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Thread: SBR Engraving Fail

  1. #1
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    SBR Engraving Fail

    I wasn't going to post about this because there's not much I can do about it now, but I want to bitch a little and get it off my chest.

    I recently received a Form 1 approval, and had a local gunsmith in mind for the engraving. I had heard that it's prudent to do the engraving before filling out the form 1, but I figured this engraver is local and will do it while I wait, so there shouldn't be any problems with a lost shipment or anything like that. Silly me, trusting that things will go the way they're supposed to.

    So, the joker (employee) does the engraving, but he engraved my entire mailing address onto my lower. Name, street address, city, state, and zip code. You'd think a guy working for a place that advertises SBR engraving would know better, but no, I guess not, there's dumb@$$ workers in every industry, and I guess it's on me to trust that the guy knew what he was doing. Nobody wants to be insulted by having their customer tell them their job though, so I didn't. Big mistake.

    Anyways, I'm pretty disappointed, just because it looks stupid having all that extra info on there. I hope to get over it in the next few weeks because the thing will shoot fine, but it was a let down. I don't see that there's any legal problem either, because all the info that's required to be there is, but it's still annoying. It's like getting a tattoo that the artist mucks up, or misspells something. Makes me want to rattle can the thing to try and camouflage the engraving, total fail IMO.

    Ok, I've said my piece if anybody wants to chime in, but just as a reminder, it's good advice to have your lower engraved BEFORE completing your Form 1, or at least micromanage the hell out of whoever is going to do it for you. Stomp all over their feelings if they don't like you supervising, in the end, your the one who will be stuck with the results.

    I'm interested in other people's take on the situation, and I'm especially interested if anybody sees any problems I'm not considering with having the extra address info on the lower. I don't want to have rinse and repeat the process to have a (replacement) lower done properly, but I'm considering it. Mostly because of my own annoyance, but certainly if there a good reason to eat the cost of a new lower and stamp, then I'll feel compelled.

    Post also if you have a engraving story of your own. Post good stories because, well, who doesn't like a good story? Or, post bad stories, so maybe that will help me feel better about letting this happen.

  2. #2
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    You know you could have a couple thousands milled off and have it engraved again if it bothers you that much.

  3. #3
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    Pappabear's guy put "THE" in front of the "Pappabear RLT". It reads like a college football moron naming his school. He was a little annoyed by it, but I think he's forgotten about it.

    He had an actual stipulation on one of his approvals for engraving. I don't bother with the nonsense since the marking description on my Forms don't mention any engraving.

    The Address thing is classic. What an idiot.
    "What would a $2,000 Geissele Super Duty do that a $500 PSA door buster on Black Friday couldn't do?" - Stopsign32v

  4. #4
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    I was recommend to a trophy guy in Tucson by the owner of my LGS, I was told he does all the engraving for him, and his friends. So I went with it, and got it done. The trophy shop then engraved my lower horribly big on the mag well not where I told him to do it, and only took enough off to remove the anodizing didn’t actually engrave into the lower.

    I had to sand off the anodizing, and then took it to a real engraver in Phoenix who got it done for me correctly.

    You’re not the only one who’s been in this situation OP.


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  5. #5
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    So the guy can operate an engraving machine, but doesn't know what's required to be engraved. It's terrible when idiots don't ask what they need to do prior to starting. Back over 20 years ago, my father wanted to have a side scope mounted added on to his MAK-90. I took it along with the side mount to a local shop with a really good reputation. When I returned to pick it up, the owner told me there was a problem. His son had drilled the holes for the side mount in the receiver cover instead of the receiver! I left it with him and the owner purchased another receiver cover and properly installed the side mount on the receiver. So much for my father's matching numbers MAK-90. Fortunately, my father didn't care. Not having matching number on a gun that should is the type of thing that bugs the crap out of me. It never occurred to me that I should have asked the owner if the monkey he was going to give the work to knew what the %$!& he was doing and if he'd ask if he didn't.

  6. #6
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    If you haven't assembled the piece yet, you can get a full refund and reapply with a different serial number off of a replacement receiver (hopefully supplied by the engraving shop).

    Nuisance PITA, I know...but an option that I didn't see mentioned.
    Last edited by MJN1957; 08-14-19 at 19:33.

  7. #7
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    Have them cover the extra info, and rest if the receiver with engraved paisley print.
    Its the only solution.

  8. #8
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    Just curious, how did he get all of that information to begin with? Did you hand him all the NFA paperwork?

    My engraver just had me write down on the form what I wanted and where.

    XXXXXX TRUST
    XXXXXX, WA

  9. #9
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    As long as you have the minimal section 4 info correct and if you put anything in box 4h you have that complete, all the excess engraving is just that, but harmless. IF for some reason you DID put your mailing address in 4h (nothing stops you and would get approved that way), he actually did engrave appropriately. Assuming blank box 4h in your case though. You can engrave the dictionary as long as the required info is there. So really it's just a cosmetic thing.....and that shop really needs to train the jackhole who did that. Fill or grind depending on engraving depth, Cerakote, re-engrave would be my method of fixing - just depends on how irritating the extra engraving is to you.

    Gets a bad rap from misapplication & unrealistic expectations, but BC alumablack can really make engraving blend in & hide on a black lower.

    Somewhat of a stamp collector & did all my suppressors on form-1's as well, so I bought an engraver. Very old manual pantograph jewelry engraver. Slow, cumbersome setup, but gets the job done. Not suggesting you run out & buy one, but if you know you'll have a fair amount of things to engrave, worth considering. Or going in on with a small group of buds. Would take a decent amount to break even, but the convenience & knowing your stuff is right.....

    OT but kind of along these lines for others reading who haven't started filling out forms yet.......if doing a trust, consider the name of your trust and the engraving implications. My last name is 9 letters. Not thinking at all, I just called my trust "V-------- Revocable Living Trust" which is a lot to engrave & makes for a fairly long line of text. "CMV Trust" or some such would have been soooooo much cleaner. Anyway, just a minor goof along the way that might help someone else out.
    I can drink a quart of monkey and still stand still...

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Inkslinger View Post
    You know you could have a couple thousands milled off and have it engraved again if it bothers you that much.
    I considered something like that right away, but I don't want to make it worse.

    Quote Originally Posted by MJN1957 View Post
    If you haven't assembled the piece yet, you can get a full refund and reapply with a different serial number off of a replacement receiver (hopefully supplied by the engraving shop).

    Nuisance PITA, I know...but an option that I didn't see mentioned.
    That's a option I didn't know existed. I'm getting used to the idea of living with it as is, but I may look into that. What other info do you have to get me pointed in the right direction? Just email the ATF?

    Quote Originally Posted by MegademiC View Post
    Have them cover the extra info, and rest if the receiver with engraved paisley print.
    Its the only solution.
    Hehe, I used to have a paisley shirt that I loved, but I'm not sure about on a lower.

    Quote Originally Posted by Five_Point_Five_Six View Post
    Just curious, how did he get all of that information to begin with? Did you hand him all the NFA paperwork?

    My engraver just had me write down on the form what I wanted and where.

    XXXXXX TRUST
    XXXXXX, WA
    Yeah, I had my approved form 1 with me, like I'm supposed to. He grabbed the whole box, lower, paperwork, everything. It never occured to me to verify EXACTLY what he was going to engrave, I just trusted that he knew his job. This place actually manufactures and sells their own rifles, receivers, handguards, suppressors, and other parts, so it's a double fail because he ABSOLUTELY should have known better.

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