I lost my dad 7 years ago to prostate cancer. My brother and I were his only children and he was not really all that close with either one of us until his last few years. Anyway, my brother and I split up his gun collection (which was pretty substantial). I let my brother pick what he wanted first, and he chose a few of the autoloader pistols and that was it. I took the rest and we were both happy. About 5 years later my brother calls me and asks me if I still had such and such pistol of dad's and I told him I did. He asked if he could have it, he'd been thinking about some time in the past when he and dad had shot it together. I sent it to him no questions asked.

My point is, at a later date you may feel quite a bit differently about that rifle for no other reason than it belonged to your dad. Life has a funny way of turning out differently than we plan and there may at some point be someone you want to pass it on to.

darn mines a winchester

I read your post. Sounds like this was a late acquisition for him anyway, so even he didn't have real attachment to it. What I'd ask you to think about is if you might see it different in 10 years. If so use it as the basis of that big bore and keep the old barrel around. If not pass it on. I'd rather have my dads money clip than the cash in it. What he kept and used has value, the rest is just stuff.

When I was young, my dad told me that you didn't sell guns. You just bought more.

Me either. You may not see a use for it, but someone down the line might.

I'm having heck procuring all the firearms of my past because family members simply sold them. They didn't mean allot to them, but they definitely do to me.

I wouldn't sell it either. It may have no sentimentality to you now but that could change. Or you may have children or nephews one day who would love to have it.

I have been given guns by relatives that had passed on. Some were less than stellar pieces such as my great aunts RG .22 snubbie, and her H&R .32 long revolver. Neither one of them worth anything really. But I kept them anyway. I don't shoot them much but the little RG for the piece of junk it is, is great for throwing in my back pocket around the property using snake shot. The H&R is pretty dang accurate with full wad cutters and I use it to teach new or novice shooters how a revolver works because its simple and has no recoil.
My uncle's Browning HighPower Practical that was gifted to me after he passed, I will keep that in the family for as long as I'm around. I don't shoot it much and it was used by him in IDPA a bit, and he reloaded for it as well. It's still in LNIB condition and I plan on keeping it that way.

It in good shape?

I would probably use it for a donor action to build something.

I had a similar situation several years ago. My grandpa passed away and his guns were split amongst family. He had a really nice probably pre 64 win 3030, I didn't want it because he bought it late in life off a friend that needed money. I got his 60+ year old 22 and never look back.

I'd have a new barrel put on it and keep it, but that's just me.

In my family death and dying were never taboo subjects. As my parents got older, and my sister and I were both adults, we talked as a family about estate planning. Part of the discussion was practical..like wills & trusts, insurance & account numbers, and end of life wishes...and part of the conversation was dealing with sentimental items...family heirlooms, guns, and jewelry.

There were certain things mom and dad specifically said "I'd like my grandson or granddaughter to have/use this" and other that they said "I don't care what you two do with this". My sister and I talked and decided memories with mom and dad were more important than stuff...

One of the guns my father had was a Pre '64 Super Grade featherweight new-unfired in the box with hangtags. It was payment for a wiring job he had done at one point in his career. That gun had just sat in a box in the top of a closet for years and held zero sentimental attachment but lots of zeroes in its value. I ask dad if we could sell the gun before he got too old to climb mountains and spend the money on making a memory. We ended up in Colorado bowhunting for 2 weeks and came home with an elk, a mule deer and a blonde-phase black bear. I wouldn't trade that trip for a stack of model 70s.

Would I ever sell dad's LC Smith? Never. Will his old Herter's bow ever see a yard sale? No way. But sometimes memories are more important than stuff. So to answer your question...Sell the gun and make a memory. I know your father has passed but using the dollars for something that reminds you of him will allow his memory to live a bit longer. There's always a chance for another gun but unfortunately sometimes there is never a chance for another memory.

I would get rid of the ones that don't mean anything to me and keep the ones that do. My Father is getting in bad shape and I will have the same situation as you. I am going to keep a few that have memories and get rid of the rest.

The only guns I will ever sell are the ones I paid for with my own money.

That is a hard choice. If the gun came from my father I would not sell it. But that doesn't mean that is the right thing for you to do. If the gun really doesn't hold any value to you, I would sell it and replace it with something that you could use or make memories with like everyone else said.

Walter

I feel the same way!

I say sell.

Personal thoughts? Save it for your nephew. He might not use it. But it will be his grandfather's rifle and that will mean something to him and you.

And his children MAY be hunters.
I have gold plated berry bowls from my Great Grandmother. Never used them. Still never planning to get rid of them either.

This is my thought. I have all of my dads guns except for one, which my sister wanted back. I hunted a few times with his .243, but they will be handed down to my sons and not to be sold. I also picked up my GGF SxS shotgun, which I think is kind of cool

^this

Damn! I posted after reading the OP. But after reading all the other posts I'm not so sure. Lots of wonderful arguments either way. It's a hard decision.

One thing to remember, if you sell it, it is gone and you may never be able to get it back. When you get older the sentimental value come back and haunt you. I sold things 30 years ago that I now wish I had never sold them, but now I cannot get back.

The view from another perspective.

I had "The Conversation" with my two grown sons last year, both of them are now over 40, and since neither of them Hunt, Shoot or Fish, got the answer of "No Interest" that I expected.

As an old gentleman friend, who's been gone for over 35-40 years, who had taken an interest in my wife & I as complete strangers from out of state and "adopted" us as surrogate children, that we lived down stairs from, said to me more than once..." None of us get out of this thing Alive, Make your Plans ahead of Time and spread your Estate as Gifts among those who treasured knowing you ...everybody else can go to Hell"

All the paperwork is done, all the bills are paid for ...almost, all the Credit Cards are taken care of, I got one little pizzant lawsuit to file against an HOA in Henderson County to clear a Lake Lot Title dispute, all the Dr's DNR paperwork is done, all the Lawyers paperwork is done, so we are ready as can be but it's Not Time Yet. But we live more confidantly now that we have prepared what we needed to prepare ...and are going about the business of enjoying our time left.

Since last year I've been trading/swapping & downsizing my gun & tackle collection without regard for keeping anything for my sons since they have no children to be concerned about, and upgrading where I desire into things that are better than what I had to enjoy today. So, my stuff will A. be given to old hunting partners and friends Children to use or B. or Be sold by a trusted dealer TBD, wherever we are living & the proceeds added to the Estate with no regrets.

We are both pushing 70, and still occasionaly buying new cars, source of the only outstanding debt with under $10k left owing on a 2 old year CrewCab, that falls into this same scenario. The wife's car is paid for, house is paid for, the new to us next house will be paid for when we move into it, the boat is paid for...Hell we are studying maps and the 'net looking at travelling places we never got to go before once we sell this place and get settled into a new to us house somewhere in Central Texas, so hopefully there's nothing left in the bank account but cobwebs when it's all over!

I came into this world into a family saddled with debt, my father was killed in the Service before I turned 4, and I will leave this world owing no one.
That is my gift to my two sons.
Cheers
Ron

Everything I own is for sale except for my Papaws shotguns, knife, and dog whistle. I'm not sentimental about anything but these things will go to my sons one day. I feel like things handed down don't belong to me but to the family.

I would sell/trade them. If they hold no sentimental value no use in holding onto them they would just take up room

Sneaky and MDMORROW pegged my sentiments-
"I wouldn't sell anything that was handed down to me. That's just me though. "

I would always wish I had it back...but that's just me. If there was absolutely no sentimental value, I don't know that it would've taken 2 years to ponder selling it. But I always miss my guns when they are gone.