I've found that it's often easier to be approach complete strangers in purchasing firearms, than family members. I can think of firearms that once belonged to family members that I would love to have today but never asked to buy simply because the time never seemed right. Obviously, it's not something that seems appropriate when someone is terminally ill, or when you feel your purchasing it might offend other family members. And yet, a complete stranger might end up with a firearm that several family members might like to own one day.

Perhaps one solution is to offer to buy the family member a new and comparable rifle or shotgun to replace their old gun that you would like own and keep. That way, they still have a firearm for their use, and other family members have less reason to cry foul.

Anyone have thoughts or suggestions to share?

My uncle has a 1911 and Remmy 700 that was my grandfather's (uncle and dad's dad).

The 1911 was inscribed and given to my grandfather by a Texas Ranger - it was the Ranger's service weapon - right before my grandpa headed off to go kill Nazis. The pistol made it to Europe and back on grandpa's hip. I made it clear that I would like to have it when the time comes that my uncle doesn't want it. The 700 would be a bonus.

As awkward as it may be, let the owner of the firearm know what you would like. There are tactful ways to ask for things. Offering to buy a replacement is a good way to start though.

We went to the range one day and that was where I asked if there was a chance I could ever have it after we shot the 1911 around a bit. I know my uncle is holding out for grandkids of his own to pass it down to. However, I think I may be the last outdoorsman/firearm appreciating cousin of the five of us. Unless something changes drastically, I don't see his kids having kids that will be anything other than city boys. Can someone even own a firearm in Brooklyn or Washington, DC anymore?

Would love to have my granfathers model 70 243. Was a great plain jane gun with a fixed 6x weaver on it. My aunt and uncle got it they threw the old weaver away and put a new scope on it and had the barrel reblued and the stock stripped and refinished. It irritated me pretty bad, should have just left grandpa's gun alone. To beat all it hasn't been shot or gone afield since.

I agree. They stripped the memories away by refinishing the rifle.

I'll never understand how someone can do that.

My dad had a ton of firearms, which, my P.O.S. brother was 'storing', after dad moved into a retirement apartment. The P.O.S. brother ended up stealing them all, not allowing any of his siblings/nephews/niece a chance to have any. Just depends on what kind of 'family' you are blessed with, in my case, not so much. But I was blessed with lots of memories and can't steal those.

You must act while family members are living. Such was the case when my grandfather told me he had sold his old .22 to a man who lived in the area. I was able to track the buyer down and he agreed to give me the rifle if I could find one much like it. By the grace of God, I did so the following weekend at a Houston gun show. My grandfather's rifle is now in my safe and has been restored to mint condition.

Still, there are other firearms once owned by family members who have long since passed that I regret not asking to purchase or replace with a comparable gun.

My Daddy split them up already how he wanted them to go. Based on special memories each kid had with them. Worked out fine.

If it's out of your control with an uncle or cousins you just have to ask and take the answer as it comes. Just make an offer to buy. I really don't see how offering to "replace" one does anything but highlight the fact that the one sought is special and they are making an uneven trade.

I was 17 when my grandfather died in 1986. He was a pistol shooter and had three-four nice customized 1911s, a couple of T/Cs, S&W 41, and several others. Because we lived far away nobody really considered that I might want them, and my grandmother sold them all to family-friend Jim Clark (yes, that Jim Clark). When I found out I expressed my wishes and we got back a modified K-series S&W .38 that my grandfather shot a ton, a Colt Detective Special, and his Colt Woodsman (which has since been stolen). All the others had already been sold again. Really makes me sad that as a kid I didn't get to spend that much time with my grandfather because we both share a love of shooting, and I could have learned a ton from him.

kinda like "she got the gold mine & I got the shaft" been there about guns, I bought my dad a browning semi in 1960, he never shot it much, when he died I asked where the gun was? "gee didn't know you would want it".

That points to a key point behind my OP. All too often, family members remain silent in their desire to have a certain heirloom firearm out of respect for one another. And in my case, there were guns that were owned by members of my wife's family that I hunted with through high school, college, and long after my wife and I were married. Being an in law, I did not feel comfortable at the time approaching them to buy one of their guns. And you sure don't want to be disrespectful by talking with them about what happens after they pass. Still, looking back now, I should have looked past all that and made them serious offers for the guns I would like to have today before they ended up in the hands of others by default.

I am on the flip side of that coin. My dad or uncles were practically devoid of weapons although they did hunt etc (often with a borrowed rifle!) I guess they had to worry about silly things like food and rent. So I didn't inherit anything...had to buy my own. Anyway, the main reason that my collection has grown the last few years is so that my siblings and grandkids all get at least one rifle whether they stay as city slickers or get more into the outdoors. Already got them covered and have it all in writing! What they do with them is their business. My brother is the biggest hunter and will get the biggest share.

I always use the "let me know if you ever think about selling it" line.

I would let them know I covet the gun and ask them whether I could buy it from them or trade something they would like to replace it with.

