I've inherited guns

M

marty55

New member
All of these are brand new in box except 4 of em (colt 45, 1 of the hammerless, and 2 of the 38's). These were my dads. He left them to me when he passed away when I was 3. I turn 21 tonight!!! (haha)

These guns are beautiful. All in the case with the paperwork(not receipt of sale, but instruction manuals ect..), and cleaning supplies. Its unfortunate he sold all of his rifles, because I would have that too. More unfortunate hes not hear to teach me about them today.

Now to the point of the post.

I want to get into target shooting, for fun. I would start out with 1 or 2 of the used 22's (Revolver and sem-auto). I would take a class and start from the ground up. But what the hell am I going to do with the rest of these guns? I looked some up to be $450-$600+ and those were in poor condition.

Will I get addicted to shooting and want to shoot all of the pristine guns? Maybe shoot me a few words of wisdom of what to do here.

I made a post two years ago when my mom told me to sell them all. Thank god I didnt. I need experienced shooters to chime in here!

I will try to get pictures asap



S&W .357 019 B RB 2 ½

S&W .38 060 S RB 2

S&W .22 017 B SB 4

S&W .38 064 S RB 2

S&W .38 010 B SB 4

S&W .38 015 B SB 4

S&W .22 063 S SB 4

S&W .38 640 S RB 2

S&W .38 064 S RB 2

Colt .45 Semi officers Mark IV 3 ½

S&W .38 Hamerless 2

Walther 9mm WAP-64581 8664

S&W .22 2206 6

S&W .38 36 2

S&W .357 66 2 ½

2 Shotguns

1 Proof Tested 12 Gauge 2 ¾ chamber. Single Shot.

2 12 gauge 2 ¾ Remington wingmaster model 870
 
It looks like your father left you a fine collection. A collection that many would take a lifetime to acquire, and still others would never attain.
Please consider my #1 rule below. Selling off your fathers collection could only lead to regret.
Take it from an old man of 65 that regrets every gun he's sold in his 50 some years of gun ownership, and shooting.

A little story that may help you decide. One I don't regret giving up. An M1 Garand my father bought just 'cause he liked them. He gave it to me 30 something years ago, and after 20 unsuccessful deer seasons I finally killed my first buck with it. About 15 years later my son, about 15 at the time, took his first deer with the same M1. This was after his Grandfather had passed, and I told him that his Grandpa wouldn't want it to be anywhere else, so it is, and has been since that day his!

You have a fine collection there. Consider it a family heirloom, all of them!
 
I usually adhere to cheapshooter's rule, never sell or trade anything. Usually. I do plan on selling the Mossberg I have in order to fund a rifle purchase. The only reason I'm selling is because I have no sentimental attachment to the gun, I'll be selling the gun for more than I paid for it, and I want the rifle a lot more than I want a 20 gauge shotgun.

Now if it was handed down to me from my grandpa I'd never consider even for a second selling it. Even if you never use them, its something that was your dads that you can't get back when its gone.

Also, you're going to get addicted.:D There's really no way around it. Better to have them when you want to shoot them...
 
I need to learn how to take care of them properly, but more importantly handle them properly.

A class or two in the summer, and Im sure some of the new ones will no longer be new (if im correct all guns have to be shot before sold anyways so nothing is TECHNICALLY new).


Ill probably do a closer inspection on which ones actually saw the light of day, and grow on those. I talked with an older gentleman at a gun store for a good hour and I had more fun listening about things that went right over my head than you could believe.

I just dont want to jump into anything, whether it be selling them shooting them all, not properly taking care of them. I do want them to last forever.


But I do want MY GUN. I want a gun, that I bought, I picked out. Given my experience (none) Maybe you can suggest a gun that I can buy and start off with? I bought a cz 452 varmit rifle. Have yet to shoot it. In fact I've only ever shot a rifle once. My uncle and I plinked a few rounds at a range. I just want to start shooting. I appreciate guns, and I dont even shoot them yet :(.
 
Those are all good quality standard make firearms. Except maybe the single barrell shotgun.
Pre-lock Smith & Wessons are worth a bit of a premium but nothing amazing.

What I would do is to go ahead and shoot the ones that have already been used. Sit on the NIBs for a while until you decide whether you would rather have them to use, to keep pristine for your eventual kids, or even to trade on something more interesting. Those various snubbies are popular but they are not really much fun to shoot.
 
My take on it is to commit to keeping them all for at least three years... and simply take it one day at a time. I know I'd want to shoot all of them eventually but I'm not a showcase-type collector.

You'll get a feeling for it as you go along... It'll just "come to you"... There's no reason to try and decide everything now or plan it all out.

Just enjoy them and let nature take it's course...
 
Will I get addicted to shooting and want to shoot all of the pristine guns? Maybe shoot me a few words of wisdom of what to do here.

