Well, I started the give-away process yesterday evening.

A

aarondhgraham

New member
I'm a 64 year old bachelor with no familial heirs to leave my guns to,,,
So in my will I have named a friend as the inheritor for each of my guns.

Of course the list is always changeable,,,
Like the lady I was going to give two pistols to,,,
But she passed away herself just a few months back.

Anyways, I have toyed with the idea that I don't need to wait,,,
In some instances I have decided that I want the joy of seeing the recipient accept a gift.

So anyways, yesterday evening I was sitting at my favorite watering hole,,,
A good friend and co-worker came in and we got to talking guns.

This friend has three sons of 8, 10, and 12 years old,,,
He's recently gotten into guns and target shooting,,,
His first rifle was the AR he just finished building.

He recently purchased a very nice SKS,,,
And a new Savage target style 22 rifle.

His 12 year old got a Heritage 22 revolver for Christmas.

So you can see he is a burgeoning gun-nut.

Anyways, we were talking about how he gets more enjoyment from his SKS than his AR,,,
He mused that there is something about older mil-surps that intrigues him.

He asked me about the Mitchel's Mausers he sees advertised on the web,,,
One of his favorite movies is Enemy at the Gate,,,
He said he wants a K98 Mauser very badly.

I told him that the Mausers from Mitchell are not thought of very highly,,,
It's my understanding that they are pieced together from parts,,,
And are only authentic as "Mitchel's Mausers",,,
Not true numbers matching specimens.

Then the beer kicked in and I blurted out,,,
"If you really want a true Mauser, I have one I will give you."

I am the proud owner (since I was 12),,,
Of the K98 my great uncle Banty brought back from the war.

It's a true battlefield pick-up rifle,,,
Made at the Orbendorf (sp?) factory in 1943 or 44,,,
He gave it to his younger brother (my grandfather) who later gave it to me.

His jaw dropped right into his beer mug.

Then sanity returned to me and I laid out a few caveats,,,
First, he must keep the rifle and pass it to one of his three sons,,,
Second, he is not going to get the gun until I've fired and fondled it some more.

Lastly, he has to promise that he will in fact shoot the dang thing every now and then,,,
Not just let it sit in a dark closet never to see the light of day again.

I woke up this morning and started thinking about my snap decision,,,
For a few minutes I was in deep regret about my offer,,,
But the more I think about it the happier I am.

I'm as sure as anyone can be that he will keep the rifle as an heirloom piece,,,
And sometime this summer we'll take it and his boys to the range,,,
After they all have a chance to fire the old gal a few times,,,
That's when I'll formally transfer ownership to him.

I'm going to create a letter of provenance for the gun,,,
It will state the known list of it's past owners,,,
And the history of it's hunting success.

Grandpa took a few deer with it as well as a black bear,,,
I've taken four deer and one razorback hog,,,
As well as countless rats at the old dump.

This is a big first step for me but I don't think I will regret it,,,
I want my firearm "treasures" to have a good home.

This will ensure at least one of them will not end up in a buy-back,,,
And I'll get the joy of seeing it go to a friend and his family.

My friend said,,,
"Aarond you've been drinking, let's talk about this later."

So I do have one chance to honorably back out the deal,,,
But as it stands now in the cold light of day,,,
I think I'm going to be happy about it.

Aarond

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That is a pretty cool story, in the end I think you're doing the right thing. I definitely support your letter of provenance... I'm actually going to do that with my Great Grand-father's shotgun.

You can't take it with you, and you don't have anyone else really to pass it on to. Might as well make this gentleman and his three sons happy. I also think it's reasonable for you to hold onto it a little while longer (even a year or two) before you deliver it. I wouldn't want to part with that rifle right away before I spent a little bonding time with it either.
 
Totally love reading your threads. I've probably said this in more than a couple of them. It also occurs to me that we think along VERY similar lines quite often.

I have spoke with some friends from time to time about this thing that I have named "Gun Karma", a concept that is not so quickly defined but it centers all around doing good things, being helpful any time that you can, spreading the hobby and the lifestyle of guns and shooting (and for me, handloading) and doing what you can to bring others in the fold... and in the style of karma, it feeds back to you often.

