Ivory Grips & More Engraving

[what would you say]

NA

[markg44]

Doesn't get much nicer than that. Were they born on the gun or added later? Really nice.

[yahoody]

Very nice 44-40 with some wonderful color and grain in the ivory!

Here is another.  New to me, Prewar, 229XX,  4 3/4", 32-20 with some bark.   Only bark and only 2 piece ivory I own.  Not a lot of info came with this gun.  By the fit and grip profile  I'd say the ivory, although very nice, and a similar shape to "USFA factory", this ivory likely did not come from the factory.  Fire blue grip screw to match the rest of the gun and the assembly number for the grip frame matches and is written in pencil on each grip slab.

[yahoody]

Thank you Sir!   

Funny really.  When I first started buying ivory back in the '80s.  Bark was considered trash. "Real" ivory was pure white with heavy grain and growth rings.  As legal inventories got lower, bark, or the cracked outer edge of the ivory that was discolored became a "fashion statement" for those looing to have the "aged" and old yellow aged ivory look of "checked" or cracked ivory.   

Now finding bark is hard to do as it gets cut off the surface of the old tusks first.

Had lots of bark ivory for 1911s and sold all of but a couple of pair.  Rather have grain and color myself.  Never had a pair for a SAA until now.   But no worries.   I do have several pairs that are actually old, aged, yellow and checked just from use and time.  My wife's 32-20 have the best ivory of all our guns.  Nicely checked on the butt from age.  But not a crack on the sides panels showing just beautiful white to golden color contrasts.

[yahoody]

She does (especially in guns) except for her choice in men obviously.  But she is a shooter!  Fun match today.

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

Tell us something about that rifle!

[yahoody]

Happy to Cap.  Bought Red the Browning 53 in 32-20 in 1992.  I used it the on local whitetail the other side of the state shooting Snooky Williamson loads and a 115 gas checked lead @ 1800fps. Nice checkered wood, pistol grip and shot gun butt as they came from the factory.   

In the old days of SASS she shot a button mag tube.  I finally broke down and added a full length mag tube to her's for 10 round SASS stages,  At that point I bought my own 53 with a button mag to hunt with.

The engraving?  Local boy, Willie B. Infamous did the engraving and French grayed the receiver.  He snuck it in between jobs for us  as a Christmas present to Red this year.  She is mighty partial to "her" guns.   Including her little 20 gauge Coach gun.

She had a pair of 32-20 ASM 20 years ago that I rechamebred and sold off thinking 32-20 sucked in a hand gun.  Of course my hot hand loads did suck in a hand gun..then and now.  The China Camp guns  are new last year this time.  Took me a while to back the charge off to shoot any thing remotely able to function in a hand gun.  But the hot loads in her 53 would shoot one hole at 25 yards and a small deer was just meat in the pot @ 100' or under.  The China Camps will do the same one hole at 25 yards.  And by the sound on steel locally...no one shooting a 38 is even close to her current power factor with the pistol.  Not even sure my 160gr .45 Cowboy Special loads are! 






James Downing engraving but added for ivory content

Here is another...although the wood isn't as nice.  But then neither is mine   Her's is a jaw dropper.   Any thing under a grand these days is a good deal it seems on a 53.   I didn't pay a lot less 20+ years ago in early 1990 dollars!

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=479030177

[Pangaea]

Wow, a wife that enjoys guns and likes to shoot.  Doesn't get any better than that!

[yahoody]

Yes, truly I am blessed!

Don't you have some new guns with ivory you want to share with us :-)

[Pangaea]

I have not yet received them.  I will take pictures when they arrive.

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

Yahoody,
Thanks for the pictures of the rifle.
I have been following Willy B's FB page for a couple of years now and have noticed a marked improvement in his engraving skills.  One of these days I will get off of my duff and take a gun or two over for engraving.  I have an Uberti 1860 Henry that I would like to get engraved as well as a couple of 1911's.  Would like to get the Henry engraved to commemorate the Civil War Irish Brigades.

[yahoody]

Willy B. is getting better with every project I think.   Turning a hobby into a business isn't easy or always fun.

The nicest Henry I have ever seen, antique or modern was one Willy B. did as the 1st in a pair this winter. (2nd gun of the pair has yet to be finished)  It is literally a jaw dropper in person.  I've asked that the 2nd one be even more elaborate and detailed.  Not sure how that is possible but he does have a good eye and the ability to apply it to his patterns IMO.  That is not a skill every engraver has.  One of the reasons I have tried to keep Willy busy with new projects and hopefully helping him up the game at the same time.  Not like he needs to up his game. Most anyone will be plenty happy with what you get from Willy.


Will B. Infamous engraving on a Henry Carbine.  More pictures here:
http://pistolsmith.blogspot.com/2015/02/daves-henry.html

Good luck on your projects! 

 

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

Out of curiosity, and you can PM me with the answer if you like,  what did he charge you for that much coverage?

[yahoody]

'92 was $900. receiver engraved and French gray refinish
Henry was $1750. all in, personalized  inscription, receiver, and butt cap.

I had or have engraving from a number of modern engravers. 

I think both of these guns were good if not exceptional values compared to what some are offering for quality and coverage.
Willy charges a flat $50 per hour.   Time includes pulling the barrel, stock and internals on these projects and putting them all back together correctly.  With a pistol that means putting the barrel back where it was.  Not always done as I can attest to from several of my other projects.   

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

Yahoody,
Thanks!  Your reply also answered what would have been my next question, disassembly and reassembly of the firearm.
CJF