I am posting this in the auto forum since I have mainly S&W 3rd gen autos and I do most of my reading and posting here.

I am 57 years old, retired from government service (mix of military and civil service) and I have accumulated a fair number of firearms. (about 70 or so) The majority are S&W autos, with a few revolvers, shotguns, AR-15's, US military, etc. mixed in. I have two adult children, but neither is a gun nut like me. I am doubtful of having any grand children. My kids are not anti-gun, but just do not look at them as much more than their old man's hobby. I do not shoot as much as I used too and have no real interest in shooting competition, so most of my pistols are just looked at and cleaned on occasion.

I am wondering what older S&W collectors/owners think about how to handle their collections. Are you going to keep them all and let your estate/family dispose of them? Giving them to family members? Other plans?

I am giving some thought to putting aside a few for my continued use and self defense purposes, and disposing the bulk while I am young enough to take my time and get the best price for them. I do not want my wife to be burdened with disposing of them, and as I said earlier, my kids will only want/need a couple. Honestly, on a government pension, the money I could raise would pay for some additional travel opportunities for me and my wife when she retires in a couple of years. I am not looking to create any controversy, mainly want to see what the consensus opinion is on this forum. TIA for any feedback.

I believe this is definitely the best route to take in your situation.

I'm available for adoption

What I am starting to think about as well. Have a few to pass, a few I want to still get, and the rest I should sell off towards the new one or two. Don't have as large as collection as you, but it would make things easier in the end

I waver around on this a bit. At times I lean toward the dispose-of-now approach and at other times I think let someone else worry over it when I'm gone. I still shoot and enjoy shooting so normally I am in no hurry to liquidate. If something happened that I lost interest in shooting (not likely), or (more likely) something happened that I was just physically not able to shoot any longer, then I would probably kick liquidating into high gear, if I was able. Not much of a plan, I admit, but it's the plan I have for the foreseeable future. If you've lost interest, finding new homes for your old friends might be both profitable and fun for you. You will have the satisfaction of knowing your guns have (at least as far as you are able) gone on to another good home.

it sounds that you have the right plan, as for myself i have a son and a grandson and a grand daughter who love my guns. i have told them just to do what ever they want with them, most of them they will keep except for a few mausers that they don't have much use for. but every gun i have has a very large supply of ammo with each caliber. i am sure they will keep all the older s&w revolvers, all pre-lock. but you are correct to not put it on your wife to get rid of, alot of people will take advantage.

Yes, even as I am thinking about my endgame, there are several 3rd gen's I would buy if given the opportunity. But I am definitely not in my old keep everything mindset.

Kind of in the same situation as the OP with adult kids having no interest and maybe grandkids but not counting on that. I'll be 60 in a few weeks. Collected for about 40 years now. I'll keep a few but probably will start within the next few years selling off the majority. My way of thinking is I will have as much fun or more selling as I have had when chasing and buying over the years. I want the pleasure of seeing someone that will appreciate them and be as excited as I was when I acquired them. Don't really like the idea of waiting until after I'm gone and the family doing a mass sell off to a pawn shop or gun store. It's hard to convey to your spouse or kids the real enjoyment you've had and the real value of each unique piece. So God willing I want to be in control of my collection now while I still can.

Kinda funny to see this because I have been thinking the same thing. I have a much smaller collection but the sum total is worth quite a few bucks. It bothers me that my wife - I'm older than her so she'll likely outlive me - will prolly just let some liquidator come in and give her a few nickels on the dollar of what they're worth. So, I'm still torn - I have maybe, hopefully, 10 more healthy years then most of them will probably have to go. I don't think they'll let me have a gun safe at the old age home!!

donate some of the firearms to the S&W forum

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There's nowt so queer as folk

I'm 65 and planned on spending my retirement years attempting to wear out the barrel on every gun I own. Two years ago I blew a disc in my back that basically crippled me. Now I'm lucky to get to the range to sight in a rifle for hunting.

