I just finished cleaning and waxing two special guns. One belonged to my father. It is a Winchester Model 12 shotgun. He had it as a kid and used it around the farm to hunt phesent and duck. The other is a 30-40 Krag made in 1899 that my grandfather used around the farm to hunt dear and elk. Both men have long since passed but they kind of live on with these rifles. Sometimes guns are more than just shooting implements. Do any of you have special guns that keep your long since departed relatives in memory?

Yep, I've got my grand father's 12 ga and my stepdad's .410 bolt action---plan to pass them onto my son in a short while.
olcop

I had my Grandpas 1925 L.C. Smith. I have already given it too my son. We squirrel hunted, rabbit hunted with dogs and would shoot birds when we stumbled on them. He was an exceptional hunter and shooter. Larry

I've got my granddaddy's .22/.410 over/under Stevens. It was the first gun I ever used for hunting.

I've also have my dad's .38 M&P. That was the second handgun I ever fired.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Answering your question: Yep, a double barrel Sauer und Sohn 24 gauge shotgun. I guess it´s a rare gauge in the States but down here they are common.
It´s a 1914 made gun.
Regards, Ray

I have my Dad's JC Higgins Model 20 12ga. he gave to me back in the 80's . Have a 1960's picture of him and my uncle Frank with a long string of Rabbits

Yes. I have my Dad's mdl 12, 2 bbl set. 27" cyl. bore and 32" full solid rib.....I feel he's with me every time I use it.........

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S&W Accumulator

Actually none of my firearms came from family so no memories there. However a general foreman who was my supervisor and I did some horse trading a bunch of years ago. He got my Saur 38H in 32 auto and I got his 1911A1 Ithaca 1943 with a cigar box full of ammo. Dave passed away a few years ago but when I handle that old 45 I always think of him. He was a WWII vet who was in tanks and the 45 I have was his service pistol. He authored a small novel with much info about himself and his activities during his time in the army. Truly the greatest generation. Frank

Absolutely I do! My Grandfather's Smith & Wesson 3rd Model Perfected Single Shot .22 LR with the 10-inch "Olympic-chambered" barrel, which he won in competition just about a century ago, is our number one family heirloom.

My father's two Smith & Wesson handguns (all he ever owned and shot beside the above) are also right up there too: His Model 41 in 7" and his beloved Model 28 in 6". Both have been cared for by him and throughout the years since with museum-grade diligence and are in pristine perfect condition.

Dad also had some long guns which were bequeathed to his grandsons as he had always wanted. They still own them today.

Sometime in the 1920's My grandfather went to the town butcher and bought a whole ham, had 4 steaks cut from the center. The small end that was left he gave to and elderly former deputy sheriff that lived in a shack on an alley (as was grandpa's custom). One day in gratitude the old man gave grandpa a hammerless H&R top break 38 S&W.

Fast foreword to the late 30's and my father's family was destitute. The food supply was down to a meal consisted of a small match box of black walnut and a single piece of plane white bread. In the back yard a rabbit was grazing under the walnut tree. My grandfather grabbed the only gun he owned the hammerless H&R and carefully aimed and shot the rabbit in one shot.

About 8 or 9 years ago I talked dad into trading me the old H&R, he wanted 2 boxes of 32 ACP. He gave me the only box of 38 S&W ammo he had, a partial box of Remington, and the 5 in the gun. On top of the box in the beautiful script of my grandfather it said $1.58 April 1,1927 The box was tied closed with dental floss. I slid the floss aside and went to place the 5 rounds in the box, this brought the total to 49 rounds. The gun and ammo are in the cigar box my grand parents kept it in since the 20's.

Thanksgiving celebration is at my house (no condo) every other year, about every 10 to 12 years I start by passing a plate with one piece of white bread and a small match box of black walnut. I tell this story, then we give thanks!

Ivan

The gun is not a very valuable one, but I consider it one of my priceless artifacts!

