An item almost all of us can agree on: BILLBOARD

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lamarw

New member
I am not a big fan either of billboards, but most of them I can get over without too much anxiety.

I look at my Colt M1911 manufactured and delivered to Uncle Sam in 1918. What is on the left side of the slide? The entire side is stamped with the patent dates and the Colt Pony. One might ask why did Colt decide to stamp on the patent dates for a pistol being delivered to the Government which issues patents and has copies of the patents on file. So with the M1911 this was being done for over a hundred years. Yes, the message is different but the billboard is still there.
 
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Big Shrek

New member
Depends entirely on the stamping...some is right on...others, like that Nerf XFive stuff, I'd not buy.

This pistol was so bad off finish-wise I stripped it, taking it all the way to the stainless steel...
gedc0037.jpg


Now it looks like this...and will eventually be gold-plated, with nothing but the model name & serial stamped...
the extra patent & other junk will be covered over...
p080214_19.36.jpg
 
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Mike Irwin

Staff
Advertising?

I was wondering why my pistol has "DRINK GOLDMAN'S PATENTED NEURO-TONIC FOR STEADY SHOOTING HANDS!" written on the side...
 
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Skans

Active member
Heck, they've been doing this for over a century! I have an old Remington 1858 revolver that, IIRC, has the name of the company, patent date, and date actual address of where it was made. Not to mention inspector's stamps and cartouche.

Look at the old Colts- same thing.

At least with that AMT 45 backup above, it's easy enough to polish out the cheezy laser-engraved lawyer-stuff.

I agree about the new X-Five - I HATE the look of that logo. I'm not too fond of the under-rail either.
 
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sigpro2340

New member
I agree with the fact that large etching or lettering is a bit much. If it's done in good taste, I have no issues.
There are times when too much, or very large lettering on a slide tends to make a pistol look cheap.

When I purchased the Ed Brown Massad Ayoob 1911, it was selected mostly due the high quality of the pistol, and not for the engraving. This specific model was only produced for 1 year.

 
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KyJim

New member
I agree that less is better here. Yeah, I have a couple with billboards but I prefer otherwise. That's one reason I like Dan Wesson 1911s.
 
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Sevens

New member
Those two pictures are exactly the point I had in mind when opening this discussion.

YES, if the gun runs and does what you like, at a price you felt comfy paying, and it is enjoyable in every way, nothing written on it will make it a "bad" gun.

But take the gorgeous Dan Wesson above. Imagine that you were able to buy it for just $800, imagine that it carries better than anything you have ever owned, imagine that it simply refuses to fail in any manner ever, and imagine that every time you attempt to shoot a small group, you end up tearing one ragged hole with each try.

Imagine all of that...

And then, have a custom engraver take his tools to both sides of the slide an craft a picture of Beavis and Butthead having a vomiting competition.

And when the artwork has finished, try and tell me that the Dan Wesson pistol (functionally no different than before) is somehow better than it was before the artwork.

It's all I'm saying.
 
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Ruger45LC

New member
The billboard advertising on 1911's or any other handgun is a HUGE turnoff to me. Besides the company/pistol name, I also don't like S&W putting the magazine warning on the slide and I also don't like how Ruger over the years puts their "read the warning label" paragraph on their guns either, although they're getting better at putting it in slightly more inconspicuous places.

Oh yeah, what about some of the laser gripped guns that have the warning stickers pasted all over, yikes! Sure they come off but I've seen some that have 3 or 4 of them on there.
 
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44 AMP

Staff
They are a sign of the times. (pun intended)

I got no issue with the gun name or model #.

The warning labels are there because, today, if they aren't some idiot will sue you. Thank you lawyers and the US legal system!

If you sell something and don't have a warning on it that tells stupid people to read the manual, or tells them what not to do, they will do it and sue you because you didn't TELL them it was a stupid thing to do.

Frankly, I'm still a bit surprised there isn't a warning label and arrow pointing to the muzzle on the barrel stating "Warning, bullets come out this end at high speed"

Even when these suits go nowhere, it still costs the gun maker money.
 
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Cheapshooter

New member
The factory billboard doesn't really bother me. The factory warnings, to some extent. But as a C&R Millsurp collector I hate the ridiculous, and unnecessary government required, electro penciled import marks!
 
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bedbugbilly

New member
I guess I'd much rather see the "billboard" than someone's driver's license number or name on the side of a handgun like I've seen a few times . . . although I would suppose that since it's been "engraved" with a vibrating engraver . . . it's an "engraved" version and worth more money? :D :eek:
 
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Sevens

New member
I have no problem with the billboard.
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That's because the picture you show doesn't really fit the description of the argument. That Kimber logo is classy and clean and while it may be a bit bigger than what the absolute minimalist Dan Wesson uses, it's not really what I've detailed.

Look at a Taurus 1911. No, not because it's a Taurus, but look at the printing on the slide. The Kimber doesn't fit that mold.
 
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texagun

New member
Does anyone disagree with what I'm trying to say here
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Yes. I like it on some guns. And the guy standing next to me at the range won't have to ask me what kind of gun are you shooting.:p

sw1911scleftsideonpaper-2.jpg
 
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Unlicensed Dremel

Moderator
Yeah, script would be better (like that Kimber there).

Honestly, the ONLY thing that manufacturer's are thinking is "Our lawyers tell us this covers our rear, and these keep on selling, so we'll keep doing it". Only way to change it is for a lot of people to not buy them.
 
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TopMCITWS

New member
On newer versions of STIs the font size of the name of the gun has been significantly reduced. They are much cleaner than before.
 
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HisSoldier

New member
It's one of the many reasons my Dan Wesson's are so classy. Of all the stuff that defiles guns the safety warnings offend me the most. "Be careful!, this is a GUN! Guns are dangerous!"

puke. Let me get close to their lawyers before I let fly though.
 
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Ryu825

New member
Not much of a billboard fan, but my Remington's name across the slide actually looks pretty decent IMO. iPad doesn't want me to post a pic though.. :/
 
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