No Heirs. How many of you are in this boat?

[RugerForMe]

No Heirs, I'm in that boat.
My daughter has ZERO interest in my knifes and firearms.

I have rifles that were handed down to me that have been in my family since the Civil war, a Remington Rolling block and the Winchester 1892 in 38WCF (38/40) that my great grandfather (mothers side) bought when he immigrated here from Lithuania in the late 1800's.

A few WW2 knifes & daggers my grandfather (dads side) bought back from Germany and a Japanese katana that was brought back by one of my Dads uncles that fought the Japanese in the Pacific.

What do you do with these?

I guess once you pass away it's not your problem, but would hate to see this stuff just be destroyed.

Starting to think about selling some of it off. Can always use a few extra bucks

 

[dwasifar]

I'm actually in the same situation right now, but backwards. My brother passed last November, leaving only one daughter. She doesn't want his guns, and her sons are too young to have them right now, so they're coming to me. The understanding is that someday I may be asked to pass them back to the boys when they're grown, but for now I'm "inheriting" my brother's guns because his daughter has no interest.

 

[hittman]

Use the Classified section here.

Unless of course you have a local friend, etc. Or maybe donate something to a local museum or assign items to be auctioned off for a local charity.

 

[Rat76]

I am in the same situation, well without the daughter. I've been passing things on to younger friends & selling some off.

When in doubt I ask myself, what would Grandpa say? He'd say "you mean you still have that old thing, sell it!"

I've got an 1897 Winchester pump of his. Worn completely out, takedown model & wiggles badly side to side. I'll be contacting Numrich soon about shipping it to them. They buy guns & parts. Got one of his worn out 22s as well, same song verse 2.

Traded Dad's 336 for a Rossi 92 in 357. He never shot the Marlin & it kicked way too hard for me to enjoy it.

I've still got the Arisaka Type 38, it will be swapped for a cap & ball pretty soon. I've got ammo but no real place to shoot as its battle sighted for 400 yards & I can't see good enough to use iron sights at 100 yards much less way out there.

 

[Thumbcocker]

Something to think about.

 

[Bullthrower338]

Tough situation, I am fortunate to have two boys that enjoy all the things I do, one of them is an absolute carbon copy of me and can’t get enough hunting and firearms so I don’t have to worry. I don’t know if they will want all the taxidermy as they will have their own houses and wives that may not want the Jumanji motifs but as you said, I won’t be worrying about that.
I once went to an older gentleman’s home at the request of my father in law to pick up some guns he was putting in an auction. I ended up talking with that man for the whole day, I asked him why he was selling his guns because his home had many pictures of family on the wall. He then told me that he had lost his wife of 50 years to cancer, shortly after his oldest son passed due to a very aggressive cancer, he was into the guns and reloading like his father. The other boy got messed up on dope and ran off to California and he didn’t know if he was still alive, the daughter married a rabid liberal lawyer on the east coast after attending University and doesn’t have anything to do with guns and very little to do with her father. I was heartbroken listening to his tale and prayed I wouldn’t end up in a similar situation. I ended up buying several of his guns at the auction and think about our conversation that day when I shoot them.
Anyway, back on course here, sometimes passing something special on to someone that you care about and know that they will treasure the item even if they are not blood is good for the soul, if not sell the stuff and do something you enjoy with the money because you can’t take that with ya either.

Cheers,
Cody

 

[Dan in MI]

Use the Classified section here.

Unless of course you have a local friend, etc. Or maybe donate something to a local museum or assign items to be auctioned off for a local charity.

I agree with this completely.

My daughter won't want all of my guns. I have already told her I have a selection that is to go to my neighbors two boys. She is good with that. The others she can keep or sell.

 

[Tenbore]

Same boat here. I do have a nephew-in-law that thinks he will be getting my collection. We get along good and maybe he will get some. Perhaps my Grand-nephew will end up with a couple if he shows any interest (he's only 2 now). I keep thinking it's time to start thinning the herd but, I'm just not ready to let go yet.

 

[beentheredone]

In the final analysis, no matter how highly we value our guns to probably most other people they are just things. And in truth, that is all they are. You have a decision to make -- either begin making disposition of them in any way you see fit, or leave it for someone else to do when you're gone. Because, brother, gone you will be...

 

[xtratoy]

I am in the same situation, well without the daughter. I've been passing things on to younger friends & selling some off.

When in doubt I ask myself, what would Grandpa say? He'd say "you mean you still have that old thing, sell it!"

