Sending Your Firearm to the Atelier: What to Know Before You Begin

Most clients arrive with an idea and a question: how does this actually work? This is the answer, in the order it happens.

Firearm work is done on the physical piece

Engraving, plating, Cerakote, machining, grips fitted to a frame — all of it requires the firearm, or the relevant part, to be here in Zouk Mosbeh. It cannot be done from photographs. Non-firearm work — presentation cases, leather, grips made to a known frame pattern, photography of pieces you bring — can sometimes be arranged differently; ask us.

Firearms must be legally owned and, where applicable, licensed. We will ask to see documentation. Clients outside Lebanon should understand that moving a firearm across a border is governed by the laws of both countries and is often not practical; non-firearm commissions travel freely. We advise honestly on what is possible and do not take on projects that cannot be completed lawfully.

The consultation

Begin either through the online project builder, which lets you upload your firearm, select services and receive AI concept renderings and a proposal, or by requesting a private appointment. At the atelier we look at the piece together, talk about what it is for, and sketch. Nothing is decided in the first meeting that should not be.

The quote

Every project is quoted individually. What shapes the figure: the item and its condition, the disciplines chosen, the materials — 24K gold is not nickel, ebony is not walnut — and the hours of hand work involved. We provide a written proposal with a scope, a materials list and a timeline. A deposit secures the slot; the balance is due on completion.

The timeline

Most projects take between one and four months. A single service — an optic cut, a Cerakote finish — is at the short end. A full commission — engraving, plating, grips, case, photography — is at the long end, because each discipline waits for the one before it. We accept a limited number of projects each year and do not rush any of them.

What to bring

The firearm, complete, with any optic, light or accessory it will wear. Its documentation. Any reference — a family crest, a verse, a photograph of a pattern you admire. And, if a grip or case will carry an inclusion, the object itself.

What you receive

The piece, finished and inspected. A fitted case if commissioned. Archival photographs and a digital archive. A written record of the work, the materials and the date — so that whoever holds the piece next knows exactly what it is.

If a question remains, the FAQ is the next place to look, and after that, write to us.