I have 2 project guns that need calibers marked/engraved on the barrels.

One is fairly straight forward in that all that is needed is the caliber placed above the stock line.

The other is a little more 'complicated.' It is a Rem 700, 30-06 that has been re-bored to 9.3x62. What I'd like on this one is to have the old caliber marking milled off and the new caliber placed in the mill cut.

In both cases, after the markings are in place, the barreled actions will be Cerakoted. Thus the markings need to be sufficiently deep so that the barrels can be prepped for, coated, and the markings remain visible.

In the past I've had a guy that was nearby do the above, and he did a very nice job of it. However, I learned the other day that he passed is no longer with us.

Any ideas on who may take on the above work?

Any engraver should be able to do a nice job of it, likely won't be cheap though. A friend of mine who has a small gunshop uses the trophy shop down the street. They have a CNC engraver used for nameplates and the like. I think they charge him about $20 each to do them.

Crossed that bridge.

In my rounds today, I stopped at a trophy shop and a jeweler. Both had no qualms about doing the engraving, but each pointed out that their engraving equipment would not engrave deep enough to stand up to the surface prep needed and or likely be visible after coating.

a scratch etch after the cerakote looks good. you can blue it if it blue or leave it if it is stainless.

I could set up the barrel and mill off the old marking for you for a six pack of IPA but I don't have anything to put new markings on except individual stamps and I doubt you would like that result.

Thanks. I have the mill and can do the mill cut. And like you, I have the stamps, and haven't liked the results on some test barrels (take offs).

To get barrel markings engraved bold enough and deep enough to not be covered up by cerakote you need to find someone with a CNC Mill who has an engraving program. They will use a small end mill rather than an engraving cutter and the engraving will be bold enough and deep enough. I worked in a shop that built a lot of custom tooling, this is how we marked it. Several of the bigger custom 'smiths especailly those who manufacture their own parts have CNC equipment, you might try contacting them.

dimond d gunsmithing craigmont idaho shawn has done all my barrel caliber designations the way you described milled out in a perfect oval then his mill program inscribes the caliber in a beautiful script give him a call
208 924-5335 4-6 pm ( PT ) weekdays only, or you talk to the machine
good hunting
Lj

Hvy Bullets - good info. Thanks!

You might look in to salt water electrolysis etching. The actual etching is very easy, and works on aluminum, carbon steel, and stainless; the tricky part is getting/making a good mask. I make my own masks using a laserjet printer; the toner can be transferred from the paper to the part with heat. You need to use a negative image of the text of course (black box with white text in a mirror image).

Something like this?



Ray Montgomery did this one a few years back. Rechamber of an '06. I don't think Ray is with us any more.

Yes, very close to Shawn's work Good gunsmiths never die, their work just gets too expensive!
good hunting

Exactly !!