How to lose interest in guns.

[Lavan]

Give your daughter a nice gun. In fact, have TWO 20 ga. 870's and make one REALLY nice one from the best parts of the two. Then go see that she (after previously reminiscing about how she remembers making it so neat) has let her hubby use it and put it away all bloody and now it's pitted and rusted.

THEN...within the same week, visit your SON and find out that he doesn't have any idea where the minty Colt Woodsman that you AND your father won trophies with might be.

AFTER having bought both kids gun safes so the grandkids would be safe.

THAT'S how to lose interest.

Today I sold ALL the "collector" guns. I'll still shoot and enjoy my "shooters", but there ain't gonna be no NEAT ones goin down the line.

 

[butch50]

Been there and I know how you feel.

I am keeping all of the cool ones until I die - leaving them listed in my will who gets which of them. Possibly after I am gone they will have some sentimental value and they will treat them as they should. If not, I won't be checking up on them anyway .

Or I might just have a couple of the really cool ones buried with me, just in case they have a shooting range in heaven. I know a guy that had his golf clubs buried with him....

 

[utaherrn]

my son and daughter have always bought their own guns. they work for them. they take better care of them that way. Something earned is always better cared for than a gift.

 

[Low Key]

I can see how that would p*** you off. Some people just don't appreciate a fine gun and can't see the beauty in one that has been worked up "just right". Personally, I have several guns that were passed on to me by my Dad and they will be staying with me. I may just take butch50's route and be buried with a couple of them.

 

[Ohio Annie]

You have my most sincere condolences. I, too, have learned hard lessons about how other people treat things (and people too).

When you see your family members again, snack out of a big Frito bag and refuse to give them any!

easing my sting with well-earned selfishness,
Annie

 

[Eghad]

send em to me..........

I still have the Colt Woodsman my Father in Law gave me. The Daisy BB Gun and Savage 410/.22 of my Great Grandfather they are prized possesions and get plenty of TLC!

 

[Lavan]

My "cool" ones deserve better treatment than ..neglect. The prices I got should ASSURE that they will be valued.

I'm just ticked that I also gave him the Colt Gold Cup. We are talking 40 and 42 year old "kids."

Just freakin COMMON SENSE should say that a ....valuable asset....is something to preserve.

I cheated somewhat and kept one Luger as I just gotta have a Luger.

 

[molonlabe]

My condolences. Sometimes something given is not something valued.

I think in my will I would say

and to my son whom has never learned the value of a dollar.


I leave.......One dollar.

 

[Harley Quinn]

Sad but now you are wiser and it helps maybe?

Yes, that is sad. But you will now go a different path.

Take care.
Harley

 

[Musketeer]

It is sad on two levels.

One issue is that these wre fine firearms that were completely neglected.

The second, and more important in my opinion, was that these were presents from a father to his children and they were given absolutely no care!

I am 35 now and my father passed away at the age of 59 when I was 32. I know what guns he valued and which he had just filling space on the shelf. Even the dust collectors are stored properly and the ones he treasured, 6" Bleud Python from the 70s, High Standard "The Victor" 22, and his stainless S&W 60 which served as his carry gun are all prized and will never leave the family. The 60 is actually my most common carry gun now and it warms my heart to know that I depend on the same firearm my father did. Eventually I will have it polished and engraved it with my father's name and dates as well as mine (at least my birth only for now). Perhaps my daughter will use it one day or a grandchild. A classic Stainless Snubby 38 will never go out of style.

Like most children I would give any and all of those weapons up for more time with my dad who was gone in the blink of an eye. At least we had one solid year before his passing in which we really made a connection, both now being fathers. While we were not adversarial until then we had the normal father son differences. That year though allowed us to grow much closer as friends than any year before it and I am thankful every day that we had the time to reach that point in our relationship.

