Removing Engraving?

[tdosha]

I traded for an older Mossberg 500 AT today and the previous owner engraved his name and address on the side. Does anyone have any suggestions on if it is possible to remove the engraving and if so how? I realize that this isn't a high dollar gun and I will probably trade it in the near future, but I'd like to clean it up the best I can.

 

[bluewraith]

How engraved is it? Electro-pencil/laser? Dremal tool? Scratched on with a knife?

I would imagine you could fill in deep engraving with something and duracote over it. Might be able to get by with some sanding and durocote if its really light.

 

[sloughfoot]

I will bet I am not the only one reading this who is amazed by the ignorance of the first owner at mutilating the firearm in this way. And then selling it?

If the engraving is in the wood, you can buy new wood. If the engraving is in the metal, nothing can fix it without showing great goober goofiness.

 

[red_zr24x4]

Fill it, sand it, refinish it

 

[tdosha]

Looks to me like it was done with a Dremel. It is in the metal down the entire side of the weapon. I'm thinking about a light sanding followed by a couple of light coats of Duracote. Right now it looks like a kindergartner tried to write their name, town and phone number.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

I will bet I am not the only one reading this who is amazed by the ignorance of the first owner at mutilating the firearm in this way. And then selling it?

If the engraving is in the wood, you can buy new wood. If the engraving is in the metal, nothing can fix it without showing great goober goofiness.

don't be so harsh. It wasn't that long ago that it was relatively common to inscribe info like that on firearms.

-J-

 

[forkliftdave]

I was at a gun shop last week and there was a used gun .with a name and s.s.#

 

[handgun]

Yup.. people used to etch their name ss# and such on tools and tool boxes... guns etc..
Hell if shtf.. i probably will etch my name in all my guns..

 

[indiucky]

don't be so harsh. It wasn't that long ago that it was relatively common to inscribe info like that on firearms.

-J-

Indy guy beat me to it. In the 70's there were kind of "public service" announcments advising folks to do this. I remember being about 10 years old and telling Dad that he ought to do that and he answered back something to the effect of, "I wouldn't do that to the thief that stole it, no need to butcher a weapon when all they(the thieves) are going to do is file it off any way."

I just sold a Winchester model 1200 mint in the shop for $189.99 that I would have asked $229.99 for if the previous owner had not seen fit to engrave his ss# and name on it.

 

[Hookeye]

Yeah that PSA was a hit with the drunken OCD and no skill folks who owned Dremel tools.

 

[BlueEagle]

I have an anvil that is fashioned out of a 1 foot length of railroad tie that has the name and social security number of the man that made it engraved on the side.

I can't for the life of me figure out why he would have done that, though; when somebody breaks into your house or garage, why would they go immediately for the 40 pound chunk of steel with no resale value versus the power tools and other valuable widgets?

I just have visions of an "urban youth" attempting to run down the road with an anvil in his arms, as his pants fall down around his ankles....

 

[bluewraith]

I have an anvil that is fashioned out of a 1 foot length of railroad tie that has the name and social security number of the man that made it engraved on the side.

I can't for the life of me figure out why he would have done that, though; when somebody breaks into your house or garage, why would they go immediately for the 40 pound chunk of steel with no resale value versus the power tools and other valuable widgets?

I just have visions of an "urban youth" attempting to run down the road with an anvil in his arms, as his pants fall down around his ankles....

Pride in the skills to make it. It is the same as an artist signing his work. You know exactly who made your anvil, and that was the point.

I work at an old school machine shop, and the amount of hand made tooling that has names and ssn on it is amazing.

 

[Mgderf]

Pride in the skills to make it. It is the same as an artist signing his work. You know exactly who made your anvil, and that was the point.

I work at an old school machine shop, and the amount of hand made tooling that has names and ssn on it is amazing.

My business cards are inside walls, under floors, under roofs, behind door casings, and the like.

My intitials are also welded onto many, many ceiling girders and steel joists that were produced when I worked at the local steel factory. My initials are in sherrif's office's, drug stores, schools, grocery stores, even a stadium.

I once opened a wall during a remodel, and found the name and date of the last man to remodel the room. The date inside the wall was one week to the day of being 65 years old!

 

[tdosha]

Now days 40 pounds of steel is probably worth more than some of the TV's they could steal!