Can't help with the others, but I would definitely suggest taking the one with his fingerprint stained on the barrel. Heavy mojo there.

My mom past the last year and the only guns I cared about were the two that I had the most connection to. I knew I wouldn't use them as much, but I didn't care. I wanted to have something to pass down and keep in the family. Something when I wanted to think of her, I could see - if that makes sense. I would go with the ones that most connect you to your father, but that's just me.

My condolences for your loss.

I dread when that time comes in my family! My dad has a sizeable bunch of pre 64's,mdl 21's Fox,and LC Smiths along with custom and sentimental guns! The halfwit step family best take a big step back,along with good ole boys from way back when!I am excutor of the estate and if it isn't wrote down who gets what I am the final word! I would like the mdl 21's and super grades to stay together! The step whatevers have a running bill that will have to be settled with estate before they are even considered.They want something...they will get it in grains and FPS.

That's a tough deal, sorry about your father. I know how you feel about the guns. They are worth more in family history than the money you might get for them. I hope you can work it out and keep the peace in the family.

Been in the same situation when my Dad passed away. There was favorite guns that my brother and sister and me wanted. Here is what we did so there would be no hard feelings between anyone. Number the gun. In a bowl put down the numbers in on pieces of paper. The oldest draws the first number and that the gun they get. Second oldest draws and gets that gun and so on. If someone gets a gun the other wanted then you either say no or you trade for it. ALL this happens with the understanding that NO gun will ever be sold without the other siblings having the oppurtunity to trade for it or purchase the gun. This worked for our family with NO hard feelings! Hope this helps!

I have 3 from one granddad and 1 from my other grandad. My dad has already started dividing them between my brother, sister, and me. It was hard to see some of them leave after my closest grandad passed. There was one .22 I really wanted. It was his truck gun. I put it in the safe to make sure it didn't get stolen from truck. Not sure who ended up with it. I came down to see grandmother and it was gone. Wish I hAd asked her for it earlier. My thoughts...if you are in charge of dividing them up, get the ones you want first.

I would go with the ones that hold the most sentimental value.

My thoughts exactly.

I still have my dad, but my grandpa passed a few years back. While he was still with us, he lived his last few years in a house behind my parents, as my mom was really the only one that would take care of him. My moms 3 brothers and 1 sister all lived off, and didn't have time for him. I used to go visit when I could, and invariably our conversations always seemed to him going back and telling his hunting stories, many of which I was too young to go on. In the late 70s as I got to be 6 or so, me and my cousin got to go with him on his bird hunts and had a blast. He probably had a dozen long guns and a few pistols, and over the course of a few months, I would go visit him and thoroughly clean all of them. As we were finishing up one morning, he told me to take one with me. I knew this would piss my uncles off. so I declined. He said "boy if your worried 'bout what they're gonna say, don't be....They lost any input into this when they decided they had better chit to do than help your momma take care of me" "I know I might be a pain in the arse, but hopefully soon I'll be with your granny, so take one of them dam guns" It was a tough choice between shotguns, and as I looked them over, I guess he saw something in me and just said "hell, take'em both, I know they'll be in good hands" I started crying right then and there and we hugged for what seemed like an hour. One of the shotguns was a '37 Ithaca 16 gauge pump that was his brother in laws. Great Uncle Odis received it from his squad after they returned from WW2. A brass inlay in the stock says "Presented to the 1st soldier of the 18th tactical recon squadron". It has upland birds on. one side of the receiver and waterfowl on the other engraved. The other is a .20 gauge Rheinmettal that Odis took off of a Krout in the war. It is similar to the Belgium's in appearance...even has the sling, although it is somewhat dry rotted, it seems to be a very rare gun, and with all the research I've done I've found the gun I have is in better shape than any I've seen on the net.....these guns mean the world to me, and I'll never shoot them, but I can gurantee you they will stay in the family til the end of time.

Just a point to make. Always wonder why folk don't make plans on how to distribute their guns. Would make things much easier and fun to see the joy on their faces rather than sadness and possible bitterness later. When you get in your 60's there is a chance you know which guns you wish to keep until death, so divide the others now while the kids can enjoy them. Also might help you decide what to do with the few you keep. I have firearms of several relatives, and can tell you exactly who owned them and when I got them. Some I keep put up, others I use. No stipulations on them.

I guess I can add my 2cents, being real close to 70 now and not in the prime. I gave my son's all rifles and shotguns ect over the years. I have 7 total children, and have always given all of them weapons and taught them to use the safely. Three boys at
home and one lives in SA..I gave them all of my weapons but a very few I hunt/or target shoot with..and before I die, I'll designate who gets them..The girls all were given guns but are or
were married, have families and lives that are their own. The guys always have helped me and been there, so this is their boat
DD

When my dad passed we sat down and hashed it out. I mainly went for the guns that had meaning for me. I took the older guns while others took the newest. When my grandfather passed, my uncle took me and my brother to a room and told us to grab one. No discussion. When my other grandfather passed, we were lucky he listed which guns he wanted everyone to have in his will, because anything not listed, the step kids took. Even his old truck was gone before he was in the funeral home. So it kinda depends on the family situation.

