An old friend and his firearms

[taylorce1]

So last week I got a call from an old co-worker (friend), I've been in contact with since I left that job in 2012. So he starts the conversation "I'm not going to be around long, do you want to buy any of my guns?" He's 79 on oxygen full time with COPD and AFIB he explains, and this is why he feel his time is close.

While I'm interested in some of his firearms, I'm more interested in being there for him. We've probably only averaged a conversation a year since I left my old job. I did stop in when I saw him working in his yard once and spent about 30 minutes shooting the bull in the last 10 years.

His youngest lives six hours away and he's been widowed for nearly 30 years. He lives two hours from me and I'm going to try to get up there at least a couple times a month. I spent four hours with him yesterday and he wanted to show me everything as I told him I'd help him to sell off his firearms, ammo, reloading gear, archery gear, and knives that aren't going to his kids. I also need to spend some time mowing his yard he was so proud of.

[jonnyc]

You'll be doing him a great service by buying or selling some of his guns and stuff at "not-a-rip-off" price. He'll be happy if some go to a good home and that his kids won't get robbed.

[Scorch]

I'm also in a similar predicament. An older customer/friend of mine had a stroke a few months ago, so he has lost a lot of agility and grip strength and is wanting to get rid of his guns since he is likely going to have to go to a nursing home. He has no family and few friends in this area. Since I was there for him and visited him in the hospital daily, he tried to give me a bunch of his guns. He has a bunch of very nice guns, but I feel awkward accepting thousands of dollars worth of goods for doing my duties. Now I have helped him deal with a gun store to consign his guns and get his money out of them. He was at a loss of how to sell his guns, and how to get a gun store to take them in on consignment, and how this all would go down. He is grateful for the help and friendship, and I will end up with his safe possibly a few guns when he's done selling the guns.

So, having said all that, I would ask him which ones he would like you to have or which are special to him and why, and then help him get a good deal on the others. You would be amazed at how many people become predatory as soon as they find out someone is dead or close to death.

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by Scorch

You would be amazed at how many people become predatory as soon as they find out someone is dead or close to death.

Nope. Not amazed at all. There's saying, "There's one in every family." I saw it with my father's older brother when my father passed away, I saw it with my brother when my grandfather passed away, and I saw it again with my brother when I was hospitalized for open heart surgery. Sadly, such behavior is much more common than we would like to think.

[taylorce1]

He has a couple of things that I wouldn't mind having, but only if we can agree on a price. He has a Ruger semi-auto carbine in .44 Mag, AMT 1911 "Hardballer", and S&W 25-2 .45 ACP. I couldn't justify buying all three, so the carbine is tops on the list.

[Scorch]

Help him get top dollar for the other guns and he would probably be inclined to give you a decent price on those three.

[Pahoo]

While I'm interested in some of his firearms, I'm more interested in being there for him.

When "asked" I do appraisals for friends and relatives and recommend an auction house. The size of the collections makes a difference. I can tell that you and I will face this "problem" ourselves. I have already transported one collection to the auction house and have given, all documentation to his widow. .....

In another case, my buddy offered his small collection for sale. Turned out his grandsons took some and never paid for them. He had one handgun that I was interested in and offered his a fair market price. He then came back and said that if he died before me, he would "will" it to me. If I died before him, it would stay in the family. Well, he passed six months ago and just before his death, he outright, gave it to me. I have it now and when the day comes, I have left instructions that it be given, to his oldest son. I don't need to increase' my collection nor do I need the money. .....

Be Safe !!!

[taylorce1]

Well I digitized a log of all the firearms he owns. Pretty heavy into cowboy guns as expected. I think we're going to need to find an auction house.

[Pahoo]

Well I digitized a log of all the firearms he owns.

This is a great first-start that we all "should", have established. It can be a burden for widow. One widow asked me to just and get his collection as she did not want them in "her" house nor bother with them. I went and got them out of her house and two weeks later they were in the auction house. ....

I think we're going to need to find an auction house.

That is one option and even though I love my Grandkids, they don't know the value and expect the gramps "stuff" for free. ....
There are reputable national and local auction houses and now all that hard to locate.

Be Safe !!!

[USAF Ret]

This is a hard subject. My son of nearly 30 years passed away last year. I have a amassed a small collection. Much I have bought on sale and put money into to make them shooters. Everything in my safe would have gone to him. I have no one else to give them to, now. My daughter and grandson have no interest as they are caught up in other worldly things.
Although, at what is considered a fairly young age of 54, my health has declined over the last few years. I have degenerative issues and arthritis in my spine that is slowly getting worse. I still enjoy shooting and can hunt, with some assistance. I have thought about just going ahead and selling a good portion and just keeping a few I enjoy and will hunt with, as long as I can. Maybe leave them to a few of his friends he enjoyed the outdoors with.

[Pahoo]

Maybe leave them to a few of his friends he enjoyed the outdoors with.

There are a number of options and one that I might add and personally not use, is donating them to the NRA. Again, auction houses will take any number of firearms and you could donate the money to a charity or use the cash, for your bills. ....

Be Safe !!!

[4V50 Gary]

Good advice there Scorch.

[Metal god]

Nope. Not amazed at all. There's saying, "There's one in every family." I saw it with my father's older brother when my father passed away, I saw it with my brother when my grandfather passed away, and I saw it again with my brother when I was hospitalized for open heart surgery. Sadly, such behavior is much more common than we would like to think.

Absolutely and how's that old saying go . If you don't know of anyone in your family that is like that . you're the one like that lol . Actually it goes something like , If you don't have a crazy family member you're the crazy family member . Works both ways .

[Mk VII]

"If, after five minutes, you haven't figured out who the pigeon is in the game, then it's you."

[langenc]

Have a shooting friend that helped a widow dispose of husbands collection.
She either gave him a gun of his choice or a good price on it.

[Jim Watson]

I helped disperse a collection. I got one gun free, one at discounted price from the family.

[taylorce1]

My friend Ernie passed away a little over a week ago, I had planned to go see him but he couldn't hold on for one last visit. His family was able to be with him in the end, and he went peacefully from what I've been told.

I am in contact with his Daughter, and she asked me for help cleaning up her Dad's house. I went there yesterday and she told me "Dad said you get all his reloading stuff." So I spent the day helping her organize some things and loading the first load of reloading supplies and equipment. I'll go up next week to help her again and pick up the rest of the things he left me and discuss a couple of firearms I've agreed to buy.

He had some old powder cans and one keg I thought were pretty cool. They'll look great in the man cave along with a brick of Winchester Staynless LR primers, a couple of Lacmiller rifle and pistol die sets, and an old blue Pacific C press I still need to get.

Powder Cans & Keg





Entirety of what I was able to haul home yesterday.

[Scorch]

Man, that powder is vintage stuff! I haven't seen those pop-top cans isnce the early 1970s.

Sorry about your friend, it's always hard to lose people close to you. Make him proud by using that stuff!

[taylorce1]

Originally Posted by Scorch

Sorry about your friend, it's always hard to lose people close to you. Make him proud by using that stuff!

I'll use some of it. He was a diehard .44 Mag/Spcl and .45 ACP/Colt shooter, I don't own firearms in any of those. I'll keep the stuff I can use, I'll sell the rest and return the money to his daughter.

I'll probably dump those old cans of Hercules powders and and display them on a shelf. However, I'd rather just have my friend back to BS with.