The firearm thread

[Curious_AJ]

as Mr Merde said earlier (couldnt be bothered going all the way back to quote the post) engraving is an art form.

personally I love it. That's what interested me at the gun show more than anything. I love the fine detailing and the impressive imagery that can be put onto a weapon (not just firearms mind but that's the topic at hand).

I've done a bit of wood carving/burning but never the metal side of things. It could also be something I'd be interested in doing.

[Mr Merde]

Here is a wonderful example of the art.

Posted here for you all to drool over

as I have been

[Wolf]

Here is a wonderful example of the art.

Posted here for you all to drool over

as I have been

Noice! But it'd be scared to fire it or take it anywhere lest it get damaged.

[Mr Merde]

Noice! But it'd be scared to fire it or take it anywhere lest it get damaged.

I would feel the same about a firearm decorated to this extent, but wouldnt hesitate using one that had been embelished to a lesser degree and to my personal taste.

Its all about making something, anything, personal to you.

Look at the number of bikes out there, especially Harleys, that have been personalised. Something I have no problem with at all.

It doesnt have to be as extreme as these examples. It could only be as much asd changing a grip or sight on a firearm. By doing so you have made that item more your own.

In my defence I must say that I absolutely love the work done by the engraver. I pick up a set of instructional videos and a set of tools this Friday night. I'll find some sheet steel to practice on and I am determined to learn at least the basics of this skill.


Just imagine holding in your hands a firearm that you have built. All specs are yours. All asthetics are to your personal tastes. The pride when others show an appreciation of what you have done.

I rant

[Wolf]

I rant

I understand

[Mr Merde]

How about these'

The theme is "Black and White Knights"

From the engraver

"The White and Black Knights

---

It's been a few years since I produced a pair of vintage .45 19ll Colts for a client who was interested in the legends surrounding King Arthur and his knights. Rather than concentrate on King Arthur or any particular Knight, we decided to generalize the legends of Good and Evil by naming the project the White and Black Knights. The White Knight's theme is more whimsical while the Black Knight exhibits powerful elements of darkness.

After exploring the generalized format, I was given complete freedom to carry out the work as I saw fit. Understanding the role of colors in the project, I decided to blue (dark black/oxide blueing) the Black Knight and French Gray the White knight. I then choose ebony and ivory to compliment the grip themes.

The various themes, armour, crests and other inlaid icons were researched to fit the respective characters of each gun. Many of the inlays were multi-color metal (gold/silver/platinum). I did the ebony grips, including the sterling inlays, and asked scrim artists Sandra Brady to do the ivories. After providing her with basic sketches, she created the grips, art and scrimshaw.

Inlays were done in 24K gold, 18K pink and green gold, platinum and silver to keep the coloration consistent with the overal theme.

I especially enjoy creating "themed" engraving projects like this. Likewise, if you decide to create an engraving theme, please understand that you will probably spend at least a fourth of the project time researching and artistically developing that theme. So, I've already been asked privately several times: this was a $80,000 project, including the guns, grips, art, consultation and finishing - six months +- and lots of research, coordination and bench time"


$80,000 US and they are to be used.

[scumdog]

I would feel the same about a firearm decorated to this extent, but wouldnt hesitate using one that had been embelished to a lesser degree and to my personal taste.

Its all about making something, anything, personal to you.

Just imagine holding in your hands a firearm that you have built. All specs are yours. All asthetics are to your personal tastes. The pride when others show an appreciation of what you have done.

I rant

Then you'ld just LURRRVV my Sako lever-action, very personalised with fine aesthetics.

Fore-end cut back and rounded, cheek-piece shaved off (I'm left handed), checkering worn away to almost nothing, varnish removed and multi-coatings of linseed oil, butt-plate replaced with an exotic recoil-pad (s section of Cavalino tyre tread), scars to Africa on the stock including split near the pistol-grip, zilch blueing left,barrel shortened and metal sights removed.

Bought it brand new in 1973 for $236, dunno what it's worth in its present 'personalise' condition

[Mr Merde]

Then you'ld just LURRRVV my Sako lever-action, very personalised with fine aesthetics.

Fore-end cut back and rounded, cheek-piece shaved off (I'm left handed), checkering worn away to almost nothing, varnish removed and multi-coatings of linseed oil, butt-plate replaced with an exotic recoil-pad (s section of Cavalino tyre tread), scars to Africa on the stock including split near the pistol-grip, zilch blueing left,barrel shortened and metal sights removed.

Bought it brand new in 1973 for $236, dunno what it's worth in its present 'personalise' condition

Does it do what you want it to? Do you enjoy firing the rifle?

Is it "yours"?


