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

Status
Not open for further replies.

myaeger80

Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2020
Messages
11
So as the subject says, my father unfortunately passed away recently, and he was a long time gun enthusiast. As per his wish, he wanted me to inherit his guns. Problem is, I've only gone to the range twice, and don't know anything really about guns, nor do I have a wild interest in owning many. I believe I'd like to have one or two utility guns just for personal protection. I do not intend to hunt or anything, but I'd like to keep a few to carry his legacy. That being said, any input you pros may have on rarity, ease of use, functionality, etc. would be so very much appreciated e.g., any I should simply keep if they're rare or expensive, or any I can just off-load and such. Below is what he's left me, along with rounds:

  • 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
Again, any input or advice you have would be fantastic. Many thanks!
 
Sorry for your loss, myaeger80. You'll need to provide a lot more information about your father's guns before anyone can provide you with real answers, especially including model numbers and/or monikers and the condition of each one.
 
Thanks everyone for writing back. They're all in pristine condition, and I cannot get the exact model numbers now as they are in safes and I am across the country. I have no other siblings and no other family that would want them.

Are any of them special or rare, or all just standard? Any easier to use than others?

Thanks!

-Mark
 
Without seeing or at least knowing the models of each......
Well I'd keep the Browning's, tho the 12ga would be easier to get ammo for.
handgun wise I'd keep the Beretta and .357Smith.


90% of that is based on utility, with a lean towards personal preference.....

I don't get particularly sentimental about material things, but this IS a good utility spread of firearms, so honestly I'm not sure I'd let any of them go.

Another question, do you have any specific memories linked to any of the guns? That can be a deciding factor.
 
Without seeing or at least knowing the models of each......
Well I'd keep the Browning's, tho the 12ga would be easier to get ammo for.
handgun wise I'd keep the Beretta and .357Smith.


90% of that is based on utility, with a lean towards personal preference.....

I don't get particularly sentimental about material things, but this IS a good utility spread of firearms, so honestly I'm not sure I'd let any of them go.

Another question, do you have any specific memories linked to any of the guns? That can be a deciding factor.

That's a good question. The only one that I have memories with, is the .357 magnum that he made me shoot when I was 10. Also one of the rifles.
 
I would look for a quality local gun shop in your area. Such places will be willing to give you an evaluation. However, some caution and truly look for references.

Your city might help us recommend one.

My condolences.
 
Personally, I would keep them all - did he also leave you a safe?
If those were mine to choose. I would opt for the 16 ga Browning and the S&W 357......(IF I could/would only want to keep two)
Yes, left me two safes - a fingerprint one for the handguns, and a tall Mesa safe for the rifles and shotguns
 
I would look for a quality local gun shop in your area. Such places will be willing to give you an evaluation. However, some caution and truly look for references.

Your city might help us recommend one.

My condolences.
Thank you, I'm in Los Angeles and his home and guns are in Toms River, NJ
 
Sorry for your loss. Make sure you find out what California's laws are regarding gun ownership/inheriting firearms. In my state you can't own, sell or inherit a handgun unless you have a permit. Ct is the "constitution state" LOL. States vary quite a bit. What do you have experience with shooting? A 357 revolver is simple to use and would be good for home defense as would be the Kimber 45 if you're familiar with semis. How about keeping all of them and get some training and then decide?
 
Last edited:
Those seven are all timeless classics. I would suggest not parting with any of them because those are all proven designs that are well understood and appreciated. While those guns are not each of them suitable for every purpose, there is no junk in that list. While those are also all top-notch brands, there is nothing in that list that has more value on the used gun market than what they ought to have for you in both utility and sentimental value.

In my opinion, the Walther is the least suitable or practical for learning with -- it's best known as the choice of James Bond, but otherwise, it has a somewhat heavy slide to rack, a substantial amount of recoil due to the direct blowback action, and a marginally effective cartridge. It certainly has a "cool" factor, but would be the least practical to take to handgun classes for example.

If the S&W .357 is a small, short-barreled revolver, then it is similarly a poor choice to learn with, but if it is a larger revolver with a longer barrel, then it is one of the best.

The 1911 and 96A are standard pistols that are both excellent to learn with -- and importantly they give you a single-action (SA) pistol as well as a double-action/single-action (DA/SA). Along with the double-action (DA) revolver, your little collection includes one of each action type. As you learn handgun manual-of-arms, you will probably develop a preference, but it's very good to have one of each to develop that preference from personal experience instead of the opinion of other people.