My Dad wasn't a shooter but picked up a German Luger in WW2. I finally started to shoot it recently, always wanted to. Good memory, Larry

My father wasn't a firearm guy but did have a Stevens Model 56, no value here except that he owned it and everyone in the family that hunted has used it. My Uncles were hunters but I never got any of theirs, or my grandfathers. They were sold by the last Uncle that lived, always passed down, girlfriend that had no interest in them before I found out she was getting rid of them. Still would like to keep this Stevens plus all my firearms in the family but no one else are interested in them. Guess they'll go to the pawn shop when I'm gone.


Hope I don't look down from above and see what they do with them or how much they under price them. If they turn them into a firearms buyback I will haunt them for the rest of their lives.

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Psalm 23:4

Yes,
my Dad was into guns also and I inherited his small but worthy collection. When he retired as a Fed, he sold the lion's share of the collection and only kept the basics which I cherish now.

I will always regret that I have none of my Grandpa's guns. I am sure they are rusting away somewhere where the present "owner" pays no attention to them and couldn't care less. We spent a fair amount of time shooting when I was a lad. His interest in pistols (mainly the .45 Automatic) is probably what got me started as "a lifelong fanatic."

Fortunately, I do have two of my Dad's guns that are special for me. The link between him and his Sako .222 is something that, for me, will never change.

As I've posted in the past I have all my Dad's service and target guns...... Dad was never much of a long gun guy/hunter.

Funny story; when I was about 10 we were at what is now the cabin; the farmer had one of those "summer/shoot the deer in your crops permit"; but it's really a meat thing for them.

After milking one July evening we drove over to the other farm to shoot a deer in the corn crop..... we get there and the farmer has brought his son's scoped .222 but forgot the magazine..... asks my Dad if he would take the shot as his eyes aren't that great and the deer herd is about 150-200 away.

Dad loads his "single round" .... uses a fence post as a 'rest"........about 30 seconds go by and....... bang.....................deer drops...... we pace it off at about 180yd (IIRC).......deer is dead.... no sign of a bullet hole in the shoulder or neck................????????..... died of fright????....................his shot hit just behind the left eye; almost invisible. .

He spent at least 15 years on the Department's Pistol Team; but was never much of a rifle guy or hunter..........but did encourage me to shoot and join the High School rifle team.

I have my grandfather's 12 gauge Bayard, double barrel shotgun with exposed hammers. He died in 1958 when I was 14 and handling that gun brings back his memory. The gun was featured a number of years ago in the American Rifleman "favorite firearms" column.

My fathers pre 64 model 70 30-06. my grandfathers Winchester model 1911 shotgun, my great grandfathers stevens double bb; 12 ga, and my fathers Model 19 6".

Although I do have the one S&W pistol (mentioned above) that my Grandfather won in competition, I'll always wonder whatever happened to the rest of the guns he owned. Last year, I got the opportunity to ask my uncle that question (hadn't seen him in decades) and he didn't know. The assumption is that my grandfather sold them off at some point for reasons unknown since they didn't go to either of his two sons... my Dad (R.I.P.) and my uncle... or to any of his grandchildren, as best as we can tell.

A much more interesting mystery is whatever happened to my Great-Great-Grandfather's Civil War musket? We know he bought it after the war because I have the records. I've done my best to trace back family history and see if there is any possibility that a long lost cousin somewhere might still have it. But so far, no luck.

My Dad still has his father's guns. Weren't too many of them as he died in 1933 when my Dad was 7. There's a 2 9/16" chamber Model 12 16 gauge, a 1906 Winchester pump .22, and a Smith top break .38 S&W he carried in WWI as a backup to his rifle.

This is my great-grandfather's deer rifle; a Colt Lightning medium frame in 38-40. It has a fancy wood stock, checkered, with a pistol grip. The grip cap is a 50 cent piece dated 1883, so I guess the rifle dates from then. I tried to letter it but Colt had no record.

