Laser etching a serial # onto a P80

Handguns » Gunsmithing & Troubleshooting

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Laser etching a serial # onto a P80

Posted: 5/20/2022 5:48:35 PM EDT

Seems like such a simple job for a laser engraver. What would be a fair price (mind you the P80 hasn't been altered yet; so it's NIB and not an FFL item). My local gunsmiths want to charge like it is an NFA engraving and other Trophy shop 'type' laser engravers won't touch it with a 10 foot pole. What does the group say.

Posted: 5/22/2022 6:27:16 AM EDT

[#1]

Trophy shop laser likely isn't going to be deep enough for the atf.

Posted: 5/22/2022 7:36:22 AM EDT

[#2]

THS only costs $30, why hot get them to do it?

Posted: 5/22/2022 1:14:10 PM EDT

[#3]

Quote History

Quoted:
Trophy shop laser likely isn't going to be deep enough for the atf.

View Quote

It's a P80, so as long as I don't sell it, I am marking it for my own identification purposes, not needing to meet any federal standards. I was hoping to not have to pay for shipping both ways, or run the risk of it getting lost in the mail. Add in shipping, insurance, etc. and it's about the same price as a local 'Smith.

Thanks for the input, I guess I just need to man up and pay the coin to have it done locally. We all can be a bunch of cheap bastards at some point in our lives. Today was my day.....

Posted: 5/22/2022 1:31:17 PM EDT

[#4]

Are you just having a serial number engraved? How much are they charging?

CHRIS

Posted: 5/24/2022 5:51:01 PM EDT

[#5]

It's about a 10 second job with a couple minutes setup time on a 30-50w fiber laser, I used to only charge $20 for quick text jobs like that (07 FFL) but Washington State already went full retard on serial markings rules so that they all have to be treated as firearms now.

Posted: 5/29/2022 7:52:25 PM EDT

[#6]

Read up on acid etching
Wax film, scratch a clear number into wax and add acid wait and wash off
Getting the strong hydrochloric acid would be the hard part, I believe the sn tab is stainless

Posted: 4/24/2023 12:22:29 PM EDT

[#7]

Quote History

Quoted:
It's a P80, so as long as I don't sell it, I am marking it for my own identification purposes, not needing to meet any federal standards. I was hoping to not have to pay for shipping both ways, or run the risk of it getting lost in the mail. Add in shipping, insurance, etc. and it's about the same price as a local 'Smith.

Thanks for the input, I guess I just need to man up and pay the coin to have it done locally. We all can be a bunch of cheap bastards at some point in our lives. Today was my day.....

View Quote

A cheap set of metal stamps from Amazon is ~$20. If it's just for your purposes that's a quick and easy way to go. Get the size that fits into the slot and "whack it out"

Posted: 4/24/2023 12:58:13 PM EDT

[#8]

Get a $15 rotary engraving pen on Amazon and just free-hand it yourself.

It's on that little plate in the dust cover, who's going to see it? Put a light on it and it's out of sight.

Posted: 4/27/2023 8:54:36 PM EDT

[#9]

Quote History

Quoted:
Read up on acid etching
Wax film, scratch a clear number into wax and add acid wait and wash off
Getting the strong hydrochloric acid would be the hard part, I believe the sn tab is stainless

View Quote

Or electroetching using paint, nail polish or stencil*, a Q-tip, salt water and a 9v battery or battery charger. Plenty of videos on youtube showing how to do it.

*If you know anyone with one of those vinyl cutters it's easy to make stencils.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Laser etching a serial # onto a P80

Handguns » Gunsmithing & Troubleshooting

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