I have two daughters. One hunts but is not fanatical about it. The other one shoots, but is married to a guy that never handled a gun before their marriage. The oldest one has three kids, but shows no interest in having me teach them to shoot and hunt. They live eight hours away, anyway. The other daughter, the hunter, is childless.

Luckily, I spent my money mostly on US and foreign martial firearms. I don't have a single rifle that is not worth considerably more than I paid for it. I developed a fascination for S&W handguns back in college and still have the first one I bought. I don't believe in selling them. I also have a number of firearms that were purchased with Cabela's points and didn't cost me a dime.

I will give my hunting daughter and her husband the guns that I received from people that I cared about; uncles, aunts, etc. They will also get the guns that they were loaned and shot their first animals with. My daughter also has requested a couple that she likes.

The rest of them, save for a few self-defense firearms and favorite hunting rifles, will be auctioned off and the money go into my trust. If I spend it, and I thoroughly plan on trying, the funds will supplement my retirement or maybe one last hunting trip for something like antelope or deer from a blind where I don't have to walk more than 50 yards.

I am 73. I shoot three or four times a week, several thousand rounds annually. I am still buying firearms, mostly handguns. I will have one on me when I finally go belly-up and my Son has promised I will have one (probably a cheap one like a Glock) in my pocket when they put me under the daisies. While my Son is not as fanatical as I am he loves guns and will get his share. My Daughter is a shooter and has two sons who are almost as gun crazy as their Grand-dad. My will says my Son gets first choice, then my Daughter gets the next choice.....they then rotate selection until all 100+ are divided up. That is my plan of disposal.

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Keep Shootin' and check 6

I have thought about it.
But I'm still buying guns.
First, I need to cease and desist acquisitions!
And I have a bunch of other fairly expensive stuff besides guns.
I don't really want to sell any of that stuff either.
The real 'risk' is your kids-heirs will just dump it cheap after you depart.
You can be in control in the here and now, let's hear an Amen from all you type A's.
But it's harder to do from the next level.
I have already started dialogue like- everybody take some guns.
And don't sell the rest too cheap!
I guess the real reason I don't want to sell is it would signify that I'm thinking of departing.
Well I ain't!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

I've been kicking this issue around too. No family members that I want them to go to leaves the future of the collection in limbo. Bottom line is, I guess, should I convert them to something my heirs would enjoy more, or keep them because I enjoy them now? Perhaps liquidate the majority and buy a Corvette? But I really don't want a Corvette, or I'd already have one. I still enjoy the possessions in the safe, so loosing sleep over who gets them upon my demise seems like a cause just to worry about. Perhaps just have them auctioned off when I pass. That seems the best way to capture the value in my general area even with the auctioneer fees. All that said, it still bothers me a bit. Perhaps I am most saddened by the fact that there is only one person in my family that would enjoy them, and it will be over my dead body that he has a chance to do so (being a money grubbing scheister).

So far I have all of my duty weapons that will be gifted to my grandsons. I would hope after I pass they will cherish them and remember me. I have a few heirloom guns that will go to my kids. I have others that hold no sentimental value, are not connected to myself or past family members and will be sold for hopefully more than I told my wife I paid for them. I will eventually keep a few of my favorites with instructions for whoever survives me to keep or sell as they choose.

The problem is my kids think I will be keeping all for them to inherit and that won't be the case. Maybe a few if they express a strong interest, but other than the heirloom guns, this is just money I have tied up in a collection. I plan to enjoy or profit from it.

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Plastic has no soul

This^^^+1

I'm 64,with no interest in shooting any of mine,for a variety of reasons.Frankly,it was always more about quality stuff and nice wood,even for the handguns. No kids or wife,no friends with the interest,and I'm not going to saddle my sister with dealing with more than just a very few..I had a nice collection but I've sold most of mine.No regrets,except for one or two that I should have held for a better price.I'll probably sell a few more this fall.
Heresy for most of you,but one or two rimfire handguns,and one or two rimfire rifles will do me fine for the rest of the ride.

