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Thread: Police Trade-In Lowers. Dealing with PD markings

  1. #1
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    Police Trade-In Lowers. Dealing with PD markings

    I've got a Police Trade in Lower that has some electric pen carving of cryptic numbers and letters. Kind of detracts from the lower since I plan to re-purpose it as the bottom half of an M16A1 clone.

    What's the consensus on this? Leave the carvings alone, or is there a way to sand them off, then have the whole lower re-anodized?
    Maj. USAR (Ret) 160th SOAR, 2/17 CAV
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    On the one hand, it's your lower, do what you want with it. The are experts that can blend out the electro pencil engraving and refinish it.

    On the other hand, it's a part of the history of the rifle. What was its original configuration?
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    I was my agency’s armorer for several years and to make it easy to track our long guns we established a visible number on the stock or in the case of the AR’s on the right side of the mag well. Those numbers were stenciled on with paint. The only thing we engraved with a number were bolt carriers groups with the last four digits of that weapons s/n. This helped with maintenance when overhauling a couple dozen at a time each year. With that being said, why don’t you incorporate the numbers/ letters into your build to mimic a military armory rack number. There are numerous pics out there showing unit tracking numbers in various spots on m16’s. Refinishing is expensive and it destroys the actual history of the item. Unless you are going for a showroom NIB look roll with the honest use wear patterns.

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    Quote Originally Posted by MistWolf View Post
    On the one hand, it's your lower, do what you want with it. The are experts that can blend out the electro pencil engraving and refinish it.

    On the other hand, it's a part of the history of the rifle. What was its original configuration?
    I don't have the upper but the lower is a Sporter Target Model marked .223 as well as AR-15. It also has the Restricted LE/Govt Use on the right side of the mag well. The sloppy and uneven PD electric pen carvings are above the fire control pins on the right side.
    Maj. USAR (Ret) 160th SOAR, 2/17 CAV
    NRA Life Member
    Black Mesa Ranch. Raising Fine Cattle and Horses in San Miguel County since 1879

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    Would an old school dymo embossed label maker/label be able to cover up the scribbles? How big of area does it cover? Is it like 1-1 1/2” long by 1/4” high? We had a new style label maker at the agency that I would make individual labels for marking officer’s mags that came with a little wider maybe 3/8” wide tape - black letters on different colored background tapes. Can you post a pic of it?

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    Quote Originally Posted by mpddoug162 View Post
    Would an old school dymo embossed label maker/label be able to cover up the scribbles? How big of area does it cover? Is it like 1-1 1/2” long by 1/4” high? We had a new style label maker at the agency that I would make individual labels for marking officer’s mags that came with a little wider maybe 3/8” wide tape - black letters on different colored background tapes. Can you post a pic of it?
    I am traveling this weekend so I don't have it in front of me. The PD markings are probably in the inch long range you describe.
    Maj. USAR (Ret) 160th SOAR, 2/17 CAV
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    Black Mesa Ranch. Raising Fine Cattle and Horses in San Miguel County since 1879

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    A picture would help. I have never seen electric pen engraving that was very deep. Someone with an artistic touch could probably blend it away with an aggressive media blast and fade in with a finer grit doing the whole receiver. Re-anodize and call it a day.

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    I have a few like that. Doesn't bother me at all but I'm not trying to replicate a specific look/style. That being said I have no interest in finishes so I'd probably leave it alone even if making a clone.

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    Also keep in mind that on the .mil side, receivers are only allowed a single re-anodization in their life span at depot level and even then, only if certain contact points gauge correctly both post anodizing removal (newly in the white) and then again post re-anodize.

    Frankly, in my humble opinion, it is not worth it to re-anodize a lower unless it's out of spec due to worn anodizing to begin with.

    The real issue is that many companies that offer re-anodizing services do not know these gauging specs and remove anodization willy nilly and then do not know the appropriate temps and time to re-apply the anodizing to build up the anodizing to the correct specs for these types of assemblies. Remember, these are not simply parts being anodized for color to match a color scheme of a hot rod engine.

    This is how people who want to "tan-odize" lowers end up having lowers that allow roll pins to move freely when trying to re-assemble.
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  10. #10
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    Keep the markings... starting to get rare that agencies allow market guns into the commercial market. A lot destroy them so an ex-firearm can’t be linked to a crime.

    On the Federal level, I’d love to buy my H&K when we switch to Glocks (issued a brand new gun)... but ultimately going into the shredder.

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