My guns already took case of... Who gets what... Only worth to em tis me memmories, & most them die with me... Me daughter get me pistals & black powder stuff... Want me grandkids ta know what hunten tis about, way i was raised...

had the same thing come about

and at no time did a fire arm come to mind, and my father had several

didn't matter to me who got what, what was more upsetting than any fricken fire arm was the fact my father passed

be damned the fire arms he owned, HE IS GONE. who really gives a damn about a gun I shot as a kid. that will never replace what I felt for him.

keep the damn gun, give me my father back!!!!

your fighting over a gun when a loved one passes.

good luck with that

Man can't do anything about bringing a loved one back. But, when I take his old Rem. 760 pump (30/06 of course...lol) topped with the Weaver 2.5X he bought back in the 60's with me to the deer stand, it is like he is there with me. Even though I have a younger brother who was always a deerslayer and a BIL who hunted with us for many years before daddy passed away, daddy and I killed more deer when it was just he and I hunting together. And he was hunting with me when he killed his last deer. When I heard the '06 go off just before dark, I didn't know it would be the last time I would hear it but as I look back on it now, it shouldn't have surprised me. A final word on the ol' pump. 10-15 years before daddy passed away, he got the itch for a new gun. I don't know why, but he was going to trade in the old 760 (smooth pistol grip, metal butt plate, and ribbed forearm) for a new 760. I thought as least he would get another caliber. But no, another '06-daddy was old school...lol. But he was going to trade in the old one. I didn't have the money to get it but my brother traded him a shotgun for it before he traded it in.

Years after, when daddy had passed away, we gathered together and the 3 of us kids were going to pick the firearms we wanted. We knew who wanted what for the 1st round. I picked 2nd and picked the newer 760. Little did I know that my brother had brought the old 760 with him and wanted to know if I wanted it instead of the new one (he KNEW I did!). I have a great brother AND sister. Everyone left satisfied and when we divided up everything, not a cross word was said. BUT, my daddy wouldn't want to come back to this world in the condition it is in for nothing. But I believe it would bring a smile to his face when I hunt with it. I know it brings a tear to mine when I handled that 50+ yr. old '06 and think about all the great times we had hunting together.

I've been through this twice in the past year with a father in law and a step father. I didn't want to be perceived as the greedy son in law or step son, so I backed off. It amazes me how many family members will come out of the woodwork that never talked to them, hunted with them, or cared for them that all of the sudden develop an interest in firearms and ask for them. I guess it's just human nature.

My dads oldest brother, (my favorite uncle)had a four-wheeler, a Browning Sweet 16, and a matching pair of Browning BAR's in 06 and 338 Win. Mag. As he was going downhill from cancer, he expressed that he wanted me and two other cousins to divvy up the guns, and a fourth cousin had been promised the 4-wheeler. His new bride, that he had been married to for a couple days had her own selfish ideas. Since the guns were at her house,none of us got what we were promised. She probably got 100 dollars apiece for them at the local pawn shop. I would have gladly given her 1000 dollars for the three guns, just to hang on to a piece of my uncle and keep them in the family.

My uncle passed when I was in college. He had 3 daughters, none of whom ever hunted with him. A year or two after he died I asked my cousin if someone was taking care of his guns. She said nobody had touched them. I offered to come over and clean them regularly so they would be good in the future if one of their husbands or grandchildren wanted them in future. I even offered to keep them in my safe if they wanted and never use them, just keep them taken care of. Had to make the offer several times over several years. My uncle loved everyone, my aunt not so much. Turned out that my aunt did not want me touching the guns so I just said that someone needs to keep them cleaned and oiled and offered to show them how. Well, fast forward 20 years and the whole family comes over for some holiday. One of the cousin's husbands says he found a couple of the old guns and brought them over wanting me to look at them. My aunt had moved during the 20 years and had stuck the guns in the corner of the attic and never touched them. We all know how attics are and that made me cringe. He said he brought over the ones with the least rust on them. They were all rusted, one bolt action was seized, .22 barely moved, an old Mauser action that worked but looked horrible. It was sad to see and I know he had quite a few rifles and pistols. Sad to see what happened to them. All because of one family member who didn't trust anyone. It wasn't from a lack of me trying.

Nothing brings out the worst in family like a death. I have seen many in my family squabbling over pennies while the family member is not even dead yet. Sad. My father has had many guns over the years, but none that were really sentimental to him or me. Most all are gone now (brothers and cousins needing a few bucks so off to ez pawn ) I am starting a pretty good collection for my kids and teaching them how to use and appreciate them.

I remember my granddad had several guns he hunted with. My brother had already passed away and there were only two other cousins. I was given his hunting rifles as I was the only one who really hunted. What my grandparents did with the rest of their stuff and how it was split up was a classic. After my grandmother passed, we had gathered at the house to get the estate handled. It was then we found out that on the back of all the furniture and other items in the house, my grandparents, over the last 10 years prior, had taken tape and stuck it on the back of the item and put the name of who it was to go to. There was to be no arguing. It actually worked out fine, everybody got what they wanted. As for myself, I've got a will giving my son and my hunting buddy my guns. I want no "misunderstandings".

I had two heirloom guns from my father. I gave one, a Remington Model 11 20-guage that was my grandmothers (she used it for duck hunting, quail, and rabbit hunting) to my son-in-law that frequently hunts with me. The second was a Remington 11-48 12-guage that was my grandfather's. I gave it to one of my sister's sons, who shoots and hunts. The other 3 nephews were not much on shooting or hunting, so I don't think they minded. The only caveat for my son-in-law was (in writing) if they should ever divorce that the gun stays with my daughter.

I figured it was better to make the gift while I was alive rather than wait until I'm dead. I also have several newer guns that I use today. When I die eventually, the kids will get their pick (taking turns) but none of those is really an heirloom, except maybe the Remington Targetmaster single-shot .22 that I've used all my life. The only possibility is sentimental value that we shot all of them together at one point or another.

Many times it's not so much that a given family member wants something that was owned by the deceased but rather, they don't want some other family member to have it.

BINGO!