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I have a few that hold special memories for me. The first is an L. L. Smith double barreled muzzle loader that my great grandpa brought over from England with him. Then I have my father's Winchester model 55 30-30 that I remember him pulling out when I was young and getting ready to head to the upper pensulia of Michigan deer hunting. I also have his Montgomery Ward 12 GA side by side. That gun kicks harder than any other gun I have ever shot including a 50bmr. Next I have a Winchester 1894 Deluxe rifle also in 30-30 that I was given by my uncle when I became old enough to deer hunting. I also have my Uncles Remington model 31 in 16 gauge that is a dream to carry in the field.

He wasn't a relative but a dear friend. A retired surgeon, immigrant from Germany after WW2 and former resident of a Russian prisoner of war camp.

I have a number of his guns but only a picture of this old girl from the mid-1930's I believe. Yes, factory nickel. Yes, I like the "fake" grips that are about as old as the gun.

Grandpa's Ward's Triumph 16 gauge double barrel side by side.

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Join the NRA today

72b40,Title is "Boy of Greatest", author David W Lawrie
published by American Literary Press
ISBN 1-93469617-X
Listed under Biography & Autobiography/ Military
second ISBN # 978-1-934696-17-0
Couldn't find the book itself and did find the dustjacket
With the information that I posted. Hope you find it interesting as I did. Frank

My dad still enjoys all of his firearms so I can't say I've inherited any of them. I've tried to buy his old P-38 but so far no dice. He has a lot of very interesting firearms but I'm happy to enjoy them when I visit him.

His father was very anti-gun so no dice there either.

My mom's dad was a shooter and a horse trader and a crook, he gave me a Cooey semi auto .22 when I was 12 and an old Win 94 that I got a couple years later. I still have the Cooey mostly because nobody else wants it, but I gave the 94 to a fella a couple years ago. If my grampa wasn't such a sunuvabitch in life I might have kept it. He left his wife and 6 kids when they were young so I feel no need to keep his stuff for sentimental reasons. Most of his stuff was probably ill-gotten anyway.

I posted above ..... but for the record;

Dad's guns

A 1938/39 6inch Colt New Service .357..... sights and action by Kings.
4" 1946 M&P .38
1950s Colt Detective Special
Early S&W Model 41..... longer barrel ,muzzle break and load chamber indicator.

1989/90 640-nuttin .38 he had me get for him after he saw mine.... I think he wanted a Centennial since the 50s, but already had the Colt DS and two young boys on a Sgt. salary!!!!

He also borrowed my 4" 686 for about a decade..... as it was at the cabin/ his retirement home!

I have a Revelation 20 guage single shot that Grandpa kept at the cabin. He bloodied his nose with it one time while shooting at a groundhog from the cabin door at a funny angle. The cabin got sold and Grandpa passed on but I've got the gun and the memories.

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I have the following:

My father's Model 99 Savage chambered for 300 Savage
My father's Fox Side by Side chambered for 16 gauge

My step father's 1949 Winchester 94 chambered for 32 Winchester Spcl
My step father's Lefever Side by Side chambered for .410

My father is still alive and well, but these guns are perhaps my most cherished. My step father recently passed away. While I did not know him well, he was a good man that took great care of my mother. It absolutely broke my heart that his daughter didn't care what happened to these guns. Then again, she didn't care what happened to her father's WWII uniform, papers, or awards. What a shame.

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Un-Reconstructed Southerner

Not many family guns in my family. My parents golfed, my mom's family were musicians, my dad's was a carpenter. Wood working tools, not much into guns.

Only one is a 6 inch Colt Official Police .22 LR my dad's dad gave to my mom to deal with a peeping tom in about 1948, as the cops couldn't catch him and Dad and his dad worked out of town. Peeper showed up again, ignored Mom's scream and the pointed gun, so she emptied it through the glass at him. Cops found blood in their driveway. He never came back.

I think of the story whenever I see or handle the gun. Folks passed on in 2008. I sure miss them.

My D.A brother gave away all my dads and grandfathers guns. Therefore, if I die before he does? he doesn't get any of mine!!!

