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

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Again, any input or advice you have would be fantastic. Many thanks!

Sorry for loss.

I'm about 50 miles south of you.

I've done some quick checking before and came up with the conclusion that if/when I'm in the same situation with my mom, I'd probably find a way to get rid of them there unless something is really sentimental (and something may be).

It's sad but its too cost prohibitive and a hassle.... unless memories are at stake.
 
Sorry about your lost.
You have recieved a good start on the firearm hobby. You might need just a 22 cal.
If you can keep them all, you have plenty of years to enjoy his legacy.
 
You have my condolences as well. Hopefully you've found some info on here helpful. The sentimental voice in my head would love for you to keep the connection with your dad through his firearms. On a practical note, it seems shotguns are less troublesome to take ownership of in certain areas than handguns, so that might be a consideration. Like others said, it's hard to ascertain values without specifics. The Winchester 12 gauge could be a $1200 shotgun or a $250 one. Typically Browning firearms are always good quality and some pretty pricey. Your 16 gauge is most likely an Auto 5, but if it's 2 3/4 chamber ammo is tough to find. If it's 2 9/16 chamber it's nearly impossible. Lots of variables. Please though, don't get overwhelmed and turn them over to the PD.
 
While I can't reply to each individually, I am so overwhelmed by the support and responses. I'm gathering from the responses that it might be best to just get them all shipped and legally transferred and registered, keep them all for now, and test them all at a range. Very nice info regarding the Walther. I didn't know that. I know he got that as more of a novelty, given the James Bond lore.

Again, thanks so much for the info and the resources. I will def get my permit and all transferred, and take them out to the range! I do remember shooting a .357 it being really fun and easy, yet with some significant kick. I do know he loved the Kimber, and said it was beautiful. That was one of the last conversations about guns I had with him, so I think that would be his favorite for me to keep. This is all so hard, but really appreciate everyone's input so much.
 
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.
thank you
 
What you have is a really good basic collection of nice guns. You have a medium-large game rifle in the 30-06. You have small and upland game guns in the shotguns. One of the best brands and calibers to have if only having 1 revolver. A 1911 is a classic and Kimbers are usually nice it’s a single action only gun. The beretta pistol is one of the smoothest pistol actions available and is a SA/DA gun, and the .380 is a solid carry gun which also rounds out the pile. Only things missing are an ugly old Glock and a 22 rifle. If a man pared down a large gun collection to only what is needed to be able to do a little bit of everything, what you are inheriting is just about the description of what everybody would end up with. Keep them, and even if you don’t use them much the connection to your dad should be nice. Values on all of those are climbing so your not going to be messing up by waiting around to figure out what they are, what you want to keep, and what they are worth before you sell anything.
 
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.

This video was fantastic, thank you so much
 
While I can't reply to each individually, I am so overwhelmed by the support and responses. I'm gathering from the responses that it might be best to just get them all shipped and legally transferred and registered, keep them all for now, and test them all at a range. Very nice info regarding the Walther. I didn't know that. I know he got that as more of a novelty, given the James Bond lore.

Again, thanks so much for the info and the resources. I will def get my permit and all transferred, and take them out to the range! I do remember shooting a .357 it being really fun and easy, yet with some significant kick. I do know he loved the Kimber, and said it was beautiful. That was one of the last conversations about guns I had with him, so I think that would be his favorite for me to keep. This is all so hard, but really appreciate everyone's input so much.

Wise choice. And I'm truly sorry for your loss.

Whether or not you keep the guns, I offer you a warm welcome to The High Road. If you decide to stick around I bet you'll learn a lot from the knowledgeable folks here.

Looks to me like a very well-rounded collection.
 
What you have is a really good basic collection of nice guns. You have a medium-large game rifle in the 30-06. You have small and upland game guns in the shotguns. One of the best brands and calibers to have if only having 1 revolver. A 1911 is a classic and Kimbers are usually nice it’s a single action only gun. The beretta pistol is one of the smoothest pistol actions available and is a SA/DA gun, and the .380 is a solid carry gun which also rounds out the pile. Only things missing are an ugly old Glock and a 22 rifle. If a man pared down a large gun collection to only what is needed to be able to do a little bit of everything, what you are inheriting is just about the description of what everybody would end up with. Keep them, and even if you don’t use them much the connection to your dad should be nice. Values on all of those are climbing so your not going to be messing up by waiting around to figure out what they are, what you want to keep, and what they are worth before you sell anything.