Although I hope to have many more years left on this earth, I've already decided how I want my guns to be divided between my kids. And I've actually built my collection with this in mind. Each family will get a firearm for each type of use. That includes a shotgun for birds, centerfire rifle for large game, rimfire rifle for small game, and handgun for personal protection.

I have also made it clear to my wife and kids that unlike some families where all the firearms end up in the hands of a single person, my firearms will be distributed between my kids. I say this because when my mother-in-law passed after my father-in-law, a nephew bragged how he had all his grandfather's guns. I made it clear to my kids that would never be the case with my firearms. I want them to know that I never played favorites.

Chalet, who is the executor of your father's will? Your mom? I don't believe I saw where the executor was mentioned. Hopefully, your father made his wishes known in writing to the executor prior to his passing. A verbal, "you take care of it, Sonny," may satisfy some heirs, but not all.

Otherwise, some hard feelings and family discord may tarnish this Christmas' get-together. Sadly, division of property left by the deceased has poisoned the well in many a family.

Hopefully, your father planned ahead for the distribution of all his assets in order to avoid any friction among the survivors.

Good and sound advice no doubt.

Kurtis,

We went thru this a couple of years ago too, but without the number of descendants to deal with.

There were a few "sacred cows" for me, and everyone understood that since I was his only son (a bit different than you are dealing with). Beyond that, we divided the guns between the adults and left it to them to decide how to handle passing them down to their kids. It greatly simplified things. In some cases people might not have ended up with guns that were entirely usable for the recipient. In such cases, it was understood that there would be no hard feelings if the guns were sold or traded for something more suitable, or even for cash. My dad was very practical in this way, so we knew it wouldn't have upset him.

30 +/- guns divided among 22 people is not going to leave a lot of room for picking and choosing. That's why I advocate splitting them up among the parents, leaving the grandkids and such out of the deal, then let those adults handle things within their own family.

I'm sorry for your loss.

30 guns and 22 people?

Let your siblings have first choice. Draw names out of a hat for choosing order.

Then draw names for the grandkids. That way it's fair and no feelings are hurt.

You can draw names and let them choose which gun they want, or choose a gun and draw a name to see who gets that gun. Then people can swap if you want.

No gun is worth arguing over. This will keep it fair.

im forunate when my dad psaaed i got the guns except 2 mom kept for home protection. he told me many times "youre the only boy these will be yours one day."
i see to many families that sell them ans split the money.
good luck to ya on this.
sorry for your loss

Thanks for all the responses. I've helped execute a couple wills and there is definitely some good advice in here. Would have been nice if Dad had made the list out as to who gets what but it didn't happen.

Part of this is my fault. He got down and went in the hospital. Doctors spent about a month bouncing him around telling mom there was nothing wrong. Have a sister that works in the medical field and she said he wasn't going to make it, I didn't buy it. On a Saturday they were releasing, nurse doing the discharge noticed stroke systems. That afternoon they told mom he'd been having mini strokes for who knows how long and was nothing they could do, Monday morning went home to hospice, Monday afternoon was gone. Mom brought the guns up when he got down but I put it off. I didn't admit to myself he was dying.



Dad left everything to Mom, that's a done deal. Mom decided she wanted everybody to get at least one now before something happens to her. That's a done deal. List was made up and sent out to everybody and she is already getting some back with who wants what and why. Mostly stuff like "papaw taught me how to shoot with that one" type stuff. Process is already in motion.

My dilemna is how to pick a few out of so many. But I think I'm there and at peace with it for now thanks to you guys.

When one of my grandfathers passed away and the family was deviding his possions I went to my grandmother and offered to buy one of his guns. She offered to give it to me, but I said no because there was several grandsons as for as I know I was the only one who expressed an interest in any of them. I didn't want anyone saying I got special treatment. My mother ended up with his ruger single six 22. It's her squirrel gun. She realy hate pecan theives.

Offer to buy some of them.

My wife's family puts a piece of tape on anything they want. So if you wanted a certain p,ate, lamp, etc you put your name on it. I was fortunate that I was the only one that had interest in the guns and got a 7400 30-06 and Browning Over/Under engraved that he never fired. When he gave it to me it was on the condition I used it, so it's been on a couple of dove hunts.

Good luck on the division, whatever happens don't let it overshadow the family coming together for Christmas.