Author Topic: sad day at gun shop (Read 2968 times)

mattt · « **on:** August 28, 2008, 05:48:36 PM »

Was at local gun shop yesterday and a 30 something kid came in with some beautiful 1970,s smith Wesson revolvers everthing from a 22lr to 44 mag all boxed in presentation cases like new. He also had 2 colts a python and anaconda. He said his dad had died and he wanted to get rid of all his guns and what he brought in was only part of the collection.It made me sad that his father collected all these beautiful revolvers and the kid only saw them as dollar signs.Being I dont have kids I am going to think alot about what happens to my guns when I am gone.

Cabin4 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 28, 2008, 05:51:58 PM »

Thank god I know my son would never do that. I agree, that is very sad no matter what the motive.

blhof · « **Reply #2 on:** August 28, 2008, 06:20:44 PM »

I just came back from visiting my cousin, a Battle of the Bulge WW2 survivor. He let me look at his captured P38, and was telling me that he had given his sons some other captured German artifacts a few years ago and when he recently asked where they were displayed they told him they had sold that junk. I guess I'll be in his will for the gun since both my son and I knew how to disassemble it and expressed disbelief that his sons would sell war memorabilia. He said he wouldn't give them another souvenier. Sad when even your own children don't appreciate your sacrifice.

kjeff50cal · « **Reply #3 on:** August 28, 2008, 07:05:32 PM »

At least the little $!^*... er gentleman did not turn them in to the local po-pos.

Mikey · « **Reply #4 on:** August 29, 2008, 01:45:27 AM »

matt: I do not have children either and on occasion, in brief (very brief) moments of mortality I have often thought of what would happen to all those prized possessions I have managed to gather. So, I put them all into my will. That takes care of that.

I will assure that my wife is more than adequately covered and since I plan on outliving the rest of my family I can pass on most of my other possessions to my younger friends (I'll probably outlive most of them, too.....).

So, as I grow older (but not too fast) I may think of adopting some needy 'gun poor' folk who could benefit from a bit of an inheritance. Chinese orphans, libruls and dumbocraps need not apply............... Mikey.

williamlayton · « **Reply #5 on:** August 29, 2008, 01:51:46 AM »

I remember the old Colt Commercial my Grandad carried. When he died it was given too my uncle who pawned it .
Sad thought for me.
I will give mine too my son and daughter with hopes they are treated better---but who knows.
Blessings

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #6 on:** August 29, 2008, 03:44:43 AM »

My own introduction to the shooting/hunting started 43 years ago with a close group of family & relatives. This started out with 12 people and three of these are now deceased.
The other nine have all quit hunting but three of them do shoot occasionally while I have continued strong.

What I am really looking at is not only my immediate family but also nephews or nieces who show intrest in the hunting and shooting.
This is what I really want upon passing...a family member or relative who knows me but also one who will appreciate and use what I now own. It is looking like my Son will qualify for this
And that is great but I would definitely bypass him if he had little intrest in our sport.

huntswithdogs · « **Reply #7 on:** August 29, 2008, 04:56:53 AM »

When my Dad died 11 years ago, my Mom gave us each the choice of one of my Dad's guns. The rest of them were sold to help pay medical and funeral bills.

HWD

cleveland48 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 29, 2008, 07:12:06 AM »

My uncle passed away about 2 weeks ago. He had no children or wife, but he had a large collection of guns. My dad was his twin brother, and me and my two other brothers always would shoot his guns, and help him clean them. Well when he passed away my dad's other brother and sister were suppose to meet and split them up between them. Well we went down there the next day, and all of the guns were gone but about 4 guns out of about 25. My dad didn't show it but we could see he was heartbroken. He managed to remember where 2 of the old family guns were hid. He got them which was an old greener hammered double barrel shotgun, and an old winchester model 97 shotgun. He gave me the colt python wth 4in barrel, and my brothers got the old shotguns. After we left from his house, my dad made us go to his house. He gave us all of his guns, except the ones he was gonna deer hunt with this year, and the ones he sad we couldn't get until he passed away. He said he did it because he didn't want someone selling his guns after he died. It was sad to be in that room he was choking up because of how his brother and sister had done him, and because he knew he was gonna pass just like his brother because they both suffer from severe liver damage from alchoholism. So I understand what you must have felt when you saw that mans kid selling his collection he had worked for his whole life.

