Engraving a firearm

[gfpd707]

I am purchasing my first handgun, a glock 19 soon and I am interested in having my name engraved on the slide. Has anyone had this done? Did it turn out good. How much did it cost? I recently was blessed with my first child and thought about having his name and birthdate put on it instead of my name.

 

[Wishoot]

As long as you never plan on selling it, have at it. Personally, I've never had it done.

 

[Rembrandt]

Personalized handguns with someones name or initials wrecks the value of the gun...unless you're a noted celebrity or someone of great accomplishments, even then the value isn't appreciated till after death.

If done correctly engraving can add value and still be a family heirloom/keepsake.

 

[SaxonPig]

Suggestion: Custom grips with your name on them.

Personal note: A Glock with engraving... talk about putting lipstick on a pig!

 

[GoingQuiet]

It's been done. Any competent gunsmith with a CNC mill and an engraving bit should be able to knock it out, no problem. Ted Yost just did a 1911 for my instructor that said "Made Exclusively for *Name here*"

Its just a way of making things personal. Only thing you have to watch for is that once you engrave it you will have to have the gun refinished.

 

[kingpin008]

Just curious, why would you want to engrave your kid's name & birth date on a gun? Seems an odd tribute, IMHO.

 

[Tallinar]

+1 to custom grips as an alternative.

 

[35Rem]

Where do you get these Custom Grips for the Glock 19??

It's your gun, do what you want. I see no issue, other than refinishing, because the engraving will remove the surface finish.

You might even talk to local jewelry stores. They engrave names on stuff all the time.

 

[RainDodger]

I had it done on a number of firearms years ago - I would not do it again. If you do it, take this tip to heart: have the engraving done on something removable, like a side plate, or a lever, etc.

 

[rmfnla]

...or a charm bracelet!

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

I've engraved dozens of firearms. Find a trophy or jewelry store with a pantograph engraver and someone skilled in its use. There is no need to refinish the firearm afterwards, the engraving diamond will leave a nice cut through the bluing, making for a nice contrast.

Keep in mind that most trophy shops and jewelry stores are not FFLs, so they can't legally keep your firearm overnight. Leave just the slide or make an appointment to get same day service. Also, call beforehand, and keep the gun cased. Walking into a jewelry store with a gun in your hand is a recipe for disaster.

The charge shouldn't be more than about $20, IMO.

 

[Tallinar]

Where do you get these Custom Grips for the Glock 19??

Decal grips of course! You know, something like a sticker with your name on it. =-)

The bottom line is, find something that's removeable and is maybe not essential to the workings of the gun itself -- grips being the best example. This reserves you the ability to easily sell the gun at its full value later on, or even move the grips (or whatever) to a new gun in the future if you choose to.

I guess if there's no individual parts you could really do this with on a Glock, then I would kinda revert back to the lipstick on a pig comment; but to each his own.

 

[tesseract]

This place does LASER engraving, as well as refinishing work:

http://www.customizedcreationz.com/services/laserengraving.html

 

[rmfnla]

Wow; maybe he could have some eagles or dragons engraved on it as well!