Gun Engraving

[Ashcroft]

Fine engraving is a real delight. The more you look at it, the more details you pick up, and the more technique is revealed. It is not just about filling in empty space for the sake of it, or at least it shouldn't be.

I had hoped this thread would have become a sticky, as a primer to understanding engraving styles and the evolution of designs as guns themselves evolved, and to attract more contributions of examples. With this thread bumped up again, maybe it will. Here to help it along a bit more is engraving, this time on a 12-bore pin-fire game gun by William and James Kavanagh of Dublin, Ireland, made around 1865:

I kept my pictures of this gun Pinfire, I just love the lines and that beautiful scroll. I’m particularly attracted to the finger rest on the operating lever. Lovely, lively gun.

 

[Ashcroft]

The Frank Malin story is worth further research, for those who are not familiar with the story. A Google search will give some not very laudatory details.
He was convicted of fraud for taking deposits on guns that were never delivered.
While some Malin guns are of high quality, there are some guns, made with Spanish parts, that don't make the grade.

Saskbooknut, I have started research by tracking down as many of his workmen to pick their brains as I can but after all this time survivors are few and memories are growing dim, only a few are left. Nick Mackinson was the most recent loss. I have some brochures but I would dearly love to find the original order book if it exists.

 

[Grouser]

My AW Wolf 16ga

 

[sillymike]

Stumble upon some old pic while cleaning up a SD card...

MTS-255 in 12g. Some kind of scroll work, looks to be filled with silver (?). No exactly my cup of tea, but interesting shotgun nontheless.

 

[gunsaholic]

Sweet German 16 gauge with horn trigger guard, grip cap and butt plate circa 1929.

 

[Londonshooter]

Those are well-done bunnies!

 

[canvasback]

That 16 is sweet Brian. Like it a lot.

 

[VictoryXC]

Very nice looking 16g German!!

 

[REM3200]

Picked this up a few days ago and still a bit of a mystery. Only marking on the gun other than the gauge is “ Fabrique Nationale Herstal”. Action is same as a Browning Superposed long tang with highly engraved side plates. The serial number ends with S4 with the engraving very similar to a Presentation 4 Superposed.

Barrels are 28” choked full & mod.

Had been fired and I put a few shells through it on the weekend at Sporting. Stock finish is flaking at edges.

Stock disc marked “ Donated by Nan & Frank Pachmayr To Wetlands For Iowa”. No engraver name that I can find so guessing Pachmayr had the work done. See several guns online that they had donated.

 

[Falconflyer]

Beautiful gun!
Did someone grind a new pad to fit while it was on the stock, I'd have to fix that.

 

[REM3200]

Being a Pachmayr donation it’s a Old English Pachmayr pad so I believe original to the gun with LOP at 14.25”. Finish is flaking in several places at the edges by the receiver, along the tang and spots on the forstock as well. Mulling over having the chokes opened to LM and the stocks refinished.

Beautiful gun!
Did someone grind a new pad to fit while it was on the stock, I'd have to fix that.

 

[Ashcroft]

A beautiful unique gun. Repairs properly done should be undetectable and will enhance the current value of the gun. Modifications such as choke alterations are personal taste changes that may make the gun more valuable to you but like custom cars, the changes might not be to another person’s taste and they are forever.

 

[REM3200]

I’ve sent an inquiry to Chris Dawe on refinishing the wood. I agree that altering the chokes isn’t for everybody but plan to use it for Sporting Clays so will likely drop the full choke down to IC or LM and leave the mod choke alone.

A beautiful unique gun. Repairs properly done should be undetectable and will enhance the current value of the gun. Modifications such as choke alterations are personal taste changes that may make the gun more valuable to you but like custom cars, the changes might not be to another person’s taste and they are forever.

 

[Duke916]

Nice gun!!

 

[Cow Town Bill]

Pachmayer upgraded a lot of shotguns and many were donated for fund raisers such as Ducks Unlimited.
Their workmanship was superb and this Superposed is a superb example of Pachmayer's expertise.

 

[Licensed to kill]

Stumble upon some old pic while cleaning up a SD card...

**Image and video linking functions will be enabled after you have contributed more to the forum**

**Image and video linking functions will be enabled after you have contributed more to the forum**
MTS-255 in 12g. Some kind of scroll work, looks to be filled with silver (?). No exactly my cup of tea, but interesting shotgun nontheless.

Not sure what the top picture is of, Laser perhaps???. The bottom pic is wire inlay. Common on baroque period guns and to a lesser degree on long rifles. Not common on more modern guns.

 

[Licensed to kill]

Love this thread. I used to do a bit of engraving on guns, mostly just on guns that I made (flintlocks) but only 2 modern guns that I can recall, my Ruger No1, .338 and the floor plate on my Dads Parker Hale .375 H&H. I rather enjoyed it but have not picked up a graver for about 12-13 years. Still love to look at good examples. However, no engraving is FAR better than poor engraving and very few new guns these days sport good engraving short of the VERY high end stuff, at least that I have seen.

 

[Cow Town Bill]

Years ago I was fortunate to acquire a pair of 20 gauge over unders made by Frank Malin but marked with the Charles Boswell name. Towards the end of his gun making career he purchased the right to the Boswell name and made a few guns bearing the Boswell name. This pair of guns were made in London Ontario. Malin left Canada and relocated to the US and made a few guns with the Boswell name.
I think my Boswell's were made using Italian actions but I was never able to identify the specific maker.
The workmanship is superb especially the engraving. I'm pretty sure the engraver also engraved Ashcroft's Malin.

 

[Ashcroft]

Beautiful! In their short history they certainly turned out some marvellous guns. This pair is likely one of a kind.

 

[Pinfire]

Whoa, those are two beauties, to be sure. Very nicely proportioned, and proper pistol grips, not the slighter Prince of Wales grips - perfect for those single triggers. Made by someone who knew his stuff!

And, to further the subject of this thread, the engraving on them is truly delightful, quality work. Very artistic use of the side plates, and unusual scroll work - almost not scroll at all. Wonderful.