The Work of Iraqi Firearms Engraver Noori Sabeh

Noori Sabeh (نوري النقاش) is a professional engraver from Iraq who has made a presence on social media with some excellent engraving work, considering his lack of access to materials and tools otherwise very prevalent in Europe and North America. The majority of his work is focused on traditional wood and metal engraving of various bolt action rifles, shotguns, and handguns that customers send in. He originally started out in the jewellery business and has been engraving for several decades.

Let’s take a look at some of his work:

15094870_366154660398943_9142687818805663654_n — **Fig. 1.1.** A close up of the bolt and receiver of an engraved Mauser-type rifle (Nouri Sabeeh Engraver)

15056416_366154627065613_8366637100000616255_n — **Fig. 1.2.** A close up of the buttplate and stock of a Mauser-type rifle (Nouri Sabeeh Engraver)

15094853_366156043732138_2308085804717487817_n — **Fig. 1.3.** An engraved Browning/FN Hi Power (Nouri Sabeeh Engraver)

13686711_159024024523684_8911914990376439939_n — **Fig. 1.4.** A close up of some stock engraving (Nouri Sabeeh Engraver)

15056463_366156080398801_7884792272946938814_n — **Fig. 1.5.** An engraved Browning/FN Hi Power (Nouri Sabeeh Engraver)

14721567_210022686090484_1796581146521641564_n — **Fig. 1.6.** An engraved TT-33 pistol (Nouri Sabeeh Engraver)

15078797_366156047065471_2825399467884858652_n — **Fig. 1.7.** An engraved Browning/FN Hi Power (Nouri Sabeeh Engraver)

The firearms he works on typify the majority of the older firearms available in Iraq, mostly 7.92×57mm Brünn VZ 24s bolt-action rifles initially made for Iran, later manufactured within the country at the Taslihat-e Artesh Arms Factory. A number of these rifles found their way into Iraq by way of several markets.

15094454_365487717132304_6975917386361821597_n — **Fig. 1.8.** The stock and floor plate of an engraved Mauser-type rifle (Nouri Sabeeh Engraver)

15078818_366155503732192_7592397333745475389_n — **Fig. 1.9.** A selection of engraved Mauser-type rifles and a heavily sporterised Lee-Enfield (Nouri Sabeeh Engraver)

**Fig. 1.10.** A SKS-pattern rifle with wood and receiver engravings (Nouri Sabeeh Engraver)

13532924_136428856783201_3671598991740149469_n — **Fig. 1.11.** An engraved receiver(Nouri Sabeeh Engraver)

13344774_105535663205854_1663750066327088032_n — **Fig. 1.12.** A FN Hi Power self-loading pistol and a Webley revolver (Nouri Sabeeh Engraver)

In addition to the VZ 24s and Hi Powers he has also engraved a Mauser C96, and an FN Model 1900, very rare handguns indeed.

13407153_116969388729148_1714452110092962443_n — **Fig. 1.13.** A chromed Mauser C96 pistol (Nouri Sabeeh Engraver)

13432345_116969392062481_5315754172923394585_n — **Fig. 1.14.** A chromed Mauser C96 pistol(Nouri Sabeeh Engraver)

13529049_136400513452702_5607482002735564008_n — **Fig. 1.15.** An FN M1900-pattern pistol (Nouri Sabeeh Engraver)

Noori Sabeh has also worked on a number of TT-33 pattern 7.62×25mm pistols and Hi Powers 9×19mm pistols, which are also very prevalent within the Iraqi small arms markets. It appears that he has stripped the dark finish off the metal and chromed it in several cases.

14702465_210022679423818_6425720484725213432_n — **Fig. 1.16. A TT-33 pattern pistol** (Nouri Sabeeh Engraver)

13528698_136392620120158_2303735060034769425_n — **Fig. 1.17. A** FÉG Model HEGE AP66 Pistol 7.65×17mmSR (Nouri Sabeeh Engraver)

All his work appears to be done with simple hand tools at his small workshop in Baghdad. In addition to firearms he also works on knives and jewellery

If you are interested in more of his work, pay him a visit on his social media page.

This article was originally published at TheFirearmBlog.

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