Sidearms & Scatterguns Latest Engraved Colt

[Southern Custom]

I hang out here mainly for bolt gun info but I just wrapped up this 4 month project and thought I’d show her off. Name on the slide withheld to protect the innocent.
This started life as a bare bones Colt 1911 70 series. Mainspring housing, trigger and thumb safety replaced with earlyColt carbon steel parts. Entire gun refinished to prep it as a canvas. These guns leave the factory fairly rough by engraver standards. Colt factory lettering filed off to make room for lettering and artwork. Extensive 24k inlay. Synthetic ivory grips by me. (Gun is leaving the country and real ivory won’t fly) Around 300 hours of labor.
Finished in an antique grey. Small parts nitre blued by John Powers of Powers Metalworks. Case by Steven Parker- SAP Fine Furniture. Likely the most detailed Colt I’ve ever engraved. On to the next one...

 

[louu]

Incredible

 

[inspcalahan]

Wow!! Stunning work. I know, I know...if you have to ask, you probably can't afford it...

Regardless, I've got a set of ivories in the safe like that just in case I find the pistol and ever decide to have the work done...

 

[SharpsNitro]

Very nice work.

 

[BarkBeetle]

Beautiful work !

 

[pmclaine]

Nitre blue makes me horny.

Im not an engraving guy but that is old world classic.

 

[Baron23]

I hang out here mainly for bolt gun info but I just wrapped up this 4 month project and thought I’d show her off. Name on the slide withheld to protect the innocent.
This started life as a bare bones Colt 1911 70 series. Mainspring housing, trigger and thumb safety replaced with earlyColt carbon steel parts. Entire gun refinished to prep it as a canvas. These guns leave the factory fairly rough by engraver standards. Colt factory lettering filed off to make room for lettering and artwork. Extensive 24k inlay. Synthetic ivory grips by me. (Gun is leaving the country and real ivory won’t fly) Around 300 hours of labor.
Finished in an antique grey. Small parts nitre blued by John Powers of Powers Metalworks. Case by Steven Parker- SAP Fine Furniture. Likely the most detailed Colt I’ve ever engraved. On to the next one...View attachment 7465245View attachment 7465246View attachment 7465248View attachment 7465249View attachment 7465250View attachment 7465251View attachment 7465252

Very, very nice. Really quite spectacular and wow...that's a lot of gold inlay. May I ask about how long it took to complete this commission?

I have a Win SX-1 with full engraving from Ken Hurst (who sadly is not longer with us) and have nothing but the highest respect for the art form and its practitioners.

I have watched Ken sitting at the end of a wall shelf where his ball vice was mounted....tick, tick, tick goes the hammer and hand chisel. He did it all with manual tool....no pneumatic engraver for Ken. Yes, it took some years to get this project done! But its in a coffee table book (haha)....Great American Engravers of the 20th Century. Ken told me that when he began many decades ago, he made his own chisels out of case hardened nails!!

Not to hijack your thread, but thought as an engraver you might enjoy seeing them. In the white before bluing

 

[NovaHunter]

I hang out here mainly for bolt gun info but I just wrapped up this 4 month project and thought I’d show her off. Name on the slide withheld to protect the innocent.
This started life as a bare bones Colt 1911 70 series. Mainspring housing, trigger and thumb safety replaced with earlyColt carbon steel parts. Entire gun refinished to prep it as a canvas. These guns leave the factory fairly rough by engraver standards. Colt factory lettering filed off to make room for lettering and artwork. Extensive 24k inlay. Synthetic ivory grips by me. (Gun is leaving the country and real ivory won’t fly) Around 300 hours of labor.
Finished in an antique grey. Small parts nitre blued by John Powers of Powers Metalworks. Case by Steven Parker- SAP Fine Furniture. Likely the most detailed Colt I’ve ever engraved. On to the next one...View attachment 7465245View attachment 7465246View attachment 7465248View attachment 7465249View attachment 7465250View attachment 7465251View attachment 7465252

Amazing work!

 

[Jscb1b]

Beautiful! I would be afraid to shoot it.

 

[MJF]

Wow, that is unreal!

 

[rhsc]

Beautiful work there. Great photography too.

 

[308Gunner]

Absolutely gorgeous

 

[BarkBeetle]

There used to be a lady in Prescott Az. that did nice work, different style though, her husband built rifles.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Stunning work! Thanks for posting!

Master indeed!!

Sirhr

 

[BullGear]

I have trouble writing my own name and you do work this outstanding. Congrats on some mighty fine work.

 

[Sgt47]

Beautiful! Photos are also very well done.

 

[Southern Custom]

Very, very nice. Really quite spectacular and wow...that's a lot of gold inlay. May I ask about how long it took to complete this commission?

I have a Win SX-1 with full engraving from Ken Hurst (who sadly is not longer with us) and have nothing but the highest respect for the art form and its practitioners.

I have watched Ken sitting at the end of a wall shelf where his ball vice was mounted....tick, tick, tick goes the hammer and hand chisel. He did it all with manual tool....no pneumatic engraver for Ken. Yes, it took some years to get this project done! But its in a coffee table book (haha)....Great American Engravers of the 20th Century. Ken told me that when he began many decades ago, he made his own chisels out of case hardened nails!!

Not to hijack your thread, but thought as an engraver you might enjoy seeing them. In the white before bluing

View attachment 7465570View attachment 7465571

This gun took approximately 300 hours to design, prep and engrave. The Hurst gun is beautiful

 

[Baron23]

This gun took approximately 300 hours to design, prep and engrave. The Hurst gun is beautiful

Really gorgeous work, my friend. Certainly a piece of art to be proud of.

 

[acudaowner]

that gun id dead sexy congrats I will not covet my neighbors firearm but that is tempting ..