At our shop, a lot of unique opportunities roll through the doors, so when a good challenge came along to help a local client and a charitable cause, we jumped at the chance to do so!
Ben Miller, a local gunsmith and member of the Franke Plating Works team, approached us with an opportunity to custom engrave a .45 ACP M1911-A1 from Rock Island Armory. The pistol would ultimately be auctioned at a charity golf outing to benefit Guns'N'Hoses, a local non-profit that provides financial assistance to families of fallen first responders.
When the pistol arrived at our shop, we were confident we could come up with something unique and eye-catching to make this a showpiece worth bidding on. A brainstorming session with Art Director, Tracie Schmidt yielded a super slick result: a custom law enforcement and fireman-themed deep engraving design. After the design phase, one of our shop's laser technicians, Alec Callahan, worked to carry the pistol through the last leg of its journey with the Apollo MFG team. With over twelve hours of deep laser engraving the bare slide, the gun went back to Franke to be treated with a black Cerakote application. After this, the gun was polished, and nickel plated, and a final plating with 22kt gold was applied.
Thanks to the combined efforts of our team, the finished results really speak for themselves. At auction, the custom pistol sold for $2,450, and ultimately was the highest ticket item at the fundraiser.
It’s rewarding to give back to our community, and even more rewarding when we can make a difference in our community, too. Thank you, Franke Plating Works, for partnering with us!
