3rd generation guns

[2DREZQ]

A 3rd generation gun is a precious thing. A gun that your parent passed on to you from a grandparent is something money cannot buy.

I wouldn't sell my grandfathers Winchester model 1912 (mfg. 1917) for $100K, and it doesn't even work. I have a Winchester Model 1907 that my father shot deer with in the 1950's He died this last November, just before deer season. That rifle is 100 years old this year and I am going to shoot a buck with it if I have to stay afield for 16 days straight. As much as it means to me, my sons already revere it like a holy relic.

My beloved wife got her choice of any shotgun from her dad's estate before the sale (as did each of the siblings) I, errr, "helped" her choose a Savage 745 lightweight 12 ga. Absolutely Gorgeous Weapon! It was only made 1941-1949. In 95% condition-original wood finish is still glossy, and the alloy receiver has almost no marks on it. It has a factory Cutts compensator (marked as such) on it and the 2-shot magazine. It weighs 2/3 of what the steel receiver 720's do. A genuine showpiece that will only be taken afield in a padded case for some sunny-day upland game and a bit of trap. I hope to pass it on to my daughter one day (as it is her mother's, technically, this is only right) making it that wonderful thing: A 3rd generation gun.

 

[floorit76]

Gramps gave me a kentuky rifle that has been in the family for God knows how long before he passed. Also a IL sesquisentinial Winchester 94 30/30 new in the box, never fired. And the last trip to my local gun smith, he had found an old percusion shotgun that gramps had dropped of, but never told him what he wanted done with. It's a wall hanger at best, but it's mine now.

 

[michaelbsc]

A 3rd generation gun is a precious thing. A gun that your parent passed on to you from a grandparent is something money cannot buy.

I wouldn't sell my grandfathers Winchester model 1912 (mfg. 1917) for $100K, and it doesn't even work. I have a Winchester Model 1907 that my father shot deer with in the 1950's He died this last November, just before deer season. That rifle is 100 years old this year and I am going to shoot a buck with it if I have to stay afield for 16 days straight. As much as it means to me, my sons already revere it like a holy relic.

Amen!

I have my grandad's 410 and my great granddad's 12 gauge. And I wouldn't sell them for anything either.

But they probably aren't worth much on the market. So why would I sell an irreplaceable family heirloom for peanuts.

But to your point, even if they were really valuable on the market, they're more valuable to my family than money. I suppose if the family were starving it might be different. But if we ain't starving, then I ain't selling.

MB

 

[JTHunter]

2DREZQ -that sounds like one sweet shotgun. Your family was fortunate to get those guns.

At one time, my father had a collection of blackpowder guns, both flintlock and percussion cap types. There were at least 3-4 rifles and a 12 gauge SxS exposed hammer shotty, his M-1 Garand and 1911 from his National Guard days, several cavalry sabers, and two short swords that looked as if they should be in a gladiator's hands.

His second wife "disappeared" them all during their divorce.

Be glad you have yours.

 

[2DREZQ]

At one time, my father had a collection of blackpowder guns, both flintlock and percussion cap types. There were at least 3-4 rifles and a 12 gauge SxS exposed hammer shotty, his M-1 Garand and 1911 from his National Guard days, several cavalry sabers, and two short swords that looked as if they should be in a gladiator's hands.

His second wife "disappeared" them all during their divorce.

Be glad you have yours

OMG! That sucks in a titanic way!
My eldest son got a scabby Coast to Coast (Mossberg) 12 ga from Momma's pappy. We cleaned it up, refinished the stock and receiver and gave it a new VR barrel to replace the fixed full-choke and it looks real nice. My youngest got a very scabby Savage 340 in .30-30, same story; beautiful refinished wood, shortened & recrowned full-length bedded and it shoots 130gr Nosler BT's about 1.15". I got a hacked up .30-40 Krag that is 1/2-way to being a nice retro "sporterized" rifle from the old gent before he passed. (my kids were the eldest grandkids, so they cleaned up, the rest of them got nada.) Throw in the shotgun for my wife, and the Browning 1885, essentially NIB that I paid $1000 for at the estate auction, and I'd say my family did well. (Outbid my brother-in-law by proxy...he doesn't know) The other sibs DID get a rifle choice each besides the shotties, the wife didn't since we had already gotten three other guns as a family. I never did understand why the brothers didn't buy some of their dads guns at the auction to pass on to the kids, Especially the son who has 4 young boys. I guess it didn't matter to them as much as it does to me. My dad and mom gave away almost all the guns while dad was still alive-no arguments at the graveside of who gets what for us.