I have my mothers Winchester 410 single shot that she used for squirrel hunting when she was younger, she said. I can not ever remember her even touching it as the hunting duties had already been passed on.
I have a Remington model 11 20 ga. from my grandfather. He used it for dove and quail. Also for pheasant when he went with his BIL.
Also, a Winchester '73 in .38-40 from the same grandfather that he called his grandfathers rifle.
Still use the shotguns for hunting and have shot the '73.
Now the question is which children to pass them to so they will be taken care of and appreciated.

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Some men, you just can't reach

I have my late fathers first pistol... a Ruger... they only made one at the time and since it was before Sturm passed away it is a Red Eagle with a 4 digit serial number... actually my grandmother had to buy it... my dad was not quite old enough... I have others that belonged to my father, but that one has the best story... I have my maternal grandfathers only gun... Stevens 240 O/U 410 with a tenite stock (fancy plastic)... grandma was rather upset when he brought that home since he wasted $5 at the sale barn when someone came up short on what they owed and offered it up for sale... and also my late uncles early Remington 1100 12GA 30" full choke... all of these and a few others will go to my son... and he knows why they are special... hopefully he will teach his children the importance of what they are... and that they are all priceless...

Only a couple...
A Savage M99 in .300 Savage, belonging to my paternal GF who lived in Washington state. All through the 30's, 40's and 50's he hunted deer, moose and elk with it. It looks like it.
I took one Virginia whitetail with it before putting it away.

The other, an ultra simple Springfield .22 single shot. My Dad, as a youngster in the Great Depression in Texas, had raised a litter of hogs. After they were weaned, he could no longer afford to feed them. He traded the litter to a nearby rancher for the .22 rifle.
Probably not worth $50, but means alot to me.

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Ret'd LEO
SWCA #2275

My father's old Colt.

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Isaiah 41:10

I did have 2 family heirloom guns. One has been passed on to my daughter already. The other will go to my son sometime soon. The one I still have came from what can only be described as Santa Claus. Santa took the form of the man who owned the neighboring farm to ours. He ate dinner with my grandmother and aunt and her family pretty much every day. They were the other family on the farm. The man returned the favors of my grandmother by spoiling us kids rotten where no one else could. The guy worked in a steel mill and lived all alone with no family. We were his adopted family and he spent most of his salary on us I believe. It sure seemed that way. Come Christmas there would be a stack of presents 3 foot deep that he bought for us kids. Our parents bought what they could but they couldn't match what he bought. They had to buy stuff like food and heat for the 6 of us. The guy was as close to being Santa as it gets IMO.

When he died he left my dad a couple of things. His farm and a .22 Stevens 15-A rifle. Not much of a rifle really. A single shot with a stock from who knows what type of wood except I know it wasn't walnut. The thing shoots like a dream though. It's as accurate as any rifle I own. My brother hunted squirrels with it for a couple of decades and he brought home a bunch of them. When he moved out the rifle was left at dad's. By then dad had done well with his life and he owned a dozen S&W .357's or so and whatever else he wanted. And he had that rifle and a shotgun - the one that went to my daughter. When I moved out and didn't have any money for anything because I was in college dad gave me both of those guns. I still love shooting that .22. It's amazing how accurate it shoots for such a cheap rifle. And the thing should last a dozen lifetimes if people keep the rust away. It's so simple it's hard to believe anything could break.

I love that rifle more than any gun I own even though it's probably the least expensive gun I own. I did buy myself a Raven when I was in college but I look at that thing as a paperweight these days.

I've made sure my kids know how much those guns have meant to me. The shotgun has it's own story and it's just about as good as the rifle's story. Best of all my daughter is taking good care of it.

If you look at old photos lots of times the men had their prized possession with them - their firearm. Often they only had one. The only good photo I have of my grandfather on my mother's side includes his rifle. Guns meant a lot to those generations. They mean a lot to me too and I think I've instilled that in my kids too. I hope so. I know my daughter gets it. I think my son does too but up until recently he lived in a small apartment where it would have been awkward just to own a rifle even if it was a single shot .22. He bought a house recently and I'm about to let that rifle move on to the 4th generation owner. I know he will understand what it means to me and I think it will mean a lot to him because of that.

Here's a photo of Roy "Santa" Bottles and my cousin who was maybe 2 years younger than me.

