WWII Vet Guns Where Are They?

[darrentxs]

With estimates of 1200 veterans of WWII passing away each day, you would think the used gun market would be flooded with their sidearms and bring-backs.

I don't see too many WWII era 1911s on the used market. At least no where near what would be expected when compared to the high rate at which the vets are passing.

What do you think? Where are these?

Lastly - To US vets of any war, thank you for your service & may God bless you!

 

[Johnc]

As a proud Son of a WWII and Korean War Veteran, I can tell you that some were gifted years before the Veteran passed. Some were I am sure, sold, lost in poker games and even some remain stowed away in sock drawers for an unsuspecting widows to find. These are items that some family's cherish and may not hit the market for years, they may remain as a keepsake in that family for generations to admire and remember.

 

[sjones]

My dad was a veteran of IWO.In fact he said he was about 50 yards down the hill on suribachi when they planted the flag.He brought back a m-1 carbine,still had the bayonet and lug on the barrel..When He had to go in a nursing home,he gave it to me.Well like the biggest idiot in the world after a few years I needed the money and sold it.My father is gone now and I would give anything in the world to have it back as a momento of him.If you have one.please don't ever sell it.sj

 

[GWbiker]

I'm willing to bet there are a load of surplus M1 Garand rifles among the public. US Military personal being discharged from active service in the late 50's and early 1960's were offered the option to purchase a M1 Garand.

In February 1961, my late production H&R M1 would have cost me $65.

I didn't buy it!!

 

[DMZX]

My Dad was a Korean war vet, but had no interest in firearms.

I am a Vietnam war vet, but bringing back firearms, was strictly a no-no and I didn't want to take any chances. I have a good collection of firearms, and have been sliding them to my son who is...

An Iraq war vet. He loves to shoot and has a small collection at this point. Interestingly enough, he wants a M4 Carbine style AR, as that is what he carried in Iraq. AR's aren't my cup of tea, but I may buy one for him, 'cause he's a great kid! And it well give him a memento to hand down some day.

 

[Darren007]

An Iraq war vet. He loves to shoot and has a small collection at this point. Interestingly enough, he wants a M4 Carbine style AR, as that is what he carried in Iraq. AR's aren't my cup of tea, but I may buy one for him, 'cause he's a great kid! And it well give him a memento to hand down some day.

Thats a perfect example of history repeating itself. I've read in many books how the WWI vets scoffed at the M1 garand. The WWII and Korean War Vets hated the M-16. And I'm sure the day will come when my generation, 30 years from now will scoff at whatever the service rifle is then.

Me though?? I love'em all!!!

 

[Tom2]

I think I know where they are. The lottery winner gun collectors and big dollar gun dealers are snarfing them up long before you ever hear about them. Then they either get stuffed in the back of a huge safe in some ridiculously huge collection to collect dust or get turned out onto some website to be sold for the price of a nice car. Or more. But keep your eyes and ears open anyway, sometimes even a blind squirrel finds an acorn. Guess you gotta know alot of people though. I think alot of the nice WW2 guns were sold in the 90's when the vets were still around more so. That is what I remember.

 

[darrentxs]

I think maybe Tom2 nailed it. I suspect gun shop & pawnshop owners have a go-to buyer whenever war era firearms come in. I suspect hoarding as well.

I'll keep my ears open for a WWII 1911 I can afford. I have about 150 rounds of brass and steel cased WWII hardball ammo that would display well with one.

My dad always wanted an M1 Garand so I look for those too. Another thought that occured to me after my original post was destruction by the government. I guess we can never know how many fine weapons were scrapped by them. What a shame.

 

[Tom2]

I see constant running classified newspaper ads in big city papers looking for all your war relics-best prices paid, etc. So now I can kick myself for not picking up a couple vet bringback P-38's from the vets for 200$ each, and in the recent past I had seen R.R. 1911A1's selling for like 850$ for super nice specimens, thought "pfft, that is just too high for me" but last year my attitude changed. Seeing same type guns for 1200-2200 so either I really choke and pay up or fuggetaboutit, as they won't be coming down any! Some cheaper guns look worn to junk or maybe patched together parts guns from surplus bins? Ugh.

 

[clayking]

You mean like this baby from my father-in-law. My dad never brought one back to my knowledge as the only handgun I ever saw in our house was a .22 and lots of shotguns....................ck

 

[Lawyer Daggit]

Deceased veterans

I always suggest family members look in the attick, basement and other such places. It is amazing what gets put away by vets.

I heard the other year of one vets estate where bomb disposal had to be called. There were a number of corroding granades amongst the vets gear!

