Firearms dispersal when you die.

[Cal Sibley]

This isn't a jolly topic, but one we'll all face. I'm 66 and won't last all that long. I have 17 long guns, all in excellent shape. Normally I'd will them to me only son. He was in the USMC for 8 years, operated a military range, and has a good knowledge of firearms. Unfortunately he's married to a tree hugger and has 3 daughters who have been thoroughly brainwashed by their mother. You know the bit, "animals are our friends. We never hurt our litle friends, etc..." She won't even allow guns in the house, and he apparently is reluctant to stand up to her. I have no intention of interferring, but wonder, do others among you have similar problems as to the disposition of your firearms when you pass on? Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

[TrofyBuk]

I too have one son that is married to a tree hugger, but, somehow my son stopped hunting after his first actual kill. I guess hunting is not foe everyone. I wouldn't leave the guns to him just becuase he wouldn't use them and I know his wife wouldn't allow it.

Lucky me:) I have another son that hunts with me. He is just the opposite. He started hunting more after his first sucessfull hunt. He is not married yet and has no plans to in the near future so he would get them if I was to pass on too soon.

Other than that, I guess I could leave them to a nephew or to the gun club to raffle or even a friens kid :confused:

That's a good question Cal, it's got me thinking. Good luck to you. It's a tough topic that needs to be addressed.

[Kragman71]

Cal,
I'm in the same boat as you. My wife is a non hunter,my three daughters are also. One son-in-law is a non hunting farmer and the other one quit hunting soon after marrying my daughter.
I hope I live awhile.
Frank

[Brant Buster]

...... to do the right thngs with 'what you want done with "your things."'

The one son, TB, who hunts with you - you could always give him what you want him to have with the promise and understanding he'll keep things and use them the way you intended him to.

My father is now deceased, but I can easily imagine him having said something similar to me, but he didn't. He knew me very well of course and I even got so I could out-shoot my dad often enough. My sister is very pro-gun and her hubb is an avid hunter.

When my mother divides the spoils, she'll do it down the middle.

I hope all of you gents live a long, long time - even just to give the anti-gun, tree hugger types a bad time. ;)

:D :D :D

[RobertInMaine]

I'd let the son know that you would like to leave them to him. If he says no, then start going to hunter safety courses. Figure out a way to "donate" (following all applicable laws naturally) to a kid who seems appreciative.
Give them to your gun club maybe?
My son and two daughters will no doubt be fighting over my collection so I'm really not in the same boat.
Good luck to you

[Nulle]

Interesting point and one I have never thought of = Well guess my youngest daughter will get the guns as she is my huntress

[Jonesy]

I told my wife that when I die to sell all my guns and go on a cruise and find a rich guy to marry this time. What the heck will I care, I'll be dead.

[quigleysharps4570]

Cal you've got a good topic going. One I've been thinking about for awhile myself. Looks like my nephew will get mine. My daughter took after the "ex". One of her lines " have you been murdering anything lately":) , of course I then fill her in on it:) . So anyway I see that I'd be wasting my time giving mine to one of my two grandsons is when I came up with my nephew. Course if those grandkids lived in my state I might could sway them one day, it's doubtful though. Trying to find someone that will take care of them as well as "we" do comes into play also. I'm training my nephew to take care of them, cause I'm real particular about that. I'm sure you all know guys that don't know what oil and a clean firearm are. My neighbor and my brother-in-law both like rust on theirs, mine won't go to either. Told my nephew just the other day I'd better not ever see his looking like that! Anyway Cal, you might keep that in mind also.

[Lilred]

While i reckon i'm technically still a "youngster", i've given it alot of thought.
Ya know, I remember when I was a youngun, lookin at my pop cleanin them guns with care and pride, thinkin, one day I might be cleanin them guns..i can kill big bucks with em! I would watch him fer hours on end. Sometimes he'd tell a story, er sing a blugrass song.

And there has been so many times while i'm cleanin them same guns to git my 10 yr old so sit down with me, learn a lil somethin, or just enjoy huntin stories my pop told me. Yeah right..caint take his eyes offa the simpsons long enough, er play that dammed ole xbox his grandma bought him. ( i flatly refused to spend nary a penny on games and such) And i've sat there with a half hurt/half confused look and wondered...when he gits these guns..is he really gonna appreciatte em? He gonna wind up git hard up fer money and sell to the first redneck that comes along? What's gonna become of "my pop" when i'm gone?

I thinkin that I might give him one, maybe 2. But.. I'm thinkin I might just sell em when I git older..to a kid who's been gittin up hay fer a yr to save up fer his first gun ta hunt with. Even iffin a 2000$ gun goes fer 40$, I dont care. The way I see it, its times like that, when you truly appreciatte whatcha got. I know i did.
There's approximatley 39 lines carved in a stock of that ole fox double..and iffin the good lord is willin, I'll kill more bucks to add to them scratchins. They started in 1935, when my pop was a youngun, and I hope, somebody after me...will keep on scratchin..till the year 2035 or more. That would mean more to me...than my son, flesh and blood er not, would sell it, and them scratches would fade away.