Thanks so so much for the insight. You seem to be echoing everyone else's sentiments. A good all-around collection, just keep them all I suppose!
 
If circumstances allow I would not rush any decisions about the guns. They do need to be cleaned and protected during this time, you may need someone you trust to help with this. This seems to be a well rounded collection of good quality guns, you want keep them this way. Take some time to learn a little about each one, maybe some you tube research or gun forums. It's possible that you'll be more interested in them than you realize. All of these guns represent alot of history, mechanics and craftsmanship that you may find interesting at some point in your life. You will also have time to learn more about the legalities involved and your options. As someone else said, once their sold, they're gone forever.
 
I would like to say how sorry I am for your loss. Sounds like his life as a gun enthusiast was not your cup of tea. which is fine. I would bet you Dad understood that. I guess you would have to ask what would your Dad like to see done with the guns? For my guns, it would be for others to enjoy rather than just sitting in a safe. What gun do your remember your Dad talking about the most. May the Little PPK which has a rich history and small enough you could Keep as a remembrance. I doubt you would start being a gun enthusiast after all these years. If not maybe you have family that would love to get one at Christmas, birthday. A great gift that would be. Or just find a way legally to sell them, anyone buying one, would most likely be a gun or hunting enthusiast that would get good use out of them. JMO
Good Luck.
He liked the ppk because of its novelty, and I remember shooting the browning rifle and winchester shotgun, and the .357 with him as a child. I know he was really fond of the Kimber, he specifically said he thought it beautiful. I'm really leaning towards just keeping them all, shooting them, and maybe offloading one or two
 
Yes, condolences to you and your family. As always lot's of good advice on here.

My 2 cents. New Jersey probably has arguably the most draconian firearm laws in the Unites States. Like California, New Jerry has a 10 round capacity limit on all firearm magazines. I would ensure the Beretta is in compliance with that law. You should be okay with the Walther and Kimber but would make sure.

If your traveling by privately owned vehicle read this:
Interstate transportation is covered under the Safe Passage provision of the Firearm Owners Protection Act (FOPA), 18 USC § 926A, which states:
Notwithstanding any other provision of any law or any rule or regulation of a State or any political subdivision thereof, any person who is not otherwise prohibited by this chapter from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm shall be entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm if, during such transportation the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle: Provided, that in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver's compartment the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.

NJ also has a weird law concerning hollow point ammunition. For range use only or something like that. To be sure I would avoid it,

One other thing I can r add is if your traveling by vehicle lock your firearms in the trunk and at the vary least lock the ammo in a separate locked container or just leave it. On the return trip once you get to Kentucky you should be okay. You can always pick up more ammunition in any state west of the Mississippi.

Carry something with that proves you inherited the firearms. Newspaper obituary or signed will if you have it.

Follow the traffic laws and you will be all right.

If you need help with getting your firearms evaluated post some photos and information here. You'll get enough information to make an informed decision.
 
They are all more traditional firearms. Hard to say what they might be worth.

If you are not a gun guy and no one else in the family wants them I would just sell them. They are after all just things. If you have no interest in them best to not clutter up your house with stuff you have no use for.
 
I’m sorry for your loss. I think it’s really cool that you are gonna spend some time with them and see how it goes. I think your dad would be proud. I know I would be if my kids were in the same situation. Good luck.
David.
 
While I can't reply to each individually, I am so overwhelmed by the support and responses. I'm gathering from the responses that it might be best to just get them all shipped and legally transferred and registered, keep them all for now, and test them all at a range. Very nice info regarding the Walther. I didn't know that. I know he got that as more of a novelty, given the James Bond lore.

Again, thanks so much for the info and the resources. I will def get my permit and all transferred, and take them out to the range! I do remember shooting a .357 it being really fun and easy, yet with some significant kick. I do know he loved the Kimber, and said it was beautiful. That was one of the last conversations about guns I had with him, so I think that would be his favorite for me to keep. This is all so hard, but really appreciate everyone's input so much.

So... it sounds like the memories could be more valuable than the guns net value.

That's a good thing, really, unless you're financial advisor.;)


Depending on NJ law and how his Will etc was done..... flying back to NJ may be advisable.

