Engraving a 1911 BB Gun Replica

Saw a post a while back on engraving a colt wheel gun replica gun and was curious myself so I bought this Tanfoglio Witness 1911 replica BB gun ($80) to mess with. It’s more than a bit eerie how much this thing looks, feels, disassembles and functions like a real 1911, right down to dropping out a used clip and inserting a new one! FYI They make quite a few different models of replicas but not all are all metal. I highly recommend you stay aware of your surroundings when using it as it could VERY easily be confused with a real gun.

While I certainly didn’t do anything that fancy I can say that it cuts very nicely. Soft enough to cut like a dream, hard enough not to gum up. The surface treatment does not chip and didn’t seem to be any harder than the base metal. Speaking of metal, I have no idea. I’ve looked all over the net to find out what it is but no luck so far. It’s non magnetic and seems like aluminum but it certainly wasn’t machined from solid stock. My best guess, some kind of higher end aluminum powdered metal. The casting quality is very good.

The shiny one is a picture of one a guy sanded and polished that I found on the net. The owner stated that he left the metal bare (no oil or surface treatment) and that after heavy use it didn’t rust or tarnish over a period of 2 months.

At any rate if you’re looking for something fairly cheap to practice your gun engraving on you’d be hard pressed to simulate the real thing any closer than these IMO.

Oh and while looking at/researching these things I discovered the airsoft versions. They are the exact same as the BB version except for the barrel insert size and they have a red barrel tip that screws in. Much safer to play with.

Ron,Very nice,don't shoot your eye out. J.J.

sakes alive ! that does look very real, right down to the finish. i think this would be an excellent way to intro into working guns. no ffl baloney, relatively inexpensive, and working on realistic parts.

I bought a Peacemaker revolver BB gun, I've only engraved a small section of it, great to engrave on. I haven't decided to stri the bluing or cut through it,, which I know many long time professional engravers hate. I like "through the blue"engraving and it's part toy for me I'll probably engrave through the blue.

There's an amazing selection available and most companies advertise authentic weight, feel and action. I want a Luger too.

Pyramyd Air has replicas of almost all the standard guns in pellet and BB versions, some with blowback features, including the Lugar. Good quality replicas in steel.

Bill

i like this design for engrave in a military tag:hammer::thinking: