P250 | Cartel (Factory New)

Skin overview

P250 | Cartel is a pistol finish built around engraved metal: dark slide panels covered in fine ornamental engraving, a polished steel frame and a black grip with a sugar skull emblem. In Factory New the contrast between the bright steel and the darker engraved panels is at its sharpest, and the engraving reads crisply on every part. This is the version to pick if you want the metalwork to look freshly finished.

Item type: pistol. Classified is the second-rarest weapon tier, only Covert sits above it.

Patina: an aged metal surface; wear is part of the design, so the gap between qualities is less visible.

Other qualities of this skin: Minimal Wear, Field-Tested, Well-Worn and Battle-Scarred.

Appearance in Factory New

The slide is a dark gunmetal grey with recessed panels along its side filled with dense ornamental engraving, framed by smooth polished bands and serrations at the rear. The frame, trigger guard and trigger are bright polished steel, which gives the pistol a two-tone look against the darker slide. The grip panels are black with a stippled texture and carry a small sugar skull emblem at the centre. On worn copies the polished steel edges, the muzzle end and the top corners of the slide lose their shine first, followed by the raised parts of the trigger guard and frame. The engraving gradually flattens and loses contrast as wear increases.

The polished steel of the frame and trigger guard is clean and reflective, and the slide panels show the full depth of the engraving. Edges of the slide and muzzle have no visible marks. In game at normal distance the pistol reads as a sharp two-tone piece with a clear skull on the grip. Everything looks clean.

Factory New quality — float range 0–0.07

The whole float range of P250 | Cartel is 0–0.75; Factory New takes the 0–0.07 segment (9% of the scale). Within the range, copies with a lower float look cleaner and are valued higher.

Origin of the skin

P250 | Cartel belongs to The Vanguard Collection, which holds 14 skins.

The source is Operation Vanguard Weapon Case (on sale since Nov 5, 2014).

What it costs in each quality

Among 9 skins of the P250 in the Classified grade and this quality, this skin ranks 4th by price, counting from the dearest.

StatTrak™ and Souvenir

This skin has a the StatTrak™ version with a kill counter. Right now it is 3.7× dearer than the regular one. There is also a the Souvenir version with tournament stickers.

Stickers and crafts

Stickers in silver, black, bone white or muted gold match the engraved metal and the skull motif. Small accents of deep red or marigold orange can echo the Day of the Dead theme without breaking the restrained palette. Placing them on the slide keeps the engraved grip emblem visible.

What to look at before you buy

• Check where the float sits within the wear range, since copies near the cleaner end keep noticeably more shine on the steel.
• Inspect the slide edges, muzzle and trigger guard, as these parts show wear first.
• Look at how readable the engraving on the slide panels is in the inspect view.
• Note any applied stickers or name tag and whether they suit the dark metal theme.

Who the Factory New quality suits

• Collectors who want the engraving and polished steel in their sharpest form.
• Sticker crafters who need a clean base for a premium-looking pistol.
• Conclusion: the best choice when condition comes first.