Sorry this is so wordy, but it's a subject I have emotional ties to. I really enjoy reading about the legacy guns people have. I'm envious of the 4th+generation guns in some collections. My great-grandpa never owned a gun AFAIK, or if he did, it vanished when my dad was a little tyke.

 

[Fanky]

My first Whitetail deer was shot with my great-great Grandfather's Winchester 94 in .32 Special. It was handed down to me by my Grandfather when I was about 12 years old. It may have skipped a few generations in the 100 years it's been around, but it's staying in the family and moving on down the line when the time comes. It's the only rifle i own that really does feel like it has a "soul" when I pick it up. I wouldn't sell it for any sum of money, period.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Family firearms...

I'm the grateful owner of my great-great grandfather's 1861 Springfield, (except that it's a Welch, not a Springfield) that he carried in the Civil War. Also have most of his leather equipment, bayonet, and canteen. Hope it never leaves the family.

Also the owner of The Shotgun That Does Not Miss, so named by my #1 son, a common hardware-store break-action 20 ga. inherited from my maternal grandfather.

Civil War firearms/equipment are pretty common, and hardware-store 20 gauges are behind every farmhouse kitchen door, so not a whole lot of monetary value here, but as family heirlooms? Oh boy.

 

[willymc]

My grandfather passed an H&R model 949 .22 revolver down to my dad. My dad passed it on to me. This last Christmas, I passed it on to my son-in-law. Hope they have kids so they can keep it going.

 

[Fremmer]

I have a winchester model 12 grandpa used to feed the family in the great depression. He modified the stock for a tall guy, which is fine because I'm tall, and it looks like fremmer jr has big feet to grow in to, too.

 

[bushmaster1313]

My beloved wife got her choice of any shotgun from her dad's estate before the sale (as did each of the siblings) I, errr, "helped" her choose a Savage 745 lightweight 12 ga. Absolutely Gorgeous Weapon! It was only made 1941-1949. In 95% condition-original wood finish is still glossy, and the alloy receiver has almost no marks on it. It has a factory Cutts compensator (marked as such) on it and the 2-shot magazine. It weighs 2/3 of what the steel receiver 720's do. A genuine showpiece that will only be taken afield in a padded case for some sunny-day upland game and a bit of trap. I hope to pass it on to my daughter one day (as it is her mother's, technically, this is only right) making it that wonderful thing: A 3rd generation gun.

I would find out how rugged these are before doing much at the trap line.

 

[2DREZQ]

I would find out how rugged these are before doing much at the trap line.

Aside from one comment I read somewhere about a tendency to crack near the front of the receiver, I think the little bit of shooting I do with light target loads shouldn't be a problem. I'm talking about less than a box of shells a year. The gun appears to have virtually no use at all. If you know something more about them, I'd be happy to hear more.

 

[NAK]

The most valuable gun in my safe is a worn, rough looking, Targetmaster Model 41. It comes out of the safe every year, as close to August 17th as I can arrange, for a range trip. It is the gun my granddad taught my mom to shoot with, when she was kid. When she turned 15, it became 'her' gun. It killed squirrels, rabbits, and deer for meter when she was growing up. Later in life, she regularly used it to dispatched snakes, an occasional coyote, and anything that menaced her garden.

About seven years from now, the good Lord willing, I will tuck that old 22 into the big airline case normally reserved for my Beretta shotgun. We'll fly to Anchorage where, with the help of a large box of tissues, I'll tell stories to a beautiful young lady about where she got her sparkling eyes, about her great grandmother and her great, great grandfather. As I leave, I'll make her promise to shoot it occasionally, and think her heritage.

 

[Plan2Live]

Winchester 1890 pump rifle chambered in .22 short given to me by my grandfather. It was his first gun. I had to entrust it to a friend while I was in the middle of a divorce and my ex was trying everything she could to make me look bad. Trusted friend's new wife has a nair-do-well druggie son that couldn't make it on his own and moved in with them. I was not told about the son until my Winchester came up missing. The druggie finally admitted he took the gun but wouldn't say who he sold it to. Trusted friend refused to press charges so he could keep the piece (no, I didn't misspell that) at home. I could buy a replacement for a little less than $1,000 but it won't be the same.

I'm in a position where I am often privy to other people's divorce decrees. I read one last week where the wife demanded the husband sell all his guns and apply the money towards debts. But she did allow him to keep the empty gun cabinet. If that ain't twisting the knife I don't know what is.

Looks like divorces place firearms at great risk.