Strange as it may seem I would probably love the rifle as it has done what it was designed for and all those changes are part of the character of the firearm.

For you to keep it so long means something.


Chris

[scumdog]

Does it do what you want it to? Do you enjoy firing the rifle?

Is it "yours"?


Strange as it may seem I would probably love the rifle as it has done what it was designed for and all those changes are part of the character of the firearm.

For you to keep it so long means something.


Chris

Can't see any reason to part with it - hell, it's brand new!!

Shot everything you're allowed to shoot (in the South Island) except wapiti with it so I guess it has done what it was designed for..

[Indiana_Jones]

I loved the pistols used in "Romeo & Juliet"

Peace! I hate the word!

-Indy

[Indiana_Jones]

Anyone here know how to do bluing work on guns?

Chris will know that my Marlin has some rust on her and needs some work done.

Guess this will be a great chance to learn

-Indy

[Wolf]

Anyone here know how to do bluing work on guns?

Chris will know that my Marlin has some rust on her and needs some work done.

Guess this will be a great chance to learn

-Indy

I wrote my method (hot blueing) a few posts back - seemed to work well for me.

[Indiana_Jones]

-Indy

[Indiana_Jones]

That is a mint fucking .22 lol

-Indy

[Swoop]

October 9, 2008: Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Defense gave General Dynamics $9 million to try and develop a lightweight .50 caliber (12.7mm) machine-gun (to be known as LW50 for the moment) that works. An earlier attempt (the XM312) by General Dynamics did not work out so well. Actually, there are several other competitors for this project, and several failed attempts in the last few decades. The army wants a weapon that weighs about half as much as the current weapon (the 128 pound M-2), has fewer parts, less recoil and is easier to maintain. Unfortunately, none of the proposed designs has solved the biggest problem with earlier attempts; low rate of fire (usually about half the M2s 500 rounds a minute).

The first attempt at creating a replacement for the current M2 .50 caliber (12.7mm) machine-gun did not turn out too well. Three years ago, field testing of the XM-312, the proposed replacement for the eighty year old, .50 caliber (12.7mm) M-2 machine-gun, began, in the United States and overseas. Then, nothing. That's because the test results were not encouraging, the biggest shortcoming being the low rate of fire (about 260 rounds per minute). This is about half the rate of the M2, and was believed adequate for the 25mm smart shells the XM312 was originally designed for (as the XM307). But for 12.7mm bullets, it didn't impress the troops. There were some reliability problems, which could be fixed. The rate-of-fire issue, however, has proved to be more difficult. Meanwhile, a new upgrade for the M2 has been fielded, and Ma Deuce still rules the battlefield. The new M2E2 has a quick change barrel, flash hider and lot of small improvements. It is much in demand.

The M-2, nicknamed "Ma Deuce" by the troops, has been around so long because it was very good at what it does. Accurate, reliable, rugged and easy to use, many of the M-2s currently in use are decades old, and finally wearing out. The army doesn't want to build new ones, and wasn't sure it could do without the venerable, and very useful, M2. So it ended up going ahead with the plan to build a new .50 caliber machine-gun (the XM312). Actually, this Ma Deuce replacement is basically the XM307, but without the ability to fire 25mm rounds. The XM312 weighs 36 pounds (compared to 50 for the M-2), even with the addition of the electronic fire control stuff from the XM307.

The LW50 will ignore the 25mm business, and probably borrow a lot of ideas from superior 12.7mm designs developed in other nations. That's because the LW50 won't be the first lightweight rival for the Ma Deuce replacement market. Buying a superior foreign replacement is difficult politically (although it is done), and there is also the feeling that the superior foreign weapons aren't as superior as they could be.

Actually, there have been many attempts to design a "new and improved" M2, and all have failed, to one degree or another, in one department or another. The basic problem is that the M2 is sturdy, reliable and gets the job done to the satisfaction of the users. The LW50 is apparently going to try and get around this by designing a better recoil system, and use modern electronic sights so that gunners can get more out of fewer bullets. Most combat veterans prefer the current rate of fire (7-8 bullets per second) to the slower (4 per second) one of the LW50. That attitude may change, as troops get to use the LW50 in combat. They may appreciate the ability to get more out of the same ammo supply, and deliver more accurate single shots and short bursts.

What the army is hoping to do with LW50 is not get an M2 replacement, but a "good enough" lightweight 12.7mm machine-gun, for those situations where such a weapon is needed. SOCOM (Special Operations Command), for example, has some lightweight vehicles in the works, that are too light to carry an M2, but could handle a lighter 12.7mm weapon. The army wants to have such a lightweight machine-gun for the troops in about three years. Meanwhile, the army has ordered 40,000 new M2s!