I made a post two years ago when my mom told me to sell them all. Thank god I didn't. I need experienced shooters to chime in here
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What would your dad have wanted?

You've become the caretaker of his legacy, not the owner of his guns.

I do want them to last forever.
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I believe your on the right track...

(if I'm correct all guns have to be shot before sold anyways so nothing is TECHNICALLY new).
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Correct. All guns are proofed (fired) prior to leaving the factory.
However - especially with revolvers - other things come into play.
A drag line or lack of a drag line on the cylinder can make a huge difference in the value.

Also - when trying to figure out if you should or shouldn't shoot what appears to be an unfired gun - - consider the source of the advice.
This forum is made up of people that shoot guns, not collectors.

I would advise you to let your gut or conscience guide you. Once the gun is fired, you can't go back and undo that.

But I do want MY GUN. I want a gun, that I bought, I picked out. Given my experience (none) Maybe you can suggest a gun that I can buy and start off with? I bought a cz 452 varmit rifle
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Well, alrighty then! That's the spirit! Put up another post and ask for some recommendations!
A decent 9mm or .22 is a good place to start.
 
Out of all those, the model 17, .22 and the model 15, .38 are the ones you could learn to shoot with.
They would be pretty matched, and the four inch barrels would be sufficient for you to learn accuracy.

It would be much harder to learn how to shoot accurately with the shorter 2 and 2.5 inch barrel in the beginning.
The .45 Colt auto is only 3.5 inch and still to short for beginners accuracy, but would be good to learn the fundamentals of semi autos.
 
You have a great collection passed to you.

Don't get rid of any of them. There are plenty of clubs and ranges that can teach proper care and handling practices.

You might look at getting a safe, or something to keep them all in.
 
Guns have value three basic ways.

Their value as useful tools.

Their value to you.

Their value as a marketable commodity.

Shooting a new in the box (unfired, factory proof firing does not count as firing to a collector) will lower its cash value to a collector.

With fired guns, the amount of wear becomes the critical factor determining their value. Fired, but looking brand new (ASNIB - as new in the box) means the gun has been shot, but there is NO detectable wear, anywhere. This condition brings a bit less from a collector, but more than any other condition.

Also, the box and all accessories and paperwork adds to the value to a collector.

Their value to you is something only you can determine. I have some family heirloom guns that will never be sold (during my lifetime, anyway). Not NIB, some a quite used. But there is no amount of cash that can take their place, and even replacement with the exact same make & model woulnd't be the same to me.


If you do not plan to sell any of them, then their pristine condition only matters to you. Their cash value is immaterial.

I would keep them all, unless you are destitute and need to eat.;)

Learning how to properly care for them, is a first step. Learning to use them is another. Both the guns and you have been waiting a long time. They will wait a bit longer for you. There's no rush, is there?
 
I would suggest you find a REPUTABLE dealer and have them appraised "for insurance purposes". Store them in a safe, dry location. Then proceed slowly with your decisions on what you do next. You never know you may have some gems there. Even if you don't, they're worth taking care of.
 
I would say you are one lucky guy! I would agree with the suggestion to start with the .22 and .38 as they will be easier to fire and easier to work on technique. Once you develop some good skills, you can move up in caliber.

Regarding keeping or selling, I would also suggest holding onto them for a few years until you get "into" the hobby. You may find you are only mildly interested. Then again, if you are like me, it will turn into somewhat of an addiction and you won't want to sell any of them. I'm a shooter so I would shoot them all eventually. Lastly, what would your dad have wanted? Since he willed them to you, I would imagine he was hoping you would get into it like he did. Just my opinion.
 
well marty

i am only 30 but i would say if it were me i would hang on to them and pass them down some day to your children. especially since your father passed them on to you. as some others have said i think you will regret selling any of them. one of which i regret selling was my colt 3 inch officers model. i have had many other guns i have sold that i could just give my self a good swift kick in the butt for letting go of them but any guns that i have aquired from my family which have been passed down stay in the family and get passed down. good luck with your decision looks like you have a very nice collection.
 
I'm retired and I still have every gun I ever purchased, or my dad ever purchased. No regrets. I will sell my house, my coin collection, and any other thing of value before my guns go....on top of that our 5 daughters are haggeling over who gets what when I pass on already.

(there are plenty to go around, just some of them like some items better than others)
 
Judgment Call

There are several issues at play here, including an emotional one. I don't think it is necessary to keep all of them as your dad left you quite a number of guns. That's your call. In the interim, store them securely, preferably in a strong safe. Perhaps sign up for a CCW course somewhere.

One thing you'll learn very quickly is that a gun is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
 
Nice collection. These were your familys and you would do well to keep them. You would regret it later if you did.

and don't ever trade your mint 9422M to your brother for a cheesy Nylon 66. That was when I was 12 and I still regret it at 49. :mad:
 
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