GUN QUESTIONS

Lees daughter

Lees daughter

Active member
Hey guys,

Were getting around to sorting threw and selling dads guns now, my question is

Blake has a 28 ga now that dad set him up with, I guess dad really liked the 28 as well... there are a couple more besides Blakes....

what other guns should I keep for him?

Im thinking at least one 20 and a couple 12 the two I have set aside both have the chokes on them so they can be versatile... I guess?

What about an M1?

Dad has some really beautiful pieces but what Im looking for is something that will be useful in the future for Blake Im hoping to keep the count closer to 5 rather than the 45 that are there now....

I could take a few pictures of the ones Im thinking of keeping and post them here too if that would help?

Thanks again for all the input! I really appreciate it!


Bridget
 
If possible, I'd let him keep them all. Under your supervision of course. I know of a few of my Pop-Pop's guns that are now out of the family, but still in our area. My wife would divorce me if she realized what I'd pay to get them back in the family. Some are not of any significant value to their current owners, but priceless to me because they were his.
 
I vote for Blake keeping them all. We'd only fight over them. If you don't need the money for them now, Blake can treasure them when he is old enough. If he doesn't treasure them, he could sell them when he is ready.
 
Bridget, I would vote for keeping them all and let Blake decide when he is old enough. I have inheirited all the guns from all my greatgrandparents, grandparents and parents and wouldn't trade any one for anything. Kind of my connection to the past. BTW an M1 is an excellent choice both as as hooter and a piece of history. Also if he decides to get rid of any some day they are most likely to be worth a bit more as time and politics move along.
 
This has to be a hard choice.
Yep your dad had a thing for the 28ga. Useful is great but first make sure you keep the gun or two he used the most.
Second I'd look at keeping a couple of the hard to get guns your dad had. You could really tell from the way he wrote about his guns that he loved well built older guns.
One modern 12ga and/or 20ga will take care of most bird hunting.

Tim
 
Your going to get a similar response from most of us. That because those of us that duck hunt with the passion shared by the members of this site also share a connection to our famillies and specificly the history of duck hunting in those famillies. I have very little other then stories from my grandfather of duck hunting. He as I understand it hunted often as a young father but as he grew older stopped. The same with an old recurve bow that I have pictures of. The one gun he kept was a marlin tube feed 22 he bought new in the 40's. My father and uncles shot it in the basement all the time as kids at a 4x4 post. If them missed one time they were never alowed to shoot again so they never missed. As a young man I was sitting with my grandfather, father, uncles and others and the subject of that 22 came up. In a light hearted way the brothers were all argueing about who would get the gun when my papa ( grandfather ) passed on. My Papa said Mick (my dad) gets it he is the first born. Years later sitting on the back deck of my Papa's house after his funeral I watched my dad get up walk inside that house and come out with the cased 22. It still brings tears to my eyes to think of that day. It was the first gun I every shot with my Papa and dad by my side. It leans in the corner at my Dads house now. Used for target practice and red squirrel control.

Heres the kicker and the reason it still brings tears to my eyes. Im the first born in my generation and some day I have to get that gun out of the corner and put it in the case. I love to take my Papa's 22 out and shoot it love to clean it for my dad but I dont every want to have it in the corner at my house.

If there is a gun that is special to Blake or something really old with bumps and scares on it that your Dad loved. Thats the gun to keep. He doesn't need them all but the ones that are something special for one reason or another keep.

Sorry to be so long winded and go off subject a bit but hunters are connected to our past often times by small pieces of it left behind.

A man I never meet my wifes Grandfather loved duckhunting with the same passion I do. I own one of his old decoys. It sits on the mantel year round and hunts once a year. I joke with my wife that he is laughing his .... off because when she married me I didn't duck hunt. My hunting partner is one of his Grandsons though and his passion and old shotguns were passed on to him. I am thankful they were I am very close with him because of our shared passion to chase waterfowl all over the US and Canada.
 
Keep all of them if you are able to do so.

My Uncle sold all of my grandfathers firearms and then asked if I would have been interested in any of them.
 
Bridget,

I'm with the rest of the guys on keeping all of them for Blake. It'll save him a lot of money later in life, less guns he needs to buy for his collection (or more money available to buy the ones Grandpa didn't get bought)!