I have my Maternal Grandfather's LC Smith 16 Ga.double barrel and Springfield single shot 410. Also Paternal Grandfather's Winchester 1886 in
45-70.
Steve W

If I may, I'd like to present two guns that are special to me.

1. A Luger that my father-in-law brought back from WW2. James Bulllock was an artillery forward observer in Patton's 3rd Army. James told me he took the Luger off of a dead German officer laying in a stream. SSG Bullock had called in artillery on a German infantry position, then US Army infantry assaulted and took the enemy position. James followed our infantry in and came upon the dead officer.





Here is an article, with more pictures of this historic pistol, that was written by a friend about James Bullock's Luger.
Guest Post-Luger Bring Back from WWII - The Firearm BlogThe Firearm Blog

2. My dad's .22, a Winchester Model 67. My mom gave this rifle to my dad for Christmas 1946 for the difficult price of $15.00. I was less than three months old at the time. Dad needed the rifle to slaughter hogs and shoot cottontails that substantially supplemented with table meat his family that was living only on Dad's GI Bill while he was going to college. We lived on a place outside of Shawnee, Oklahoma.

Dad gave me his rifle for my 16th birthday. I killed a lot of cottontails as a boy and teenager with this Winchester. It is still a tack driver. A couple of months ago I took it to the range, set a target up at 25 yards, and fired a shot to check if it was still shooting straight. See the target photo below. I took one shot and, as you will understand, I decided not to take another shot on that target. Seems to still be shooting pretty straight. ;-)





The Shot!


Thanks for letting me tell you about my two very special guns.

God bless,
Birdgun

I have my uncles war bring back a Astra 600/43 in 9mm parabellium that never made it to Germany.

My older brothers guns that will go to my two sons.

Birdgun your Winchester looks like an identical twin to my Stevens. It was a common design in those days. It worked and it keeps working a long time.

In 1971, my ailing grandfather ( and mentor), gave me his Belgian made DeFourney 10 ga. He purchased it through Continental Arms in NY in 1956, and shot it very little. It is still mint condition because being a tight full choke, I haven't wanted to damage the barrels with steel shot. Notice the unique trigger guard/buttstock treatment. And the fine checkering on the French walnut and opener lever

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John

You could have the chokes opened to IC/Mod and use Steel shot if you wanted to hunt waterfowl with it. I would the be useful with lesser hand loads and regular shot for upland game, but nobody wants to see a rabbit hit with 2 ounces of shot!

Ivan

I'm lucky enough to have a handful actually...

1- a cased 1952 mfg Merkel M-304E 20 Ga O/U that my grandmother gave to me in 2002, she passed away in 2006 and told of fond memories of dove hunts with the Merkel.
2- S&W Victory Model that my grandfather picked up out of a barrel in early 1945 in Belgium, had a German POW make a set of grips with his initials in them. Was his nightstand gun until the early-2000s when he gave it to my dad. Grabdad passed away in 2010 and three years ago my dad passed it along to me. I obtained a factory letter and it was one of a batch shipped to Norfolk, VA US Naval Strategic Service on Aug 22, 1944
3- Browning A-5 16 Ga that my great grandfather bought as a welcome home gift for my grandfather (from gun #2) in 1946.
4- Anschutz 1517 17HMR w/a Leupold scope. In 2002 when the 17 was released, my grandfather who hadn't purchased a gun since the 1970s had to have one. I sighted it in for him, he fired a dozen rounds or so and asked if I'd clean it. After I did he told me to "hang onto it," and I've had it ever since and it is deadly accurate, def a favorite of mine.

Mike:

My father also left a Frontier Scout...





It is the first revolver that I ever shot. He died 10 years ago and I still miss him very much.

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

My father purchased a Win. M 12 in 20 ga. the week I was born in 1939. He told my mother that it was "Bobs'" gun, but of course he used it in the field until I was 12 y.o. He didn't take real good care of his guns, so I re-blued and refurbished it while I worked in a gun shop during my college years. I still have that shotgun. It will go to one of my great-grandsons.

