When it’s time to say goodbye

I have inherited several life times worth of guns from my relatives and my father .Every one is important and means the world to me .My dad before he died and when he new his health was in major decline wrote each make model serial # if it had one and a description of who.what .where .when of each. It is a job to care for them but they are memories of each person, some i knew some not and what each gun meant to them.So guns for me are more than tools /weapons they are a connection to my past and the relatives i miss and there memories .So to just sell a memory ,a snap shot of your life that you could pass down to another is an opportunity to keep your memory alive in someone else.

One of the things I want for my heirs, and their heirs, & etc., is to have the ability to be armed should they ever see a need.

I hope I’m wrong, but I believe over time they will not have the access to guns we enjoy. I’ll be surprised if citizens keep a legal right to acquire a pistol 20 years from now.

So I see each gun as either collectible or practical. The collectibles I’ll begin to sell or give away one of these days unless an heir develops an interest, but I think that unlikely.

The practical guns, mags, and ammo I intend should remain in the family indefinitely, over generations to come. My direct heirs understand that responsibly owning, storing, maintaining, and in time bequeathing them, is a condition of being an heir, whether they have any gun interest or not.

Can I enforce any of this? Of course not. I can only provide the arms and be clear in my wishes and reasons why it’s important. The rest we must leave to providence.

Like room temperature nuclear fusion, the total ban of handguns has been 10 years away for the last 50 years.

xring3 said:

Gee, I didn’t think I would get as many thoughtful comments. I really don’t feel bad about selling my collection as this does help other collectors fill their needs. I feel some of the excitement in collecting over the years has been in the hunt for them as well as shooting them.

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Yeah, when it comes to rare firearms or ones that are a bit older we can think of ourselves as curators of them, temporary custodians of important bits of history. There are firearms I've sold that I am still glad to have owned as they built my personal database of lived experience. We're upon this Earth but for a short time, and the things we own are not all we have to define us while we're here.

always wanted to shoot a luger, just dont want to pay for one and dont know anybody with one

I will never have my own children, so I can identify with this a bit, even though I'm only 40. About two years ago I realized I was accumulating more guns than I needed, or enjoyed. So I traded the less desirable models away and put that money into nicer guns. Downsized and upgraded all at once. I will load powder puff loads as I get older to keep me having fun.

Either I will meet some cool young folks to give them to, or my nephew will take interest and he will get them. But he is super sheltered by his liberal parents, and he doesn't even know I'm a gun owner. So......... good times.

Same will occur with my pocket knives.

I am in the same boat, but about 5 years ago my youngest son (35 years young) took an interest in newer guns and building guns. He doesn't yet have the desire to understand the heirloms of his great grandfather or grandfather, so I am hoping he will come around before too long. I knew I would end up with my grandfather and father's guns, but little did I think about what might happen if none of my sons/son-in-laws were interested in guns. There is still hope!

I posted in another thread about a Colt Sauer
.270 in my collection......I've had some health issues and sold it along with my beloved brace of Purdey
Sxs's.......the Purdey's were acquired 40yrs ago by me from a retired AF liason to the RAF in WWII that I had the pleasure of working ...and shooting with.....
Damn guy gave them to me! One of the finest gentlemen I've ever known.....they were a gift to him from a lower royal he worked with....broke my heart!

Sorry to hear that. I hope they find a good home with someone who will love and care for them.