Father passed away and giving me his guns. Need advice for novice!

myaeger80 said:

Yes, left me two safes - a fingerprint one for the handguns, and a tall Mesa safe for the rifles and shotguns

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So sorry you lost your father..
BUT fingerprint one? Does it have a key backup?

I'd say, right now, I'd keep them all. Try to get them in your possession, get some training or info from a good LGS as to their condition, value and function. Decide THEN which you'd like to keep and use.

BUT, without knowing much else, I would keep all of them except the 12g shotgun and Kimber 1911...MY opinion only..

myaeger80 said:

• Browning 30-06 high powered rifle
• Browning 16 gauge shotgun
• Winchester 12 gauge shotgun
• .357 Magnum Smith & Wesson revolver
• .40 SW Beretta 96A-1 w/ laser sight
• .380 Walther PPK
• .45 Kimber 1911

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Sorry for your loss.

In terms of what to keep from a defensive perspective (you were saying that you have no interest in hunting) I’d get rid of the Browning 30-06 and the 16 gauge for sure if you are absolutely sure this won’t change.

Shells for the 16 gauge are a slight oddball compared to the 12 gauge and even the 20 gauge. It has a following, but that’s precisely because it’s a bit of an oddball. The purpose behind the 30-06 is primarily hunting. Unlikely to be used in a defensive battery.

I’d keep the Winchester 12 gauge. Those are good for home defense. Even a bird gun can be pressed into service.

I’d definitely keep the S&W .357 and Beretta .40, then if you just had to whittle it down further I’d probably get rid of the Kimber if it was an Officers model (at the gunstore we sent quite a few of those back).

Personally I’d keep them all, but I believe those four (Beretta, S&W, Winchester and Walther) would provide the most utility. The Walther because it conceals the best out of all of them even though it’s probably the hardest to shoot out of all of them.

I’d also echo what others have said about consulting an attorney.

Good luck.

Also try to get more information. Right now there's not enough to really tell what you have. For example there were lots of different 16 gauge Brownings but the Browning Sweet Sixteen may well be the best semi-automatic shotgun ever made. If the Browning is a Sweet Sixteen then I'd guess it might be the pick of the litter. BUT... there is always a but, if the Smith & Wesson 357 caliber revolver is the Model 357 then that is by far the pick of the litter. Again though there are a whole bunch of Smith & Wesson 357 revolvers in at least three different frame sizes and host of different features.

Before doing anything find out what is actually there.

Most important, if someone else hasn't said it already...is don't feel like you have to make fast decisions. Talk to a number of folks. If you choose to sell, selling to firearm dealers you will lose ALOT of money. If you ask around / do your internet search, there are very reputable auction houses that will advertise and auction your arms...of course for a %, but still way better than selling outright to a dealer. Otherwise without knowing more, all the arms listed are generally respected as quality arms, and you could do a lot worse than just keeping them for the time being.

Keep them or share with family members, or leave them to your kids. He wanted you to have them. Keep them in the family IMO unless he specifically said do whatever you want.

I would keep them all unless I was desperate for money.
I am in CA and CA laws can be let me say, less than crystal clear on some things.
I would check with a FFL in CA to make sure you get all you Is dotted and Ts crossed.

Spats suggestion is probably best

You're going to need to check into the legalities of having them transferred to you. CA and NJ are two of the most restrictive jurisdictions in the USA, and you'll need an attorney who's familiar with gun & inheritance laws on both the federal and state levels.

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Don't know if this is the right form for sure but it might be one you need
https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/firearms/forms/oplaw.pdf

PS: Sorry for your loss.

Sorry to hear about your loss. Losing a parent is a rough experience no matter the age or circumstances.

As for the firearms, if you are thinking about selling them, give it some time first. You may have some fine firearms on your hands (can't tell without more specific information) that you won't be able to replace when they are gone. If you shoot some and find that you enjoy it, I think you'll be happy with that decision.

Sorry to hear that you lost your father, my dad passed away last year.

I'm with the crowd about keeping all of them as they're a way of remembering your father. You might find a new hobby out of getting the firearms.

I'm in SoCal also and depending on where you are, there's plenty of ranges to go shooting at. I usually go to Angeles Shooting Range, it's off the 210 FWY and Little Tujunga Canyon Rd. in Sylmar.