 

[Stevie-Ray]

I know quite a few WWII Vets, and not a single one brought home a 1911. As a matter of fact, I don't know any that brought home an M1 Garand or carbine. One that brought home a Luger, "Captured Enemy Equipment," totally humbled me by presenting it to me last year. He is a treasure that I truly love to listen to about those days, and one of the finest men I know. He also knows how I feel about guns, and he knew I would give it a good home.

It just seems to me that though there are hundreds of WWII Vets dying each day, only a fraction of those own the weapons of war.

 

[Sport45]

My dad was stationed on Guam navigating a B-29 on missions over Japan.

He brought back a T-99 Arisaka (matching numbers!) that he traded a Marine a bottle of hooch for. It now resides in my cabinet.

In talking to him, bringing back a captured firearm was much easier than stealing one from uncle sam. If he had taken the sidearm he was issued (rarely) his pay would have been docked when he failed to turn it in.

 

[OldCorp]

An interesting point, but I think the answer was as another said, they've been given away, sold off to help buy kid's clothes, fix cars, and keep body and soul together for the World's Greatest Generation.

An area gunshop I used to frequent is located on a busy 4-lane artery in my city, and located less than one mile from two very large retirement homes. Those retirement complexes of course prohibited the residents to possess guns. You should have seen some of the stuff my gunshop-owner friend 'agreed to buy' from folks that were entering those residences at that stage of their life. OMG. I've seen mint Lugers, service 1911's, great old Winchester levers , etc.

 

[darrentxs]

Nice .45 CK! I have two similar boxes of ammo and plenty more loose rounds just like yours.

 

[clayking]

Nice .45 CK! I have two similar boxes of ammo and plenty more loose rounds just like yours.

I also have the U.S. marked holster and belt...................ck

 

[shortwave]

as other posters have said alot of these pieces of family history are probably scarfed up by collectors. my grandmother passed a few years back. the job of getting house together ended up falling in my lap as grandfather had passed several years prior. the week i spent cleaning the house and taking care of business was interupted several times a day by collectors of various things calling from all over the U.S. one of the most asked questions was about firearms,especially old military weapons. i`ve got several guns military and civilian given to me by father that will be passed down to my children(with a few understandings). there`s no price on them,they will never be for sale. they are a part of my families history. my $.02

 

[CGSteve8718]

Our service firearms may still be sitting in attics and basements to be found by widows or have fallen to the fate of wealthy collectors and such but as far as bring back enemy equipment, I just don't think it happened that much.

As always, there was a rift between enlisted and officer, and I would suspect that mostly officers got to bring back the good stuff. Not to say that there weren't a good many bringback enemy guns, but I just don't think at the amount equal to the vets passing away.

I would say it was a lot more lax back in the WWII days, and then slowly, firearms seemed to be villified more and rule after rule was put in place so that you couldn't bring anything back, even if you earned it.

I was in Iraq, they didn't even allow us to bring home license plates. One guy I knew who was on a PTT, snuck a Glock 17 back...but that's not so special is it?

 

[shinnery jim]

my dad got home from WW II with several tropeies, two luger target pistols two other pistols (not military). and two shotguns. you see his outfit was in charge of weapons distruction in europe. when they took a area his outfit went house to house and collected all the guns and destroyed them. he couldnt see it himself so he kept a few. smuggled them back in the tool truck.
but the lugers were a strange cal, no problem he gathered several thousand rounds. the MPs found and confiscated them. no ammo, no good. by the way the rounds were smaller than 22 short. dad gave one to my uncle and I have seen and handled it. traded the other for a shotgun in 49. we have the pistols that are not military but then who cares.

 

[rem870hunter]

my grandad was in the navy. pacific WWII machinist mate. sometimes on subs other times on surface ships. he passed away in 2003. didn't bring home any trophies i guess it can be called. wasn't in any firefights or combat. almost brought home sack of tommy guns and 1911s.

my dad and a recon team in vietnam found a knocked out bunker that had a few 98 mausers, some mp-40s and i think some aks. some of the guys snatched up the mp-40s my dad grabbed a 98 mauser. with nazi markings. i guess the vietminh killed some facists in the 40s or 50s before the U.S. went over. it was brought home as a captured enemy weapon. papers to make it legal. i don't know how it got here to the states though. mailed or brought home with him. he came home jan. 1968. the bolt,receiver, magazine spring and plate are the only original parts on it. the stock was cracked and bore was bad. was rebarreled and restocked. its not 100% original, but he and i don't ever plan on selling or trading it.