You need a source of good legal advice on a few issues. Another thing to consider is the mechanical logistics of how to get them from the safe to the NJ FFL and you need a LA FFL that you can discuss and coordinate with that's wiling to receive them.
 
If you had to pick just one, take the .357. It can fire both mild .38 Specials and hotter Magnum rounds, ammo is plentiful, ts useful for target shooting and self defense, easy to use, and is still legal anywhere. Some models of S&W revolvers are pretty valuable and heirloom quality as well.

But that sounds like a versatile, high quality, and manageable collection if you can keep them all.

Sorry bout your dad bro. God bless and good luck.
 
I understand that under FEDERAL law, you are exempt from the requirement to get inherited guns sent to a dealer in your state.
I doubt California is so accommodating.

For discussion, we need details. In MY opinion:
  • Browning 30-06 high powered rifle. Could be any of several models and action types. I have a similar Winchester and since I am not a hunter, it doesn't get out very often.
  • Browning 16 gauge shotgun. The Browning Sweet 16 is practically a cult object. The standard 16 ga., less so. Either way it is predominantly a hunting gun.
  • Winchester 12 gauge shotgun. Any of several models and action types. Some hunting guns, various Skeet and Trap models.
  • .357 Magnum Smith & Wesson revolver. Anything from 1935 to date with great range in dollar value. A very versatile revolver shooting .38 Special or .357 Magnum for sport or defense.
  • .40 SW Beretta 96A-1 w/ laser sight. A good solid service pistol. Main use in your jurisdiction would be casual target shooting and home defense.
  • .380 Walther PPK. Several variants with a range of value. Mostly a concealed carry pistol, useful depending on where you are in California and whether you can get a license to carry.
  • .45 Kimber 1911. The do anything gun. Casual or competitive target shooting, self defense. There are a lot of different Kimbers over a wide range of value.

Me? I'd keep the .357 and the .45 but I am mostly a handgun shooter these days and never a hunter.
 
Condolences on the passing of your father.

Do you have children who might enjoy memories of him?

Are there other family members who loved him and would appreciate owning one of his firearms?

Your inheritance is not just for you. You have been placed in the position of managing the memories of those who loved him.

Proceed wisely.
 
Mark

Sorry for the loss of your father. If it were me I would keep them all both in remembrance of my father and to use them, even if it's just a trip to the range every now and then. If you don't have any interest in some of them hen I would try and find a dealer who would sell them for you on consignment. The dealer handles all the paperwork and the transfers and takes a percentage of the sale price as their fee.
 
What I did not see brought up is depending on the vintage of some of these that will change the value greatly. A modern PPK....eh, a pre 1968 version, that is a horse of a different color.

If you do decide to sell them educate yourself....with gunz it is easy. Then you know what you have.

As to what to do with them....that all depends on you. I know my son will likely keep the newer plastic fantastic things and get rid of all the old steel and wood.

To some people they are just things, to others they are memories....only you can answer what they are to you.
 
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.
I, too, will join the condolence chorus. I am sorry for the loss of your father, but welcome to THR.
....
  • 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
As others have noted, model numbers will be needed to help you figure out what you have on hand. That said, my gut reaction is that I'd keep the Kimber because: (1) you said it was one of your dad's favorites; and (2) I'm kind of a fan of the 1911. I'd probably also be inclined to keep the Browning 16 ga., just because I've never had a 16 ga, and never quite understood why it never took off like 12 or 20 did. Depending on the models, there's a pretty good probability I'd sell the others.
Thank you, I'm in Los Angeles and his home and guns are in Toms River, NJ
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.
....I'm gathering from the responses that it might be best to just get them all shipped and legally transferred and registered, keep them all for now, and test them all at a range.....
That's certainly Choice #1! You'll find that we're a horrible bunch of enablers around here, always willing to give lots of reasons to keep guns and buy new ones.
....I do remember shooting a .357 it being really fun and easy, yet with some significant kick.....
If you want to shoot it with less kick, get some .38 Special ammo. .357 Magnum revolvers will safely chamber and shoot .38 Special, but .38 Special revolvers will not safely chamber and shoot .357 Magnum.
 
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!
so sorry for your loss. many here have already given you and will continue to give you sound advice.

if it were me, i'd keep each and everyone one of them, (once you consult an attorney on legal issues) and just preserve them, maybe take each one to a range once in a while, and save them and WILL them to your offspring.

good luck in any decision you make
 
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