Opinion's Please

[cruzerlou]

I may have asked before but can't remember .I have a 1986 Per Lew Horton Dist
S&W 3" round butt smooth finger grove grip 657 .41 mag .This is a per production prototype gun and it's in 98% cond and wasn't even offered in the S&W catalog in 1986. I've researched the gun and it came out of the custom shop at S&W.It has the sweetest trigger I've ever felt on a S&W and it's uber accurate. This makes it one very rare gun and of all the 3" round butt N-Frames made the 657 was the smallest number made .One very small ding on the left recoil shield and that's it .It doesn't even have a turn ring on the cylinder .
6MM6MM has showed us some of his beautifully engraved guns and this gun is just screaming at me to have his engraver do a 3/4 American style engraving and high polish job done on it .
I don't have any custom engraved guns and never even considered getting one done,but this is one gun that I'll never sell ,it's going to one of my nephews when I'm gone .
So here's the question. Being that it's a rare gun and had quite a bit of collectors value as is should I have it engraved or not . I know to the purest that it would turn them off . On the other hand this would be the perfect platform to make a real nice looking BBQ gun out of and some would pay more for it were it engraved. . As I said I'll never sell it and I think it would look great .The other thing is this ,I only paid $510 O.T.D. for the gun and like it is it's worth almost 2 1/2 times what I paid for it .
To have it done will cost me around 500 bucks to have this done so I'd have $1,000.00 tied up in it .I'm really on the fence about this so I thought I'd ask y'all what you think .
I don't want to do anything to detract the value of the gun.
Thanks for any input you have for me and here's a couple pics of the gun .
HELP I don't know what to do .
BTW, I don't believe in safe queens so weather or not I do this, this gun will be carried and shot from time to time .
Thanks,
Your Friend,
Lou

 

[markggtp]

Go for it ......

 

[5of7]

If you like engraving on a gun, then sure, go for it.

Me, I would leave it as it is, get a good rig and carry it in the woods. It should be good for anything so. of AK. 8)

 

[UmpquaCharlie]

Go for it...send pictures after it is done.

 

[HAWKEYE#28]

Save the money and buy another Lew horton 3" gun............. :!:

 

[cruzerlou]

Hey Hawk, if I had the money I would ,but it would have to be a blued in .44 mag to go with my 6" M 29-2.I don't know if you've seen 6MM6MM's guns .He has a Walther PPK in stainless and a faux colt Flitz that he had his engraver do and several others and the work is top notch.
And 5of7 I have two good rigs for it now for O.W.B. carry I have a Bianchi #5HB thumb break that was for a 4 " gun that my leather smith cut
& restitch to match this gun ,he did a custom recoloring and some fancy border stamping on it .I also have a Galco open bottom strong side thumb break that I made into a shoulder holster for the gun .The Bianchi matches the custom 1911 thumb break that goes on my custom Texas Ranger belt rig I just swap the holsters and double open top mag holder for the matching double speed loader pouch that goes with it .I also have Three large knives ,two Bowie's and a custom made drop point and a small 4"Bowie and a 4" drop point that all the sheath's match the rest of the rig .Right fancy rig so a really nice engraved gun would fit right in on it .
You've seen My highly customized Kimber 1911 ,that rides in that rig when I'm working at the gun shop .
I'm set holster wise just still on the fence about doing this to a really rare gun .
It ain't the money the gun would still be worth twice what I paid for it at least ,it's just the purest in me fighting with my love of one of a kinds on this one .
I've never seen a engraved S.S 3" round butt 657 before .I'm sure there out there but there weren't that many built to start with .I think I'm gonna do it I just need someone to twist my arm to get me started .
Your Friend,
lou

 

[cellar701]

Lou, it's a nice revolver either way.

I have a couple of guns (a handgun and a rifle) which were engraved and they are unique and nice and always get asked about. The engraving enhances the value of one of mine and not the other - but I enjoy them both. And fact is as far as my enjoyment the enhanced value matters little.

It's your gun - if you are truly on the fence I suggest waiting a bit until you are clearly on one side or the other of that fence. Were it mine under the circumstances you describe and I liked the idea of engraving it, I would go for it.

 

[HAWKEYE#28]

CL: I cannot fault your observations, ownership and LOGIC! As you know, i have embellished items. Would not move them unless in the wood crate going down, and then, there are family names on nearly all.........So, if you like that "chiseler's" work, have it done.............MIKE

 

[willk]

No, leave this little revolver as it is. Get a good standard firearm of your choice and have it engraved. Once you put the knife to the metal, you can't go back. If the firearm is of good quality but has no extra value, little is lost. A valuable/rare firearm, when modified becomes somewhat less so.

Since engraving is not cheap, would the cost of a good donor gun add that much more?

 

[Eaglestroker]

I had no idea this gun existed now I NEED one. Get it engraved if your heart desires, if your sold on it you won't regret.

 

[Snake45]

I wouldn't do it but only because I don't happen to like engraving of any kind on a gun. It all just looks silly and fru-fru and "precious" to me. But that said, it's YOUR gun and if you want it done that way, by all means go ahead and do it. The gun's not THAT rare--didn't they make 5000 of them or something like that? (I have a limited-edition 3" M66 .357 bought about the same time as yours.)

I wouldn't pay an extra dime for an engraved gun. In fact, I'd consider it "damaged" and would expect to pay less for it than an unmolested one. But then I doubt anyone would sell me an engraved gun at a fire-sale price, so everybody's happy. :wink:

 

[BlackEagle]

...maybe you could have him engrave "Ruger" on it.

 

[buckeyeshooter]

You said "I don't want to do anything to detract the value of the gun." that means -- leave it in factory trim.

 

[ChiefMuzz]

I'm not a big fan of engraving on gun's. They are all tools and should be used.
Maybe a nice new set of stocks for it instead Lou. That's something that you can add without detracting any value, and giving it a more personal touch, which it what it sounds you are after.

 

[cruzerlou]

Thanks for the input guys and Snake that # is for ALL Lew Horton guns NOT the per Lew Horton 657's .In 1986 there were less than 100 657's done like this acording to the Historian at S&W and even of the Lew Horton guns ether S.S or blued the .41 mag are the rarest of them .Like I said this one's a keeper and will go to ether one of my nephew's or great nephew's so selling it's out of the question .The grips that are on it are already awsome so I think I will have it done next year when I get my taxes back .
I wish I could find the post in the gallery that has 6MM6MM's guns are in, they are functional art work .I can't find it on the search engine ,but if any of y'all know how please let me know .
Thanks again,
Lou

Lou

 

[cellar701]

Lou, you may be thinking of the Skeeter tribute Smith that's been shown a couple of times in the Gallery. Here is link under bbq guns:

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=158465&p=1595440&hilit=bbq#p1595440

 

[cruzerlou]

Yep,
Those are the gun alright.I would do my 657 just like the S&W .44 mag .That is one classy lookin piece there and I think the 657 would look great with that same pattern on it .I've talked with the artist who did those guns and he's a real nice guy All that hand work for 500 bucks is a very reasonable price I think .The only thing there's a year wait time to have this done ,but it is worth it to me . You can't rush work of that quality.Then I'd have myself a really nice BBQ gun .
lou