Can someone tell me if it is possible to clean up the original stamping marks on a Argentine mauser? I know of one for sale very cheap, but someone sanding the action and it made the original DWM stampings faint in places.

If there's enough left for a sciber to follow, you can apply a ground, scribe thru the ground, then acid etch. Most engravers can "recut", but this doesn' look like the original stamping method,,,like to hear from others

Unfortunately, I have a vast amount of experience in this area...hehe.

Lettering can be recut that is imperceptible to the factory stamping with the naked eye. This only holds true if the factory polishes after the stamping...flushing off the raised burr caused by the stamping. Clear as mud?

It's also a costly process, $3.50-5.00 per character usually. The caveat is, that most engravers skilled enough to execute the level accuracy needed to do this kind of work, don't have the time or inclination to take it on.

Roger,

If you were ever inclined to post some pics of the procedure I am sure there are a lot of people interested in how the process is performed from start to finish.

Myself included <G>.

Mark,

Photos wouldn't help much. The procedure is simply engraving the lettering deeper. It does require a different sharpening process on the graver. The radius on the curve of a CAP R or P that is only .060 tall is only about 8-10 thou. The top curve on an S is smaller yet.

The heel on an normal graver will drag on a curve that tight an will tear up the engraving.

Does that help?

Roger: I've seen your lettering...absolutely flawless..Then again that's why you make the big bucks!