Grandpas /passed down guns

[jmr40]

I posted this before so some may remember the guns and stories. My great-grandfather was born in 1855. I don't know much about this gun, but it was his 20 ga double. Probably purchased new in the late 1800's or early 1900's. Almost certainly before 1920. He very likely bought it used. None or my father's side of the family hunted much. I'm sure it was kept to chase away fox's around the farm. My dad was born in 1923 and the gun was passed down to him at some point in the 1930's.



Dad was drafted in 1942 right after he graduated HS. He was somewhere in Germany when the war ended. The unit he was in had just occupied a small town and had confiscated all civilian arms. When they got word the war was over an officer told the men they could have anything they could figure out how to get home.

Dad selected this Belgian made SXS. It was still new from a gun shop, (pre-war no doubt) and had the original tags on it. He found some scrap lumber, built a wooden box and mailed it home.




My grandfather on my mothers side had a butt load of very nice rifles and shotguns. He and his only son hunted a lot. They even traveled cross country to hunt during the 1940's and 50's My Uncle got everything and he only had one son. I have no idea where all of them ended up but both my uncle and cousin are gone now. He showed me the collection once in the 1970's. Even as a kid who didn't know much about guns I was impressed.

 

[Mullo98]

I had my grandfather's (on Dad's side) Winchester model 40 shotgun. It had malfunctioned on a hunting trip when my Dad was loading it and a shell detonated during the cycling of the action while it was out of battery and ruined the action. Nobody was hurt, thank goodness. Upon request of my Dad's youngest brother, I gave it to him.
I have my father's Browning Double Auto Twelvette (CA.1969) the he hunted with until he was no longer able to hunt.
Also, I have my grandfather's (Mom's side) single shot 12 Ga. H&R hardware store branded shot gun he bought right after he returned from WWII. It was his varmint gitter around the farm. He was not a hunter. I replaced the butt stock because the original had split behind the rounded tang and I made a beavertail fore end to replace the splinter fore end it came with.
I try to hunt with each of them at least once a year during pheasant season.

I took my great uncle's marlin on my first adult deer hunt. I hate that ammo for it is so rare, otherwise I would love to make it a primary hunting rifle.

 

[Mullo98]

Growing up in NYC, no relatives had guns. I think my father had seen enough of guns as an infantryman in WWII, same for my maternal grandfather in WWI.

I'm the first in the family with some guns.

Most of my family hovered around dirt poor levels. So most couldn't afford a gun outside a catalog or hardware store backroom deal.

 

[aaaaa]

Grandfather bought this in the 1950s. Will keep it in the family. Winchester Model 1897 12 gauge. I acquired it in the late 1970s and used it some but it hasn't been shot in 40 years. Probably take it to the range this year.

 

[Riomouse911]

I am very fortunate to have a few guns that were bequeathed to me. Several are just guns, others mean a lot.

Ive posted about my Great Uncles S&W M&P .38, this was his duty gun from 1945-1965 at LVPD.



My paternal Grandfather gave me a Rem RollingBlock .22 LR, and my Uncle gave me a worn Savage .410.

My maternal Grandfather left me a Rem Model 722 .257 Roberts that killed a boatload of hill country whitetails, a Win Model 12 16 ga (solid rib, 28” full) that brought to table quail, doves and two turkeys a year for decades, and a Lefever 16 ga SxS that I had cut to a 20” coach gun because the ends of the barrels were badly pitted.

My Dad is still up and about, but he has pretty much given up on hunting and fishing anymore. He gave me a few rifles; a .300 Weatherby Mark V, an unfired LH Rem 700 BDL 7mm Rem Mag, and a pretty worn 1894 Win Golden Spike .30-30. He preferred shotgunning, and chased desert quail and chuckar all over the west. He gave me his well used Rem Sportsman 58, and 1100 12 gauges; two unfired Ducks Unlimited banquet guns; a Beretta A303 12 gauge and a Rem 870 20 ga, and last but not least a Rem 1100 .410.

I still have them all.

Stay safe.

 

[Atomross13]

1949 Colt Police positive special, 1952 Remington 514 single shot 22LR, 1958 Remington 511 22LR and a Ruger 10/22 all passed down from Grandparents and Father-in-Law.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

My Dad was the first one in our family to even own a firearm, as far as we know. Both Grandpas saw combat in WW2 and had their share of things that go bang- one had severe PTSD.

Dad got started in college, taking an NRA marksmanship class as an elective credit, believe it or not. He had the option to buy one of the classroom surplus Mossberg 44US rifles at the end of the semester, and that was that......(he still has that gun).

Dad and I bonded most over shooting, perusing gunshops and shows. We seldom went home empty-handed, and as a result we probably have way too many with memories attached of one sort or another.

We are going to have to consolidate our collections soon, and itll be pretty tough seperating the really special stuff from the "sorta" special.

