# Retirement gift



## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

In November, my father is retiring from the military after 43 years of service.

Dad was a farm boy from Arkansas who joined at age 17. He started as an "E-nothing" in the Navy and worked his way up through the ranks. He's now a full colonel in the Army, working in DC and living in Arlington. He's a combat vet from Desert Storm, and has commanded MP companies, battalions, and even an OCS academy. He's received more awards and commendations than I could even begin to list here.

I'm very proud of him. I'd like to commemorate his many years of honorable service with a gift of a pair of pistols, a GI 1911 and a Beretta 92 to represent the beginning and end of his term of service. Pistols are especially fitting for an MP (I'd choose rifles were he an infantryman).

I'd like to fancy up the pistols a bit, but I am pretty much a utilitarian guy when it comes to guns - I share Musashi's philosophy that "Weapons should be hardy rather than decorative." Since these will be functional presentation guns, I want to get some personalized grips made, but don't really know where to start.

Does anyone know of a maker who will do a military logo and name/rank/service dates on grips?

Can anyone advise on grip materials that will look good against the dull gray of an issue-type pistol?

Lastly, I'd like to have these guns mounted so that they may be hung on a wall. Any ideas on someone who makes that type of display?

Dad's retiring in November, but I will be home on leave in October, so I'd like to present him with the guns then. This means I have to get moving on these guns!

*Never pay again for live sex! | Hot girls doing naughty stuff for free! | Chat for free!*


----------



## Old Padawan (Mar 16, 2007)

I saw your dad last weekend. He certianly is an amzing man. He flew acrost the country to help you guys move. It was funny, Rick was there fresh out of boot camp and didnt know if he should call him by name or rank.

Have you seen Eseralda grips? They are a bit pricy but beautiful.
How about some Black Alumagrips with a laser stencil. You can choose the artwork and submit it.

http://www.esmeralda.cc/

http://www.alumagrips.com/main.taf?p=1


----------



## James NM (Jan 4, 2007)

Mike: Can't really help with you with custom grips or presentation cases, but thought you might look at the Anniversary M9's. They would make an excellent gift. If nothing else, it might give you ideas about a case. Here's a link to one at Buds: http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/52/products_id/17176


----------



## milquetoast (Nov 25, 2006)

These folks do engraving on wood, aluminum, micarta, whatever. Either custom artwork or standard images.

http://www.gungrips.net/gun_grip_images.htm


----------



## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

Old Padawan said:


> I saw your dad last weekend. He certianly is an amzing man. He flew acrost the country to help you guys move. It was funny, Rick was there fresh out of boot camp and didnt know if he should call him by name or rank.
> 
> Have you seen Eseralda grips? They are a bit pricy but beautiful.
> How about some Black Alumagrips with a laser stencil. You can choose the artwork and submit it.
> ...


:smt1099Here's a man with a very good plan. One or the other would be fantastic.:smt023


----------



## SigZagger (Aug 16, 2006)

I can't help you regarding the gun issues, but here's some neat ideas if you are interested in something different. When I retired from the PD, my wife contacted the local congressman and he arranged to have an American flag flown over the U.S. Capitol. It's mailed to you with a signed certificate stating your retirement from the military, etc. Mine is on display in an oak flag case. Another idea is your fathers divisional flag. This local company provided such a service: http://www.score.org/cgi/third_party.cgi?url=http://www.flagladyohio.com/. I had one made for my father-in-laws WWll unit (Division, Infantry, Company). Since it is customized to your liking, you could have anything stitched on the flag. I enjoyed each gift, they are USA made.


----------



## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

Well, I went with Milquetoast's suggestion on the grips. They haven't arrived yet, but the guy made them at virtually the speed of light. I went with his name, rank, and the full-bird colonel symbol on one grip panel, and the crossed pistols of the MP Corps and his dates of service on the other.

I partially used SigZagger's excellent flag idea. I had Old Glory flown over our HQ here on September 11th.

I am still working on finding a good GI 1911, but have a lead on one.

I will post pics when I have it all together in the presentation case. I will give him the gift when I am on leave next month.


----------



## Old Padawan (Mar 16, 2007)

Hey, if you can get the stuff to your wife and a drawing of the idea for the case, I can ask Joe here at work to make the box. I can use a blue gun of the .45 for the template.


----------



## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

Old Padawan said:


> Hey, if you can get the stuff to your wife and a drawing of the idea for the case, I can ask Joe here at work to make the box. I can use a blue gun of the .45 for the template.


There's a guy in Texas who makes the exact case I need. Already on order, my apprentice. Good thought, though. I hadn't considered Joe.


----------



## propellerhead (May 19, 2006)

Every base I was stationed at had some sort of plaque shop nearby. Everyone in the USAF gets a plaque with a small metal piece with engraving on it. It's a common award. I'm sure a place like that can engrave anything you want on a set of grips. Those places often specialize in display and presentation stuff for the military. I've seen stuff given to retiring USAF E-9s and it was basically a display case with a US Flag and it had every rank from E-1 to E-9 on there. Often it would list out all the bases this person has been to, etc. I'm sure these places can help you out with a case like that.


----------



## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

propellerhead said:


> Every base I was stationed at had some sort of plaque shop nearby. Everyone in the USAF gets a plaque with a small metal piece with engraving on it. It's a common award. I'm sure a place like that can engrave anything you want on a set of grips. Those places often specialize in display and presentation stuff for the military. I've seen stuff given to retiring USAF E-9s and it was basically a display case with a US Flag and it had every rank from E-1 to E-9 on there. Often it would list out all the bases this person has been to, etc. I'm sure these places can help you out with a case like that.


Unfortunately, there are very few plaque shops around Bagram, Afghanistan. :mrgreen:

I thought about doing the rank thing, but dismissed it since he went from E1 through E6, then warrant, then O1 through O6. That would be a lot of little shinies!


----------



## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

It's done! I'll be presenting it to Dad next week.

Here's what I did:

1. The pistol is a Springfield GI 1911. www.springfield-armory.com
2. The grips came from Conrad Berry at Gun Grips, as suggested by *milquetoast*. One side bears the crossed pistols of the MP Corps with his dates of service. The other has the Army's colonel rank symbol and his name. www.gungrips.net
3. The shadowbox came from Tex-Star Woodworks. www.866flagbox.com
4. The flag is a simple 3'X5' that was flown for my father at our battalion HQ in Afghanistan on September 11th, 2007.
5. A local trophy shop, A2Z Awards, handled the two plaques. One has my father's name and dates of service, while the other is a quote from President Kennedy.

All the vendors I used were excellent, and I recommend all of them highly.

I'll post a pic of it in the photo section. I think it came together rather nicely.


----------



## Old Padawan (Mar 16, 2007)

are you giving it to him on the 18th? I would like to see it. Why exactly am I posting this instead of calling you?


----------



## JeffWard (Aug 24, 2007)

What an incredible, and appropriate gift.

Please thank your father from all of us at HGF, for his service, his honor, and his patriotism.

Jeff Ward, Capt USAFR


----------



## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

I was FINALLY able to secure a photo of the gift presentation. It's posted in the photo gallery, if anyone is still interested. My father was completely overwhelmed by the gift, which was my intent. :mrgreen:


----------



## milquetoast (Nov 25, 2006)

http://www.handgunforum.net/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=657&sl=m


----------

