Family Heirloom Firearms

[Jusme]

I have my WW2 grandpas model 1894 Winchester 30-30. It's a pre 64 model. Not sure on the actual years but it's almost sixty years old at least. Still shoots great and is as clean as a used gun can be. This was his prize rifle and the best one he had. He also had a marlin 30-30 he gave to my cousin but it's not as nice. I was his favorite. He harvested idk how many deer and hogs with this gun and it wouldn't surprise me if it was his home defense gun. He never owned too many firearms to many knowledge but here's the story.

I was at home one day when I was about 10 or 11 I guess (22 now) and he showed up at our house. I remember being in the garage he coming up said hello and went and talked to my mom then came out went to his car and has something in a case. I knew it was a gun case and couldn't figure out what he was doing with it. He came and set it down on the table in the garage and unzipped it and it was shining like a diamond to me and he said this is my Winchester 30-30 I want you to have it, you have to promise to take good care of it for me and if you want to hunt with it go ahead but I wanted you to have and I love you.


Still makes me get wet on my eyes a little bit. He died about 2 years later. I wish he would have lived longer so I could of actually talked to him and heard those old stories but I was too young then. I cherish that old gun and once a year or so I'll take her out of the gun safe and go run a box through that old kickin mule of a gun but I love it because he loved it and because he cared enough to save it and give it to me. I still may take a deer or hog with it one to say I did but right now she stays inside. I do get her out everyone and then and work that lever action. You talk about makin ya feel cool

Great story cmgee!!

[oohrah]

I'm holding my Grandfather's Colt Bankers Special for my daughter until she gets her IL FOID. It was made in 1921 according to serial number and shoots Colt New Police .38, which is the same as .38S&W (which is not .38 Special). It is still in the original belt holster my Grandfather bought, and still has a tag on the back in my Grandfather's handwriting "for Jim", who was my father.

It still shoots pretty nice too.

[RPBrown]

I have an old Johnson 8ga shotgun that was my Great grand dads. I vaguely remember him but he passed it down to my grand dad who left it to me in his will. It skipped my "father" as I never really knew him since he left when I was 6. I have been offered a considerable sum for this old gun but I will pass it down to my son before I am gone with the stipulation that is stays in the family from now own.

[txglock21]

My daughter gets everything from me, guns included, since she will be my only living heir. She is only 12 right now, so hopefully I make it long enough for her to be grown and appreciate them. Lol

[puma guy]

Franz Stock 32acp (top) dad bought in the early 1930's . 1903 Colt pocket model (bottom) , don't know when he got it but know it was used . Learned to shoot a handgun with these two .

Greta story. I have a Franz Stock. It doesn't have any provenance with my family, but was given to me by a friend whose dad got it as a war souvenir. It is a fine shooter and quite accurate. My friend moved to Ecuodor and couldn't take it with him. I promised him I would keep it for him in the event he ever returned to the US.

[puma guy]

I have my WW2 grandpas model 1894 Winchester 30-30. It's a pre 64 model. Not sure on the actual years but it's almost sixty years old at least. Still shoots great and is as clean as a used gun can be. This was his prize rifle and the best one he had. He also had a marlin 30-30 he gave to my cousin but it's not as nice. I was his favorite. He harvested idk how many deer and hogs with this gun and it wouldn't surprise me if it was his home defense gun. He never owned too many firearms to many knowledge but here's the story.

I was at home one day when I was about 10 or 11 I guess (22 now) and he showed up at our house. I remember being in the garage he coming up said hello and went and talked to my mom then came out went to his car and has something in a case. I knew it was a gun case and couldn't figure out what he was doing with it. He came and set it down on the table in the garage and unzipped it and it was shining like a diamond to me and he said this is my Winchester 30-30 I want you to have it, you have to promise to take good care of it for me and if you want to hunt with it go ahead but I wanted you to have and I love you.