I suppose thats a good problem to have, as such things go.

To be sure, though, his first Mossberg will be a keeper Ill be passing to my kids as they are both avid shooters.

 

[cc-hangfire]

I have my granddaddy’s 12 gage Remington 1100. It was his hunting gun and the first time I did a thorough cleaning, a quail feather floated out of the magazine tube. It’d been in there for over a decade.

 

[Scooter22]

My Grandfathers and Great uncles M12s. 12 and 16ga. I don't have a pic of Gramp's Win M1894 30WCF that came with the 16ga. Heres the Model 94 and my Great or Great great gramps .32RF Flobert/ Warnant rifled barrel "rat gun". The Erie Canal was in my Grandmothers back yard where it went through Syracuse, NY in the early 1900s. So they had various 4 and 2 legged vermin popping up. The single shot sat behind the kitchen door. Darn thing is a club. Later the canal was filled and the NY Central rail line was laid along the route. She used to tell me of the WW1 and 2 Troop trains that came through with young soldiers on the way to ship out on the east coast. Sorry the pic is canted.

 

[Blkhrt13]

Okay let’s see if this works. This was my Grandfathers gun on my Step dads side of the family. He served in the Korean War as an intelligence officer. I am unsure if this was a war bring back or a bought import when he got home. I suspect it’s the latter. But at any rate he was shot and subsequently died while reaching for this revolver when some young punks decided to rob his grocery store.

 

[Mullo98]

Okay let’s see if this works. This was my Grandfathers gun on my Step dads side of the family. He served in the Korean War as an intelligence officer. I am unsure if this was a war bring back or a bought import when he got home. I suspect it’s the latter. But at any rate he was shot and subsequently died while reaching for this revolver when some young punks decided to rob his grocery store.

Shame that happened. That's a interesting looking gun to say that least. Looks Welbey inspired to me

 

[Mullo98]

My Dad was the first one in our family to even own a firearm, as far as we know. Both Grandpas saw combat in WW2 and had their share of things that go bang- one had severe PTSD.

Dad got started in college, taking an NRA marksmanship class as an elective credit, believe it or not. He had the option to buy one of the classroom surplus Mossberg 44US rifles at the end of the semester, and that was that......(he still has that gun).

Dad and I bonded most over shooting, perusing gunshops and shows. We seldom went home empty-handed, and as a result we probably have way too many with memories attached of one sort or another.

We are going to have to consolidate our collections soon, and itll pretty tough seperating the really special stuff from the "sorta" special.

I suppose thats a good problem to have, as such things go.

To be sure, though, his first Mossberg will be a keeper Ill be passing to my kids as they are both avid shooters.

Sounds like a great rifle to pass down. Me and my father also bond over firearms as well.

 

[Mullo98]

I am very fortunate to have a few guns that were bequeathed to me. Several are just guns, others mean a lot.

Ive posted about my Great Uncles S&W M&P .38, this was his duty gun from 1945-1965 at LVPD.

View attachment 1068801

My paternal Grandfather gave me a Rem RollingBlock .22 LR, and my Uncle gave me a worn Savage .410.

My maternal Grandfather left me a Rem Model 722 .257 Roberts that killed a boatload of hill country whitetails, a Win Model 12 16 ga (solid rib, 28” full) that brought to table quail, doves and two turkeys a year for decades, and a Lefever 16 ga SxS that I had cut to a 20” coach gun because the ends of the barrels were badly pitted.

My Dad is still up and about, but he has pretty much given up on hunting and fishing anymore. He gave me a few rifles; a .300 Weatherby Mark V, an unfired LH Rem 700 BDL 7mm Rem Mag, and a pretty worn 1894 Win Golden Spike .30-30. He preferred shotgunning, and chased desert quail and chuckar all over the west. He gave me his well used Rem Sportsman 58, and 1100 12 gauges; two unfired Ducks Unlimited banquet guns; a Beretta A303 12 gauge and a Rem 870 20 ga, and last but not least a Rem 1100 .410.

I still have them all.

Stay safe.

Did he put those Mexican grips on himself? That's great display.

 

[Blkhrt13]

Shame that happened. That's a interesting looking gun to say that least. Looks Welbey inspired to me

It’s an Enfield. Yeah it sucks. But that’s the breaks. Society has had its dumpster fires for a long time.

 

[22250Rem]

Interesting thread here; except neither of my grandfathers ever owned a gun, although I'm pretty sure they both would have liked to. My dad was the first generation of gun owners & hunters in my family tree. His Iver Johnson Champion 16 ga. pheasant gun & Winchester Mod. 67 .22 both reside in my safe. I always refer to guns passed down through the family as "heirloom guns". Usually not high end firearm classics but ordinary working man utility pieces that wouldn't bring huge money at an auction but are awful valuable to their owners because of who previously owned them, and the memories and experiences connected with them. Got a couple other heirloom guns here, the most valuable would be the German Luger my late uncle brought home from Germany in 1945 when he helped Uncle Sam clean out Germany's V-2 rocket factory.