Plan to pass on two to my son. A clay target shotgun and his grandfather's bringback 98k. Rest I will sell

My circumstances are remarkably similar to the OP. I have kept two 4513TSWs and two like new 39XX series pistols in reserve, to get me to the end of my handgunning days.

I did keep my duty pistols, 4506-1 and 4566. They still see range time regularly. And I bought a cheap small safe which I keep my current carry guns in, 457, CS45 and CS9.

I am selling off my collec..........accumulation and am enjoying the proceeds from same with wife 2.0

I have some very nice and very scarce pieces which have given me triple the return on my investment. I plan to sell down to just my carry guns and reserve pieces. If or when, I can no longer shoot 45s quickly and accurately, I will sell them and probably just go down to the two 39XX series guns.

The rest of the revolvers will go by this time next year. And I plan to enjoy the vacations and other items they will provide for me. Regards 18DAI

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7 +1 Rounds of hope & change

Funny this came up now.. I have been intending to thin the herd for several years. Sell one occasionally but usually buy two more.

Finally this week I decided to get serious. I gave a friend and fellow forum member a bunch to peddle on his gun show tables.
Didn't hurt as much as I thought it would.

I have some sentimental and special guns that will go to my Son and Grandson, but the rest will turn out to be a burden for my wife, so now it begins.

On the other hand, I also told him to be on the watch for a certain gun in his travels.

It ain't over until it's over.

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Eccentric old coot

I am 59, and think about this on occasion. I have decided that I will place all of mine in my will.The heirlooms will go to my son. Some of the rest will go to people that I care for. Some friends, some family. They all know I am a gun nut, and they all shoot, so what the heck? Some, a few, I may give away before that. Not everyone can afford to get the gun of their dreams (Lately that includes me), so I can spread a little joy that way. My small collection is not anything to write home about, mostly martial arms, but I bought most of them long ago. I am planning to be sure the Smiths stay in the family.

I'm 73 and just recently, my prostate cancer returned after 22 years. Just finished radiation, won't know the outcome until October. So, yes, the exit sign is slowly coming into focus. Anyway, I have a modest collection of handguns and long guns. I have three sons and three very young grandsons. The one son with a passing interest in guns lives in the Peoples' Republic of California so I can't transfer the guns to him.

My plan is to slowly liquidate the guns, especially the multiples of guns suitable for deer hunting, which, I no longer do. Better to reduce the herd to a manageable size so as not to burden the estate.

Very important: make sure somebody knows how to clear a handgun as you don't want to leave a booby trap for a family member. I'm thinking of the nightstand gun. On trips, I clear my EDC guns and store them in the safe, all unloaded. If I elect to leave a loaded handgun in the safe for convenience, it wears a prominent sign saying "LOADED."

Sounds like you have a good plan Slustuff. No one knows the hour of their last breath, could be tonite or in ten years.
Enjoy all the time you have left with those you love and who love you, everything else is "things".

Whatever you do, try to make sure that when you die your family doesn't sell all your guns for what you told your wife you paid for them.

Just turned 65. I love shooting some of my guns and have major ammo for those I do shoot.
I am in the initial stages of turning the ones I haven't shot in a very longtime and probably won't into cash.
Non of my heirs understand gun values so leaving them to sell them will end up a great give away to someone I never met. And btw I would rather spend the cash on myself.
I will be targeting son, daughters, and grandkids with a specific one or 2 for each that I will still be shooting now. And will continue to shoot until my time is up.
I have never sold one of my guns. So this is new for me.
I think I'll enjoy financing a trip or two to the islands with the profits from guns I bought 30 to 45 years ago. And shot to my hearts content.
Got to love guns. Buy the gun for $135.00, shoot thousands of rounds through it and sell it for $700. To $800.
Larry

I have occasionally thought about this subject, but then I get sidetracked buying another gun that "I always wanted". I have an awful lot of guns. I have always thought that they were an investment, and they are, but my GF says that I never sell any of them. And of course she's right, but on the other hand, I have other investments that I haven't cashed in on, and in fact am still putting money in 403B, etc., which I hope to take out some day. I have two sons that like guns, and three grandchildren, and the GF, so there are folks to pass them down to, but probably they would not want all of them. I do have a database which includes approximate value, a history of each gun, whether it has any family significant family value (my service guns, for example, and ones that came to me from earlier generations), and this will be a help to my family in deciding what to keep, and what to expect to get if they sell.

