[the_keeper]

I had more guns by age 10 than most American adults will ever own, but most of them were heirloom guns handed down to me from parents, grandparents, great uncles, uncles etc. These guns have a special place in my collection as they are not only awesome vintage or historical guns, but because they were once a favored pieced of a loved ones gun collection. And I am betting I am not the only one with heirloom guns. What are some of yours?

I could fill this thread with guns that fit this category, but here are a couple of my favorites:

My great uncle was a serious civil war buff and when he passed he left me both a Springfield 1861 and an Enfield 1853, as well as several other guns. These two were local bring backs from the same family that my great uncle acquired when the last of that family passed away without heirs, both have their matching bayonets and US/Confederate issued leather bags containing powder flasks and such. These pics are not mine but represent the rifles, although mine are not quite in this nice of condition as they actual saw use during the civil war and for many years after. They are still in very good condition and I have actually fired them both.

 

[DJfan]

I got my dad's Ruger Single Six in chrome. It was his only gun.

I'd give up all my guns to have Dad back.

 

[Clifffalling]

Old remington model 12 takedown. Was Great Granddad's from the 30s. Probably put a lot of food in the table back in IN.
Dad's mini 30

 

[bounder]

2 really A '97 12 gage with a 32" bbl. passed down to him from his father. and a Remington #6 boys rifle single shot in 22, story is he bought it for .50 cents from a RR conductor/brakeman when he was working the RR in 1950, both will stay with me and go on to my kids/'grand kids.

 

[Drsanborn]

A Winchester lever action .32 Win Spl. Sweet shooter, and accurate for my needs in deer country in Southern NH

 

[ImStillHere]

Winchester 25-35 was my grandfathers from when he was young. It was given to me when I was about 12 as my first deer rifle. It was passed down to my son several months ago along with an afternoon of stories it carried. I have posted about it several other threads here as well.

 

[1911Glock]

Dad’s 1950’s era Ruger Standard. He really had to save and pinch pennies to come up with the $37.50, to buy it.

 

[rice paddy daddy]

My Dad's Colt Model 1903 .32ACP, made the same year he was born - 1918.
I shoot it every now and again.

 

[Klbsa]

I have a sporterized Springfield 03 from my father...... Its beautiful beyond measure

 

[Str8Edge]

Inherited several from my father-in-law. My favorite:
Ruger No.1 in 7x57mauser

I received this rifle naked and in pieces, with no back story really. Was missing a few parts too. I was afraid to shoot it. Had a gunsmith send it out to Ruger for $50. They replaced several parts in the action, reassembled it by replacing a couple missing parts, cleaned the chamber and bore, test fired it and sent it back with the paper target all free of charge…inside of a week! I was blown away. I added the shell holder, sling, and scope: Vortex 4-12x50. After taking it hunting I’ve decided I’m going to swap the scope for a LPVO, 1-6 or 2-7. The 4-12 is just too much for the northeast. It’s funny this rifle sat in the corner, in pieces for a few years. I had no interest in it and then one day I was just like “if I’m gonna have this, it’s gonna work.” Lol. Now one of my favorite guns.

 

[Wyomike]

A Winchester lever action .32 Win Spl. Sweet shooter, and accurate for my needs in deer country in Southern NH

Me too. It was my grampa’s in Maine, then my dad’s in Vermont, now it’s mine in Wyoming. Still has a New England accent, though.

 

[StreetSweeper 12G]

I didn't get handed them but I have 2 Mosin-Nagants 1 being a sniper rifle dated 1942 that CERTAINLY saw combat, they have dings and nicks. I love holding them wondering who else held them and what they've seen.

 

[Jlrhiner]

I inherited a quite a few from my Dad,( He said stole) and have my 2 from my maternal Grandfather. I also have a Pinfire pistol carried by a great Uncle in the Civil War, an Iowa Cavalry unit.

I bought an M1 Garand and gave it to my Dad, who promptly stripped the stock and hand rubbed 30 coats of boiled linseed oil in it. No amount of money could buy it.

I still have the SxS .410 I got for my 10th birthday, and the Colt Gold Cup I had a friends Dad buy for me when I was too young to do it myself.

I still have the single-shot bolt action .22 my Dad bought me when he thought I was wasting ammo with the Remington pump that he originally bought me. We'd sit on the porch and shoot called Walnuts out of the tree. Looser mowed.

Favorite? I'm sure I do.......

 

[Nick30]

My Dad's Colt Model 1903 .32ACP, made the same year he was born - 1918.
I shoot it every now and again.

My grandfather had an Colt 1903 .32. My Dad inherited it after Grandpa died. I shot it some with my grandfather and when my Dad got it he let me take it to the woods and shoot it.

