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

Status
Not open for further replies.
For me to buy it ... it better be a steal.

Not because it's some sort of "tool" or "safequeen" thing ... but because if there's any name on my guns ... it better be mine!
 
I wouldn't have a problem buying it if it were cheap enough. $300 isn't cheap enough though. I'd expect a big time bargain.
 
Local pawn shop has a Colt Python in pristine condition, other than some idiot's name on it. They are still asking top dollar - I bet they can't figure out why they have had it for years.
 
If there is a name and number on the gun, it may also be a case number. Back in the day it was not unusual for LEO to scribe the number on the slide. I should know, I got one back like that, after an investigation by a cop who didn't think citizens should have guns, even with licenses. He made sure I remembered him. I re-nickled the slide, upon the judges order that the pistol be returned to me.It was quite often done in NYC, even thought it was not an approved procedure.
 
Since I prefer used guns I wouldn't mind too much, but it had better be priced accordingly! Like half normal used price or less. Gotta factor in the cost of removal and refinishing.
 
Hans Gruber !

I personally wouldn't buy it....I'd find another. Plenty o fish in the sea, aye say.
 
Thank you for everyone's input.

The seller can't send me a clearer picture of the vandalism - he says it says "E NOLLENBUGER"

Though this is a somewhat of a rare High Standard - a Sport King with a Davis adjustable sight - I'm pretty sure the way that name is written on the slide would drive me crazy....if it was nicely engraved - I could make myself think it was an "E NOLLENBUGER model" :-/ ...for the price its about $100 - 150 less...probably best I just wait to get a High Standard Citation...or *sigh* ...a decent Ruger that I know will eat any bulk ammo I feet it....
 
I wouldn't have married my wife if one of her ex boyfriends name were tattooed on her.......

Same goes for my guns.
 
Take it somewhere and have them sandblast the idiot's name off of the gun and get it refinished.

It won't ever be a collectible gun, but a few minutes in a sandblaster, and give it to a competent gun smith who can refinish it, and you'll have a fairly handsome range gun.


I don't know if the discounted price due to the name scratched into it would be less than what it would cost to get it sand-blasted and refinished, but that might be worth looking into.
 
My brother had an older friend with whom he did business. When his friend died, his wife asked my brother if he would like to have an "old" gun that had been a favorite of her husband's? My brother said he'd love to have it.

She gave him a beautiful Colt's Woodsman .22, four inch barrel, and two extra factory magazines. But....

On the receiver was etched the name of the man, done sloppily with one of those electric pencils.

My brother shoots the living beejesus out of it. Afterall, the price was right! :D

L.W.
 
My dad did this to all his guns, electric penciled his driver's licence on them. Then he moved across the country. However, he had a pistol, Hi Standard BTW, and a shotgun stolen by the people watching his house while he was out of town. He did not know it until much later. Anyway, the shotgun was recovered and he was traced to his new address and got the gun back. The engraving sure screwed up the left side of the receiver on his pre war Win 94 with a case hardened receiver. I have no idea where his guns went since he passed away. None of my brothers will admit having them....chris3
 
Guns are tools. If you intend to use it as such minor scratches are inconsequential. Would a hammer be any less useful if it had a former owners name inscribed on it?

I don’t collect tools, I collect skills and tools are only a means to an end.
 
FWIW - I'm in the if you're going to shoot and can get a good enough deal on it crowd.
 
Yes, I intend for this to be a shooter....but everytime I'm looking at it - it's screaming "I've been mutilated!" ..

Sounds to me like you answered your own question. What we think doesn't really matter.

You think it's been mutilated. It's been mutilated.
 
I'd pass on it. Besides shooting them I enjoy the appearance of my guns, that one won't fit in the stable.

If that is the tpe of gun you are interested in I'd look around a bit and be prepared to pay a little more for one that isn't "Bugered Up".
 
The "Bustamante" story was one of my favorite tales from Skeeter Skelton I'm glad someone mentioned it because it was the first thing to come to mind when I saw the thread title.

I always like to read the folksy "good ol' boy" articles first whenever I read a gun magazine. They are just fun and entertaining to me.
 
at my LGS there is a nice, obviously used but not abused field grade 20 ga LC smith with some previous owners driver license # scribbled on just about every major component. current owner has it priced for sale like it was a NIB ideal grade ! oh well. it will be there for a LONG while. now if it was priced as it should be for condition and then a few more % taken off for the amarure dremel work, then maybe it would sell. but dude sees LC smith 20 and thinks its worth gold.

oh well.

to the OP, buy it if the price is considerably below a similar non engraved one and then shoot it. those old HS are good plinkers but its not rare and dont pay a premium or even what non graffitti'd one would costs
 
Would you care if your spouse had a name on her? I would :) No go for me.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top