doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Refinish Browning model 42

The M42 has big slab sides on the reciever. For engraver artists, they gravitate to those for embellishment. Laser will etch the steel quickly, if that's your inclination.

If it were my family and gun, I'd probably be inclined to put only initials on traditional brass or silver ovals inletted along the lower line of the buttstock. That's what they were designed for.

This a Grave V. already has engraving on both sides of receiver... Laser is not hot enough to cut steel.

Depends on your laser.

Junnie,

I'd send pictures of the gun to the Browning Custom shop, along with your desires for the names to be engraved, the type of script or engraving you prefer and see what proposals they send back. They have done 100s of these guns.
Old eyes such as yours and mine might not be able to read the names on a grip cap without glasses, but it sure wouldn't require anything but reading glasses.
If this is to an heirloom gun for your grandson, I would do it right, cost be damned. I bet you the engravers who work with the custom shop can come up with something very classy for your grandson's gun.

Thanks...... Do you think a plain plastic or metal butt plate is feasible???

What's wrong with the plate that's on the gun now?

All this over lettering what amounts to Moe, Larry, Curly & Shemp onto a Quarter sized grip cap.
If you can read 'United States of America' and 'Quarter Dollar' on a 25cent piece, you can read lettering that's about 1/16" tall.

It'll all fit and more for the added family history in the future should the heirloom need additions engraved.

If the gun is one of the Grade V (?) guns, fit a nice steel cap to the grip with the hidden fastener to avoid a screw in the center.
Then have an 18k gold oval center inlayed/soldered to the center. Have the engraving done on the gold, it always looks classy. The gold doesn't have to be thick,,30ga will work fine. Even a bit thinner will work.

The laser cut lettering on the wood is clean cut and excellent quality from the pic, but it just doesn't carry the idea of a hand-me-down heirloom firearm to me.
More like a sign at a State Park pointing the way to the restroom.
Some people paint their guns bright colors too and love them to death. Everyone's free to do as they want to.
You can get stick on gold letters at the Home Depot that look pretty nice too if applied with care.

Go with some class, even if it's only a little.
Just my opinion of course.

If you don't like the plastic Browning butt plate, fit a thin rubber recoil pad (rifle pad) and leather cover it.

Just some more ideas to kick around,,

Just throwing out another option(nothing wrong with your original), but you could have the laser engraving done on a fitted wood case.

I like that!

Sure, the custom shop will do any kind of butt plate you want. I personally would not, NOT, put plastic on such a gun. If you want to have a metal frame done for the butt, that would be nice and you could get a good deal on information on the frame. Like a Parker DHE metal butt frame, Whatever its called. I'd also put just about 1/4 inch cast off in the stock as well. Given he is right handed or cast on if he is a lefty shooter.
That might well allow you to have a youth and an adult stock. With the original stock as the adult stock. Something else to talk to the Custom shop about. They can tell you what measurements to take to get the new stock to fit now (I'd get it a little long) and then he can grow into the adult stock.

Best of luck!