 

[herrwalther]

Most of my family are anti-gun people, with very few having a hunting arm or two. These are what I know will be inherited. Sorry, I don't have pictures of any of these. Just going by what I know about them from memory or second hand knowledge.

My grandfather has 3 rifles. A Marlin model 36 in 30-30. A Winchester 190 in 22LR, but shoots almost all of them. He would put shorts in it to shoot mice in the farmhouse. And an unknown rifle. Only marking on it was it was patented on July 22, 1922 if I remember right.

My wife has far more historically interesting pieces on her side of the family. A Colt 1911 (not A1) with Ivory grips. And a German P08 Luger in 9mm Luger that was made in 1917 according to the markings. We already have her great-grandmother's nickel Colt Police Positive in 38 S&W. Which is just shy of 100 years old

 

[Doug444]

I have the Ithaca Model 37 20 ga. that my father owned. He passed when I was 10, but my mom and stepdad gave it to me on my 14th birthday (age legal to hunt small game in NY at that time). I eventually sent it to Ithaca to have a slug barrel fitted, so I have two barrels. Having no children really interested in my firearms, I may have to find a niece/nephew to pass it on to before I leave this world.

 

[Gerd33]

I have several that have come from family members, including this old Bearcat single shot .22 from my grandfather. I don't know where it came from since I never knew him to have any interest in hunting or firearms but he did grow up on a farm before becoming a schoolteacher.

He had the Bearcat and an old Benjamin .22 air rifle hanging on a rack in his entryway while I was growing up.

 

[Riomouse911]

Did he put those Mexican grips on himself? That's great display.

They are sterling silver with a raised copper disc calendar and an eagle/snake on each side. I have his retirement day photo and he had those grips on there when he retired in 1965, Im sure they were on there many years before he pulled the plug.

He (14 yrs) and my Grandfather (12 yrs) moved to Southern Nevada as kids from Scotland in 1912. Las Vegas was very, very southwestern back in those days; not much more than a Union Pacific railroad watering stop with a surprising amount of Paiute and Mexican influence in the culture. (Along with things like the handmade grips he collected southwest stuff. I recall being told he even wore a braided leather bolo tie with sterling tips and a turquoise clasp every day in uniform.)

Stay safe..

 

[rtroha]

I inherited two firearms from my father-in-law. His boyhood Stevens Jr. Marksman .22 rifle and a Colt 1903 pocket hammerless .32 pistol. He told me one of his relatives ran a movie theater in the 1920s and carried this when going to the bank night depository to deposit the night's receipts.

 

[Howland937]

My dad has the first brand new gun his dad ever owned...a Noble 16ga pump that my Grandma bought as a Christmas gift from Sears. It became my dad's first gun, and while it has very little financial value, it'll remain in our family one way or another. He also has his grandpa's old single shot 12ga of unknown make (ok, probably known but forgotten. It's a cheapie).

I have an old 12ga Mossberg bolt with poly-choke that was in my grandpa's possession when he died. He'd bought it and a couple others from his sister in law after the passing of his brother, my great uncle, back in the 80's. It became mine in 2000 and has been fired 3 times since.

 

[Chuck R.]

Not the best pictures but, I have several that are heirlooms:

Top is a 1st generation Colt SAA in .45Colt:



The Luger is a 1923 Commercial in 7.65 Luger. The 1903 is actually a Spanish "Buffalo" in .32ACP:



Finally is an A.H. Fox 20GA SxS that I had upgraded and restored by Doug Turnbull:




All have been in my family since sometime after WWI.

 

[Flight01]

My great great grandfather on my dads side.
Smooth bore muzzle loader.

And I will Pass it on to my daughter which will be her great great great Grandfaters gun.

 

[lightman]

I've inherited guns twice in my life. First from the Grandfather on my Moms side of the family and then from my Dad. A lot of them are not very valuable. A Remington 740, a Savage O&U 22LR over .410, things like that. Then there is Grandpas 1911 made by Colt around 1917, His Colt Woodsman Match Target, His Browning A-5, Dads 1911 made by Remington around 1917 (I think), His Colt Woodsman Match Target that has a cool Family story with it, His 2nd gen SAA with a very low serial number that was among the 1st batch of 2nd generations made. And a few more that will not be sold as long as I'm alive. And both of my Sons are into guns as is the oldest Grandson!

 

[JR24]

I have the one. My dad was never really into guns or hunting (though I’ve recently got him into shooting and loading) growing up so I learned all my gun stuff from grandpa.

First gun I had was the Stoeger .410 side by side he gifted me when I got my hunters safety license (which will go to my son if he decides to hunt) and it’s my most treasured firearm and has killed many a rabbit, squirrel and grouse over the years. I’ll snap a picture tomorrow.