bilmac · « **Reply #9 on:** August 29, 2008, 07:30:56 AM »

My daughter was trained to shoot, but now that she is grown show no interest. My son a bit more, but he's no fanatic. That doesn't cause me a lot of heartburn though. They are good kids even if they didn't grow up to be exactly like me.

I do not have a lot of interest in heirlooms. I didn't feel it necessary to keep all my dads stuff. I don't expect my kids to have to keep a bunch of my junk that they're not interested in. When it comes time I guess I'll ask them and the grandkids what they want and sell the rest myself, so I know that the price is right.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #10 on:** August 30, 2008, 12:36:27 AM »

I guess i think a little differently then some. My guns are just material things. When i die i could care less whats done with them. Im an avid shooter and hunter but maybe the next generation will be into something else. Maybe its cars boats or something else. I bought my guns to enjoy and if theres something else they enjoy let them sell them and I hope it makes there life a little happier. Theres a few guns that were my dads and my grandpas that i would like to stay in the family but as to mine i could care less.

BlkHawk73 · « **Reply #11 on:** August 30, 2008, 01:07:24 AM »

I can see the kid's side. If he has no interest in the guns at all should he still keep them? Could his situation be that he cannot properlly store them? Better to have them be owned by someone that'll take care of them than sit and deteriorate. If it was sheer greed then, shame on the kid and hopefully when he realizes his error it bothers him for a loooong time. When I'm gone and my kid gets my stuff, he's free do do what he wishs with them. Sure I'll have saved them, some especially in hopes he has interest but I cannot force it onto him.

mechanic · « **Reply #12 on:** August 30, 2008, 01:56:55 AM »

Whats far worse than this, at a yard sale I notice a group of military medals from WWII. Bronze star, Silver star, campaign medals all for sale at a dollar each. The lady was selling her Dad's medals!

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #13 on:** August 30, 2008, 02:56:36 AM »

Quote from: Mikey on August 29, 2008, 01:45:27 AM

matt: I do not have children either and on occasion, in brief (very brief) moments of mortality I have often thought of what would happen to all those prized possessions I have managed to gather. So, I put them all into my will. That takes care of that.

I will assure that my wife is more than adequately covered and since I plan on outliving the rest of my family I can pass on most of my other possessions to my younger friends (I'll probably outlive most of them, too.....).

So, as I grow older (but not too fast) I may think of adopting some needy 'gun poor' folk who could benefit from a bit of an inheritance. Chinese orphans, libruls and dumbocraps need not apply............... Mikey.

I'm in Uncle Mikey!

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #14 on:** August 30, 2008, 03:05:36 AM »

I have quite a few guns in my collection. Some are just tools for specific needs like target shooting or different hunting scenarios. Some are just for me to enjoy like the military surplus rifles and pistols. I do however have a couple that I consider "heirlooms" and have already told my son that I would like them passed on to his kids. One of which is his great-great-grandfathers Colt revolver. I swear if any of my decendants ever sells that I'll come back and haunt them for the rest of their lives.

bilmac · « **Reply #15 on:** August 30, 2008, 03:35:37 AM »

We have too much STUFF these days. I buy and sell guns so often and so easily that I can that maybe only one or two have much special meaning to me. You know the sixshooters still in mint condition in the boxes weren't anything special to the guy bought them, or they wouldn't have been "like new".

williamlayton · « **Reply #16 on:** August 30, 2008, 03:40:57 AM »

It is reality that what holds our hearts doesn't always get passed too the kids.
I think that I can hope---but am at a loss too demand.
Blessings

Heavy C · « **Reply #17 on:** August 30, 2008, 08:05:23 AM »

It boils down to how much you share with your kids, nephews/nieces, and grandkids. If you never took the time to share your passion for the shooting sports and/or firearm collecting; then it stands to reason the younger generations will not embrace those things when you leave this earth.