But I'm not really ready to start selling, unless it is to upgrade an item, or buy something that I've always wanted.

After all, I'm only 71, and hope to have many more years to enjoy this wonderful hobby of ours!!

Also, I'm still working full time. I'm trying to learn from my mom. She retired when she was 60, and lived to be 96. She often told me that she wished she had kept working, not just for the income, but for many other reasons as well, like continuing to do something she liked. Well, if I go unexpectedly, my family know not to let the unwanted guns go too cheaply....and neither of my kids really need money from me, both are sucessful, so I'm going to at least keep my favorites for the foreseeable future.

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

I'm 73 and neither of my sons are interested in my firearms. I have tagged all of my collection with pertinent information and estimated value. My wife, who is younger and will probably outlive me, knows who to contact upon my demise. He's a trusted FFL dealer who handles estates.

I did the very same thing with one that I kept loaded in the safe.A tag on it's rug that read, "LOADED!"
Being a fellow Long Islander, you probably understand that one of my reasons for no longer being interested in shooting, is the dangerous nonsense that goes on at the Calverton range.I won't return there after a jerk and his non gunnie idiot friend thought nothing of being off the firing line,playing with a possibly loaded S&W 500,that was pointed in every direction.When I gestured for them to be on the line, I heard one say to the other,"What's his problem?" At Brookhaven,being tall requires me to stand with my legs splayed, so that I can see the target without the overhead beam interfering,which is there to limit shooters from taking elevated shots.

I might add that one of my best friends, who was also a gun collector passed away very unexpectedly a few years ago, his widow called on me to help her dispose of his collection with the exception of a few that she was going to keep.

Well, I went over the collection, and told her what she should expect to get for each item, then bought about 8 or 10 of them myself, and the worst part of that was, that if I had been buying them from my buddy, I would have tried to get him to come down on the price. In the case of his widow, I ended up paying more than I had told her they were worth, just to help her out.....

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

As one of the older members here... and with one foot in the grave already or so my doctors tell me... all I can say is that you young whippersnappers in your 50's and early 60's have got a long way to go... so chill!!!

According to the infamous Bam formula, I've got less than 3 good years left, but I plan to make the most of them as opportunities and senior citizen cash flow allow. I am still buying although at something less than half my peak rate which I hit in 2014-2015. And I am only dumping my cheap plastic wonder guns that I shouldn't have bought in the first place. Who wants to hand down those guns? Not moi! That said, no one wants to buy them!

I do have a nephew who would be more than willing to take my entire collection. He has a son as well. I also have at least one nephew-in-law who would be thrilled to get anything from my collection... well, except plastic probably.

It's too early to tell about my one and only grandson... but if he has any interest, he will be well taken care of. For the rest, my fully-licensed good wife knows what I own, what I paid for them and where to go to liquidate.

I fully understand. People who are a danger to themselves and those around them are not limited to Long Island.

(emphasis added)

You should look into this (transfer to your son in CAL).

Father-son transfers where the father is resident outside CAL and son is CAL resident are permitted without regard to CAL's "roster" of approved handguns.

I'm not really up to date on long guns; and I'm not sure how a transfer via will / trust works - but I do know that off-roster handgun gifts to CAL residents by a select list of family members are legal even if one has to jump through a few hoops involving finding FFLs to handle the gift and reporting requirements on the recipient's part.

And I wish you the best with regard to your health challenge.

