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Laser Engraving--2A Engraving, Epping NH (Fantastic Outfit)

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Warm_Garand

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Made an appointment over the telephone yesterday, and stopped by 2A Engraving in Epping early this evening.

Tony Bourgoine runs the shop, he does excellent, detail-oriented work, and he will do it on the spot, while you wait.

I cannot recommend him highly enough. Very smart dude, very attuned to the shooting sports, and he is super detail oriented.

He's ex-military, and has wrenched on some very impressive shit.

Let him know you're coming, and it's a lock.

He also laser cuts foam for rifle cases, if that is something you might be interested in.

The guys at the Mill are great, but I stopped by three times and it just wasn't happening, so I made the drive.

In half a day you can work in a trip to Kittery Trading Post (half hour north on 95), Sig Academy/Pro Shop (twelve minutes from his shop) and walk out of HIS shop with your engraving project in your hand--done. That's a pretty satisfying road trip.

Only disappointment--I definitely wish I had stopped someplace for some fried clams.
 
Warm_Garand said:
Made an appointment over the telephone yesterday, and stopped by 2A Engraving in Epping early this evening.

Tony Bourgoine runs the shop, he does excellent, detail-oriented work, and he will do it on the spot, while you wait.

I cannot recommend him highly enough. Very smart dude, very attuned to the shooting sports, and he is super detail oriented.

He's ex-military, and has wrenched on some very impressive shit.

Let him know you're coming, and it's a lock.

He also laser cuts foam for rifle cases, if that is something you might be interested in.

The guys at the Mill are great, but I stopped by three times and it just wasn't happening, so I made the drive.

In half a day you can work in a trip to Kittery Trading Post (half hour north on 95), Sig Academy/Pro Shop (twelve minutes from his shop) and walk out of HIS shop with your engraving project in your hand--done. That's a pretty satisfying road trip.

Only disappointment--I definitely wish I had stopped someplace for some fried clams.
Click to expand...
Tony is the man. I went to him in May for my SBR engraving. Communication was super fast and best of all, he had the best price for engraving.
 
Warm_Garand said:
Made an appointment over the telephone yesterday, and stopped by 2A Engraving in Epping early this evening.

Tony Bourgoine runs the shop, he does excellent, detail-oriented work, and he will do it on the spot, while you wait.

I cannot recommend him highly enough. Very smart dude, very attuned to the shooting sports, and he is super detail oriented.

He's ex-military, and has wrenched on some very impressive shit.

Let him know you're coming, and it's a lock.

He also laser cuts foam for rifle cases, if that is something you might be interested in.

The guys at the Mill are great, but I stopped by three times and it just wasn't happening, so I made the drive.

In half a day you can work in a trip to Kittery Trading Post (half hour north on 95), Sig Academy/Pro Shop (twelve minutes from his shop) and walk out of HIS shop with your engraving project in your hand--done. That's a pretty satisfying road trip.

Only disappointment--I definitely wish I had stopped someplace for some fried clams.
Click to expand...
Tony is the man!!
 
Someone remind me: do you have to be an FFL to do engraving on a gun? (That isn’t your own)
 
milktree said:
Someone remind me: do you have to be an FFL to do engraving on a gun? (That isn’t your own)
Click to expand...
It's one thing if you're doing it for a friend on the quiet, it's another if you're openly doing it for profit in any capacity. There was a non-ffl guy on here doing "while you wait" laser stuff several years ago (which, was supposed to be legal) and he noped right the eff out of touching guns ever again, because an ATF guy got wind of it and basically told the guy that he had to stop or he would be arrested. Basically most for profit operations in the gun industry require an FFL, or at a bare minimum, operating under someone else's FFL

Of course whether or not the ATFs on the ground interpretation jibes with the actual law or not is another story, but needless to say most smart people doing this as a business get an 07 (manufacturer) lic and cover their ass that way. It's the only safe way to not piss off the ATF.

I am glad, however, that there are guys like 2A engraving and some other folks I know who are licensed getting the gear to do this. The engraving thing was a way under served market, even
nationally. Engraving was a huge barrier to people getting SBRs, etc, but as more 07s offer this service it will reduce the burdens significantly.
 
It would be cool to see what the engraving looks like.

Maybe just reveal a couple letters for OPSEC.

It looks like the letters came out white in color.

Edit:

I might have to pay this man a visit.

I plan on making a complete lower with a stock before I get it engraved.

My regular guy does a great job but can not fit a lower with a stock into the engraving area.

Judging from these pictures, there is no limit to the size of the object as long as it fits on the table.
 
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As it so happens the day before this thread was started I sent Tony some work via USPS (non ATF regulated items).
Got the stuff back today, great work, just perfect text and graphic.

🐯

P.S.> Welcome to NES Tony, maybe look into a dealer forum and stay awhile.
 
Tony just did a couple lowers for me and the process was smooth, the engraving looks great, and he’s both knowledgeable and good people.
 
2A Engraving LLC said:
Yes, it’s considered “gunsmithing “.
Click to expand...

No. If the owner of the firearm stays, no FFL is necessary.

If the gun is left or shipped in, he has to be a FFL.

But no federal law requires a FFL if the customer waits. And this shop is in NH. So no state licenses of any kind are necessary.

MA law says that a gunsmith needs to have a state license. They require a FFL to get a state license. So in MA this kind of business would require a FFL except for . . . .
the fact that because MA does not consider a stripped receiver to be a firearm. So if you want to do engraving on a bare receiver its not gunsmithing. But if you do it on a complete functional firearm, it is gunsmithing.
 
dcmdon said:
No. If the owner of the firearm stays, no FFL is necessary.

If the gun is left or shipped in, he has to be a FFL.

But no federal law requires a FFL if the customer waits. And this shop is in NH. So no state licenses of any kind are necessary.
Click to expand...
[rofl]

Sure by the letter of the law you are right but this is NOT reality on the ground.

Open a laser engraving company that does guns (even with owners in attendance) without an FFL and see how long it takes you before the ATF magically appears and tells you that you need an FFL to do it to guns. I would give it less than a year. They give zero f***s whether you retain customer guns or not.

It's not the law but it is for all intents and purposes "necessary".

Many years ago there was a laser engraving outfit in MA that would do guns while you waited. No FFL. They never kept the guns. They only worked on the guns while
the customer was there nearby the machine, even. None of that mattered. Feds came in and told them if they didn't stop they were going to get whacked unless they got
an FFL. They ran away like a scalded dog and immediately announced they would no longer do any gun work of any kind.

Someone could probably get an attorney and "Fix" this problem but for a business owner this is a waste of money. It's cheaper to just get an FFL and make them go away.

ETA: There is a wallhack for this sort of thing though. An engraving operator could easily conduct business under someone else's FFL if they're coloed or
whatever.
 
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milktree said:
Someone remind me: do you have to be an FFL to do engraving on a gun? (That isn’t your own)
Click to expand...
Really? Not that I really care but I was thinking about getting a laser engraver would I get hosed up if I engraved a glock frame say then sold it?
 
jkelly1229 said:
Really? Not that I really care but I was thinking about getting a laser engraver would I get hosed up if I engraved a glock frame say then sold it?
Click to expand...

If you did it for your own shit or casually like that I can't see it being a problem.

If you do it for other people openly, as a business, even while they waited, etc, without having "cover" of your FFL (or running it under someone elses) the shit will hit the fan and the feds will want to (eventually) have a little talk with you....
 
And it will effectively engrave just as well as shown in photos? I would still have a professional do It. Just wondering
 

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