Question concerning how to engrave steel receiver for NFA purposes

[Shotgun Surgery]

I'm planning to tax stamp an 870 shotgun. Steel receiver, blued finish. I had two main areas I'm unclear about.

1: How should I go about doing the engraving? I already asked my local gunsmith and he said he couldn't do it. Should I just seek another gunsmith who can, or is this something a non-gunsmith such as myself could do without much difficulty?

2: Once the engraving somehow gets there, that's going to compromise the blued finish, right? Can I just cold-blue the engraving? What route should I be going on rust-prevention of the engraved area?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[alleycat]

Sonoma is an ODT sponsor who does great work, and there are many others. I've never had to re-blue an engraving, just a little touch of oil over the finished product. I also have the engravings done very small but still remain compliant

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

I don't know that you would have to put any corrosion resistant finish on the engraved area of the receiver.

If you keep it clean and oiled it should not rust. Consider all the semi auto pistols whose barrels are not blued --at least not at the breech end, the part that is visible through the ejection port. Yet with normal cleaning and an occasional wipedown with an oily rag if the gun is not being used for months, that bare metal stays free of corrosion.

 

[Shotgun Surgery]

I don't know that you would have to put any corrosion resistant finish on the engraved area of the receiver.

If you keep it clean and oiled it should not rust. Consider all the semi auto pistols whose barrels are not blued --at least not at the breech end, the part that is visible through the ejection port. Yet with normal cleaning and an occasional wipedown with an oily rag if the gun is not being used for months, that bare metal stays free of corrosion.

View attachment 5707104

That very much depends on the kind of steel used. Not all alloys of steel have rust resistant properties. The receivers used in 870 shotguns were, back when the Freedom Group owned Remington, known to rust even with the blued finish. If the engraving process does away with the finish then I'd absolutely want to put some cold blue or at least something on the engraving to resist rusting.

Also, quality firearms shouldn't be rusting as soon as you don't have them slathered in oil. I have an old, old remington 870 shotgun with a blued finish. I never wipe the thing down with oil and yet I've never had any trouble with the gun rusting. Many of my more modern firearms are the same way. If applying some finish of some kind to the engraved area prevents it from rusting without constantly having to re-oil the thing then that's absolutely the route I'm going to go.

 

[Shotgun Surgery]

Sonoma is an ODT sponsor who does great work, and there are many others. I've never had to re-blue an engraving, just a little touch of oil over the finished product. I also have the engravings done very small but still remain compliant

I'll look into Sonoma's services, thanks.

 

[loadnplenty]

Most trophy shops have the ability to engrave. If your worried about the finish just tough up the area with some paint color of your choice or cold blueing

 

[87KJH]

For a small area try a touch up pen or Perma Blue Paste

Birchwood Casey Presto Gun Blue Touch-Up Pen

Birchwood Casey Presto Gun Blue Touch-Up Pen penetrates hard steel instantly and gives a durable blue-black finish that won't rub off. Reacts quickly...

www.midwayusa.com

Birchwood Casey Perma Blue Cold Blue 2oz Paste

Birchwood Casey's Perma Blue has been the pro's choice for years in touching up nicks and scratches. Easy to use, just clean the metal surface and...

www.midwayusa.com

This is the technique we use for small scratches on blued barrels or receivers:
1. Clean the scratch with mineral spirits and wipe dry with a paper towel
2. Mark along the scratch with the touch up pen or paste until the color matches
3. Wipe off the area with a paper towel
4. Apply your favorite gun oil

Hope this helps.

 

[rumrunner55]

you can always fill engraving with paint but ive never had one rust

 

[ReservoirDawg10]

Why do you feel the need to engrave it? Are you selling it as an SBS? Is it a homemade receiver?

If not. No need to engrave.

 

[rumrunner55]

Why do you feel the need to engrave it? Are you selling it as an SBS? Is it a homemade receiver?

If not. No need to engrave.

This is untrue, all form 1 guns (not the free brace one but that doesn’t apply to sbs anyways) MUST be engraved with maker information the only time you don’t is if it’s a form 3 or 4 transfer