Now I'm depressed again,,,

I would suggest you get in touch with the Nimitz Museum in Fredricksburg Texas. It may be renamed now but you can find it. I would ask them if they were interested in the 1911 and 8mm rifle considering the history behind both guns. They have some stuff from my uncle in the museum. He was on the California at Pearl Harbor and they exhibit a lot of things from service men of that era. I know, it's in Texas, but it could be worse, maybe californe or nu joisey.

Seriously, I would give them a call and check it out. That way a lot of folks could enjoy your treasures.
 
my VFW has a display room with many donated firearms such as yours. we make oak cases for them and the letters of who and when. they are also inspected from time to time (with gloves) and are well cared for. very much a place of respect. they become property of the VFW not an individual so they will not end up at a pawn shop or gun show. they will not be lonely, there are allways people there looking and talking about the guns and the men who used them. go to your local VFW and talk to them. or better yet a VFW that maybe your family members belong to.
 
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We are in the same boat my freind...

My wife & I inherited her dad's collection... he "groomed me" for several years before he passed, & I've continued to build on it... we have one case of old double barrel shotguns ( the "family's" gun history ) as well as a case of early Czech handguns that he collected ( tons more literally ) even a couple of "odd" guns, as appearently one old relative was a "rum runner"

We live on my wifes family farm, which we got certified as a "century farm" back when the "former" wrestler Jesse Ventura was govenor & he signed the certificate...

but alas... that side of the family is dying off... my wifes brother died when he was 16 ( long ago ) neither my wife nor her sister can have any children... none of the cousins or nieces or nephews has expressed any interest in helping out around the farm, or in learning about the guns...

so when they plant us... we'll probably donate the older collectable stuff & sell off the newer more shootable stuff ... & the farm... & just give the next generation the checks ???

I would certainly take the time to write a letter up for the two or three guns that you know the history on ( even if you planned on taking one with you, write the letter on a material that will last )... even if they ended up on Gun Broker some year, a gun with history is worth more than one without... at that point you can hope that whom ever gets them will appreciate & love them & that they don't go to someone who would bubba them up
 
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Thanks for the thoughts gentlemen,,,

I do apologize for starting such a morbid thread,,,
But I did get a lot of good ideas from you folk so it wasn't all bad.

I have made plans for most of my personally owned guns in my will,,,
My friends will get the guns I think they will use and enjoy,,,
And I have written the letters that will go with them,,,
There are only about 23 guns to plan for,,,
I have enough friends for that.

For instance my friend Jane will get my 3" LadySmith,,,
And it's companion model 34 because when we go out shooting,,,
Those two handguns are the ones she asks me to bring to the range.

My Friend Todd will get my Model 15 and its Model 18 companion,,,
He admired the Model 15 one day and seemed to like it,,,
So he will get those two and a letter telling him why.

It's just those two handguns and the one rifle,,,
That require some special treatment.

Thanks for the suggestions,,,
They gave me more options to consider.
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This is a sentimental post. I hesitated to participate. Now that the thread has taken off I feel obliged to write.

My dad is really the only person in my entire family (close or distant) that appreciates guns and was the one who introduced me to them. That alone made a bond for us among other things. Now that he is 84 he is scaling down his material while making the most of the rest of his life.

I have a son and two daughters. I even have a couple grand kids. Interest there in guns is passing.

In my view interest in guns is passing worldwide with what we are living in today. A Frontier that was started in the United States is waning and getting bad representation making the gun "tool" a wicked device.

That is what we are facing now.

I suspect that is the "depressing thought" to all of us today who appreciate firearms--the waning of a frontier we all participated in to some extent.

I call it according to the title of a movie that aptly describes the loss of the rural country life: The Asphalt Jungle.
 
There's always someone out there who would want to cherish and maintain those firearms. Heck I'm one of 'em. :D

But while you are thinking about it, now is a good time to do a writeup on the history of those "family firearms" so that someone will understand the significance in the future.
 
