The Will

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KCFirepower

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I'm still reasonably young(I'm in my 30s), but I've amassed a pretty decent gun collection. I always thought my kids or maybe young family members would inherit them and enjoy them after I've shuffled off. The problem is, I recently found out several of my family members have been stealing from me monetarily for a long period of time(I won't get into specifics). I also have yet to have any kids.
I wish to re-home my beautiful possessions after I die( please, no gimme-gimmes...I'm not asking), and the thought of having an auction and taking a trip to Maui when I'm old doesn't sound like my thing.

My question is: How will YOU deal with your privately owned firearms after you die? Have you given it a lot of consideration?
 
I have had several good examples of how to deal with this situation in my life. A very good friend of mine wrote out specific instructions in his will about what he wanted to go to whom. When he passed, some family and friends got to his collection prior to the reading and some things went missing. When the executer tried to follow his wishes the firearms were not found so they could not be delivered as written.

Several others of my acquaitance, including a couple of family members have dealt with disposal of property without a will by giving away the firearms (and other artifacts) to the folks they intended to have them while they were still alive. This ensures the correct person gets what you want them to have and you get some time to see them enjoy your bequest. I have already started giving some of my things away. THere is a young fellow, maybe 12 or 14, near my property down south. Whenever I am there, he always manages to come over and help me on the property and spend some time talking about some of my projects. He showed an interest in my C&B revolvers so after talking to his father, I gave him a pair of my 1860s that I haven't shot in a couple of decades. Along with leather, measure, powder, ball, mold, and caps. His face lit up and we have spent the last year getting him better acquainted with those two revolvers. Another youngster at the range I competed at was trying to compete with a less than competitive rifle. She now has a good rimfire and is working her way up the standing in competition. I am niether rich nor am I dying but it makes sense to give those things away to those who can use them rather than let them sit idle while saiting for me to die. And watching those two learn and enjoy is something I can't explain.

I am no longer in commercial construction so some of my tools have been passed along to guys starting out or older guys who understand their purpose. In the long run, I get to decide and act upon my decisions.

As for family theft, there are few ways to deal with it and not affect relations within the family. Been there done that, I wish you luck and hope it turns out well for you.
 
Hopefully give them to my kids. If I don't have any, then I guess they go to the closest person to me.
 
I've had a LW&T drafted that gives certain guns to certain folks whom I know would enjoy them. The rest get divided by certain friends & family "round robin style" in an order I decided until they are all spoken for.

I didn't put a lot of thought into it, as I hope to have many more years with the collection. However, having a plan beats not having one for the people who would have to deal, just in case. In the end I hope they go to friends and family who will enjoy them for sentimental value and think of me. However, if I don't have those kind of people in my life then they're just objects: That trip to Maui starts to look like a better option.
 
My mother-in-law had a decent collection of rifles and shotguns that had belonged to her deceased husband. When she died several years ago she had her executor put numbers on each of them and then passed the hat and all of her sons and daughters got to pull a number out of the hat to determine who got what. This worked well for that group.

You could make a list of persons to participate in such a drawing and simply leave out the ones you believe have stolen from you in the past.

Giving them to ones you care about while you are alive is a nice idea, but with my liuck I'd live another 30 years and see them take all those favorite guns to the pawn shop for a dime on the dollar!
 
You are doing the right thing by thinking about your affairs. I have been through an estate situation twice in my life, where the deceased had no will. Probate is a PITA and court ordered liquidation of the deceased assets were ordered both times.
I have a living trust and keep it updated.
 
When my parents were coming to the end of the road, they had all their offspring sit down together to decide amongst themselves just how their possessions were to be divided. I got the few guns because I was interested in them and trusted with them.

Cash, insurance, and proceeds from the sale of property were divided equally.
 
1. Have a will. Do not make it more complex than absolutely necessary.
2. Update as needed.
3. Do not try to "control from the grave". The will should be executed and allow eveyone to get on with their lives without protracted entanglements with the estate.
4. Do your giving while you're living so you are knowing where it's going. The joy for the giver and receivers is not nearly as sweet after the funeral.
 
Do a "trust" instead of a will. That way you can change who gets what easily by memo to the trust......That way it will not have to go through probate.....chris3
 
The secret is to find a personal representative. Mine is a very close, mature and trusted friend who happens to be only a little acquainted with firearms. In most states, if you're married when you go to Jesus, your spouse will get everything, but in the case of our simultaneous demise, my rep and hers will follow our instructions. He will get a piece of the life insurance and my WW2 Paratrooper uniform for his trouble. Together they will handle the disposition of all personal items, paperwork, arrangements, etc. This is a big job and requires time off from work and deserves to be rewarded well.

While my good friend may not know the difference between an AR and a 1911, he can certainly call the guy on the list who is very familiar with arsenals, and he can take over. He will also call the guy who I hope will be very surprised to get all the tools in the shop, and the other dear friend who will have an instant awesome vintage guitar collection.

