[rggaither]

When you pry ‘em outta my cold, dead hands.

On a serious note, I need to update all my paperwork since moving out of communist country. I’ll go @stocker1042 one better. Go preplan/prepay your funeral. My maternal grandmother and both parents did. No guessing, no poor financial decisions under duress.

As a funeral home owner I wholeheartedly agree. It makes it so much easier on families whos loved ones already have plans in place. I will never try to upsell a family but I know a lot of places do. So many funeral homes have been bought out by the big corporate conglomerates and all they are after is your money and not all but some do take advantage of the situation.

 

[Perazzi_MX8]

I’m amazed that most men assume they are going to die and let the wife deal with it. You never really know who will pass on first. I think if you want to give someone something that belongs to you then you’re better off doing it while you’re alive. Then you can be sure they actually get it.

 

[billyboy07208]

life changes circumstances anyway, you may be forced to sell earlier than you think.
if you got someone thats still living you trust, let them know about your stuff..
tag out the guns,or have a log in the safe with purchase price,ffl estate services contacts.
This is a sorry subject to think about.But most of us will have that health scare and see our mortality.
But then again,you may sell it all,and buy that 1 gun. we dont have a crystal ball .
ive gotten rid of guns that i regret selling, yet feel good that i got rid of them,hardly used,the collection gets out of hand.
for me, it would be impossible to die without 3 shotguns 3 handguns 3 rifles in the closet.
by then i dont care who finds them/ takes them,theyll call the police and theyll take them,I dont care.
But the key for most is ,you dont want alot of high end guns laying around at a certain age,youll know when its time.
Some guys just cash out most guns in retirement and keep a few cheapies around no one will miss.

 

[wvstriper]

My will includes a document that explicitly lists items that are to be given to an heir. The list can be changed at any time without a complete rewrite of the will. We told our kids if there is something specific you want let us know an we will have it added to the list. Every gun I have or will have is on that list and will go to each of my children. They even joke about who will get Dad's new gun when I buy something new

 

[dverna]

I am going through this now. It gets easier once you start shedding the 'crap' you will no longer use...but there is that little voice that says...."What if???"

My son went woke last year so there is no home for my stuff. I have not shot competitive trap in about 8 years and club trap in four years. I sold a bunch of components to a friend, a few guns here, and a lot of guns elsewhere....with more stuff to go.

I twas so bad, I found a gun I thought I no longer had...LOL, An 1894 Marlin in .44 Mag. Just shipped it out today.

No one good answer. But IMO, if you have no one to leave stuff to, your heirs will find selling your crap a PITA and will give it away.

I am keeping all the guns I need, a few that I want, and a few in case the SHTF. The rest are "useless".

 

[o-hale]

I am not a factor much anymore at any shoot, never was much of one anyway, but I will, if I live through this year, shoot my 50,000 doubles target. After that I may start thinning the herd.
I have always said when I’m not competitive and shoot inconsistently I’m done, so maybe soon.

 

[CStuewe]

As a coach for a high school team, and board member for our 501(c)(3) club that governs the team, the guys that would want to donate to a youth shooting team, or group, that's a great idea. As a coach, you see so many kids come to shoot, with guns that have problems, won't fit properly, wore out, all sorts of things. Sometimes even a parent will sign a kid up, and it's a single parent, who just financially doesn't have the means for it. But alot of us coaches will bring an extra gun, or one of our guns for a kid to use. You always have a handful of kids every year, that will need a gun, or something of that nature. So having your gun appraised, and then donating it to a youth program is a great idea.

Our program actually raises funds, so at the end of the spring season, we try to purchase 2-3 guns to give away to some of the kids that truly need them. Last year, we gave away 2 guns, and on our "fun night" when we gave them away, 1 of the winners was gone at basic training, and the other winner was there. The kid that was there, we fitted the gun to him as best we could, and he went out and shot 4 rounds of trap with it right away. Kid was so happy and excited! And it took a huge burden off of his family, as they have 4 boys, and 3 of them were in trap, and this spring the youngest one is old enough to join.

And with Joe's gun control agenda he's pushing, now more than ever, we need more and more people getting involved with shooting sports, to get more of a voice against his radical agenda!

