Dad's Gun

[shovelmike]

We had my elder son and his children out to our place in the country to help me celebrate my 71st birthday. After lunch we headed out into the woods to my private range.
We wanted to give the grandkids (17 and 20) a little range time. After a reminder about gun safety I brought out my Herrington and Richardson 22 revolver, which they enjoyed shooting. This was your great grandfather's gun. Next came the Marlin bolt action 22 rifle, a lot of smiles shooting it. This was your great great grandfather's gun.
A lot of young people don't seem very sentimental, but these two really seemed to enjoy seeing and shooting these treasures from our family history.

 

[Glenn54]

Congrats on your recent purchase! I'm sure you will like it. I have one shotgun that belonged to my dad and it's not a high end gun, but it was still his. I have bought and sold too many guns over the years. But over the last several years, I have been doing more buying and almost no selling. I have a son and three grandsons(all toddlers). I want to make sure they all have one or more of my guns. My guns aren't heirlooms but I do have some quality guns. My hope is they will keep and enjoy the guns long long after I am gone.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

An old AF Friend asks me if I could take her Dad's pre -64 Model 70 to a Gunshow and sell it.
I told her, that shouldn't be that difficult.
But -when it's gone, it's gone.
I know you have two Sons.
One of them might want it.
And there's no sign in sight that Pre-64 Model 70s will not continue to increase in value.
She decided to keep the rifle.

 

[lihpster]

Differing attitudes about guns in families or generations can make things weird.
When my uncle passed, his widow, who wasn't a big gun person, asked my father to hold on to her husbands shotgun until my cousin was old enough. Dad put it in the gun cabinet, and there it stayed. Unbeknonst to me, years later, when my cousin was about 16 or so, my father asked my aunt if he was old enough, and even offered to take Eric hunting with it. She told him at that time that Eric didn't want it and he should keep it. Back in the gun cabinet it went.
Another decade and a half goes by, and my father gives the gun to my oldest brother with the stipulation that he can't sell it. I told my brother, not being privvy to all the details, that I thought dad was just holding it for Eric all this time and if so, rightfully it should go to Eric. He get's ahold of Eric and lo and behold, he's not interested.
Later, my brother tells me that he is thinking of selling the gun at a pawn shop. Yeah, I know. I don't like him much either. Rather than have that happen, I swap my brother a cheap autoloding shotgun that I got for $100 and chopped the barrel to 22" with an angle grinder. It was a truck gun, but he'd still have a shotgun. Also I'd pay him $500. Of course he took the deal.
Fast forward a couple of years and my aunt gets ahold of me. Seems her husband, who was Eric's stepdad from the age of 10 or so, decided to give all his guns to his son from his first marriage and none to Eric. This kind of hurt Eric's feelings and understandably so. She had called my dad and he had told her I had the gun. So she called me and asked if I had it. I said, "Yes. Want it back?" She told me the story and we agreed to meet up.
We met in a Sportsman's Warehouse parking lot. She pulled up, opened the back and I set the case inside. She thanked me and then said that dad had told her about me buying it back from Bob. I said a few unflattering words about my brother and she asked me how much I had paid him. I told her and she pulled out her checkbook. I told her no, you're not paying me for the gun, it belongs to Eric. We argued for 5 minutes and she wore me down, so I took the check. Still didn't feel right.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

I'm inspired. My grandsons live in New York City and the eldest keeps bugging me to get a NYC permit. I'm thinking it's time to pass my dad's rifle on along with its history.

I thought it was a 1950s cheap German import. Instead, I was told by an expert that it's a 1930s training rifle, by F. W. Heym, pre-East/West so it just says Germany. The Germans were training for the 1936 Olympics and there were a lot of these quality training rifles around. It's actually worth at least $350! I figured fifty bucks! Time to let it go to the next generation methinks......

Besides, oh, dear, I have so many more guns for those boys down the road!

 

[Model 10-8]

My wife's Grandfather was having a yard/pre estate sale. He had a Savage 410 he wanted to get rid of. He replaced a lost trigger guard with stainless steel he fashioned to fit. I wanted it because of family ownership. This was back in 1976. I shot it once, then hung it on the wall in the den. He did give me a family discount.

 

[charlie sherrill]

I've got one from my Dad and one from the only grand father I knew. The other died just before I was born. My son and I are of like mind in the things we collect, shoot, and hunt with. I'll be 76 in December and know I'm going to go sooner rather than later. All my stuff goes to my son wth instructions to pass them to my grand son if he's responsible enough.

 

[kbm6893]

Sad to hear it but at least it went to another gun lover.

I wonder if anybody will ever feel the same way about selling "Dad's gun" if it's a plastic gun like an M&P or Glock? They just don't seem to have that same importance.

 

[NFrameFred]

I wonder if anybody will ever feel the same way about selling "Dad's gun" if it's a plastic gun like an M&P or Glock? They just don't seem to have that same importance.

Depends on exactly what kind of memories are attached to it.

The first center fire revolver I shot was a S&W model 30 snub that dad had bought second-hand. He didn't keep it long, feeling he needed at least a .38; but I wish I still had that gun. So much so that I eventually had to add one to my collection - for no other reason but the memory of shooting it with my dad at the time. Many who frequent this forum love the .32's because - well, hell - they love pretty much any S&W revolver; but for the most part the .32 snub models are an anachronism these days, appealing only to enthusiasts and aficionados and considered by most others as antique, outdated, under powered and pretty much useless. A nostalgic gun for a collector/hobbyist.

