Is it possible to engrave guns?

The issue is the trigger assembly is considered the actual “gun” as that contains the mechanisms that allows the firearm to be discharged. While the slide may have a serial number it is not considered the actual “gun”. This is because the slide contains the barrel and firing pin. The slide itself doesn’t Contain the mechanism to fire the weapon.

Not as simple as that.

For the purposes of United States law, the receiver or frame is legally the firearm,[3] and as such it is the controlled part. The definition of which assembly is the legal receiver varies from firearm to firearm, under US law. Generally, the law requires licensed manufacturers and importers to mark the designated receiver with a serial number, the manufacturer or importer, the model and caliber. In addition, makers of receivers are restricted by International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Thus, in the case of a firearm that has multiple receiver parts (such as the AR-15, which has an upper and a lower receiver), the legally controlled part is the one that is serialized. For the AR-15 rifle, the lower receiver assembly is legally considered the actual receiver[4] (although it is functionally a chassis that also houses the separate trigger group); while in the FN-FAL rifle, it is the upper assembly that is serialized and legally considered the receiver.

In the case of the glock the frame of the pistol is the serialized part and considered the firearm. In the case of an AR15 type rifle, the lower receiver that contains the trigger assembly is the serialized part considered the firearm. There are rifles where the upper receiver is considered by the manufacturer to be the serialized part allowing for swapping of multiple lower receivers to accommodate caliber changes (like the SCAR and ACR). In none of these cases is the actual trigger pack or trigger assembly considered the serialized part, nor is it necessarily the part that contains the trigger assembly that will be considered the serialized part, though that is the most common case.

Basically the law just states that the serial number must be engraved on the frame or receiver ( in the case of AR-type firearms the lower receivera). Any extra serial numbers are just extra. So the serial number on the glock slide or barrel doesn’t make it the controlled part.

What it comes down to is that if you don’t know enough to know what part of the particular firearm you are engraving is the controlled pard, then don’t do it.

3 Likes

There is also a big difference between engraving your personal firearm and engraving someone else’s. You do need a FFL to engrave a serialized lower but as long as you don’t manipulate the serial number you can engrave your personal firearm. Same with manufacturing a lower receiver, you can make your own but not one for somebody else.

With a more powerful laser you can do some pretty stuff e. g.:


2 Likes

Thank you so very much for your setting’s did you enter any material type? I’m sorry a Glowforge cherry but have several slide’s I could engrave and don’t know the first thing about engraving the slide’s. Thank you again.
Greg

1 Like

I believe I selected cherry hard wood, then I just went to manual and entered the settings.

1 Like

Does anyone have pictures of Glock slide end results?

There are pictures in this thread, above.

Those are of a 1911 style pistol slide. I asked about Glock slides.

1 Like

You might want to take that up with the person that posted the pictures of a Glock slide he engraved.

Looks pretty much identical to the slides on any of the Glocks I own.

1 Like

Dude, I am freaking blind. I enlarged the pic and i felt pretty dumb. I’m looking at all this on my phone.

4 Likes

lol… no worries!

1 Like

Got another question. Is it necessary to remove all the internals from the slide when engraving it?

It’s not required, I engraved mine without removing any of the internal components (other than the spring and barrel).

Can’t imagine why. It’s not going to get even perceptibly warm, and even if it got hot, that wouldn’t hurt the firing mechanism. The slide cover plate perhaps, but again, it’s not going to even get slightly warm.

2 Likes

care to share the settings for your lower receiver etching/engraving?

@mrinken, which model? I just went to look and there are many many models.

Now should you? Meaning is the plastic on the handle safe? I’m not sure, I can’t find anything that lists the material. Luckily I only engraved a 15D on the handle and it was quick. But if you’re not sure of the material, don’t do it.

1 Like

Did you use a cleaner to strip any oil off first or just engrave as is? Afterwords I assume just standard cleaning and gun oil to protect the now bare metal?

I own a Sig Sauer P226 and was wondering what settings, if there are any, I could use to engrave the slide and what prep work needs to be done. Can someone give me some information?

1 Like