Value beyond Collectability: Guns you'd never let go

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Well, I have a few- nothing extensive, and for sure this 'collection' has no theme- mostly, they are my go-to hunting guns. But, these are guns that I would do anything to maintain in perfect condition and keep at my side, all offers and 'collectability' concerns be darned:

My father's Browning BAR lightweight. How many deer this gun has taken, I don't know, but somewhere in the garage my father has the unmounted antlers of every Buck he has ever shot :). It belonged to my grandfather, who gave it to my father, and I was privileged enough to shoot my first deer (a nubbin' buck) with it. It is my family's breadwinning gun, and even if offered millions, I don't think we could let it go.

My 1942 Mosin Nagant 91/30, named Tonya. Given as my 18th Birthday present, I shot my first 'scoring buck'- the biggest animal I have taken to date- with it. I will keep it forever, and for my children, but I will never sell it or let it sit. To be honest, her value to collectors is not of concern- I will do whatever I must to keep her ready for future use (but no sporterizing :) ). In my opinion, a gun is meant to be used, not left in a safe to whisk away the years in silence. This beauty has a voice and character not bound to arsenal markings, and I love hearing her speak!


My Savage-Stevens .410. This is the first gun I ever shot. Enough said. I've had the action rebuilt and refinished a beaten stock, and this as of now unnamed gun is my go-to squirrel gun. As long as they still make .410, I'll shoot it.

My father's (and grandpa's before him) Browning Gold Hunter in 12 ga. My father and I have shot several turkeys with this gun. As one of the few remaining physical connections to my grandfather, it is priceless to me.

These are the guns that are milestone markers in my life. How about you all- for reason or another, do you have a weapon that you wouldn't part with under any circumstance? Just curious.

Have a good night,

-Chris
 
My great grandfather's Colt's 1860 Army .44 cap-'n-ball revolver. According to our family history, he picked it up on a battlefield from a dead yankee officer after one of the battles in which he fought, 40th Georgia Inf., CSA.

L.W.
 
I think of this and my Baikal O/U 12 gauge and my Ruger 77 come to mind. The Bakail belonged to my grandfather, the other my Dad gave me. But, what if someone was crazy enough to buy them for 1k$ and 4K$ or more respectively which is about double what they are worth(the Ruger actually has a lot of customizations and expensive work done on it).
Then I think about the things my grandfather and my dad both would say about my intelligence and the things they would do to my hide if I didn't take those deals, and it would be obvious what I should do, and would. It would be an insult to their memory and piss both of them off because they didn't raise me to be stupid and not take advantage of an opportunity like that. They all have their price, but no one is going to pay those crazy prices anyway, so its really of little consequence.
 
I'm thinking all of them.

I've only ever sold two guns, a Dan Wesson .357 with three barrels, and an 870 express. I got another 870 less than two years later (cost me $130 more than I got for the old one...) and could never afford another Dan Wesson.

I've regretted it ever since.
 
I have all of my fathers and father in laws guns I inherited after they passed. No one else was interested in them but my twin brother. I gave him my fathers 1946 model 70 so he had a memory sake also.
I take them out of the safe and handle them once in a while and the memories come back. I can't put a value on what that is worth. I'll never sell them.
 
The 6'' S&W model 686 in .357 mag that my dad gave me for my 21st birthday in 1987
 
Well, I have a few- nothing extensive, and for sure this 'collection' has no theme- mostly, they are my go-to hunting guns. But, these are guns that I would do anything to maintain in perfect condition and keep at my side, all offers and 'collectability' concerns be darned:

My father's Browning BAR lightweight. How many deer this gun has taken, I don't know, but somewhere in the garage my father has the unmounted antlers of every Buck he has ever shot :). It belonged to my grandfather, who gave it to my father, and I was privileged enough to shoot my first deer (a nubbin' buck) with it. It is my family's breadwinning gun, and even if offered millions, I don't think we could let it go.



If someone offered me MILLIONS, they could have the whole damn collection..............Save 2, a pistol & a shotgun.
 
