Engraving/stamping caliber on a barrel

[Appleseed]

What's the best way to mark caliber on a blank?

[tinkerer]

ONCE you have your barrel indexed, i.e. now exactly where you can mark it, stamping, engraving, or even etching are all candidates. And if you know of an indelible marking pen that would work, I would even go for that.

One member I saw just put a label on it.

Whatever keeps you from putting the wrong ammo in it works.

Ideas anyone?

Larry
Tinkerer

[Hammer]

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Have a jeweler engrave the caliber/cartridge on the muzzle crown.


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[Baryngyl]

It's my gun I would know what caliber it is.

I did see something about needing to mark it per (XXX)(XXX = Whatever the 3 or 4 letters were for some government law making/money wasting organization, you know how the government loves those 3 and 4 letter agency names, ;) ) whatever rules, is that a law or just a suggestion?

Michael Grace

[Hammer]

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It's my gun I would know what caliber it is.




Some of us wouldn't.


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[Appleseed]

Chambering a 20vt into this .223 wouldn't be hard to do, neither of those barrels were marked. Guess the same would be true for multiple barrels in the .243-.308 family. Haven't started adding on that action...yet.

Have a jeweler friend that could engrave them, if he doesn't have a hang-up about looking into a muzzle.

[pdog06]

Uh, have him engrave it on the chamber end, or even stamp it. Its gonna be cut off to chamber it anyway so it dont even have to be neat. Then have it redone neatly once it is chambered.

[Hammer]

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Some of these jewelers have engraving machines that work in extremely small (micro) but precision level that only with a magnifying glass would you be able to see it.

[Appleseed]

It's a finished chambered barrel, engraving would have to be in bold for me to see it with 2.0's.

[Skunce]

I bought one of these etching tools to do my unmarked barrels and it does a good job.


http://www.etching-metal.com/index.htm

[Hammer]

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With my eyes getting older, have considered having the barrels marked in Braille.

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[Baryngyl]

How does it work, if you stamp or engrave a blued barrel, does the shiny under metal show?


Michael Grace

[pdog06]

It's a finished chambered barrel, engraving would have to be in bold for me to see it with 2.0's.


Oh, in your first post you said it was a blank, so thats why I mentioned it having to be cutoff,etc.

I still think labeling it on the chamber end is the best way. This way you dont have to worry about the lettering lining up if you put it on a different action or something, but you can still look into the action port and be able to read it on the barrel if need to.

Marking the barrel on the outside looks really good when it all lines up right. But I have one that was marked while on another action, but when I switched actions you can only see half of the custom etching now.

[Appleseed]

You're right pdog06! I meant a blank barrel, not a barrel blank, ha.

[J.Baker]

You can buy a set of letter/number punches pretty cheap through Harbor Freight or the like, then stamp it where ever you like. If it's a swap barrel gun, it usually makes sense to stamp the chamber end of the barrel. If it's not, you can stamp it above the stock line to mimic a factory stamping.

[Hammer]

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It could be more fun to just guess which barrel and caliber this barrel is.

Could make it into a little guessing game with prizes and everything.

See, fellows, this little cartridge will go in the big barrel.

Wonder if this big short cartridge will fit into this gun ?


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[Monkeymaster]

It would be nice if they would stamp them on the barrel 3x's 120 degrees apart.
Then no matter were you set it, one stamp would be visable.
Just my thoughts.

MrFurious, how does the hand stamps workout ?
I have a set, but the thought of swinging a hammer and #punch on my barrel makes me nervous,
the #'s never seem to make a good mark on the 1st swing ?
Thanks

[sha-ul]

would it affect the zero of a barrel if you were to have it laser etched?

[kweeks10045]

I like Hammers idea. Now to get targets in Braille. Just don't blow your fingertips off. Hmm...maybe Horus has a scope for that.

[tbeasley]

having your barrel laser-ethced is the BEST in my opinion. I can sometimes feel other peoples stampings when I slug a barrel (make you wonder..) Just think when they put it in the vise?? difinetly feel the difference then, but like most to all they return to shape.

McGowen stamps 3 times every 120 degress (at least on the last barrel I seen)