The legacy of our firearms

G

ghbucky

New member
Recently, my wife and I went through the process of estate planning. During the process, I asked my wife what she thought would become of my gun/reloading collection because neither of my 2 children show any interest.

My Grandson has been away as a paratrooper in the 82nd airborne and received a medical discharge last month. I took him to a range once when he was home on leave, mostly to meet up with my Vietnam veteran brother so they could get a chance to interact.

He was over for a cookout last weekend and he asked me "When are we going shooting?"

The thrill! Maybe I have an answer I never expected. We have a 'range date' tomorrow.
 
Yeah, I'm in kind of the same situation. I'm 66 now, got another maybe 10 years or so to go and I've been trying to get rid of guns so I don't have a garage full of projects when I die. My sons have been more interested in video games than guns for years. I would take them shooting, they would burn through the ammo and want to leave. :(

Recently, my youngest son has started asking to go to the range together. :) Maybe this is the answer.
 
Seems a lot of us are in a similar boat. My situation is further complicated by possessing one of the larger cartridge collections in the US. As that group thins out there are fewer and fewer destinations for it. Fortunately there are still lots of current and future gun guys.
 
Nice update. After meeting up with him at the local range I handed over my WW2 M1 Carbine and all the ammo I had for it and got to watch a paratrooper fire an M1 carbine.

That was a thrill. Even more thrilling was his parting comment as we parted in the parking lot: "We need to do this again"
 
I plan to sell as many as I can before hand, keeping a few family hand me downs and a few others but liquidating the rest so my spouse or kids don't have to. I am at that point where I would rather have a few high quality than a safe of others
 
I say "He who dies with the most toys... is dead." Then his wife has to deal with cleaning up the expensive pile of regulated metal left behind, and will probably only get thirty cents on the dollar for what the man could have gotten by selling it online.

My goal is to die with my two favorite guns in the cabinet and the cash for the rest of 'em on the shelf inside it.

To me, it's not how many I own, it's about how many I absolutely love. It's been a fun hobby, always looking for something I fancy more. There are only two I have even the least regret about selling. The expensive Beretta over and under got sold off as I was not using it, and my kiddo needed money for college. I bought a nicer one 15 years later, but in 20 gauge. The other was a Bersa Thunder that got sold off with it's PPK cousin. The PPK was three times as expensive but only 80% as nice. So I got another Bersa a few years later.

That's just me. My daughter doesn't shoot (much) and I don't have any young pals who I can trust (or burden) to liquidate my shootin' iron estate.
 
As I near 60, I have begun to think about this. My older daughter and son-in-law have guns but rarely shoot, though my son-in-law does hunt with his Dad and brother. I asked my older daughter which guns she wanted and she laughed and said, "all of them." Of their kids, my 12 year old grandson seems interested in shooting. I have taken him out a couple of times and he had fun. My younger daughter and son-in-law don't seem to have much interest. My son and daughter-in-law both have guns and we have gone shooting a couple times. Their main interest in guns is for defense. As far as reloading, none of them seem interested though I did give my grandson a brief lesson. I'm also concerned about my woodworking tools and what will happen to them.....I guess it really doesn't matter, I won't be there to complain about what they do with everything. I guess I'll just use everything as long as I can and then let them worry about it.
 
The kids have their own small collections of guns I gave them over the years. What they do with the rest is up to them. I won't care. I will be dead. They can do whatever they want.
 
I'm not sure what is considered a large cartridge collection. I inherited my father-in-law's collection. I have never tried to count the rounds, but it is probably in the thousands. Many shotgun shells of varying head stamps all of which were old 60 years ago. Many unopened boxes of small caliber ammo. Unfortunately many of the unopened boxes were in a house fire and received some smoke damage. There are inner-primed, pin fire and a partial roll of paper caps for a Maynard - I think - black powder rifle. Many of the brass cases have no head stamps at all so they are difficult to identify, but he knew most from memory. Some I remember the ID from his mentoring, but most I do not remember.
My heirs have no interest in any of these. What to do?

Bob NRA Benefactor
 
ID and appraisal by qualified experts is a tricky business, but there are people who do that kind of thing, for a fee.

Find and visit ammo collector websites and discussion forums. Get a set of calipers and at least a basic book like Cartridges of the World (not the best possible reference for everything, but a basic starting point) measure the unknown stuff (all dimensions) and see what the closes dimensional matches in the book(s) are.

That gives you a baseline. Many of the early metallic cartridges did not have headstamps and must be ID'd by length, diameter, rim size, etc.

Value is a different matter, and one where only experts involved with the current market can help out.

Do look for the firearms/ammo version of Antiques Roadshow and not Pawn Stars...:rolleyes:

Good Luck!
 
Markets change, prices change.

The owner should prepare an inventory list along with acquisition prices and current market prices. The latter fluctuates depending on your area and the economy.

Second, a trusted friend who could help or at least ID the objects listed.
 
now people know why ive been advertising so much for so long. I don't have kids.
its all going. reloading, guns, heck, if people don't start coming back to my range, my range is for sale too.
 
I'm seeing a problem/issue/opportunity (whatever) here.

There seems to be a lot of folk getting older and we have NOT had a lot of kids (maybe because we heeded 'over population' scares---but that's a separate issue) and those kids and grandkids aren't very interested in shooting. I'm in this boat as mine are not interested in my guns.

There's another thread here:
Best way to sell low-value guns
https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=617049

That kind of illustrates the 'problem' too.

I just wonder in another 10 years or so if it won't be a 'buyers' market' for used/rare/collectible or even just 'interesting' firearms.

Anybody out there with a time machine that could go up and check this prediction out for me?
 
Ok...I'm back.
The market is soon to crash and you won't be able to get more than $10 for any firearm at all! Sell all you got to me now for $9.00 each and we can both realize a bit of profit.
Deal?
 
Common cunumdrum

The legacy of our firearms
Recently, my wife and I went through the process of estate planning
Click to expand...
Not entirely sure what you mean by "Legacy" but I am understanding the spirit of what you are communicating. ..... :)

Here is what we have planned and no, the process is not all that cut and dry.
1) I have already given some of my collection to my Grandkids. If it were their choice, they would take them all and sell them. ....... :rolleyes:

2) I have desinated one for my wife, for her protection..... :)

3) The majority of my collection, will be going to a local auction house. Half the proceeds will go to my wife and the rest, to my Daughters.

Understand that most of my collection has turned into quite and investment, that is worth than given them away but to provide for my wife and also go to a better home that wil appreciate them. ...... ;)

Good Luck and;
Be Safe !!!
 
the old joke that "one of my biggest fears is that when I am gone, my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them" is not really a joke.

Late last year I sold several guns through my local FFL putting them on Gunbroker for me. Every one sold for at least half again what I paid for them many years earlier, and some sold for over twice as much, the benefit of last minute bidding wars on the website.

I would also point out that if you sell them before you pass on, YOU get to decide who gets the benefit, without needing to set things up so your estate executor has to handle it.

Good Luck I hope you reach a satisfactory result however you choose to go about it.
 
old guns

When prowling for used guns, once in a while you come up on an old timer that stands out as well used but much loved. Honest wear but still mechanically capable, well kept and the keeper of a hundred stories.

I often wonder the back story....who sold or traded that gun? Was it Uncle Charlie's, Dad's or grandad's, maybe even older? How much game and what type of game has it taken, how many fields, fences or ridges has it crossed?

Invariably, I ask myself, who could have traded or pawned such a thing? But I'm soft that way. Many of my guns hold stories and memories and I will not part with them 'till the end. Their pieces of the past I can touch.
 
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