[gspsonny03]

Don't give up on the youngster yet, he may still come around. But I would have to agree with you, it would sure be a shame if my son was to sell my guns, just because things got a little tight for him. Which I don't think would happen because he dearly love guns.

[Nulle]

On the lighter side I sure know what happens when the wife leaves = She sells your guns (twice) LmHO now-not then

[tooldummy]

Good question. I have already given my nephews each a gun. I doubt either of my daughters would want my guns. And I don't have any friends to give them to. I think I will just tell my wife to sell them and let her enjoy the money. After all, she was good enough to let me buy any of them I wanted without complaining, it'll be her turn for a change.

[Chief4]

Guess I'm one lucky dad. Have 3 daughters and one son, they all hunt as do their husbands and wife, 6 grandchildren and with the exception of one they all hunt, the one that doesn't hunt likes to shoot and fish and may yet hunt, still have time to work on her. We, as a family, have already decided who gets what guns and there are plenty to go around. When the mountain gets to high and the valley to deep the winters to cold and the summers to hot I will give them the guns that they killed their first deer with, first quail, first coyote, etc. I would rather they enjoy them when I still around to see it then after I'm gone.

[catfishsr]

cal

good post sir! i am lucky both my kids love to fish/hunt(son is 15 duaghter is 11) . they have all ready decided what guns they would like .my son was given my gradfarthers .22 single shot remington rifle when he showed that he was responsible and deserved it, he was 12 . my daguhter wants a .410 savage single shoot that she got her first squirrles and rabbits with ,she will recive it soon .
this question is a very hard one for some i think .i am glad that you posed it . :) i wish all who read this the best of luck with there dicisions. i have willed that all my guns and fishing gear be evenly divded bettween my kids if i should pass before i give them to them. i intend to live a long time .:)

[Swift]

My son gets em all, as my daughter probably won't care. They are only 9 (son) and 8 (daughter) so hopefully they don't get em too early as I'm not ready to give em up yet.
I did start sort of handing em down to the by as just this Feb for his birthday I gave him my first 22LR I ever bought for myself. A nice old Winchester mdl 67 finger groove. He was very happy!!
He's taking a strong interest as he should since I've been dragging him along huntin since he was 2 1/2 yrs old.

[Star1pup]

My son always liked to shoot and his wife does not seem to be anti-gun, just more shopping oriented. My wife can sell all she wants and use the money as she pleases. Next is my son and next my son-in-law and grandsons as they all hunt.

I sure won't need them then, but it would be nice to think right now that at least one of the special ones would remain in the family.

If my wife goes first, I get to keep her .38 Special Taurus as I like that little gun.

[rubicon]

I have three sons that love to hunt but two are married to tree huggers ( the other is still single). the controversy in their houses is unreal. they keep their guns at my house. Fortunatly, I have a six year old head strong grandaughter who not only outfishes my boys but also is not fit to be around if she doesnt get to go hunting and camping with grandpa. She is a real little tomboy and will most likely end up with my guns

[mazter]

That is one of the best question's I have read on here. Very good One.

Right now i have no idea if either of my stepson's will get any of my guns. So i am telling the wife until i get a will made out, That she can sell them and keep the Money, or spend it as she sees fit. She has never once complained over me buy anything hunting or Fishing related, So i think like the rest of you. She deserves it for putting up with me and my hobby's.

Although the Family Guns that were my dads & my Grandad's will go to my Nephew, Along with a Masonic Gold Inlayed Sword and Nickel Scabbard dated 1920's era.

[cdhunt]

CAL--same boat--my daughter in law dosent like guns --nor allow them in the house---she will not apoproach the subject w/me cause she knows how i feel---am starting to dispose of my guns now . sold about 150 in 1998 and am down to 60 and going to sell more soon .will keep a couple to hunt myself and they will only have 5 or 10 to sell when i go. CD

[Cal Sibley]

When you have youngsters you never can tell what they'll be like
down the road a ways. My son loved going to the range with me. I'll never get over the ear to ear smile when he shot his first woodchuck. But they do change with time. Mostly hormones get in the way! His chunky, tree hugger wife has brain-washed their three daughters into believing all animals are our friends, never to be shot or harmed in any fashion. Why we love our furry little friends. It makes me ill! Best wishes from a disgruntled old codger.

Cal - Montreal

[Lilred]

Yer right Cal..they change alot. I think it was in another thread where I made the statement.." Aint none of my kids gittin nuthin till they're 30." I'm still stickin to that..lol
Iffin I (heaven forbid) die tomorrow..they aint gittin nuthin for a while lol..I figure, by the time they are 30, they'll appreciatte whatever they git alot more. Iffin they dont by then..then they never will..and it wont make no difference noway.

You know, I'm 30..be 31 in May, and I still caint fer the life of me, git over how different things are from when I grew up. And that wont that long ago! I know my folks lived like it was 1885 rather than 1985..but still...it just blows my mind sometimes.