Lloyd is right to an extent in that some of my collection I see as tools and they can be easily sold with no second thought. There are others that were passed from my Grandfather to my Dad to me. Those won't be sold and will pass on to my daughter or some other family member that shares my passion.

The best way to ensure things end up the way you want them is to create a will. If you want to screw things up for your loved ones; die without a will.

IMshooter · « **Reply #18 on:** August 30, 2008, 09:35:22 AM »

A few years ago I wrote up some instructions of what I wanted done when I passed away (this is in addition to my will). Each family member will receive one item that was important to me, and I included a brief history and explaination of why that item is important to me. My instructions were to pass the gift to another family member when they no longer have a desire or use for it. Granted, this is all on the honor system, but that is what trust is.

ps. I also specified they were to have a keg party and hire a mariochi band after the funeral!

Swampman · « **Reply #19 on:** August 30, 2008, 10:38:13 AM »

The way things are going I'll be suprised if our kids can even own guns.

Every couple of years I give one of my boys a gun or two. Sometimes I give the grandkids a gun.

I left my father's guns to my oldest son who said he'd like to have them. When I'm gone, it won't matter.

I asked them to take me hunting when I'm real old, and just leave me in the woods to rot. The animals can drag my bones off.

Mikey · « **Reply #20 on:** August 30, 2008, 11:29:24 AM »

Weekend at Bernies?

torpedoman · « **Reply #21 on:** August 30, 2008, 04:35:03 PM »

i have a very old remington mod 6 my wifes father received for selling grit subscriptions or clover leaf salve when he was all of 8 years old when he died i made sure my brother in law got it because i thought it should go to his son, he gave it back to me saying his wife wouldn't allow any guns in the house.

petemi · « **Reply #22 on:** August 31, 2008, 03:21:57 AM »

Quote from: torpedoman on August 30, 2008, 04:35:03 PM

i have a very old remington mod 6 my wifes father received for selling grit subscriptions or clover leaf salve when he was all of 8 years old when he died i made sure my brother in law got it because i thought it should go to his son, he gave it back to me saying his wife wouldn't allow any guns in the house.

It is really sad, our heritage is lost to another family.

petemi · « **Reply #23 on:** August 31, 2008, 03:26:42 AM »

Quote from: Swampman on August 30, 2008, 10:38:13 AM

The way things are going I'll be suprised if our kids can even own guns.

Every couple of years I give one of my boys a gun or two. Sometimes I give the grandkids a gun.

I left my father's guns to my oldest son who said he'd like to have them. When I'm gone, it won't matter.

I asked them to take me hunting when I'm real old, and just leave me in the woods to rot. The animals can drag my bones off.

It is so stupid they won't allow you to be laid out for the critters. They push road killed deer off the shoulder and they're eaten by the birds and the beasts. Years back a guy in California wanted to be laid out on a mountain top for the California Condors. The family took it to court and lost.

rockbilly · « **Reply #24 on:** August 31, 2008, 05:57:00 AM »

Sad, but death is a jounery we must all take. A friend passed away last Thursday, he had a collection of Rugers, one of every gun every made by them. We will have to wait and see how they are disposed of.

Yesterday I went to an Estate Auction in Brownwood, TX. The gentleman had been a firearms collector and had a sizeable collectiuon of old Colts and Winchesters, They sold for what I considered a low price, the collection busted up and spread to new owners all over the state. I didn't meet the "kin folks", but I would be willing to bet they didn't give a hoot about guns.

