Sunday GunDay: The Art of Firearms Engraving

For today’s Sunday GunDay we present the merger of artistry and gunsmithing with a selection of elaborately-engraved rifles. These rigs are impressive to say the least. There are hunting rifles as you’d expect, but we even include a one-of-a-kind benchrest rifle with engraved action.

Amazing Double-Barreled Safari Bolt Guns

Here are some of beautifully-engraved safari rifles from Fuchs Fine Guns of Austria. These rifles feature a unique Double-barrel Bolt Action receiver, which is quite unique. Along with stunning wood stocks, the Fuchs rifles boast extensive detailed engraving with gold and jewelled highlights.

On this Fuchs .416 Rem Mag double-barrel rifle, the pistol grip contains a tiger’s eye gemstone set in silver. White gold is used for the tiger’s paws, symbolizing the beast’s formidable strength. The tiger’s paws on the pistol grip cap are surrounded by blue sapphires.

This DBR 48 Fuchs rifle with Celtic-themed engraving is chambered for the .470 Capstick caliber, the largest cartridge Fuchs offers. This rifle’s internal magazine offers a six-shot capacity. This DBR 48 was decorated in a Celtic motif. The bolt handle ends in a ball made of solid sterling silver. The magazine cover displays the Celtic boat symbol which stands for prosperity, wealth and power.

Benchrest Rifle with Engraved Stiller Action

“Ultimate PPC” by Speedy with engraved Stiller Viper action. Titanium Rest by John Loh (R.I.P.).

A Very Unique Viper Action, Two Years in the Making
This is no ordinary Viper action. The full engraving attracts your attention, but there are some slick “performance mods” Jerry Stiller added at Speedy’s request.

First, the action features a plain-Jane unfluted bolt, with a slight taper in the middle, a bit of a wasp-waist. Speedy prefers an unfluted design because it has superior wear characteristics. He’s found, when working with an aluminum action such as the Viper, the sharp flutes on the bolt will wear the inside of the action faster.

In the interest of reduced wear, Speedy also requested a smaller-sized loading/ejection port. This provides for a larger front and rear receiver ring, which enhances bolt bearing surface. More bearing surface reduces point loading for less internal wear.

First-Ever Hornady “Number One” Rifle with Baron Engraving

This “Hornady Number One” rifle was commissioned as the featured 2015 SHOT Show Gun. It was displayed in Las Vegas and auctioned on Gunbroker.com. The action and bottom metal is elaborately engraved by Baron Engraving of Trumbull, Connecticut. Hornady hired Bill Wiseman & Company to craft the barrel and action and Hornady commissioned Lucid Solutions (Clem Boyd) to build the stock. But the Hornady name IS now engraved on the side of a rifle receiver and that does represent a genuine first. This one-of-a-kind rifle, serial number “H-001″, is a bolt-action hunter, chambered for the .300 RCM cartridge.

Savage Rifle Created for Savage ArmsCompany President

This unique Savage 99 rifle was created for Joseph V. Falcon, President of Savage Arms in the 1950s.

Presentation Engraved Savage 99 Rifle
When you run the company, you get some pretty nice stuff — in this case you get what may be the most elegant Savage ever made.

This rifle was created for Joseph V. Falcon, who served as President of Savage Arms in 1956. This highly embellished Savage 99 lever-action rifle is chambered for the .300 Savage cartridge. It features deluxe checkering and gold inlays. This presentation-grade rifle boast deep relief engraving with a golden elk on one side of the receiver and a stalking cougar on the other. This rifle was given to Joseph V. Falcon from his friends at Savage in December of 1967. Falcon later donated the rifle to the NRA. This impressive model 99 is currently showcased at the NRA National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia.

Savage 99 Quick History
Arthur Savage invented the first “hammerless” lever action rifle with the entire mechanism enclosed in a steel receiver. This rifle featured a rotary magazine with a unique counter that displayed the number of rounds remaining. The Model 99, as it became known, was the gun that launched a company. There is an interesting history of the company’s logo which features an Indian chief in feather head-dress. In 1919, Chief Lame Deer approached Arthur Savage to purchase lever-action rifles for his tribe’s reservation and the two men struck a deal. In return for discounted rifles and support, Savage received the tribe’s endorsement. By virtue of that association, Arthur Savage added the Indian head symbol to the company’s commercial trademark and letterhead.

Jesse Kaufmann — Modern Engraving Master

Jesse Kaufmann, who operates Black Hills Gunstocks and Engraving LLC in South Dakota, is a true master of metal engraving and he also does superb stock checkering. Here is an example of Jesse’s engraving work on a barreled action. Watch the video to see more of Jesse’s artistry.

BONUS — A Stunning Wheelgun

Artistry in metal — Engraving has long been used to decorate fine firearms. Thankfully, engraving is not a lost art. There remain fine craftsman who can engrave beautiful designs into the metal components of rifles, shotguns, and handguns. Above is a spectacular Dragon-engraved Korth revolver from Nighthawk Custom. It has elaborate engraving covering almost the entire surface of the barrel, cylinder, and visible frame. In addition, an elaborate metal dragon’s tail has been embedded in the wood grip.