Still makes me get wet on my eyes a little bit. He died about 2 years later. I wish he would have lived longer so I could of actually talked to him and heard those old stories but I was too young then. I cherish that old gun and once a year or so I'll take her out of the gun safe and go run a box through that old kickin mule of a gun but I love it because he loved it and because he cared enough to save it and give it to me. I still may take a deer or hog with it one to say I did but right now she stays inside. I do get her out everyone and then and work that lever action. You talk about makin ya feel cool

Here's some help on finding the date of manufacture for you grandpa's 30-30.
http://www.winchesterguns.com/content/d ... uments.pdf

[srothstein]

I kind of have one heirloom to be in my possession, but two of my sons have heirlooms (sort of) in their possession.

When my father passed, I got an old S&W revolver in 38S&W from his estate. This was the very first pistol I ever shot. My father had picked it up back around the Korean War time frame, but it was an English liberty model with crown marks on each chamber and a lanyard loop on the butt. I gave it to my oldest son to keep and pass on.

When I left SAPD, we had Glock 22s where the serial number matched our badge number. Since I had not retired, I did not get to keep mine. One day, I saw that SAPD had traded in their old first generation Glocks for new ones (3rd Gen I believe) and Dury's guns in San Antonio was selling them. I asked about it and they let me go through this barrel full of pistols. I got lucky and found my old pistol, so I bought it. I gave it to my second son as a wedding present a few years later. He intends to keep it and pass it on.

The heirloom to be is a 22 Marlin youth rifle. I bought each of my children a 22 single shot rifle on their tenth birthday. Most of the kids still have theirs but my second son wanted an SKS one time and his wife said he had enough rifles. He had to agree to sell one to buy the new one. Well, I bought his old 22 back from him for the same price I originally paid for it. I told him then that it was going to be given to his daughter on her tenth birthday and she would be told that it had been his. The birthday party will be in August of 2018. I hope that it becomes a family treasure to pass on also.

[Mxrdad]

Great Thread C-Dub. I have 2 others I hold close to my heart.

I guess my grandpa liked his dads Model 12-20 so much that he bought a Model 12-12 ga full choke. I am 55 years young now and he gave that 12 ga to me when I was in my 20's. He, my dad and I would go dove hunting a lot and I used that 12 ga for years. My grandpa passed 5 years ago but boy, we had a great time hunting. I treasure the memories and that can never be taken away from me. I took an unexpected dove hunt trip with a buddy last year, there were about 10 of us on that trip. One of the guys noticed it and basically told me I was crazy for hunting with it. Said it belonged on the wall or in a safe as a keeper. But I have been shooting that gun for years and it is still working perfectly.

My other one is a Savage Over and Under. Its a 410 on bottom and a 22 on top, single shot, break down. Again, was my grandpas gun but gave to me when I was 9 years old. We were living in a small town by Gonzales Texas and I took that gun out every day after school hunting anything that moved. It wasnt long after where I felt guilty about it because in the rare event I actually did shoot a bird, I didnt eat it. All I can say is that was kid stuff. I grew out of that pretty quickly and have never done it again. I dont recall ever getting a rabbit, but I sure tried. There were plenty of cactus for target practice too. What a great gun for beginners. You get 1 shot to make it count.

Some say I was too young to take that gun out unsupervised, but I guess my dad was a good teacher and the proof was in the pudding. Zero ND's, never shot anything not intended, although I missed a lot of intended. Never shot at a house, car or anything else. And more importantly, I didnt shoot myself or any other human being. What are they talking about? Haha.

Good stuff and I hope these guns stay in our family forever. Oh, and in case someone missed the original SG thread, it was about my Great Grandpas Model 12-20. So I have 3 total that are priceless and will never be for sale in my lifetime. I just hope the ones to follow me have the same dedication and appreciation.

[The Annoyed Man]

I have my dad's WW2 sidearm - a 1943 Ithaca 1911A1 - and my brother has my dad's .22 rifle from when he was a boy. I don't know what kind it is.