 

[Popsracer]

I met a fella a few years back that is a retired lawyer, he has a younger partner and both have FFL. He specializes in writing “Firearms Trusts “. His partner will inspect your collection and prepare a detailed inventory. After a brief consultation he will prepare a trust document that will distribute your prized possessions to those you specified or they will manage the sale and distribute the proceeds to specific individuals or organizations you have selected. This could include the executor of your will so he could include these funds in your estate distribution. They perform these services for either a fixed fee or a percentage of the total proceeds from the sale. The percentage gives them an incentive to seek the highest prices for your collection. He was telling me he like to specify about one year to dispose of your treasures including reloading rooms, reloading supplies and ammunition as it usually takes a year to settle an estate. This idea appeals to me as very few of my siblings or relations have any idea of the value of sporting toys.

 

[detonate69]

When you buy a new one. lol.

 

[erneste821]

I'm going to loan mine out just before I'm gone. Don't know if I'll ever get them back into the everafter. One thing for sure. Nobody's tell this free man what the hell I'm going to do with my toys.
It's the principle of the matter. Or, do we live in China or Russia.

 

[Rick Barker]

I’m amazed that most men assume they are going to die and let the wife deal with it. You never really know who will pass on first. I think if you want to give someone something that belongs to you then you’re better off doing it while you’re alive. Then you can be sure they actually get it.

My wife is not going to have a problem disposing if my stuff. Before she calls for the dumpster, she will call my brother and if he does not want them, she will start down the list.

Even if she decides to sell my guns, she will use the photo gallery I made up and the journal listing all the guns and the prices I told her I paid for them.

She will have no problem for example, selling my Kreighoff K80 Trap Special Combo Super Scroll with Americase for $399.00, my Ljutic Pro3 with Americacase for $299.00 or my Perazzi MX combo with o/u, top single and unsingle, two forearms, two triggers, custom LH stock and case for $425.00.


One more option is your wife can donate all your firearms to the nearest law enforcement agency. They will remove them from the residence and scrap them after checking them as stolen or used in unsolved crimes.

 

[drumsrlrl]

If the gun has no sentimental value (i.e. I have been holding on to a Browning 725 Trap that my son used to get punched from 19 ---> 26 yd with) -- I will likely never shoot this gun...
If you have no current or foreseeable use for the gun (difficult to forecast the future) ..
If you have a buyer willing to pay what you want..
If the gun is not unique (alternatively, if only a few made and gun is clearly increasing in value over time)
Maybe time to sell.. ? This is a very hard decision to try and quantify.. I can say that I have regretted selling most of my guns that I have sold...

 

[Devonian]

I am happy that my son in law shoots with me. He has keys to the gun safes and both my daughters know how to shoot. In that regard I am happy and when my first grandaughter was born 3 months ago I was able to rebuild and finish a single shot .22 for her to have when she is 7 years old. My daughter asked why I did it now and my answer was I may be dead in 7 years and I want my grandaughter to know about guns the same as she and her sister did at 7.
I don't want my guns to go to waste and get sold off.
Devonian.

 

[plaw]

I am ahead of the game, sold or gave as gifts most my stuff,gave my son two nice trap guns and some rifles. Down to two trap guns a muzzleloader I built and two carry pistols. Don't need anymore to collect dust.

 

[peavine]

Never. I have traded some guns I now wish I had kept and just bought the other one.

 

[entropy]

When is it time to sell my Trap guns? That's a question for my sons to answer, I hope their answer is never either.

 

[popeye77]

My sons and grand kids have already laid claim to the guns they want. I'll leave a list in the safe.,

 

[JACK]

Easily number one depressing thread since I started with TS.com in '06

 

[Gary Waalkes]

Just to make JACK's thoughts worse, I will add that a person should always retain one inexpensive shotgun and make certain that you can reach the trigger with your big toe. Learn the maneuver with an unloaded gun.

 

[billyboy07208]

A well heeled shooter was looking over my Beretta 403 hammer gun..he said...
"This is a good gun to blow your brains out with.."
Yeah,no misfires with that one.. 🤯