 

[Hypnogator]

I started trapshooting with my Grandpa's Remington Model 11 12-ga with poly-choke. I still have it, as well as his 1890 Winchester .22 Long squirrel gun. Sadly, it came to me by way of my cousin, two years younger than me, who succumbed to cancer five years ago. I wouldn't trade either of them for anything.

 

[MtnSpur]

The wife's side of the family were ranchers and/or farmers for many generations and it appears as though the firearms associated with the family back in the early to mid 1800's had a propensity to disappear or get thrown away when one of the old fellas left this world. Probably distributed according to the need of a fellow family member, I'd guess, but no telling.
Father-in-law was a collector/accumulator and when he passed away his wishes were that each gun model w/S/N be written down on a slip of paper and put into a box where each of his children drew a piece of paper and that was what they inherited. No arguing, discussion nor dissent allowed. One could propose a trade after all was said and done. Fair and impartial.
My wife drew her dad's 2 favorite and most utilized weapons. A Remington 870 Wingmaster and a Winchester 94 .30-30 . She fondly remembers her dad teaching safety, marksmanship and more importantly you only shot what you intended to bring home to eat for supper.
All his guns were always extremely well cared for and each and every mark or small ding/dent on the stocks had a story behind how it got there.
I'd venture to say that the new "polymer/plastic/mass produced/QC challenged" weapons will not fare as well as the treasures of a bygone time. But that's just my humble opinion

 

[WNC Seabee]

The first thing I'd grab if the house were on fire (and the kids were safe...) would be grandpa's Ithaca Model 37 12 gauge. There is no bluing left on it, the stock is worn and has recently developed a crack, it's "worth" maybe $200.

But to me, it's worth the world. It was never actually "given" to me. It was there for me to use when I wanted to go rabbit hunting or pretend I could hit grouse. When it came time for me to leave home, it just found a way to tag along.

 

[CDW4ME]

A 3rd generation gun is a precious thing.

I thought this thread was going to be about a 3rd generation Glock.

 

[IdahoSkies]

The wife's side of the family were ranchers and/or farmers for many generations and it appears as though the firearms associated with the family back in the early to mid 1800's had a propensity to disappear or get thrown away when one of the old fellas left this world. Probably distributed according to the need of a fellow family member, I'd guess, but no telling.
Father-in-law was a collector/accumulator and when he passed away his wishes were that each gun model w/S/N be written down on a slip of paper and put into a box where each of his children drew a piece of paper and that was what they inherited. No arguing, discussion nor dissent allowed. One could propose a trade after all was said and done. Fair and impartial.
My wife drew her dad's 2 favorite and most utilized weapons. A Remington 870 Wingmaster and a Winchester 94 .30-30 . She fondly remembers her dad teaching safety, marksmanship and more importantly you only shot what you intended to bring home to eat for supper.
All his guns were always extremely well cared for and each and every mark or small ding/dent on the stocks had a story behind how it got there.
I'd venture to say that the new "polymer/plastic/mass produced/QC challenged" weapons will not fare as well as the treasures of a bygone time. But that's just my humble opinion

That is awesome. I see an alteration to my will coming up.

I inherited my grandfather's Remington 721. It was my first rifle and is my favorite. My father had it for a number of years but he no longer hunts and when I started to he gladly passed it on to someone who would use. I'm mighty thankful.

 

[David4516]

I have 2, oddly enough both are the same model, 94 Winchesters in .30-30, and both "skipped" a generation (were given to me directly, were never used by my parents).

The first was given to me by my Grandmother (Mom's Mom) when I was about 12, it's a pre-64 made sometime in the 50s. I think she bought it brand new. Probably never shot it. It came with ammo so old it had turned green. Tossed out the ammo and took the rifle on my first few hunting trips.

The second was a post-64 given to me by my Grandfather (Dad's Dad), maybe 5 or 6 years ago (shortly before he passed away). All this other guns went to my uncle. It has one of those scopes mounted to the side (as this is not an angle eject model). I am NOT a fan of putting optics on a lever rifle but I decided to leave it exactly as Grandpa had used it.

I wouldn't part with either for any ammount. They'll go to my son when he's big enough (will be a while, as he's only 2 years old at the moment). Not sure if I'll have any more kids or not, but if I have another one then they can each get a .30-30

Both rifles now spend the vast majority of their time in my safe. I bought a third model 94 .30-30 a few years back, one with zero emotional value. This is the one that now goes to the range and/or into the feild. If anything happens to it I won't lose any sleep over it (it was pretty beat up already when I bought it, but it shoots OK).