My good deed yesterday. Family is important. Update: 10-7-'22

[fiasconva]

I shipped my wife's grandfather's old Stevens 12 ga shotgun to her cousin out in Kansas yesterday. He is one of the few gun people left on her side of the family and we wanted him to have it as a wall hanger for his cabin. It's inoperable but has a lot of family history. He was thrilled to get it. The transfer fee and shipping costs were more than the gun was worth but he's family so it doesn't matter. That old warhorse was over 100 years old and was purchased for whopping $5.00 back in the 20's. His mom and my wife were first cousins and as close as sisters. She died a few weeks ago and her son, the cousin we shipped the gun to, took great care of her until the end. We both felt he deserved it and he'll be proud to show off his great grandfather's gun that his great grand mother used to stop a break in and someone else from stealing her chickens way back when his grandfather was just a youngster. This was on of those feel good days for us.

 

[Mobuck]

Good for you. This stuff can't be replaced nor can the memories.
Grouch Attack's family sold all of her Dad's guns at the farm sale in 1996 including an ancient 28 ga Winchester(?) single shot that had been in the family for an entire lifetime. Their interest was MONEY and little else.
I'm going to have to make some hard decisions some day regarding Dad's guns that I have. Mom's middle Son stole most of Dad's stuff but I have 3 of the most memorable guns. I have 3 kids so each will get one but the difficulty is who gets what.

 

[blume357]

Yes, Good for you.

The only 'family' gun I have that is like that is the Smith and Wesson 38 my father had strapped to his chest while in Korea. I had planned to send it to the Marine museum a few years back but never got around to it.... I still think it should be there. Burnt in the grip is "Korea 1950.. Thru Hell".

 

[contender]

Excellent. Passing along heirlooms is important,, as long as the person receiving them understands the importance of such things.
I'd add a little note to go with this.

Sit down,, and type out as much information about the gun as you can. That way,, the "gun can talk a little" to the cousin & whom he leaves it to.

 

[Bob Wright]

Seeing that you are no farther apart than Virginia and Kansas, at one time simply making the drive would have been easier, but with gas prices being what they ore now, likely not. Would be a good drive, though.

Bob Wright

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Excellent. Passing along heirlooms is important,, as long as the person receiving them understands the importance of such things.
I'd add a little note to go with this.

Sit down,, and type out as much information about the gun as you can. That way,, the "gun can talk a little" to the cousin & whom he leaves it to.

How about this one??? This is what I wrote when I gave my first gun to my Grandson.

Hey Pard, I thought I would tell you the story of that old 20 Ga. When I was 9 years old I started hunting Squirrels with may Dad and Granddad in September. I was using my Granddads old 12 Ga. double barrel at the time. Rabbit and Pheasant season started in October and I was to little to carry that old double barrel the long distances Granddad, Dad, and me had to walk to find the game. We would walk all day long looking for Rabbits and Pheasants. There weren't very many at that time. So it was a lot of walking. Since I didn't have a gun to take I was just the Dog on those days. That meant I would have to shake the brush piles to get the rabbits to come out and go after shot game. Well one Saturday morning in November my Dad and Gramps took me to Coon's Hardware store in the small town that we lived in to look at shotguns. It had to be a 410 or a 20 Ga. with a hammer . Both Dad and Gramps always thought one with a hammer was safer. If the hammer isn't cocked it won't go off. Both Dad and Gramps were pretty poor so they couldn't afford a double barrel or one of those fancy pump shotguns. Besides they were both heaver than a single barrel. Mr. Coons had one 20 GA. on the shelf. When we looked at it we noticed it had a piece of wood missing in the stock. Mr. Coons wanted $25.00 for it but after my Gramps talked to him they decided that was to much since it had a piece of wood missing. After a little more talking my Gramps made the deal to buy that old 20 Ga. for $15.00. Boy was I happy! Now I had my own shotgun that I could carry and I wouldn't have to be the Dog anymore. We all went hunting the very next day. I don't remember if I shot any Rabbits or not. It didn't really matter because I had my very own 20 Ga. Since that time that old 20 Ga. is the only shotgun that I have hunted with. When your Dad and I hunted he would use that fancy Pump Gun, that I bought for him, and I would use that old 20 Ga. I couldn't give that old 20 Ga to him because he was my Son not my Grandson. I have been wating for you to get to be nine years old so I could give that old 20 Ga.to you like my Gramps did I think I did let your Dad shoot it a little. But after shooting it though he wanted one of those fancy Pumps like the rest of the kids had. One time I took your Dad, Aunt Kathy, and Nanna hunting Rabbits around the house and your Dad used my Gramp's Old Double Barrel. My Gramps, my Dad, your Dad and me have all hunted with that old double. The only shotgun I have owned was that old 20 Ga. until I started shooting Cowboy. I hope you will enjoy and keep this old 20 GA for along time. I have walked a lot of miles carrying it with my Gramps and my Dad when I was your age and older. When I got older I would get my dog and the two of us would go hunting. Most of the time she would chase the rabbits so I couldn't shoot at them. But it didn't matter because we were having a good time in the woods. Grandson blasting away with the 20GA. My Grandfather's double

 

[fiasconva]

Contender, I did that yesterday. I sent him 2 stories about his great grandmother stopped someone trying to break into her house by firing out the window as he was trying to come in. I also sent him a story about how she shot a chicken thief in the ass with a fatback loaded shell while he was bent over in the midst of stuffing her chickens into a feed sack. He thanked me for the stories and said they were great. BTW, that old shotgun is a tank and the shipping weight was 10 lbs. Pretty impressive for a single shot 12 gauge.

 

[WendyZXZ]

Nicely done and exactly as it should be!

 

[tazbigdog]

Great job!

 

[fiasconva]

Little update for those interested: The shotgun shipped on Sep 29 and was delayed because of bad weather. It finally arrived yesterday at my wife's cousin's FFL. We are both happy campers.