I have a fair number of guns, I tell my wife they are my retirement security, my Son and grandson are shooters and hunters so I plan to leave most to them....the others, I don't know, but who gives a damn after they are gone?

buck460XVR · « **Reply #25 on:** August 31, 2008, 07:11:08 AM »

Coupla years ago I was executor of my dad's estate. What I learned then was a big eye opener. If you want your guns to go to your kids/grandkids you better specify in your will exactly who gets what. Just saying that the estate should be divided equally means(unless you are an only child) that there will be a debate. Don't think just because you come from a close knit family and that you all get along reasonably well means there will be no arguments or ill feeling when it comes time to divvy things up. Word of mouth don't mean squat if there's is one greedy family member. If you don't have a will, or if there is a debate over value, an appraisal must be made and this value whether or not you agree with it will be deducted from the final distribution. or the possessions will be sold at auction(you can take the chance that it will bring less at auction than the appraised amount) and the monies(after all debts have been settled....BTW lawyer fees will be a minimum of 10%) will then be distributed amongst the remaining heirs. Been to a lot of estate auctions where dad had told the kids the guns are theirs, but without a will, the state probates and the kids have to go to the auction and buy the same guns back that dad promised would be theirs. Especially true when one kid has an interest in guns and the others only have an interest in how much moola they're gonna get. Sad ain't it? Kids biddin' against their brothers and sisters to get a piece of mom/dads legacy. I have already given my sons some of my guns, and some of their grandpas and great grandpas guns. The rest already have been promised and verified in the will. I have a strong feeling that my boys will retain most of these as they have learned on and have accumulated memories from most....but odds are I'll never know.

BlkHawk73 · « **Reply #26 on:** August 31, 2008, 07:58:28 AM »

Seems most are bothered by the fact that the family members of the folks that kept these finrearms din't have interest in them or firearms in general. It's as though that makes these ppl automatically bad folks. makes some appear to have some narow minds. One cannot honestly expect other family members - be that children, cousins, siblings, whatever - to have the same interest in what we have. I have a friend who collects Corvettes. he has 6 or so now from each of the designs. A wonderful collection to hand down to his grandchild. But wait...his grandson likes Mustangs. Guess that's a misguided, socially unacceptable, moraly deficinet, uneducated and down right stupid kid.

Point is...we all want our children to be thier own person, to be an individual so why when they don't have the save affection for what we do is it so very wrong?

StrawHat · « **Reply #27 on:** August 31, 2008, 09:43:17 AM »

Like some of you my guns are tools. Just like my saws and planes. When I die, my kids who have no interest in tools are free to get rid of them.

I just hope it is to someone who appreciates and uses tools.

When my Pop died, Mom gave me his Luger. Nice gun but I like S&W... He would have understood.

1marty · « **Reply #28 on:** August 31, 2008, 09:56:19 AM »

I have about 13 firearms including a couple of pistols. Although in my will I left them to my son if he wants to sell them that's fine. The only rifle of value was my dad's Win model 94 which he gave to me before he died since he knew my brothers would have sold it. I told my son if he sold it I'd come baack to haunt him.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #29 on:** August 31, 2008, 05:42:00 PM »

Boy I could go on and on on this subject... but I'm 10 beers into a 12 pack and don't have the energy!

I talked about this thread with my wife. She feels my guns mean something to me, not our kids. She's probably right, but geeeze!

The Remington 514 my father gave me when I was 6, the T33 I took off an NVA Captain, the M1 Carbine that followed me home after my first year over there, the one rifle I had built just for me, my back up gun and service revolver and issue semi-auto, and the list goes on...

My oldest son already hocked the pre-64 M94 I got him & my eldest girl took my Win. 101 Skeet model that I used at Ft. Rucker on my Department Skeet team in the late 60's as an advance inheritance. Fortunately she was the Lil' darlin' of the skeet range in Beaufort, SC. The three other kids could care less.

But these are my memories... the kids don't understand why I go to my gun room and take one of my weapons out of it's safe, through it to my shoulder, rub my hand over the wood, check the bore, wipe it down and put it back in it's place... carefully.

My children will each get their pick of my weapons when I die. They all know that. The remainder will be my dear wife's to do with as she pleases. My joy in their ownership and the feelings they engender when I pick them up will be gone.