It angers and disgusts me to hear of kids, especially grown ones, who value the love of their father so little that they allow the gifts he was able to give them while here to be wasted with no care infront of his very eyes. Even if they will not shoot them this is a legacy that can be left for your grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Lavan, you tell your kids for me that they never know when their father could be gone. Show them this post becasue I personally think they both need a firm slap upside the head for the lack of foresight and repsect they are showing. I don't know your exact relationship but it doesn't sound as if you are too bad of a guy if you are providing fine presents to them along with the thoughfull addition of safes for them to store them in. Tell them that three years later my heart still aches for the father I was separated from right when we made a true connection. The sadness I feel though will be nothing compared to the grief they will feel to know in their hearts what their actions meant to you while you were alive if they do not rectify it. I know my father knew to the end that I appreciated every bit of hard work he did for his family and showed him the respect of cherishing what he gave me before his passing for him to see and after his passing in honor of his memory.

42 is not to old to be put over a knee in my opinion.

 

[Ramcharger]

My brother pawned the Python my Dad left him...He didn't make payments on it and lost it.

Dad won it in a poker game off a CHP buddie of his back in 60's or 70's.

Yup I told my wife I want to be burried with my Colt. Everything else is hers to keep or hand out.

 

[Lavan]

Musketeer, you have hit on the exact cause of the pain.

If I showed them this thread, they would become silent and surly and nothing would come of it. I do not know their "issues" and have not been able to identify what they could be.

I ask. They clam up. I don't ask anymore.

The Colt was passed from MY dad to me. I won a 1st place trophy with it and I have HIS ...many...medals won with it. The gun had (or has ???) been in the family since the late 1930's.

I think what I did will speak louder than any "discussion" we could attempt with unknown results. Or it simply won't matter.

There are further repercussions from this past disappointing week that will have far greater impact.

I simply can't ....try..... to keep up with whatever the "issue" might be.

And it is sad. But the new owner may be able to care for the guns like they SHOULD be. From what he PAID, he certainly should.

The ....WORST.... part is (and maybe temporary) but when I dispose of a gun, I usually get sumpin gunny that is ...."NEAT." Lookin thru books yesterday at all the stuff available only brings a "aaah, who cares?" now.

Maybe a Ruger auto, but not yet.

Thanks for the insight an understanding. An appreciative kid seems almost RARE nowadays from what I am hearing from others my age (65 this month)

I....hope.... it ain't a NATIONWIDE disease.

 

[McGee]

I have been given every one of my guns so far and they are treated with respect a cleaning after every shooting and stored propaly.

My kimber is never abused

 

[blackmind]

I don't mean to be critical. I understand how this could upset you. But I am thinking that your response is a bit passive-aggressive. Why not just engage your daughter and son in a discussion and reveal to them the fact that you feel they took your gifts (precious possessions of yours) for granted, and showed disrespect to them and to you.

Don't hold your breath waiting for unappreciative people to notice you have stopped giving them nice things and come ask you what is bothering you, because you will be disappointed.


Also, I don't see why what they did with the guns you gave them would make YOU have no interest in guns anymore. Could you explain that? Are you just frustrated and disenchanted?

-blackmind

 

[Lavan]

blackmind.... Possible. Maybe P/A to avoid Active aggressive.

Too many dead ends on too many issues. They can do what they want and it is obvious that what they do NOT want is nice guns. So it would be rather stupid for me to give them any more.

I'm not crying as much over what happened to those guns as the realization that what meant something to me (and many others) is of no interest to someone even if gotten FREE.

All I wanted was some OIL. No adulation or adoption of shooting as THEIR sport. Just some oil and maybe keeping track of where the things were. I had always assumed that the guns would be heirlooms and appreciated at least to the extent of caring for them and simply passing them down. Hopefully with instructions to keep them nice UNTIL an heir WITH interest found them and was HAPPY to have them.

These were an Arisaka TAKEDOWN rifle, a minty Rockola M1 carbine, mint SAA 2nd generation, mint pinned barrel K22, Beretta 92, Winchester 52 w/Unertl scope, mint Nambu, and mint P38 with original holster and soldier's name and serial number in the flap. Not RARE, but ...uncommon... guns that would be a shame to see ruined.

