Engraved Guns. Questions

[Rube Burrows]

I know that some of you here have had some of your guns engraved. I have wanted to for a long time but obviously price was a concern.

I was at a gun show last weekend and found a local engraver who had a few examples and I was impressed with his work. I talked to him a bit about prices and styles.

He also said that I could do it a little at a time so that the cost was not all at one time. That is great since he local and I wont have to ship things back and fourth.

I do questions though that I did not think to ask him but thought I would ask here and see if anyone may know.

First, I am partial to the gun all looking one color as opposed to the gun being a dark blue with shiney "new metal" engraved parts. Would I need to get the gun engraved and then reblued or what?

What about parts that are color case hardened? I assume that the Uberti guns are not a true case coloring so would I get the gun engraved and then send it to someone to have it color case hardened or would I do that first then engrave?

What are some other things to think about?

Photos welcomed and encourged. 

[Abilene]

Hi Rube.  You may have seen a pic of my engraved conversions.  Yes, you will need to have blued parts re-blued if you don't want the shiny engraving to contrast.  Mine are charcoal blue, and nobody does that kind of Uberti Charcoal blue in the states and I love that finish, so I left the barrel with the shiny engraving and have come to like the look.  The frames were typical Uberti "mostly gray" like they were back then (they are more colorful and darker in recent years), but the engraving made the whole frame super shiny.  I sent the frames to Turnbull for CC and love the result.  Now, any engraving becomes much more subtle when the engravings are reblued or CC'd, but that's the way the originals were. 

One more possibility.  I knew an engraver in Georgia who did some engraving for a shop where I worked, and I recall on a '73 side plate, he filled in the engraving with cold blue using a toothpick.  Looked fine.  I'm not sure how well that would work on gun parts that get a lot of handling.

[Rube Burrows]

Hi Rube.  You may have seen a pic of my engraved conversions.  Yes, you will need to have blued parts re-blued if you don't want the shiny engraving to contrast.  Mine are charcoal blue, and nobody does that kind of Uberti Charcoal blue in the states and I love that finish, so I left the barrel with the shiny engraving and have come to like the look.  The frames were typical Uberti "mostly gray" like they were back then (they are more colorful and darker in recent years), but the engraving made the whole frame super shiny.  I sent the frames to Turnbull for CC and love the result.  Now, any engraving becomes much more subtle when the engravings are reblued or CC'd, but that's the way the originals were. 

One more possibility.  I knew an engraver in Georgia who did some engraving for a shop where I worked, and I recall on a '73 side plate, he filled in the engraving with cold blue using a toothpick.  Looked fine.  I'm not sure how well that would work on gun parts that get a lot of handling.

Yeah, I think I have seen yours in one of the threads. Very nice looking guns from what I remember. I'll have to search it out and see.

So, the originals were engraved in the white and then sent out for bluing and CCH?

[Abilene]

I would assume so.  I know that's the way Uberti does it for factory engraving.

[Rube Burrows]

I would assume so.  I know that's the way Uberti does it for factory engraving.

Thanks for the info.

[Reverend P. Babcock Chase]

Howdy Rube,

A number of years ago (more than a lustrum), I picked up a pair of used sixguns that had been engraved with the engraving showing white against the blued finish. After a few days, I decided that I didn't like the look. Sort of like a pretty girl with too much makeup (my opinion). Being cheap and a master of the quick, temporary fix, I cold blued the offending white metal. I'm much happier and the blue is holding up very well, probably because it is recessed from the surface and not subject to wear.

Rev. Chase

[Rube Burrows]

Howdy Rube,

A number of years ago (more than a lustrum), I picked up a pair of used sixguns that had been engraved with the engraving showing white against the blued finish. After a few days, I decided that I didn't like the look. Sort of like a pretty girl with too much makeup (my opinion). Being cheap and a master of the quick, temporary fix, I cold blued the offending white metal. I'm much happier and the blue is holding up very well, probably because it is recessed from the surface and not subject to wear.

Rev. Chase

Thanks pard. Makes perfect sense.

[Graveyard Jack]

Michael Gouse has engraved two guns for me and I have another I'm about to send him. While the two he's done were destined for Turnbull carbona blue, he did say he could leave the engraving cuts white, or fill them in. No idea what process he uses but it is an option. He can also do the pre-polishing if you choose to send it to another shop, like Turnbull. These are $1000 +75% coverage engraving jobs.

[Rube Burrows]

Michael Gouse has engraved two guns for me and I have another I'm about to send him. While the two he's done were destined for Turnbull carbona blue, he did say he could leave the engraving cuts white, or fill them in. No idea what process he uses but it is an option. He can also do the pre-polishing if you choose to send it to another shop, like Turnbull. These are $1000 +75% coverage engraving jobs.

That is the look I would like to achieve. Those are flat out beautiful guns.

[Graveyard Jack]

Thank you!