If/when you decide to sell some find someone trustworthy who knows guns,to help you sell them so you don't get taken. I'm sure some of the guys here that live up your way might be willing to help out. As far as the M1 goes, those are getting quite valuable. Both M1 Garands and M1 Carbines have really shot up in price in the past 10 yrs. I bought a Winchester M1 Carbine (just like the one he was issued in the Korean war)for my Dad about 12yrs ago for $175. Last gun show I was at there was a guy asking $1800 for one, I'm sure he's still got it since the going price for a similar carbine here in Iowa is about $900 - $1000.

Jim S
 
Keep all of them if you are able to do so.

My Uncle sold all of my grandfathers firearms and then asked if I would have been interested in any of them.
Click to expand...

D'oh... I can't imagine your response was anything less than sarcastic.

I might be in the same situation. My Grandpa died two years ago and my Uncle now has possession of them all. He's been known to trade guns in the past for stupid stuff. I've let it be known that I want a couple of them and it better go to family before it's sold/traded.

If you can keep them all Bridget that's the way to go. If not, I'm sure someone who knows their stuff can tell you which one's to sell and for what price. Good luck.
 
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45 guns are a lot to keep track of.

When my Dad passed, to me it mattered if it was a gun that he actually used. My brothers & I made sure the ones he used went to someone with our last name (son or grandson).

An M1 would be a cool thing to have, but did he care about it?
 
When you say M1, Benelli or the rifle. If its a Benelli that should take care of all his waterfowling needs these days.
 
What gun did he use to shoot rabbits at the yard? What guns did he take out west on his elk hunts? What guns are family guns? What guns did he deer hunt with when he used to? What were his duck and waterfowl guns that he used? Answer those questions and you will know what to keep. 45 is too many, but 5 is way too few. 10 of his most important guns would be a start.
 
Bridget, 45 guns takes alot of time to care for so selling some of them may be the better option but perhaps you can let Blake decide which ones he would want. I don't know of anyone in your area but perhaps someone can direct you to a dealer who can put a value on each of them for you before you list them for sale. The M1 Garand is something you should consider keeping for investment sake. In 1969 those were going for $60.00. I know cause I still remember the day I saw them on a suplus stores wall and couldn't afford to buy one. There are probably others in Lees collection with the same potential so if possible, get an appraisal on all of them.
 
"10" or so is a number that makes sense.

Selection, for the most part, is a decision best made by a Dad for a 12 year old, or so, son.
 
When Dave Parks gets his house built he will report in. Joe O is a good contact also. He keeps tract of Dave. Also Steve Sutton. Either one will have a telephone no. They can give good information on the value of the guns in question. All too often in like your fathers case no one know what the guns they had are worth and they are sold way below value.

It is a good idea if not already done is to have all the serial numbers of the guns written down and put in a safe place. On a few guns I have the history written down of who owned it etc. and put in the gun stock. One gun which will never be sold but passed down I am the fifth owner. I knew all the people but one.

The hardest part will be which to keep.

Take care Pete
 
If you can't keep them all, then at least keep any ones that your dad used most, and definitely any ones that were passed down to him by HIS dad.

Personally, I'll sell a gun that I won at a D.U. banquet or bought at Wal-mart, but wouldn't dream of selling any that were my dad's or grandpa's.
 
I agree with a lot thats has been said, try to find if any of them had family history and the ones that meant the most to your father. Take them all in to a good, and I stress good gun shop and ask for an apprasial for your insurance company. That way you will get the real value of the guns. If you take them in to sell your not going to get a true value and searching the web for the same gun is not always accurate.

Hope this helps,

bill
 
The Springfield Armory built M1's are very valuable if in good shape. I had one once but sold it when I got in a tight for money. Wish now I had got me a second job and kept that rifle and several other guns that I sold.

My Son gets them all when I go to that great marsh in the sky and I'm sure he will sell some of them, but it'll be his decision to make.

Now if you have to sell some Dave and several others on the page can certainly advise you as to what to ask for them.

Be careful as there are people out there that will make you an offer for the entire collection that may sound good at the time but when the guns are valued individually you may find you could have done better.

Best of luck whatever you decide,

Harry
 
I'd try to divide them into 2 piles first. Ones with sentimental value, and ones without. Keep the first pile. Take the second pile, and get some good advice on this, divide them into guns that will probably not increase in value as time goes on, and ones that will increase in value. Sell the dogs, and keep the valuable ones as an investment, maybe for collage some day. The way I just spelled collage probably tells you I never went.
 
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