I understand the concern. I have nowhere to place mine, either, and I'm not sure what to do, either. As it is, I'm just going to keep working on it. Surely I can find some other fanatics who want top quality collector guns.

I don't really care what happens to my handguns, they're nothing special, they will just go to whomever seems needful at the time, or into an auction. It's the long guns that are of sentimental value.
 
I have no children. My neices are products of the Seattle school system, and while they are talented and smart, guns don't figure for them.

I have some *much* younger guy friends who are into guns who will receive my guns and reloading equipment.

Maybe you should try to develop some younger friends? They can be good for your mental and physical wellbeing. (hiking and wreckchasing with young guys keeps me going to the gym so that this old man can out-hike them :-) Even my backpacking partners have been nearly a decade younger.

Big Brother program always seems to need guys (if you can't think of any other way to teach young men about firearms).

Remember that we are trying to propagate something that Sarah Brady and her ilk regard as an "illness." Spread it as best you can!
 
Hello Ronbert,,,

I hear ya,,,
I work at a University and am surrounded by youth,,,
I have been spreading the disease as best I am able to do,,,
Just a few days ago I took a delightful young lady for her first range trip.

I've done that with several of the kids I work with,,,
Chances are that a few of them will get named as gun recipients.

The young lady I took to the range was the object of some experimentation,,,
I am practicing point shooting and trying to develop some skill in that,,,
I started her off with a 4" Model 18 S&W revolver,,,
I let her shoot a few cylinders in aimed fire,,,
But the next two hours were instinctive.

She took to it like a duck to water,,,
In just a few short hours she was hitting the character's image in a movie poster every shot.

She works two jobs and has a nice disposable income,,,
Next week she wants me to take her shopping for a .22 handgun,,,
I'm seriously considering selling her a .22 taurus that I own but never shoot.

By selling I mean let her have a $400.00 revolver for $100.00,,,
It's a nice handgun but since I got the S&W Model 18,,,
I just never shoot the dang thing anymore.

My gosh,,,
I'm a disease vector. :D
.
 
If you saw and bought something like that,,,
Would you keep the letter with the gun?
Click to expand...

Um, yes!!! :eek: The history and story is the best part about an old gun! I've got a single-shot .410 that is as precious as any other gun in the house even though it's practically worthless. Because, it was Great-Grandma's hunting gun when she decided that she'd like to try hunting with Great-Grandpa. There's a lot more to the story than that, but you get the point.

Aarond, if you need a loving home for your old treasures, I would take care of them well. And, I'm only 45 minutes away! :p:D;)
 
I know this may sound a bit philosophical, but, after you pass on, you will have no knowledge of nor any any need for your guns, historical as they may be. There are literally hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of guns in the world that had a "history" behind them that ended up in others' hands who had no knowledge of nor any appreciation for their history.

So my advice is to use as you see fit and enjoy the guns while you are still "with us," and don't worry about what happens to them when you have passed. All of the worries you have expressed only have significance while you are alive, and, quite frankly, life is too short to worry about that kind of BS.
 
You Are On The Right Track aarondhgraham

aarondhgraham
I've done that with several of the kids I work with,,,
Chances are that a few of them will get named as gun recipients.

The young lady I took to the range was the object of some experimentation,,,
I am practicing point shooting and trying to develop some skill in that,,,
I started her off with a 4" Model 18 S&W revolver,,,
I let her shoot a few cylinders in aimed fire,,,
But the next two hours were instinctive.

She took to it like a duck to water,,,
In just a few short hours she was hitting the character's image in a movie poster every shot.

She works two jobs and has a nice disposable income,,,
Next week she wants me to take her shopping for a .22 handgun,,,
I'm seriously considering selling her a .22 taurus that I own but never shoot.