I also have a second or third year production of what became the Ruger 22 cal. Autoloader pistol. I purchased it new for my Dad as a birthday present on his 55th b.d. I have the box, original receipt and all paper work. I paid $37.50 for it. Again, it is not 100 % anymore, but that is OK. It shoots just as good as ever. As it is now collectible, I will probably sell it in the next few years.

I have a Win. M 63, 22 L.R. rifle that my Dad purchased when I was about 4 y.o. It was used, but in near 100% shape. It is the first firearm that I ever shot. That was at about the age of 5. Because there is not much small game in Southern Nevada to use a .22 on, my Dad didn't use it much and it stayed in fairly nice condition. He was not a 'plinker'. I used this rifle as a young boy to hold down the lizard population in the desert near Las Vegas. It is still in about 95% condition. It is collectible now and will probably be sold in the next few years. ............

I have an old pot metal 22 revolver that belonged to my granddad. It was built in nashville tn and it was what he killed hogs with
Its one of those you pull out the center pin and remove the cylinder to empty and reload

That particular gun is priceless to me, but I would not give 2 dollars over scrap price for a dump truck full of the same gun.

Well, where to start.......
My favorites are a Winchester 16 gauge Model 12 I got from my late Grandfather(maternal) and a Remington 1903A3 from my other late Grandfather

My Grandparents moved from MO to WY before the turn of the last century.
Before they left, my Grand Dad ordered a Springfield Trapdoor from Bannerman's. He paid $5.50 for it. He had heard about Indians and Rustlers.

When they moved out here they built their homestead and barn. He put the rifle in the barn and there it stayed untouched until 1947 when they abandoned the place and moved to town.
The homestead was still part of the family ranch which had grown a great bit.

My Dad and I were at the homestead gathering up equipment and supplies, and I found the rifle. It was in really bad shape and I wanted it badly. I was only 4 years old and my Dad said, "When you're a little older."
It went into a closet at home as was forgotten until I was home from college one year for Christmas. I remembered the old rifle and dug it out.
The barrel was rusted badly and the stock was dried up and disintegrating. It went back in the closet for 20 more years.

My wife and I moved to the ranch and I found the gun again. This time I went to work to restore it.

I got an unfired barrel and a sporter stock from Reinhart-Fajen and made myself a hunting rifle..




I've taken Antelope, Mule Deer, Elk, and a bunch of nuisance critters with it..
It's a special rifle.

I also have a gun given to me to me by the last train robber in Wyoming, but that's another story.

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Eccentric old coot

Some of the guys at work presented me with a Browning Silver Hunter 12ga., 3” Magnum at our company Christmas party in December, 2007.

They had a custom-engraved silver medallion attached to the grip cap to commemorate the occasion.

I still haven’t been able to bring myself to fire this shotgun.

I have my father's Remington Model 11 Sportsman 12 ga., his Winchester Model 24 12 ga. double and his Winchester Model 69 .22 rifle. My grandfather died young with TB contacted while serving in WWI and his brother, Dad's uncle Bill, stepped up to take his place and teach my Father and his younger brother "the things a man needs to know." Uncle Bill gave dad the model 69 as a boy. Dad went on to serve in WWII and after he returned his uncle also gave him the two shotguns. The M69 is still a fine shooter and and the Remington often goes hunting with me to this day. They are all very special to me as well as the memory of the two finest men I have ever known. Dad and Uncle Bill, thank you for putting me on the right path to life.

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S&W Armorer
Lost in the 50s

I too have a few that I hold dearly. The first is a Parker 16Ga that was gifted to me from my grandpa. Still to this day, it is the sweetest shouldering, smoothest swinging shotgun i have ever picked up. I have a few photos of him holding the gun with his bird dogs.

Another is my dad's 629-1 6 inch. It was actually where my dad introduced me to reloading. We would load up some 44, go to the lake and shoot.

Also, a Browning light Twelve. Although it shows it's wear from the many trips quail hunting, I can't help but feel that connection to him when I use the gun.

Both are gone now and those guns provide me with a link to fond memories.