I have been asked to engrave a name on a 338 Lapua Sniper Rifle Barrel. I thought no big deal. I'll whip this one out quickly. Wow was I wrong. Just the barrel is over 30" and must weigh 20 pounds. It's about 2.5" thick. Any one have any suggestions on how to hold this thing still and be able to engrave it?
Help, please: Sniper Rifle Barrel
- Thread starter Beathard
- Start date
Beathard,Is it just the barrel or is a barreled action,and do you have the stock with the barreled action? The reason I ask theses questions is becuse you need the wood to establish a stock line so your engraving will not wined up under the stock.I have a barrel spinner to mount a barreled action for engraving.You may have make a fixture for this job,welcome to the world of engraving. J.J.
Crazy Horse
Elite Cafe Member
In the past I've been asked to engrave the name and or signature of the owner of a gun on the backstrap. I refuse to do it. I tell the customer that if his name was Eisenhower, Patton, Bush, Schwartscoff or some other notable person I would be happy to do it, but to put a "common" man's name on a firearm decreases the value of it.
mitch
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
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- Jul 23, 2007
- Messages
- 2,636
if you can do the engraving out toward the middle it shouldn't be any big deal. it'll be like swinging a 5" anti-aircraft gun, but otherwise should balance ok. working toward the ends is much trickier. (i designed a slick fixture for just this sort of situation, but insufficient demand is keeping out of production...)
I really don't think I could tell someone who can afford to shoot 338 Lapua that he's a commoner
Well... thank you Chris! You just elevated me to being royalty?
There's no way in heck I'll buy the $5.50-7.50 per round factory ammo. I can fill up my own for less than $1.25. Of course, the Lapua brass is $2.00 each even at discount prices. But, WAY fun!
It has the action attached and has the action attached. The custom gun maker penciled in the stock line. BTW I'm not engraving his name, but the Finnish name for Thor's Hammer.
Thank you all for the assistance. Btw I'm getting it pre-finish. I have to engrave deeply due to the ceramic finish that will be applied.
Thank you all for the assistance. Btw I'm getting it pre-finish. I have to engrave deeply due to the ceramic finish that will be applied.
That sounds like it will be a learning experience. Hopefully, that stuff doesn't chip off as you go.
Beathard,What is a ceramic finish?I heard of bluing,browning,slow rust bluing,but not ceramic. J.J.
Andrew Biggs
Moderator
Hi JJ
I think this is the same, or similar, to what they are putting on some watches now as well.
It's just the latest in a series of metal finishes cleverly designed to make an engraver's life harder
Cheers
Andrew
I think this is the same, or similar, to what they are putting on some watches now as well.
It's just the latest in a series of metal finishes cleverly designed to make an engraver's life harder
Cheers
Andrew
Andrew,This is why Im careful of the guns I engrave,you never know what your getting in to any more. J.J.
One thing you are going to need is the room to swing the barrel. The first long barrel I try to engrave a script name on made me realize that my scope stand would only allow me to swing the barrel about 90 degrees. Somebody posted a thread that had a barrel support that used a plastic or rubber wheel so you could hold the barreled action in the vise, have the end of the barrel supported and yet it allowed the barrel to be swung without the vise tilting. I very neat setup.
That was Roger Henrichs in Fargo, ND. He used some of that black plastic lawn edging for support. It's here on the forum somewhere.
I do some similar work for a custom rifle maker near me and engrave the caliber and the business name on his "heavy" barrels. It is interesting, to say the least, but it can be done. It looks like I may need to develop a jig, as he has three more for me when I get back in town. As with your maker, I get them before finishing, which is the only way to accept them.
Bill
Bill
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