If some folks have a hobby of collecting stamps or old coins, then there are the people who decide that what their mantle really needs is a firearm made of space rocks and extinct predators. Cabot Guns has recently unveiled the Apex Jurassic 1911, a pistol that looks like something an archaeologist might find if they started digging in a very high-end jewelry store. It is part of their 15th Anniversary Collection, presumably because a traditional cake just didn't feel permanent enough.

The slide of the pistol features what the makers call "fossil" Damascus steel. Master blacksmith Jason Morrissey apparently spent a fair amount of time hammering metal until it resembled a slice of sedimentary rock. It gives the gun an organic, textured look, as if the steel itself decided to retire and become a piece of natural history. If you have ever wanted a weapon that looks like it was recently unearthed from a Gobi Desert dig site, this is likely your only opportunity.

Engraver Richard Quecke took the archaeological theme and ran with it, carving realistic raptor bones into the metal. The detail is quite high, featuring a skeletal relief that might make you think twice before cleaning it with a standard rag. To ensure you don't miss the point, there is a 24-karat gold inlay of a raptor claw. It is a subtle reminder that while the dinosaur is gone, its fashion sense, specifically its preference for sharp, shiny things remains timeless.

In a move that feels like a very expensive inside joke about extinction, the grips are made from actual meteorite. These are four-billion-year-old iron fragments that traveled through the vacuum of space only to end up being held by a human in a shooting range. There is a certain irony in placing the very material that likely ended the dinosaurs' reign right next to their engraved skeletons. It is the cosmic equivalent of wearing a shirt with a picture of the rain on a day your picnic got canceled.

The meteorite theme does not stop at the grips; the trigger is also fashioned from a piece of space iron. This means that every time you pull the trigger, your finger is making contact with something that existed long before the Earth had an atmosphere, let alone a patent office. It is a lot of history to pack into a component that is usually just a simple piece of curved steel. One must wonder if the meteorite mind-set makes the trigger pull feel any more "universal."

The frame of the pistol has a "Fire and Ice" rustic patina, which is a fancy way of saying it looks intentionally weathered. Cabot says this is meant to evoke the raw earthiness of a dig site. To balance out the prehistoric grime, the small controls are finished in brushed bronze. These accents are supposed to represent the brass tools used by archaeologists, though most archaeologists probably wish their actual tools were finished in PVD-coated bronze.

Apex Jurassic and its counterpart, Apex Fossil, comprise the Apex Artifacts Set

For those concerned about the practical side of owning a dinosaur-themed space gun, it is a fully functional, government-length 1911. While it is technically a high-precision tool, using it for home defense might lead to a very confusing conversation with an insurance adjuster. "Yes, officer, the intruder was stopped by a raptor skeleton, and a shooting star" is a sentence that rarely holds up well in a standard police report.

The presentation is just as involved as the pistol itself. The gun comes in a case built by a retired nuclear engineer, because apparently, you need a background in atomic physics to properly house a meteorite 1911. The box features curly maple dyed blue and a walnut interior. It uses a Freedom Fit design, which sounds like a very patriotic way of saying the gun won't rattle around when you move the box from the safe to the display coffee table.

However, if you find a vacant spot for it in your dinosaur-themed room, the Jurassic is already sol. It is a one-of-a-kind piece, so if you are the buyer, you won’t have to worry about your neighbor showing up at the range with the exact same meteorite-and-raptor setup.