@Straw Hat: The young shooters who are fortunate to know you and your grace. I believe in helping the younger people in our lives who want to learn more. The legacy of sharing and teaching and encouraging pays itself forward.
 
I think I want to leave most of the "interesting" guns in my collection to someone who will appreciate them. If they are just going to get sold you may as well sell them and hit Maui.
 
As for family stealing from you, my wife and I dealt with the same type of situation a few years ago. Her son, my step-son, is now a two time convicted felon. It was hard personally but it was the only option available. He had stolen from us (forged checks and stole personal items which were then sold) before he started stealing our credit cards. By law he can not receive firearms. My wife knows who gets what at this time but I have been planning on writing and filing a will. Choose someone you believe will appreciate and enjoy them. As for not having kids now don't worry about that, there is still time. I didn't meet my wife until after I had all but given up. We have been married for 20 years. Life is full of surprises. Protect what you have left and enjoy life.
 
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No kids, what I don't give away to friends and relatives or sell to fund my retirement, are in my will to be donated to the NRA and TSRA.
 
When I got to an age that I knew I was not going to be using a lot of my stuff any more, I had a family meeting, and gave away my stuff to the kids, grandkids, nephews, and a niece. Most of my gun collection, knife collection, backpacking gear that had been unused for years, excess tools, and lots of other stuff, I gave out to them while I was still alive to see them enjoy it. My kids all got the gun they learned to shoot on.

I still go shooting, and I know I can't begin to explain it to a young guy, but when I see my son or daughter shooting the guns I gave them, and they had shot when they were little kids, I get more of a thrill than I ever got from those guns by shooting them myself.

I kept only the few guns I had when I was a young sprout, and the same for the wife. She still shoots the same model 17 that she was shooting the morning we met on a pistol range in Texas in 1970. At this stage of our lives, it's all we need.

Carl.
 
I have a list of who I want to get what. Some that are getting them don't know about it and some of them will go back to the CMP for resale. There are a few that I have all ready given to new owners as I saw the need.

WB
 
I spent a lot of time and money having an atty draw up an extensive, very specific will/trust, medical power of atty, and financial POA. Money well spent.
 
Some of my guns will go to my son, one goes to a good friend (if he is still alive at that time - maybe I'll give it to him this year, now that I've read this thread) and my wife will get the rest, with a detailed breakdown of their worth. Since I'm the only one who knows the combination to my gunsafe, none of them will "walk" easily.
 
My will lists all my guns and I keep it updated. I want my best friend and one of my nephews to go thru my collection and pick out one gun apiece. I've got Colts, Kimbers, old S&Ws,etc, so they should find something nice. Everything else goes to my wife if she outlives me. If not, all my possessions will be sold at auction and the procedes will go to my favorite charity.
 
When my parents were coming to the end of the road, they had all their offspring sit down together to decide amongst themselves just how their possessions were to be divided. I got the few guns because I was interested in them and trusted with them.

Cash, insurance, and proceeds from the sale of property were divided equally.
Click to expand...

This is pretty much what happened when my parents died, with the cars, guns and a few other items being split up by concensus. Until my siblings decided to have an estate sale without telling me (and we hadn't gone through all of the stuff yet). Haven't talked with them since...
 
Mine are in my will.My brother and I have inherited guns from two different family members over my lifetime,with the first choice decided by the flip of a coin.My will states the coin toss,too.I've already given a few away,and will probably give a few more away as I get older. Lightman
 
If you have portable hard assets that you want to go to specific people, then you should try to give them these objects while you are still alive.

My grandmother has told me repeatedly that she wants me to have her revolver, and it's written in her will. I very much doubt that I will ever possess that firearm. Things like that very often times come up "missing" shortly after the death of the owner.

The general public has NO IDEA how often it happens that things are stolen before they can be legally transferred after someone's death.
 
WinThePennant said:
If you have portable hard assets that you want to go to specific people, then you should try to give them these objects while you are still alive.

My grandmother has told me repeatedly that she wants me to have her revolver, and it's written in her will. I very much doubt that I will ever possess that firearm. Things like that very often times come up "missing" shortly after the death of the owner.

The general public has NO IDEA how often it happens that things are stolen before they can be legally transferred after someone's death.
Click to expand...

Very true and very good advice. I know of a few firearms that I was told were for me, but I would never give the person that currenty has them the pleasure of me asking for them.
 
I am not married, have no kids, and honestly don't anticipate either changing in my lifetime. I've considered having my guns sold at auction and the proceeds donated to the NRA-ILA.
Click to expand...
Same situation here.

Out of my whole family, only one of my brothers has ever expressed any interest in guns. If his wife will let him, he's welcome to any gun he wants, but I imagine my two brothers will just end up selling everything off and splittling the profits. I'd love to hand my collection down to a son or daughter but I don't have any and while I'm very close to my niece and nephews, none of them have ever expressed any interest in guns or knives of any of the other outdoor equipment I have amassed in my life.
 
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