I've got an 1897 Winchester pump of his. Worn completely out, takedown model & wiggles badly side to side. I'll be contacting Numrich soon about shipping it to them. They buy guns & parts. Got one of his worn out 22s as well, same song verse 2.

Traded Dad's 336 for a Rossi 92 in 357. He never shot the Marlin & it kicked way too hard for me to enjoy it.

I've still got the Arisaka Type 38, it will be swapped for a cap & ball pretty soon. I've got ammo but no real place to shoot as its battle sighted for 400 yards & I can't see good enough to use iron sights at 100 yards much less way out there.

I've been looking for a barrel and wood slide handle for my 1887 takedown. I decided after a long time looking I would contact Numrich about selling mine. They offered $30.00 for my gun . Do you want to sell yours?

 

[WanderLust]

One thought come into my mind: The main goal is NOT necessarily to hand them down to family, but to hand them down to someone that will show the same love and attention that these things meant to you. What about finding a family with sons old enough to understand what these mean to you, and gifting some of these items to them? It would mean the world to them, if I'm correct, and it would also make your memory live on for decades with a new bloodline. There are a million variations of this idea (have young persons write an essay of what it would mean to them to receive one of these gifts, and then pick winners) and there really aren't any losers when you're done. Some can be given while you're still here, some can be passed along once you're gone. I'm absolutely sure that others here can give you better ideas along this line. It was important to my Dad to give things away when he was nearing his time, so he could share the sentiment and the memories that each item gave him. It could be a chance for you to make a memory with a youngster by shooting/hunting with them, and then handing them the gun at the end of the trip. Talk about making a difference in a person's life!

 

[Yaworski]

I have heirs but neither care much for guns. My son lives in California and ten years ago, I told him that I'd send him the Single-Six that I bought to teach the kids to shoot. He said, "Yeah, I'd like to have that gun." I said that I'd pay the costs, he just had to jump through the hoops and find out what needed to be done. Still no movement on his part. I've asked a couple times and he doesn't care enough to make a couple phone calls. Probably too busy playing video games.

My daughter likes to go shooting with me and owns a couple guns but really has no interest in competition or the history or why this gun is different from that gun.

Maybe my great-nephew . . .

I also have a garage full of tools that will need to find new homes.

 

[xtratoy]

I have heirs but neither care much for guns. My son lives in California and ten years ago, I told him that I'd send him the Single-Six that I bought to teach the kids to shoot. He said, "Yeah, I'd like to have that gun." I said that I'd pay the costs, he just had to jump through the hoops and find out what needed to be done. Still no movement on his part. I've asked a couple times and he doesn't care enough to make a couple phone calls. Probably too busy playing video games.

My daughter likes to go shooting with me and owns a couple guns but really has no interest in competition or the history or why this gun is different from that gun.

Maybe my great-nephew . . .

I also have a garage full of tools that will need to find new homes.

Sounds like your daughter would be the person to give the Single Six too... at least she is involved.

 

[turd]

No kids here. Several nephews, but just two with any interest in hunting, and not much interest in handguns. I'm not ready to let go of them yet, and when I do I'll probably give them to those two along with an idea of what they are worth so they can either keep and use, or sell. Best I can do...

 

[Yaworski]

Sounds like your daughter would be the person to give the Single Six too... at least she is involved.

You have a point.

 

[blume357]

I'm in the same boat and have been trying to figure out how my wife is going to deal with my 'collection' once I am gone. It is a pretty sure bet that she will out live me.... I've been able to figure out how to deal with my business stuff... but my gun collection will be a problem... the folks I know like Contender here that are up to date on the value of what I have are all out of state and so it will be a burden to them to deal with it if I ask them to figure it out. My wife has no desire to own, keep and should not be burdened with getting rid of them....

 

[Enigma]

Museum, auction, or sell them in the classifieds.

 

[RSIno1]

Get the stuff you'd like her to keep in the family out and invite here over for a history lesson. If she then says I don't want it sell it and go have a great dinner or two on your ancestors. Stuff with no family ties go ahead and sell it. I'm finding as old age rushes up it's better to have a war chest of cash rather than things.

 

[Shamus2022]

In my will everything goes to the NRA--how it goes I won't care.... guns or cash.

 

[Paul B]

My youngest daughter is supposed to handle my estate when I go. I want her to have my Great grandfather's M94 carbine but the rest????

She doesn't want to bother. Being conservative, we're looking at somewhere around $100,000.00, give or take. I figure she'll let the whole pile go for peanuts to some gun shop that has the cash.
Paul B.