By selling I mean let her have a $400.00 revolver for $100.00,,,
It's a nice handgun but since I got the S&W Model 18,,,
I just never shoot the dang thing anymore.
Click to expand...

This is an excellent idea and very nice of you. I think you've found at least one answer to your situation, that is finding deserving and appreciative young folks who will treasure the firearms they inherit from you.

As an aside, I think that women shooters are very important in the fight to help preserve our 2nd amendment freedoms. We need more women shooters because they really talk to their friends and many liberals, IMO tend to be female.

20 years ago, a close relative who had a very large collection passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.

He knew that I had admired his collection for a very long time. Apparently he left no instructions and this truly wonderful gun collection has been locked up in his wife's safe since then.:( It's a Browning safe but has no dehumidifier in it and I shudder to think of the condition of the rifles and pistols.

Honestly, I was heartbroken for awhile when I wasn't remembered because we were very close.

One example from his collection, was/is a mid 1960's Colt .45 SAA, 7" barrel, beautifully blued with gold trigger and other gold accessories. It went into the safe in it's leather Matt Dillon style holster. God only knows what the finish on this pistol looks like now.

I hope I'm not sounding whiny but I'm trying to give some perspective of what happens to a wonderful gun collection when no plans are made for it.

So I admire your forethought. Continue to seek out young people, teach them to shoot, bring them into the fold and sell or will your firearms to them.
 
20 years ago, a close relative who had a very large collection passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.

He knew that I had admired his collection for a very long time. Apparently he left no instructions and this truly wonderful gun collection has been locked up in his wife's safe since then. It's a Browning safe but has no dehumidifier in it and I shudder to think of the condition of the rifles and pistols.
Click to expand...

Why don't you call the widow and offer to clean and oil or wax the guns for better long term preservation? He knew you were interested, but maybe she didn't.

I don't know what my wife will do with mine if I go before doling them out to the boys. She'll probably offer them to our sons, but I'll be past caring about it then.
 
That's a very good idea Sport45, but there are other family members involved.

It would be awkward as they are somewhat distrustful.

Sadly, I'm afraid the widow and the others only see dollar signs not fine firearms.
 
Yes it truly is. :(

My point was really to praise the OP for his proactive approach in dealing with his collection and to show what can happen when no plans are made.
 
I hear ya Gavel,,,

For my personal guns it really wouldn't matter if anyone knew what their history was,,,
But for Uncle Asa's 1911, Uncle Bantie's 8mm Mauser, and my Momma's Frontier Scout I feel an obligation to try and preserve the history somehow.

My close friend Jane will get my Momma's Colt Frontier Scout,,,
I called her up and asked if she would like to have this gun,,,
And if she would will it to her daughter Katie,,,
She said she would be honored.

Jane is in her early 40's and does like to go plinking,,,
I wrote a letter about my Momma to go with it,,,
It's in a nice wooden presentation case.

So that one is well provided for,,,
It will stay in the possession of good women,,,
Who knows, maybe it will be a generational heirloom for them,,,
And hopefully my Momma's name will travel with the gun wherever it goes.

I liked the posted idea about giving the war relics to a Veterans organization,,,
I'm going to check with the VFW Hall here in Stillwater,,,
Perhaps they can provide me with an idea or two.

I did sit down over the past few evenings,,,
To detail a "gift list" for all of my personal guns,,,
They are very nice shooters but with no particular history.

In my official will, my Brother gets my house and all of my personal belongings,,,
He knows I have left instructions for the dispersal of several items.

I made a list with pictures of the guns and who he should give them to,,,
That list can easily be updated by me at any moment,,,
Just in case someone pisses me off. :D

But mostly they will be scattered among my friends and acquaintances,,,
I'll probably write a short note to accompany each gun,,,
Just so they will know why I thought of them.

Thanks for putting up with the maudlin tone of this thread,,,
It was just something that had been on my mind for a long time,,,
It's off my chest now and positive action towards good resolution has taken place.

.
 
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