Who do you leave your guns to, if no one in your family wants them?

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I have listed and valued all of mine. A friend of mine has the information. He has agreed to sell/consign them and give the proceeds to my wife. His fee? He gets to keep one of his choice.

I have the same deal with him. If one of my brothers boys gets interested, it will probably change.
 
I'm also very fortunate in that my two children (now late-teens) actually have friendly open discussions about who ends up with dad's toys; they will however have to flip a coin over the Singer 1911; the one who doesn't get it will end up with a '57 Chevy and a few fine double rifles.
 
Well since no one else said it you can leave them to me if you like. :D Seriously though. I don't think my kids will want my entire collection. I've already given some to my daughter and my son seems to shy away from owning a gun. His current employment situation would be a big part of that. He has always enjoyed shooting and I've let him take some of my guns for extended periods so he could go shooting. But I expect him to sell most of my guns. Some I will want to go to my brother if he wants them. I really don't want one in particular to ever leave the family. Maybe my kids won't feel the same way about them but my daughter already has one that I never want to leave the family. Guns weren't as important to my kids as they were to me and my brothers. Hunting was a big part of our life and so was recreational shooting. My kids don't hunt though. I guess it matters that you don't need to harvest game from the land to put on the table like we did. It's too bad they don't see the value of that because you get some really good food from the wild.

So I expect my son to sell off what no one wants and distribute the money to my family equally. He will know the value of my guns more than my daughter. Her bf likes guns but doesn't know a lot about them. Whatever my son doesn't know he can certainly find on the net. He knows there's some money tied up in those guns and he has enough sense not to give it away.
 
Many of my friends are without children, and subsequently, have nice collections. Some work in higher risk professions and have always said that we should figure out which of their guns we would like if they were to pass. Honestly, I cannot think of a single gun that would replace any of my good friends or family, even though they have several nice guns I'd like to have.

I don't know how old the OP is, but if I was in that boat, I would start making some new friends. Find some guys who like to go shooting. Find someone who you would feel comfortable leaving them too. Other than that, I would simply start selling them now and use the money to make memories. Another poster said he sells them to pay for hunts, maybe sell them to shoot more with the ones you keep. Not that I have anything spectacular, but if I had any old war horses, I would also consider donating them to a museum.
 
I'm 66, and in good shape other than a few busted up disks. But you just don't know when you're going to go. I still take care of my 94 yr old mother, and have a wife house and a couple of new cars, so I am not planning on going anytime soon, but then again no one ever is.
I hear all the time of friends in their 60's and 70's who just passed away. My mom and aunts all made it into their 90's, 5 of them, but all the men folk, went young, like 60's. I already outlived my dad and uncles.
I was just sitting around looking at guns, "as usual" and saying when should I seriously stop buying these things, although I know the answer is until you no longer can use them or no longer choose to. But I see that many of you guys are in a similar situation which actually makes me feel better about myself.
Hell my buddy here in my development is a retired Marine and he just had a quadruple bypass, and is still buying guns he can't shoot yet because he's not healed up enough. So I guess time will tell, but thanks for the idea's I was thinking NRA. That's one reason I just bought that new Mustang, what the heck, it isn't going to do me any good at 75 or 80, when you can't see or your reflexes are gone. Meanwhile I still run the thing flat out whenever possible.
 
I agree with one of the other posts. Fine a couple of youngsters that are interested in shooting, teach them how to shoot then give them a firearm. Later on, another, and so on.
 
Lots of good ways to go here!
I really like post #10 and #34.
I don't know your age but you might find that really deserving young shooter that would be excited beyond their wildest dreams after a gift from you.

Just think about it.... What am I saying?! You are doing just that! :D

Mark
 
I have six Children 3 Boys 3 Girls 16 Grand Kids , My Oldest Boy was a Gun Nut on My Dime . Out of the Blue He sold His Guns OMG I gave him most of them It messed Me up . The other Kids don't have the same love as I do so I have gave a dozen guns away to My friends & there Kids who are into Guns, And I think are going to be shooters and Hunters for Life . Two Years ago I was Diagnosed with Cancer if that is not ruff enough I lost the love of my life 5 Years back to Cancer so The Stickers and Buttons are Right Cancer Sucks .. I have a few ear marked for the Kids and Grandkids and Friends I am Going to try to Hand a few of them out wile I am still here the rest I will sell to By Meds & Doctor Bills Have a Good Time . You Can't take them with You . DD
 
I have a slightly different problem. My son would probably like to get all of my guns and my daughter has little interest in them. Unfortunately, my son lives in California and I’ll be darned if he will get them. With the way California is, I just don’t want the possibility that they might end up with confiscation and destruction, not to mention that some are illegal in CA. So he gets his choice of three CA legal ones and the rest go on consignment.
 
My dad had a huge collection but starting about 10 years before he died, he started selling his entire collection off (including other military items) and had mostly sold everything gun-related by the time he died. He did sell most of the items to lifetime friends, although one of the friends dumped a number of them at a California gun show for way more than he paid for them...
 
