Was I too harsh???

[novalty]

Well wrapped up trick-or-treating at my brother's house last night, and he says he has a new semi-auto 22. So I say "what did you get?" So he takes me to his gun cabinet and pulls out a new looking blued Marlin model 60 with wood stock, and this is where it goes wrong. He says "I traded my Rossi for it, what do you think?" Guess I have no filter, as I said "Looks like someone saw you coming." He traded away the first rifle our parents ever bought him, a Rossi 62SAC for a Marlin 60. I would have bought him a Marlin 60 for that Rossi. He said it was really accurate, so tried to be positive, but was still a little upset. As long as he is happy with it I guess it shouldn't matter. Just wondering if I came off too harsh, even though I feel like someone snookered him.

 

[GKC]

I would have been upset too...if my brother had traded away that first rifle for anything, without giving me first right of refusal.

You should be able to be honest with family...and I probably would have been less diplomatic.

 

[sipowicz]

You didn't go hard enough on him. Go back and tell him he was adopted.

 

[GatorFarmer]

I don't know. I never liked the first rifle I ever received. Only rifle that I ever received from my father. It was a Remington bolt action .22, 541 or some such. It was a nice gun. But I hated it as a kid. Never fit me, too heavy, and for whatever reason had a big old scope on it that just added to the weight. I think it sits in my mother's basement rusting. But I digress...

I have a bunch of kids so they can each just have their own "firsts". Or just a random gun from the pile of misc guns. (I think that a Mosin Nagant would be a fine 5th birthday present...)

Obviously he didn't like or had no use for the Rossi. Or at least less use than he'd have for a Marlin 60. The Marlin 60 doesn't get much love, but many are quite servicable and give good service. If he's happy, eh. The way I like to think of it, it's not like many of us still have the first car that our parents gave us, first computer, et al.

 

[Maximumbob54]

I don't give up family guns for anything no matter how bad I'm hurting. Everything else would go first and I would be on rice or ramen noodles. But not everyone is like that.

 

[Fishslayer]

I didn't grow up in a gun family. But my Grandpa had a single shot .410 that lived in the closet. I think my uncle got it.

It's nothing special but I think if it got sold out of the family I would be upset.

I get kinda bummed when I see the "How much is this old inherited revolver worth?" threads....

For the OP I think I would have made it known that I would have bought it...

 

[jeffsmith]

One of my favorite traits of "Mainers"
Is their total honesty & bluntness

If he didn't want your honest opinion
Then he probable shouldn't have asked

 

[keith44spl]

Nah, you weren't to harsh.


I know I really miss my first rifle...Left it in the trunk of my Dad's '54 Buick Special.

Car got sold...Rifle got gone.

But, still have first shotgun and pistol.


Su Amigo,
Dave

 

[Bombsaway]

If it was his, then he had the right to trade it.

Too bad you both didn't have one. I still have the first rifle (Winchester 67A) and shotgun (Sears 101.7/Stevens 311a .410) my dad bought me, and my brother has the same. I will NEVER sell or trade them.

 

[Alpo]

It depends, at least to me.

If it was just the gun the folks bought him, and he didn't like it, then it's no harm, no foul.

My bother's first gun, on the other hand, was my grandfather's 410 that my uncles helped feed the family with during the Depression. If he sold that off, I'd be ticked.

 

[LHS]

Everytime my twin brother sold one of his guns (in the past) it was sold to me - usually after he bought it off me in the first place.

All of the family guns went to one of the older brothers, and he said he would starve before selling them. They are already in his will to be left to his son (2 yrs old) with a "non-selling" clause. They are nothing really special, just been in the famly for several generations.

 

[LHS]

You didn't go hard enough on him. Go back and tell him he was adopted.

You just made me cover my monitor with diet coke!

 

[oldman45]

I do not get real upset over family members selling guns. Most of what has been handed down in the family was cheap junk anyway.

If any real guns are about to be sold, traded or such, I will put my name in the hat as well as paying a fair price.

In my dealings with relatives, they want the better end of the deal. I had a cousin a while back try to by a Mod 36 from me for $125. I still have it and do not do business with him any longer.

 

[Rule 303]

You didn't go hard enough on him. Go back and tell him he was adopted.

Nope Sip, not hard enough. Tell him he was a foster child and they had tried to trade him off several times, but there were not any takers. Kinda like trading off a gun your parents give you.

Rule 303

 

[perrazi]

sometimes truth hurts.

 

[6mmman]

Love your brother through thick and thin. I lost mine at 55 to the big C. I miss him.

 

[tom turner]

I know a great guy who, in his ignorant youth in the early '70s, traded away an H&R 32 long "cowboy revolver" . . . his first gun given him by his father . . . for a more powerful snubbie in .38 Special. The .38 was an RG traded . . . even to him by another Army grunt who "wanted" a cowboy type revolver.

Don't ask me how I know . . .

 

[pilgrim6a]

You didn't go hard enough on him. Go back and tell him he was adopted.

No. Go back and tell him he was a MISTAKE! Or an accident.

 

[kmyers]

If it was just the gun the folks bought him, and he didn't like it, then it's no harm, no foul.

My bother's first gun, on the other hand, was my grandfather's 410 that my uncles helped feed the family with during the Depression. If he sold that off, I'd be ticked.

That's how I look at it as well. I would bet that this brother down the road teaching his grandchild to shoot and passing the weapon down will regret not being able to pass down the first rifle his parents bought for him as opposed to one he traded off for. I know I would.

 

[quneur]

Family heirloom is a Rossi?

Joking. A father figure and I used to shoot skeet with a FIE. We didn't know any better. Would be nice to own but I wouldn't shoot it today.