The two shotguns are potentially excellent choices for home defense or bird hunting. While you may not be interested in hunting now, you might be in the future, especially if a friend decides they'd like to include you in their past time. Bird hunting is one of the most accessible types of hunting because it typically doesn't require winning a tag lottery, costly tags, or out-of-state license fees, etc. The suitability of a shotgun for a particular purpose depends on the action type and choke. Double-barrel, pump, and semi-auto actions can all be used for most purposes though. A fixed full choke is less than ideal for defensive use and it might not be compatible with steel shot for waterfowl. Learn more about your shotguns to see what they might be best suited for.

The .30-06 is certainly an effective cartridge for any kind of big game hunting other than a few of the largest African game animals, but if you're not hunting big game it was originally designed and intended for anti-personnel use as the US army's standard rifle cartridge. Maybe you can't imagine a situation in which you'd use a rifle for personal protection, but anybody who has been in combat will tell you they'd much rather have a rifle in a fight than any handgun. Most people will never use a rifle for big game hunting or personal protection, but is there an able man alive who ought not to know how to use a rifle anyway? The .30-06 is not expensive, but it is probably too costly per-cartridge to use to learn marksmanship. Most people use a .22LR, a .17 HMR, a .223, or an AK or SKS (7.62x39) because of the cheap ammo. You can also learn with a high-quality air rifle. But the .30-06 is the sort of thing that many people practicing with another rifle are preparing to use with skill.

Get some more advice on how to get started learning -- learn handgun in a defensive handgun class. Learn wingshooting at a trap or clays range. Learn marksmanship at an Appleseed event. Your collection affords you a nice gun for just about any purpose or discipline. You've got no excuse not to learn.
 
Yes, that is the case. Moving guns from state to state takes some effort. Unless you have a compelling reason to keep them, if you want to have a less complicated life, find a good dealer. I'm sorry I don't know the NJ area.

NJ has strict gun laws. BE sure to check on how that interacts with inheritance and taking position, esp. the handguns. Do the research. If you just go get them, you could be in violation of their law.
 
California law is also restrictive. I believe the guns would need to go through a 4473 transfer at an FFL dealer because the testator is out of state, but this should be checked with some able to give legal advice. Within California, a transfer can be done between immediate family members (father and son), but the person receiving the firearm may still need a Firearm Safety Certificate and to provide the California Department of Justice with a completed Intrafamilial Firearm Transaction report. I'm terribly sorry the State of California has decided they need to interfere in your dad's legacy in such an inappropriate way.
 
This is a good place to get training in LA: https://internationaltactical.com/index.html
They're running classes now, not shut-down.
If you end up having trouble getting the firearms from NJ, you can rent them (handgun, shotgun or rifle) from the school.
Rent for your first class and ask Scotty for advice on buying something for your second. There's plenty of opinions on the internet. It's better to get advice from someone who is willing to train you well in person and own the result of their advice in actual practice.
 
Just getting the guns from NJ to CA is going to be a logistical nightmare. It may well be easier to simply have a gun dealer in NJ sell them on consignment or make you a cash offer for the ones you decide not to keep. You'll almost certainly have to have them sent to a dealer in CA who can then do a transfer to you. You're looking at $30-$50 minimum per gun for shipping and most dealers want another $25-$50 to do a transfer. It could end up costing you $1000 just to get the guns to your door.
 
Without seeing or at least knowing the models of each......
Well I'd keep the Browning's,

Which is, of course, a problem. We don't even know if it's an o/u (nor which one of these it is if it is) or an auto. We need way more information about the guns before a realistic assessment can be made. All of the firearms being in "pristine" condition is a good start.
 
Last edited:
If you can own them all in CA I would get them to your house and not sell anything for a full year. In that time try them out at the range and then make a decision. Another suggested to see if any family wants any of them. Give them first refusal. Once gone they wiill be gone forever so make sure before you do anything. Just sayin
 
Its possible to buy quality conversion kits for your Beretta and Kimber pistols to allow you to train with inexpensive 22 LR ammo.
Try and find out who your dad went shooting with and learn what more about what you have inherited.
 
The expense of legally transfering them from NJ to CA is small. It would not be any less if you bought them on Gunbroker, and in that case you would have to pay for the guns too. It might be less costly to buy guns from a California dealer to save shipping, if they have any in stock and haven't marked them up, but the transfer fees still apply and you'd still be buying the guns instead of just shipping and transferring them. I wouldn't be discouraged, but do get aware of the legal requirements that need to be met to stay lawful and follow them.

You'll want to know and understand those requirements first, but you may find that if you create a relationship (usually done by buying something) with an Federal Firearms License holder such as the owner of a local gun store, they may be willing to discount the transfer of the 7 guns. The fee they charge for transfer is entirely at their discretion and some will give multi-gun discounts. The background check fee is not, but it is per-person/per-transaction not per-gun.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top