I'm reducing my collection down to what my kid relates to. If she decides she doesn't want some of the remaining pieces then she'll sell them. I'll be dead and won't care if they get converted into tuition or vet bills or ...
 
Some really good ideas here. This thread has helped me out a little, too.

I only have one cousin who really gives a hoot about guns. My current plan is to let him, my brother, my best friend and my daughter have whatever they want. Past that, I guess they can be sold.

Like most of you, it bothers me at least a little that a carefully crafted and tended collection could fall into random hands. Again, some of the solutions provided here gave me some options I didn't really think about.


If I was married, I wouldn't feel bad about the wife selling them if she wasn't a shooter; at least it would help her out. I would probably get in touch with my main LGS (he's a good guy) and work something out beforehand in the event of my demise. I am thinking the average shop run by a decent individual would work with someone in a situation like this.
 
Fortunately, my family has been shooters and hunters as far back as my great great grandfather that I know of. In the last five years, my wife has gone for neutral about guns to being an avid shooter and hunter too. I've already started turning over guns to my children; my wife has done the same on her side. I have to say, that really makes things easier and I'm so thankful for the gun friendly state in which I live and the wonderful wife I have.

If I had to, I turn them over to our local gun club since I've been associated with this organization well over twenty-five years.

Failing that, they'd go to the NRA following the ads I see every month in the American Rifleman.
 
Cloud said:
Told my wife I was leaving them to our oldest son who is 22. She told me that she did not want hm to have them and if I die before her she is gong to call the sheriffs office to come get them.
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Given his age, make a will, get it witnessed and the judge will do as the will says. In my state, if a will is properly witnessed, no probate is required.
 
My stepson is not much into guns although on the many times I've taken him and his wife shooting, he enjoyed it enormously. My grandson is 3. We are purposely not going to the toy gun route (so far) as when he get's old enough I'd like him to shoot and not to associate guns with play. Whether or not that's the right thing to do is anyone's guess. That might change when he's 5 or 6.

So while my stepson is not into guns, hunting, or shooting sports, he really is into cool things. Not exactly a materialist but he digs cool things. So right now, the plan is for him to get them. I know he might never shoot them but I think he will had a great deal of pride in owning them...I think. As my grandson gets older, he may come into the picture.

I agree with some posts above...I'll just be glad if somebody gets them who appreciates them, even if I don't know him/her.
 
Im only 25 but i know when the time comes my kids and my favorite nephew get mine. The specifics are still fuzzy becaise the collection is growing. Im pretty sure ill get most of my father-in-laws guns when he goes because out of us three boys im the only one that appreciates them, with the exception of one shotgun and a .22 they will end up with a grandkid. It really makes me sad that this is such a widespread problem.
 
george burns said:
In my case I have no one who I have no one who would take my guns without just selling them for the buck.
I have 2 step kids, both of which grew up in NY, and both hate, or dislike guns, and with 4 girls, none want guns. My 3 cousins between them have 2 girls who also don't shoot or care for guns. So who do you leave them to?
Please no "I'll take em" ideas.
Perhaps the NRA has a program or some other agency that would use them for new shooters? I don't plan on going anywhere for 20 or more years, but still in your 60's you should plan for such things. My wife will just sell them.
So what is your plan if you have this situation?
The wife doesn't need the few bucks my half dozen guns will bring, although decent, none is valued at over a thousand dollars, maybe that will change, but for arguments sake, that is the number. All are mid and upper mid range guns, with Glock being the least expensive.
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If no one in my family wants my guns then I'd leave them to friends, people who I know will value the guns. There are many guys in my church who appreciate guns and my pastor loves guns too. I'd have no problem leaving my guns to any of these guys.
 
It is surprising how common an issue this is.

I don't have this problem. I only have a daughter so most wouldn't go to her (unless she decides she is interested in them) but I have a couple of nephews I'm very close to who are very much into guns and are responsible young men so I'm sure they would end up with the majority.
 
you obviously can't read or you're just a jerk
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I don't think Mr. Smith was being a jerk at all. Sure, the OP stated "no, I'll take 'em ideas", but it was a creative response on the part of Deaf Smith. Sometimes, I gotta wonder when the HIGHroad becomes so dang high that it loses its sense of humor.

As for the OP, keep a few and sell the rest over time and use the money on wife and yourself.
 
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Find a nice young man at your local range of outstanding character. Become friends, say nothing of inheritance, but write him into the will. He'll be floored some day.
 
I'm with the "Make a new friend" crowd. You might be surprised at what you recoup from that investment, even while you're still alive. :)
 
Nobody says who you must leave your stuff to. You do need to be sure of what your executor, who really should know something about 'em, will do. Don't know squat about U.S. inheritance laws, but up here the executor gets to deal with it. Nobody to inherit means they get sold and the funds put into the estate. If they're too evil(idiotic firearms laws) they either get sold to somebody with the right licence or they get chopped.
Told my brother to build me a pyramid, but I suspect he thought I was kidding.
"...Family can get torn apart..." Yep. And it has nothing to do with firearms or the value of the Estate.
 
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