I wouldn't mind getting that pistol, but I'm in no hurry for my Dad to die in order to get it. I've been bouncing the idea of buying my own if I can find a decent one for a reasonable price.

 

[HappyinID]

We were poor, so I only have a couple family guns. But I have a bunch of other's family heirlooms, bought when friends and acquaintances died, and no one wanted the guns, or she insisted they needed to be out of the house, once he was not doing well physically. Most of them bought at market value or more at the time, after his other "friends" tried taking advantage of the widow, when she could really use the money.

An unfired model 29 I paid $500 bucks for, which was the going rate at the time, comes to mind. Another "friend" had offered her $100, which he told her was "more than fair". She told him she wanted $200, less than the amount on her dead husband's receipt for the gun many years before, which he declined, saying it was "too much" since it was used, and he'd come back with $100 cash. A few I didn't get to in time, and was furious when I found out what others had ripped her off for.

Is getting a good deal on a gun really worth taking advantage of someone at a bad time in their life? I don't know how some guys sleep at night.....

Now in fairness, there have been a few times when a family member or friend is helping sell the guns, using a Shooters Bible, pricing them at full retail for the unfired super deluxe version, which theirs isn't. I just politely decline in those cases. I don't want to be the one that offers them what they're really worth.

Sorry for the rant, but the thread subject brought up a lot of bad memories. I'm sure a few other old farts are going through the same situations. To the younger guys, figure out what to do with your guns before it's too late. I've been slowly working on reducing my collection, which isn't much fun, after a lifetime of acquiring them, but I know what they're actually worth. My heirs, not so much.

 

[the_keeper]

Is getting a good deal on a gun really worth taking advantage of someone at a bad time in their life? I don't know how some guys sleep at night.....

When one of my uncles was dying slowly in a care-center, several of my cousins went to his house and pilfered his collection of guns. Some of which belonged to my grandfather. When he passed on and his Will was read, he had left specific guns to specific people (including me) but almost all of the guns were "missing" and my cousins pretended to be ignorant of what happened to them. My dad looked into it and found out from the neighbors that my cousins were at the house numerous times for the weeks leading up to his death and each time were seen carrying things out and putting them in their cars. I received 2 of the 12 guns left to me. Needless to say that branch of the family tree was cut off and no longer exists. Funny thing is they were not meth heads or down on their luck bums, they were all 6 figure "professionals" who were just afraid they wouldn't get the guns they wanted in the Will.

 

[Jlrhiner]

I'm the kind of jerk that would have reported them stolen.

 

[HappyinID]

When one of my uncles was dying slowly in a care-center, several of my cousins went to his house and pilfered his collection of guns. Some of which belonged to my grandfather. When he passed on and his Will was read, he had left specific guns to specific people (including me) but almost all of the guns were "missing" and my cousins pretended to be ignorant of what happened to them. My dad looked into it and found out from the neighbors that my cousins were at the house numerous times for the weeks leading up to his death and each time were seen carrying things out and putting them in their cars. I received 2 of the 12 guns left to me. Needless to say that branch of the family tree was cut off and no longer exists. Funny thing is they were not meth heads or down on their luck bums, they were all 6 figure "professionals" who were just afraid they wouldn't get the guns they wanted in the Will.

That sucks.

As a cop, I responded to family disputes around recently dead relative's property, many, many times, where family members would help themselves to things. Sometimes even during the services. Seriously.

One cousin's drug addict daughter absconded with much of Grandmother's things, and an aunt auctioned off a bunch of my Dad's WWII memorabilia, including a couple of his medals, after he left them with my uncle for safekeeping and my siblings and I didn't know she had them. She got a few hundred bucks for things that would be priceless to me.

I used to let that eat me up, but it was just stuff. Some people really suck though.....

 

[SmallGame2100]

1974 Glenfield 30 30. Grandpas rifle that was handed down to me.

Sent from my SM-A326U using Tapatalk

 

[Offrink]

My grandfather snuck onto a ship out of Russia as the Bolshevik revolution kicked off. They also had a house fire when dad was 8. Dad has his 22 rifle he bought when he was 10 and went to the school shooting range and team and eventually placed top in the county with. My uncle and grandma held onto it while was was traveling the country at college and immediately after. They messed it up good. He got it back and restored it and it still has a singing barrel. The harmonics are perfect and it kind of rings on every shot. Their practice if they weren’t going after rabbits on the way home from school was to see who could hit the branch to knock the snow off of it. They would bring home one rabbit often and any extras were traded to a lady down the street for hard cider. He has a safe full of guns with stories I try to get him to write down and mark what stories go with what gun. I won’t know them when he passes. He will be 77 this March.