Michel & Associates is a good place to start if you need a firearms lawyer here in SoCal. They've helped plenty of gun owners out that have needed it.

If you have the info on all the firearms, you can call a local gun store and ask about having them transferred to you.

When you get them here and want to go to the range, hit me up and we can meet up and do some shooting.

My condolences for your loss.

I know there will be a plethora of excellent technical advice, so I will address the issue of sentiment: I would retain enough so that I have one to give each of my kids. There is something special about having a tool or other personal item that belonged to an ancestor--I have a fork and knife from a great-grandmother and a cast iron pan from a great-great-grandmother and they are treasures (to me).

Of course, if you have no kids you have to estimate how many you may have some day... In the meantime, I wish you all the best.

KEEP THEM, guns are like Harleys and women, you can never have too many !!! hdbiker

That is a well chosen collection of guns and I would love to have any/all of them. But.... if you do not want them and do not plan to take up shooting then I see nothing wrong with selling them either. We are all different people. A safe and a bunch of guns is a bit of a burden for some life styles. Maybe not so much if you own a house and are going to be there for many years. Selling them you might get 20% to 40% of the cost to re acquire them so bear that into you decision on what to keep. And the cost of moving them and a gun safe. I rate neither NJ or Ca as a good place to do gun business so you might have some hurdles to get over. I think the retail value of the guns might be a minium of $4500 and you might $1500 on a sale altogether. And maybe $5000 total if you move them and sell them yourself over a few years. Of course the amount could be higher depending upon exactly what guns a couple of them are.

I am sorry to say that my children are going to have to clean up after me too.

My condolences on the loss of your father. I lost my father a number of years ago and he left his firearms to his sons and grandsons. All of us have 1 or two of his guns and all have memories of having hunted with him and with his guns. Memories are priceless. Money can't buy them, and nobody can take them away.

You gave a couple of clues that give hints to what the guns really are. Your father was definitely knowledgeable about firearms. He chose quality. "They are in pristine condition." Even though we do not have the model numbers of the shotguns, I will venture a couple guesses:
1)The Browning 16 ga. is likely a Sweet Sixteen. Very desirable to upland game hunters and collectors alike. I have one (from my father, too, coincidentally) and it is my favorite for pheasant and grouse.
2) The Winchester shotgun, again, using the logic of your fathers evident knowledge and "pristine condition", my educated guess would be possibly a Model 12 pump action. Another collector's item in such condition and a very desirable hunter's shotgun.
Any quality firearm in pristine condition has value. Your father appears to have known quality and I seriously doubt there is a dog in the lot.
As others have said, an appraisal by a reputable firm or individual is important if you decide to sell. Legal advice if you choose to keep and transport.

From your replies, I believe you have figured out what you will do. I wish you the best of luck and hope you remain a regular visitor and contributor to conversations here on THR.

Sorry for your loss. I lost my dad quite a few years ago. I still miss him his birthday was on the 16th.

He taught me to shoot but gave up hunting years before I started. He sold his only firearm, a high standard 20 ga shotgun, one Christmas to buy presents for my siblings and I. I bought him a black powder pistol in 92. Don't know if he ever fired it.

Welcome to the forum.

I'd keep them all except the PPK, if possible in your state (consult a lawyer knowledgeable about firearm law), getting them from one side of the country to the other is going to be some effort, but anything of value is worth some effort. My father passed a couple of years ago, and he had gotten rid of his Browning shotguns that he used to compete with, which saddened all of the sons. We still have a couple of his other guns, and I remember the stories he had about hunting.

As far as self defense guns go, you can't hardly go wrong with a 12 gauge shotgun, a 357 Magnum, 45ACP or a 40S&W. All will convince a bad guy he needs to be doing something else somewhere else.

A 30-06 can be used on any game animal on the North American continent. Browning has always been a manufacturer of good firearms, some great ones.

If it were me I would keep all of them, but if you just want one I would keep the Smith and Wesson 357 or whichever one of the shotguns fits you best.

Or, you could bring them all to a gun shop, trade them all for something utilitarian that you want, and walk away with some cash too.