#Engraving

Firearm laser engraving is a burgeoning business. On a consumer scale, there are a few handful of FFL’s across the country equipped to engrave materials like aluminum, steel, and titanium. These services are provided mostly for the marking requirements for National Firearms Act (NFA) weapons like short barrel rifles (SBR’s) and Form 1 silencers. But as prices have dropped and technology has advanced, the use of powerful lasers in the gun world has exploded. In this TFB series, we’ll research different types of lasers, the types of materials that can be engraved, and follow the process of buying, owning, and using a fiber laser for firearm markings and engravings.

With their founding roots stretching back to Europe in the late nineteenth century, Krieghoff endeavors to carry on the spirit of old-world hand craftsmanship in the line of fine shotguns they offer today. One of the features that many of their high-end hunting and competition guns are best known for is beautiful, intricate, artistic engraving. The Krieghoff engraving catalog includes dozens of options for baroque scrollwork or elaborate wildlife scenes to adorn your K-80. If none of the catalog options suit you, you can also commission a custom one-off engraving for your fancy new firearm.

Stopping by Kahr’s booth to check out new 6-shot cylinder BFR revolvers from Magnum Research, I instead was sidetracked by a few things – a massive, 17.5 inch barrelled .45-70 revolver from Magnum Research’s custom shop, and multiple Trump-themed firearms.

TFBTV’s Corey Wardrop speaks with Shaundi at the Browning booth at SHOT Show’s 2018 Industry Day at the Range.

Almost every single exposed metal part of this Rigby rifle is hand engraved with elephant skin pattern – even the barrel! It is not anything common to see an engraved barrel even among such high-end bespoke rifles. It is so beautifully engraved that it seems to be made by an alchemist who found a way to turn the elephant skin into steel.

Fortunately for the former, Cimarron has added another choice to their 1851 Percussion Revolver lineup: The 1851 Navy “Laser Engraved”.  Per Cimarron:

While I will certainly complain about the, in my opinion, vast market of overdone Glocks, I am however a fan of the technical machining and treatments that go one behind the scenes to create the functional works of art. Modern multi-axis CNC equipment works wonders in metal, but lacks a certain definition for extreme small detail due to the requirement of a rotating tool. The same complaint can often be rendered for polymer products, which require said CNC machines to create their molds.

Noori Sabeh (نوري النقاش) is a professional engraver in Iraq who has made his presence on social media with some excellent engraving work considering the lack of access to materials and tools otherwise very prevalent in Europe and North America. The majority of his work is focused on traditional wood and metal engraving of various bolt action rifles, shotguns, and handguns that customers send in. He originally started out in the jewelry business and has been engraving for several decades.

Glock has donated one of the thirty anniversary pistols to the Young Marines.

The laws and regulations surrounding the National Firearms Act (NFA) can be confusing at best and downright daunting at their worst. In the Part 2 of the Beginner’s Guide to Suppressors we covered the proper completion of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (BATFE) Form 4 – Application to Transfer and Register a Firearm. What we haven’t covered (yet) is anything having to do with the BATFE Form 1 – the Application to Make and Register a Firearm, and the subsequent requirements to properly make an NFA item.

Engraved firearms are incredibly popular outside the United States, and many manufacturers of high-end rifles are more than happy to grab a share of this market. Several engravers were actually working while at the show, but none looked quite like Verena of Steyr, who is featured in the “ Gun Girls of IWA” post.