I have two. The first is an Ithaca M49 single shot .22 rifle. That's the gun I learned to shoot on after graduating from a BB gun. The other is a Herbert Schmidt .22 single action revolver. It was a wedding gift/heirloom from my uncle who has recently passed away.
 
http://i50.tinypic.com/2jcyf0m.jpg

I won't embed due to size...Pic is from Granville, VT in 1914...

Far left crouching is my Uncle Frank...I have the Marlin 1893 he is holding...Original Marlin-Hepburn rear sight, and a Beech combination front...Half octagon, short mag...His brother Dan is far right standing (closest to deer)...Same rifle, bought together in 1912...I have his house, but the gun went to another nephew...My grandfather is the one sitting front with his rifle pointed up...Died in the early 40's so I never knew him, nor what happened to the rifle...
 
My Great Grandfather's Winchester model 97 12 Ga. I got it from my dad, and now it has even more meaning since I am only 7 months away from being a Grandfather myself!
 
The 1911 my father carried on Guadalcanal in 1942, (no he wasn't supposed to have one) that one will never sell. I intend to will it to my daughter who I can trust to keep it in the family.
 
I guess I have 4 at this point:


  • Marlin 1894CSS, "JM" proof. Until Remlin gets it together, this gun is virtually irreplaceable.
  • Marlin 39A, "JM" proof. About the same story; maybe slightly easier to replace.
  • Savage 24, .22/.410 inherited from grandfather. Irreplaceable.
  • S&W 317 with stainless cylinder. I could actually replace this, but it would take about $900 plus time at S&W for custom work to do so. I could get 5 or 6 hundred for it if I sold it, but very few people would pay me what I've actually got in the gun.
 
I have no guns that were gifted or passed down from anyone. That said, i've only ever gotten rid of one gun, and it was traded towards another gun that served the same purpose.
I've never had the income to buy guns on a whim; they've always been planned and budgeted to meet a percieved need. Example, my Rem 870, bought when i moved into my own place for the first time.
I can't imagine getting rid of any of my guns voluntarily at this point, but i suppose if i lost my job and home and had to live on the street, i'd entrust my Mosin M44 and customized PTR-91 to my folks or best friend, keep my Kimber Stainless TLE II for self defense, and sell off the rest.

I have no guns of particular sentimental value. I don't have any that aren't fun to shoot. So they all have their place and value. Can't really see not keeping all of them as long as i can...
 
I don't have any that aren't fun to shoot. So they all have their place and value. Can't really see not keeping all of them as long as i can...

Oh, believe me, I understand. I like all my stuff, too. I feel the same way.

It's just a lot easier to walk into a store and get a pump shotgun or a budget .38 snub than it is what I listed.


I'm just now getting to where I can buy "on a whim" - for now. What I have has been carefully researched and obtained over almost 20 years. If you stay with the hobby long enough, you 'll accumulate some stuff. I don't really have any more $ to throw at more guns than the average Working Joe.

Plus there is no guarantee that your replacement will work as good as what you had. So therefore... I am definitely in the "don't sell" camp.
 
I have a single shot .22 from my great aunt, 1911 from my wife, and a mod 60 for our anniversary, these are "never sell" 's ... meanwhile, as I would like to get "one more" I try to weed out which I would part with, among more than those, and I honestly can't settle on any to sell yet.
 
I go along with those that wouldn't sell anything. I've only sold one gun....way back when, and wish I hadn't done so. It was a blue S&W 6" model 19, the first center fire handgun I ever bought. I sold it so I could buy my Gold Cup. I've never sold another one.
 
The Winchester 52B that I own. It belonged to my brother and I remember when he brought it home in 1948, it was born in 1947. I remember him mounting the Lyman Super Spot scope on it. I was 5 years old at the time.

I will never part with it.
 
there are 4 guns i own id never sell. all of the were my fathers.

winchester model 72A and a H&R 22 special he used to use them to hunt rats and other rodents as a kid in the early 50's.

his model 29 S&W he used to stop a hog that bum-rushed us out of nowhere from a palmetto thicket. it was about 20-30 feet away befor he got it out of the holster, one shot stop but oddly the 44 didnt break the breast plate, it just rode between the bone and the skin till it exited. we think it just gave the hog a heart attack lol.


and his remmington 700 bdl 30-06 that he used for hog and deer
 
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