Not long ago, the art of firearms engraving in this country was on the verge of becoming a lost art. The highly experienced engravers were diminishing in numbers, and there was a very real lack of information available to anyone having a desire to try to learn this art form. The majority of individuals who did try gun engraving struggled through trial and error to achieve some level of competency. Engravers were very few, and many new engravers gave up for lack of information and support.

The Firearms Engravers Guild of America changed all that. Here is how it happened.

In 1980, twenty-one engravers from across America met in Las Vegas , Nevada . This informal meeting was the catalyst for the formation of the Firearms Engravers Guild of America (FEGA). In 1981, the group met again in Houston , Texas and thirty-six engravers formally voted the guild into existence. FEGA was incorporated as a non profit in the State of Texas . Frank Hendricks was elected as the first President of the Guild.

The first decade set the foundation of the Guild's purpose.

By-laws were adopted. A registry of engraved firearms was established for historical purposes, to authenticate when and by whom a gun was engraved. A grading system was studied, and a code of ethics established.

A newsletter was published, sharing information by engravers, for engravers.

New classes of membership were created: Member Emeritus, for members who because of age or health have retired from active engraving; and International, for those living outside of North America .

Best Engraved Gun Award (now "Engravers' Choice") was established by the Guild. The Guild instituted the James B. Meek award, for outstanding service to the organization and its philosophy, and a special dedication to the art.

FEGA joined forces with ACGG to cosponsor an annual show.

Professional classification procedures were implemented, adjusted, rewritten, and amended over the course of several years.

Videotapes of clinics (seminars) were made available. Given by well-known engravers like Frank Hendricks, Sam Welch, Lynton McKenzie, John Vest, Ron Smith, Terry Wallace and Don Glaser, these clinics firmly incorporated the Guild's mission of sharing information.

A new Guild display was purchased, and a professional directory was published. A new scholarship was established for engraving students. Engraving classes were listed.

The first James B. Meek Award was presented to Secretary Robert Evans.

Awarded honorary lifetime membership to the Guild during the first ten years were:

In recognition of his great contribution to art of engraving, Mr. James Meek; to recognize his extraordinary contribution to the art of engraving, Mr. E.C. Prudhomme; Frank Hendricks, in recognition of his contribution to the Guild and the art of engraving; Mr. Joseph Fugger, in recognition of his contribution to the art; and, in recognition of his efforts as President, Guiseppi Forte.

The second decade continued the dedication to the art by confirming a presence worldwide, and continuing the educational and historical aspects..

The Guild logo and name were registered as trademarks.

Industry recognition was confirmed through various companies. The Firearms Marketing Group (Guns Magazine) became an advocate for education in the Guild, with a new award for a joint Guilds' project, with proceeds for each Guilds' educational funds. Brownells added a recognition award for those achieving Professional status. Solid support came from companies like GRS (Glendo Corp) and Galazan (Connecticut Shotgun.)

Methods of epoxy casting of engraving first became known.

Study materials, in the form of castings and books, were made available to the public.

Internet presence was established at fega.com, reaching an entire new audience interested in the art. Thousands visited the first year.

Books and magazines featuring many members' work appear regularly, most notably Tom Turpin's books, "Modern Custom Guns" and "Custom Firearms Engraving."

The archives, having accumulated to over a thousand names in the database, were accessed on a regular basis with inquiries about engravers or particular engraved guns.

The seminars were attended by more people each year. Topics of interest were covered by Robert Steffens, Terry Wallace, Bob Evans, Mark Johnson, Sam Welch, Mike Dubber, Rex Pedersen, Pete Mazur, Bill Gamradt, Jim Blair, Ralph Bone, and Ron Smith. Video equipment was purchased to record the seminars.

The newsletter added color pages for engravers to have access to better photos of work.

The Professional standards were reviewed and rewritten to include "repeatable criteria, insuring a basic level of engraving skills." The title was changed from "Professional" to "FEGA Certified Professional." An Executive Director was appointed.

The James Meek award was given to Don Glaser for his active participation in Guild activities, and contributions to the engraving community.

Bob Evans was presented with an honorary lifetime membership in appreciation of 16 years of service to the Guild.

This third decade promises to continue the objectives of the Guild, in new and exciting ways.

A new Professional Directory was published. A referral list of firearm engravers was established.

Seminars continue with knowledgeable speakers like Lee Griffiths, Gil Rudolph, Chris DeCamillus, and Scott Pilkington.

John Barraclough was awarded the James B. Meek Award for his decades of service in educating engravers and support for the art.

In 2006, FEGA celebrated it's 25th Anniversary! The website was revised - 'online' sales began.