Moot now, as the guns are OUT of the family.

 

[sm]

Read Internet Gun Forums.

After the umpteenth caliber war, firearm material war, Mall Ninja vs Zombie debate, locked threads,....well phooey, maybe doing the $1 crossword books are not such a bad idea afterall.

I guess it is too late to sell the kids and use the money to get your guns back and invest in more - huh?

I've seen what hapened to you happen to others. Folks do not appreciate sentimentality, history, pride of ownership, and the mere thought of having purchased something "for down the road" for them.

Not just firearms, Classic works (books,art, sculpture), Grandparents tools, cast iron, oil lamps...

I am sorry for your disappointment. I can empathize.

Steve

 

[Lavan]

Yep. I know about grampa's "treasures." Owning a coin/pawn shop for 30 years told me all I ...really....needed to know.

Didn't think after their seeing and hearing how stuff was unappreciated that THEY would also fit the mold.

As of this week, several COMPLETE sets of coins have been sold and the antique toys are going on ebay bit by bit over the next few months. Got some on now from Saturday and they'll go too.

I told a buddy that I was gonna convert everything to cash and then buy every broken Mossberg I could find and leave THAT as an estate.

HEY! It's dad's MOSSBERG collection. Wheeee!!!!



I still buy RARE coins. I like em for ME and they are SIMPLE to consign to auction at any time.

 

[USP45usp]

I don't own... err.. have kids so I can't relate there.

But, I do have a friend that I gave a Jennings .22 to (I know, but he wasn't a gun owner and that was all I could afford at the time) and he gave me a replica .44 BP revolver.

We both have what the other gave. Both guns still work (but I almost had a heart attack when I moved, unpacked it, and it had rust on it. That thing is coated in oil right now!).

We've had them for over 10 years now and we both cherish each others gifts.

So, my Will simply states: My Mom gets her choice of what she wants and then all others are going to my friend.

None to my sisters (can you say "how fast can I pawn them" if they did get ahold of them )

There was one pawn shop that I used to "work" (read, fill in when the owner wanted to go around and talk with folks and just generally BS) and some of the things that came in that you knew where great heirlooms and some druggie that got them (legally, we ran checks with the local PD) and then pawned them for 1/8th of the cost and never come back, well, except to pawn more stuff.

I gave my Mom a full carot diamond ring that I got from there. I was "working" and this tweaker came in and pawned it. We called it in and it was clean but we kept it in the safe for three months with monthly check in's. It was my going away present from the shop when I got out of the military and for my five years of "working" at the shop on the weekends. I had mentioned that my Mom had never had a diamond ring before and I guess they figured that I would like to give it to her.

Anyway, sorry for my journey down memory lane. But I hear ya' some people just don't appreciate what they have or have been given.

Wayne

 

[Blue Heeler]

Married? Of course I married; wife, children, house. mortgage - the full catastrophe.
Lavan - the kids aren't necessarily bad. They are from the 'throwaway' generation. They didn't play with metal toys, only plastic. They don't understand maintenance. Their mother didn't have an oven for forty years. Their mother had one that wore out (and was replaced) every 5-10 years.
Ditto the family car. Maybe even sooner. Their parents didn't go through the depression.

And, there's always the problem of 'get it for nothing - value it at nothing.'

If you are going to give something just give it. Don't mother it and don't have any expectations - it doesn't really matter in the long term.

If you can enjoy their company and have a laugh with them that's enough.
You can't live their lives for them - even if you'd do it better.

 

[Lavan]

If you are going to give something just give it. Don't mother it and don't have any expectations - it doesn't really matter in the long term.

Exactly right. That's why I sold them. There is no advantage to me to see the guns ruined nor to them who do not appreciate the guns.

My assessment was to sell the guns and let the past lie.

SEETHING, GROWLING, HEADBANGING.....but let it lie.