I forgot to mention that I keep a looseleaf log book in which each gun is identified by type, brand, caliber and serial number. I also identify what increases its resale value such as a Leopold scope or what makes it less valuable. I identify accessories belonging to the gun, particularly if it's not practical to store with the gun.

Every year or two, I update each gun's value, based upon what they're selling for online.

Well, I'll be 66 years old next month and I'm in general good health. I have 50 handguns plus about 14 long guns. I'm always thinking about selling one or two handguns, but it seems that if I sell one I end up buying two. My wife and I are fortunate not to need any money from the sale of my guns.

Although I don't shoot the long guns much anymore, I do go to my indoor range once every week and usually take a couple of pistols. One week it might be one of my five .45 1911s and one of my three S&W 10mm autos, the next week one of my seven S&W .45 autos and one of my four Glocks, and the week after that one of my five Makarovs and my CZ-52. You get the idea.

My older brother (70 years old) is a gun guy like me. I have no children but he has two, and although they each owns a few guns, they're not gun nuts. I'm designating (within our family trust) a few specific firearms to my brother (if he out lives me), nephew, two nieces, grand-nephew and grand-niece. That will account for about a dozen firearms. Then they will each get to select a few more in rotation. If there are any remaining, the trust will sell them.

Now, that said, if I get into my 80s and I find I'm not shooting them as much, I will probably sell a few. However, there are several I will never sell, although I don't need to be buried with any of them . . . heck, I'll be dead!

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1st Signal Brigade, RVN '70

Calverton was dangerous 20 years ago. Can't imagine what it's like now.

I bought a mint, and I mean MINT 19-2 4" 5 years ago. Diamond Target stocks numbered to gun. 99% easily. Guy got it in that morning. $249. $263 out the door. He bought it that morning from "an old lady whose husband died and she found it in his things". Probably gave her $100 for it. I fired 18
rounds, cleaned it, and sold it three months later for $750. It was just too nice to shoot. I do regret that sale the most. That would have been the one to leave to my son. But I have others.

Point being if you kick off before you sell them those who are left with them
Will get taken advantage of and that isn't right. If I ever believe my time is short, all but a couple are being sold. The rest go to the kids.

Yup time to thin the herd. Sad but true. The kids will get hunting rifle and handguns.

Some of my plan will show up in the classifieds within the next 6 months. I had the fortune of growing up relatively poor. For the first 10 years or so of my shooting life trying something new meant trading or selling what I already had, so I chose carefully and made few impulse buys. During times of financial reversal I sold off surplus guns. But over the past 25 years or so I have accumulated a lot of stuff I rarely shoot, and I bought them to shoot. One son has no interest in guns, including the ones I bought to teach him shooting. The other has tastes far from mine and has already received most of what I have that interests him. Only grandchild is too young to tell whether he'll give a rip that he had a Grandpa, let alone want or appreciate my stuff.

There are a few well used ordinary working guns that belonged to my father, grandmother, father-in-law and grandfather-in-law that I don't have the heart to put a price tag on. My shooting son can peddle them and use the money to buy something he enjoys. As for the rest, I will gradually sell off all but what I carry or shoot on a regular basis and then try to wear those out in the time remaining. That will mean less time on this forum and more time on the range.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

It's tough to part with stuff. I'm doing my best not to give up yet. I am trying to hang on.

I have been collecting for 40 years. Mostly U.S. Military, but there is an eclectic side of me that has accumulated an odd but interesting assortment of other weapons. I always looked at my collection as part of my retirement. I am fortunate to have 2 sons who have an interest, so the passing of the torch is not an issue. What worries me is, with the current and future state of affairs regarding gun control and the libs attack on guns in general, will my collection have ANY value in 10, 15 or 20 years?

Check out this link: Interstate transfer among some family members - Calguns.net

It doesn't speak to transfer via will or trust, but it pretty clearly lays out the process for a gift to your son in CAL (if that's what you want to do). Again, best wishes for a positive health outcome.