If "dad's Glock or M&P plastic auto" was the subject of the same scenario as described above, the value is in who you got it from, the memory, the association with a happy time that was gone quickly and way too soon. One man's 'trash' is often another man's 'treasure'.

 

[Glenn54]

I've got one from my Dad and one from the only grand father I knew. The other died just before I was born. My son and I are of like mind in the things we collect, shoot, and hunt with. I'll be 76 in December and know I'm going to go sooner rather than later. All my stuff goes to my son wth instructions to pass them to my grand son if he's responsible enough.

I like this idea. When my son was in his 20s, he was not in a good place. I would not have wanted him to have any of my guns at that time. I more than trust him now but who know what my grandsons will be like.

 

[Green Frog]

I could tell many tales about the guns that Dad and I tracked down and purchased, mostly fairly late in life with an eye toward investment rather than any real sentimentality. Dad made plans for the ones he thought would be meaningful to go to those who would treasure them, but the others? Would you feel sentimental about selling Dad's bonds at maturity or his stocks when they hit a high point?
Guns with family history; hold on with a death grip. Guns Dad just happened to buy on a whim because they were a good deal, they are going to buyers who will want them, at least for the moment.

Froggie

 

[lihpster]

Guns Dad just happened to buy on a whim because they were a good deal, they are going to buyers who will want them, at least for the moment.

Froggie

This. The Model 70 that was both my father's and my brother's will never leave my hands. The Mossberg bolt action .22 Mag. he bought just to hunt coyotes and has been sitting in the safe gathering dust for literally 4 decades? I could let go of that easily.

 

[A10]

I have three of Dad's guns and one of my uncle's. My uncle's gun is a 1948 Colt 1911 that he carried in Korea. My Dad's are a WSP Commemorative (not all original, there's a story there) a 1940's model 94 with the stock carved with my initials in it, and Dad's 6 1/2 inch 1956ish 38/44. These will go to grandsons. the resto f my accumulation will be sold off by me when I think it's time....

 

[local_dirt]

Really enjoying the family heirloom stories. I didn't receive any guns from my Dad when he passed, but he gave me back the two I had very carefully selected and bought for him to commemorate his service in WWII. One, a beautiful 1944 Inland M1 carbine with both a full stock and also a folding stock and paratrooper jump bag. The other, a macced out older stainless Kimber 1911 that I had my best gunsmith go through and do all the tweaks I could think of for dependabilty, accuracy and ease of use. The M1 carbine was the closest I could get to what he actually carried in the tank with him, which was a cut down M2 with full auto capability. Just to watch him wrapping his big ole tough hands around these two guns always made me smile.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

All of us on the S&W Forum are Gun Enthusiasts. But you can not guess if your children, grandchildren or great grandchildren will have any interest.

Best is to leave behind an itemized list of your firearms and their current value. Because its sad when you hear somebody sold their grandpa's $7,000 Registered Magnum for $700 or traded dad's first year production S&W Model 59 for a Gift Card.

 

[3rdgeargrndrr]

I had an old friend with a drug addicted son who stole and sold off many of his handguns. The whole situation was very sad.

 

[Travis Montana]

Great stories about Dad's guns. I read every one. My Dad passed when I was in high school - 1973. We were fortunate enough that my Mom did not have to sell off my Dad's hunting rifles and shotguns. I still have them to this day and I have been fortunate enough not to have to sell them. I have used every one in the past from elk and deer in Montana to pheasants in South Dakota to squirrels in northern Illinois to antelope in Wyoming. I am sure that all will not stay in the family when I pass but I think a couple will. Thanks wgg for starting thread on your experience. Brought back good memories to me and it looks like a few other forum members.

 

[ACORN]

My Dad wasn't into guns. I suspect that was due to his service in "The Forgotten War"
He did own a .22 when I was a tot but sold it off back then.
My Mom's father was a constable a private detective in McKeesport in its heyday (40s-50s).
When he passed away, the family gave his revolver to an uncle by marriage, who no doubt sold it.
He liked to gamble but from what I hear he wasn't very good at it.
I'd love to have it now.
My cousin was gifted his handcuffs.
Man, was i jealous!

 

[raljr1]

My dad had about ten guns, eight long guns and two pistols. My brother and I split the lot after dad died. Brother got a couple guns that were my granddad's, who died before we were born, and I got my dad's Ithaca featherweight and the Remington 721. My son has the Ithaca, and I have debated selling the Remington unless my son wants it.

I will probably ID the guns that meant something to me so my son can uses that to decide what he wants to do with them. He says he'd not sell any of the guns, but I said that once and now I've sold several dozen over the years.

Who knows what will happen once we hand these down.

Robert

 

[hkcavalier]

I inherited a Ted Williams (Sears) 12g semi, a Winchester 1400 really, from my father. He wasn't a big gun guy, and unfortunately the more interesting guns he did own were stolen when I was in middle school and we were off on a trip --- a Husqvarna .30-06 and a Hi-Standard Citation.

No sons, oldest daughter is in high school and enjoys shooting and hunting, but not truly a 'gun nut' like her old man. She always enjoys going out shooting but I'm not sure she'd be someone who would devote a lot of budget to ammo and such when she gets older. Youngest daughter has zero interest but there's still time. Both know that whoever they end up with will go a long way to determining who gets what out of the safe. Marry a gun hater and no guns for you --- makes sense. I look forward to giving them away while I'm alive, let's hope it's still legal to do so by then...