxx-xx-xxxx) number scratched onto it. :banghead: Usually I am a proponent of function over form, but this absolutely rubbed me the wrong way. Curiously, the price tag wasn't marked down very much ...

My NIB Ruger Vaquero has the last 3 digits of the guns S/N sloppily etched into the cylinder face. Except whomever was doing the etching messed up, so I have 3 scribbled out numbers and 3 legible numbers. Customer Service confirmed that this was normal.

What I'd like to find is a gun so disfigured at a gun show, and therefore get a great price on it. I am not really interested in getting rid of guns unless they fall to pieces (unlikely, at my low-range-time pace), and if it means a big discount, I'll take it!

In a weird way, and depending on the details, I might even get a kick out of it. Even Francisco Bustamente

timothy