I am the same age as the OP, but my situation is somewhat different. My only son is VERY interested in guns. He is more of a "gun nut" than I am. In fact, he is the reason I got back into shooting after many years without owning a single firearm. So my plan is obvious. Keep everything and leave them all to him.

If I were in the OP's situation I would consider thinning them down a bit, but I don't own as many and none of mine are collectible or especially valuable.

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Or something like that . . .

I did not read all the posts but I think you pick out your favorite dozen or so, sell the rest and enjoy your retirement. We all enjoy having our stuff and get great satisfaction from it but as life goes on priorities and interests continue to change. You should be able to raise 30k plus depending on what you have by letting 50 of the 70 go. That's not chump change! All those years that your guns brought you happiness and now they can pay you back with even more happiness. DO NOT let someone else who doesn't appreciate them sell them for you when you're gone!

Keep your favorites and let the rest go.

That is exactly what I have been doing. We have reached the point in our lives where we can no longer keep with the work required to own a full size house. (We are both in high 70's.) Consequently, we have bought a condo and are in the process of moving into it. Over the past few years I've been selling the firearms which are not the real favorites and keeping the ones which are as there are no family members who are interested in them. So far it has work very well. I watch the "Want to Buy" ads and respond to them. I probably will end up keeping about 20 or 30 favorite ones. (Way down from the about 350 I started with.) I have made provisions with a good friend who will sell the ones which are left when I'm gone. My wife will be assured she will get top dollar for the guns, not some fly-by-night who will give 10 cents on the dollar.

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Bill

I should have added to my post above that I plan to take at least some of my beloved 3rd Gens with me into the afterlife. You never know, after all.

Take some plastic? No way! Where I am most likely headed, they'd melt before I got through the door!

I'm 67 and have been whistling past the graveyard on this question for some time now. My collection isn't large. I also have a fairly large traditional folding knife collection.

I think I'll decide what I want to keep for myself, then ask my wife and two sons what they want. Then I'll sell the rest off. When to start is the question for me. Attachment is a terrible thing.

I'm not quite ready to sell of the stash, but I have been more judicious about what I buy, as opposed to grabbing anything that catches my eye.
I would say in the past two years that I've sold as many as I have bought. That's quite a change for me. I guess I'm leveling off at the top of the ski slope. It's all downhill from here!

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Because of the metric system?

If your kids aren't anti gun why not sit down and ask them?

Would you rather me keep them and you sort through them after?
Are there ones you'd like to keep?

If they don't have any interest I would slowly start selling now and use that money for other things. A few years ago there was an older guy who put most of his collection on consignment at my LGS. It was a lot! If you were interested the LGS gave you several typed out pages full of names, dates, s# and descriptions. Head a lot of surplus firearms that he collected when they were cheep. There was many thousands of dollars. He used that money to take his wife around the country for a year long vacation

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

Glad this topic came up, as I have pondered the same question. None of my family members are gun people. Spouse, kids, grandkids....none. Some are down right anti-gun. I don't have a huge collection, but some cherished firearms (S&W Model 58, 581, 65 3 inch, etc.) Lots of good advice here that I will consider, when the time comes. Thanks for the information!!

After experiencing my wife's surprise liquidation of my 100's of LP's while I was out of town for the a quarter of the price of what some of the individual LP's were worth, you might want to be the one to sell some of those guns. The music has since been replaced on CD and MP3 but it is not the same, and a small fortune wasted. I have a list of my gun prices on an attachment to my will, this is periodically updated.

If you are that distant and detached from your adult children's interests, desires and feelings, you may have to do just that. I think most of us would prefer that it be a little more personal, loving and obvious than that.

For literally years, my old man (long R.I.P. now) made it crystal clear to all of us to whom he wanted his guns to go. Some he gifted while he was still alive, some were bequeathed after he passed. No one was unhappy with what they received and we all cherish them to this day in memory of him.

If you have to ask, it's not quite the same heartwarming family experience.