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Adding Metal Plates for Serialization - Methods & Materials? (self.help)

submitted 2 months ago by Engineer to c/help

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I'm in the planning stages for a new pistol build a want to make sure I'm squared away legally, which in my area means getting it serialized.

I've already found a local FFL who is willing to do the laser engraving for me, which is great. However, their one condition is that I bring them the completed frame with a suitable metal plate already permanently embedded in the polymer. They'll handle the engraving to the required depth, but I need to figure out the best way to prep the frame for them.

This is where I could use the community's experience. For those of you who have added serialization plates to your prints, I'm looking for solutions:

What are you using for the plates? Are people just using blank stainless steel dog tags? Or are you sourcing small pre-cut plates of a specific thickness or material (like aluminum or steel) from somewhere?

How are you permanently embedding them? I assume the most common method is modeling a recessed pocket into the file before printing and then using an adhesive.

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[–] Kopsis 4 points 2 months ago

For NFA items I've been using the MAF heat set serial number tags (https://maf-arms.com/product/heat-set-serial-number-tag/). I add the recess as a negative part in the slicer (there's a link to my STL file on MAF's product page). Then I drop the plate in with a drop of super-glue and use a soldering iron to melt over the posts to further lock it in.

If your FFL is just doing the engraving of a serial number you picked/registered, the MAF plates are cheaper/easier. Unfortunately, if your FFL is assigning a serial as part of a 4473 transfer, they probably won't give you the serial in advance. The heat-set approach may still be viable, but you'll have to source your own blank plate(s).