You're an asset to these forums for sure, but even more so in the circles that you travel. There is much to be taken from your tales.

Thanks again.
 
Thanks gentlemen,,,

Thanks for the kind words gentlemen,,,
I've been thinking about this all morning long.

And the later it gets into the day,,,
The more I think I have made a good decision.

Like 5wiskey said,,,
I can't take it with me.

WyMark,,,
I drink at Mexico Joe's in Stillwater.

If you are ever visiting I can't promise you a gun,,,
But I'll be happy to treat you to a shot of fine sippin' tequila.

Many years ago I frequented the World Famous Cowboy Bar in Pinedale, Wyoming,,,
The Air Force had a seismic listening station about 20 miles out of town,,,
I spent several months assigned at the detachment.

I will take "Bertha" to the range a few times to bond and say goodbye,,,
I've got just under a hundred rounds of ammo to shoot up,,,
Maybe have someone take a snapshot of me with her.

Anyways, this will be a test run,,,
If I don't experience too much remorse,,,
This might mean I'll do it again in the future.

Aarond

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That gun will probably mean more to him than any other gun he will ever own. More so that gun will probably mean more to him than anyone else that could ever aquire it.

Your memory will forever live on with that rifle. Even though you are still a bit young. :D

If I were you, when you get a picture of yourself with that rifle, I would give a copy of that picture to your recipient as well. I'm sure he would treasure it. It may even be warming to him to leave the picture in your will.

I know I would personally think very fondly and treasure you again every time I look at it seeing you smiling after you are gone. Please do not take any offense to my pondering of you after you are gone. It is always a pleasure to us to enjoy you here on TFL for for a long time to come. Of all the members here, over the years, yours are some I have always enjoyed and many times I know your posts before ever even noticing your username.

Good on you.

Edit: not that it's hard to single out your unique writing style. :p
 
I believe you are making the right choice. It truly is the only way you will be certain that the gun will go to someone who will appreciate it not as simply a rifle but as a potential piece of history. A history that lives on with every shot fired from it. Its history continues to grow. If you were to leave it in a will your executor would be in charge of dispensing your property. You would not know if it gets to the person you want to have it. This way you will know it gets to the next caretaker properly.
 
Good for you Aarond!

You'll probably get a lot of satisfaction in seeing the reaction of those you choose to pass your collection on to.

I've noticed I don't see you post much on OSA anymore. You need to stop in once in a while. :)
 
AWESOME!!

That is a fantastic legacy for a treasure like that. Your post put a smile on my face, and if you move forward with that decision, im sure it will put a smile on more than one face, yours and the recipient.
Just think...who would have ever thought that a fine tool of war that was designed to "kill" would end up bringing people together for generations. Great post Aarond, my hat is off to you sir :)
Srew.
 
My grandfather has been in a VA home for about 3 years now and he's 82. He was a gunsmith for 40 some odd years and had a good size collection he was rebuilding after a house fire that burned up 300+ guns in 1983 without insurance.

He called all his children, grandchildren, great grand children and their spouses and asked if they could have one which would it be. Each person voiced their opinion and he wrote things down. Somehow the list never had any problems between people wanting the same guns. I think he gave away around 30 and said he wanted people to enjoy them before he died.

3 years has past and several of those guns have stories with their new owners of game they have shot.

Once he was finally at the VA and no longer able to have his guns they were sold to family as an Estate sale. I bought 8 of them. My dad has also lent me a few that he inherited.

With every deer, bird, squirrel, game season a new gun is brought out for the hunt. Once successful pictures are taken of the gun and animal. The picture and story is then sent to the VA. The number 1 question he asks me when I stop in which is 300 miles from where I live is "I wonder where my guns are and what they are doing".

3 of his guns have that I own have taken deer, the one shotgun has shot a lot of pheasants and a quail, and some just visit the range to train new shooters.

Well that's my story and i'm sticking to it.
 
Well first off nothing like a beer to see ones true heart, secondly 3 young men will be second amendment fans...... congratulations and well done.

Thewelshm
 
Great story, if I might make a suggestion how about setting up a range day with your friend and his boys and watch the enjoyment that they will have shooting your rifle and give them a history lesson on where it came from and what it has seen.
 
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