[VinVega]

I'm just 22, so HOPEFULLY I've still got a lot of time to decide. As of yet, I live with my parents so all my stuff would just kinda stay here, but I'm sure they'd give the guns to my brother since he's the only other person in my family that's into guns/hunting at all. I really hope my parents would keep the shotgun here for themselves, as they don't know a lot about guns and operating a pump action is about as simple as it gets. They just need something for home protection 'cause they're getting closer to middle aged and that kinda makes them a seemingly "easier" target and I want them to have something to protect themselves with. When I move out I'll probably leave one for them anyway, if they'll let me.
But as far as if I ever have a family of my own, I'll definitely raise my kid(s) around shooting/hunting. I have yet to meet a girl I'd go out with who was turned off to guns, and if I did, I doubt I'd go out with her anyway, so that's not really an issue. Like I said before, I really hope I've got plenty of time to think about it, though.

[Dan Morris]

Have already given...on paper.......dated, the whole deal, all my
firearms and loading stuff to daughter...shoots but doesn't hunt.
Son who does both. I just retain possession till the day.They have
a lot of old Winchesters to look forward to.
Dan
:)

[Duffy]

I'm only 34, with two daughters aged 6 and 4, and a 14-month old son. My wife is not a shooter or hunter, but fully supports my sport, and is not against guns or hunting per se in any way, as long as everything is done ethically and responsibly. No handguns in the house, however, and that's OK, just long guns for me. So I have no problems when it comes to support, and I intend to raise my kids with the proper respect and attention to be given to firearms and hunting, that if they so choose to become shooters or hunters, they can have my guns when I die. If I die before my kids mature, however, my wife agreed to make arrangements to give my guns to my cousin (who is an amazing hunter and shooter, and perhaps should be a professional in the sports instead of a math teacher) because she won't want the guns in the house when I'm gone. But my kids can have them if they want if I'm still aroud when they become aults (and I intend to be around), if they want them. If they don't, then I'll figure somegiung else out, and makle sure that the guns be given a proper disposition.

Very good thread.

[Tiny Torpedo]

WOW now that 's a thought for me .. I better get to thinking & planning where mine will go !!

TT

[fabsroman]

Dan,

Are you giving all your guns to your daughter? If so, I am wondering why since your son is both a shooter and a hunter. Just curious.

[Nulle]

The way I read it is they Both get some .

[Dan Morris]

Nope, both had their picks of what they wanted and it went on paper with #'s. They came out about equal! I don't plan on going anywhere for a few years...LOL. After that, they are in good hands!
Dan

[Kragman71]

Hello,
This may not sit very well with some folks,but it is a viable action to take.
Katrina has completly wiped out some fine Hunters and Shooters in the Gulf Coast area.Some people who had extensive gun collections,now have none.
Most people here,have shared bullitin boards with these victims on this.and other boards.
Those of us who are really concerned for the well being of their treasured guns and reloading equipment,down the road,can consider giving some small ( 1 or 2 guns;dies or molds or other )donation to someone who now has nothing.
If you,like me,have a lot of guns and 'stuff'that will some day be looking for a good home,this is worth considering.If you don't have much,it is not worth considering.
Frank

[fabsroman]

Along those lines, if nobody in the family wants them, how about leaving them to the NRA, or better yet, to another person that really loves the shooting sports and maybe whom also happens to have family members (i.e., sons/daughters) that like the shooting sports.

[Dan Morris]

For my 63d Bday, I let both of the kids take the ones that are
to be thiers. Neither one lives at home, I kept the loading stuff, a .270 and a 06 plus pistols for me.Also kept a 870 and a couple of .22s.
Am selling a .338 that neither one wanted. I figure what I kept will satisfy me till I see the White Buffalo.LOLHopefully, thats not for 20 years or so. To be honist, I no longer run good at 9000 ft!
Dan
:D

[fjdarrell]

You might consider leaving or donating your guns to a local wildlife habitat or pro-gun rights group such as Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited or Friends of NRA. They will sell, auction or raffle them and use the money to build wildlife habitat or promote the shooting sports. I plan to leave mine to my PF chapter.

[ringneck 1]

gave my son my brothers guns along with dads.past two years some of mine.its a slow pain full seperation

[Cal Sibley]

Oh happy day. I just discovered that my favorite daughter who lives in Oregon has a rifle, shotgun and handgun as well. I only get to visit her once or twice a year because of the distance involved. She's into firearms more than I thought and would love to have mine as a momento. I'll buy her an extra large safe to store them and know my memory will live on through the firearms I leave her. That realy brightened my day. I kew I raised that girl properly. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

[fabsroman]

That is very good news Cal. I just wish you lived closer to her so that the two of you could enjoy using the firearms together.

[cdhunt]

hey Cal--

ship all of them, except 1 rifle and 1 shotgun to your daughter now, that way you have an excuse to go and see her once a month.:) :) :)