Family Heirlooms

[2ski]

I have a number of things from my grandfather that I cherish. Biggest among them was his '79 Chevy Bonanza truck that he hunted in and then my dad hunted in. When my dad bought a new truck a few years ago, it became mine. Now I hunt in it.

When my grandfather died, my grandma called my dad and asked him to get his guns and we were not aware that he had all that he had. Between my dad, brother and I we share, a 12 gauge semi auto, a 20 gauge .870 that has rings on the handle of the pump so its not a new gun, a 20 gauge Ithica o/u, and a .410 that my dad, brother and I all first hunted birds with. The most prized of the guns is his .38 special that was his duty weapon in WWII and a 30-06 that we think was another duty weapon. What I'm told, is it looks like the gun has had the stock cut down to look more like a sport weapon than a military weapon, which I'm told was common after the war.

Some of my other heirlooms are, both my mom's dad and my dad's dads' bamboo fly rods and my dad's dad's wicker creel. I'd like to make kind of a display on the wall of all three somehow.

My brother and I bought a Kimber Raptor II a few years ago with the thought that we would someday pass it down and enjoy it ourselves too. We are both in our 30's with no kids so we may have to gift it to a cousin's son or daughter at some point. Though the ones that have kids aren't big hunters.

 

[JEL]

Here is a link where can research year of manufacture using serial number. Usually will have the year though some records were lost in a fire or other reasons. http://www.winchesterguns.com/support/faq/date-your-firearm.html

Thanks LopeHunter. I will take a look.

 

[Gr8bawana]

I have a Marlin .410 lever action shotgun that my dad bought used back in the 60's. My brother and I learned to hunt with that shotgun. We shot a lot of ducks, rabbits and sage grouse with it.
That little .410 brought down quite a few sage grouse with a load of #4 shot back before sage grouse became the magical bird that must be protected.

http://onyourownadventures.com/hunt...adventures.com/hunttalk/images/attach/jpg.gif

 

[noharleyyet]

Cool piece bawana.

 

[kansasdad]

I had no idea that there was such a thing as a lever action shotgun! How many shells fit into the magazine Gr8bawana?

 

[Gr8bawana]

It hold 4 shells in the magazine. It also is chambered for only 2 1/2 inch shells.
With a little research I found out that Marlin introduced them in 1929 and were out of production by 1934 due to the Great Depression.

 

[Curvebow]

Ben Lamb - I too have a German Drilling that my Uncle Joe brought back from Germany in WW 1. He was a munitions guy and they would remove the rifles and shotguns they found in villages and he would blow them up. He sent home the Drilling, 16 gauge side by side with the 8mm underneath. It has slots along the rib for what my father said was a claw type scope mount. He also sent home a 9mm side by side rifle too that my dad says was an "elephant gun". I suspect it was a 9.3 and the equivalent of the 375 H&H magnum. Unfortunately, the 9.3 and the scope were not located when my uncle passed away. My ad never did know what Uncle Joe did with them.

While the Drilling has good value, I will keep that for my kids as an heirloom.

Uncle Joe also had a Remington model 740 semi automatic in 30-06 that I also have. I refinished some stocks for it and have shot it a bunch, but not hunted with it much. Some day I plan to use it on local whitetails....

 

[Sawtooth]

There have been quite a few new forum members since this thread first was posted, so I thought I would bring in up so that others could share their stories.

 

[Phaseolus]

I have my Grandfathers L.C. Smith 20 guage, it is a Hunter Arms made Smith. i used to hunt birds with it a lot when I was younger. Made in about 1937.

 

[BrentD]

I got this when my Dad passed in 2011. It has been in the family since he got it from his Father, but I have no idea where it came from. It is one of the first Henry Repeating rifles (44-40 rimfire) made in the early 1860s and has a 4 digit serial number that is under the rear sight. Dad was offered $10,000 cash sight unseen for it back in the early seventies by a collector that found out he had it and I have no idea what it's worth today.

I realize this was posted a couple years back but that gun could easily be worth $50k or more. Maybe much more. Esp, if it was a Civil War rifle (about a 1000 of them were at Gettysburg as I recall). But just a high condition Henry like that is worth a bundle.

 

[BrentD]

This a Hopkins and Allen 722 .22 lr that I shot all the time as a kid. It was my paternal grandfather's and where it was before him, I do not know. He may have been first owner, but I doubt it. Anyway, I had it relined and gifted it to a guy with a couple of young kids that was looking for a "starter rifle".

I came to me without a forearm, and I shot it as such all of my life, But then, a friend found one for me at a gun show, so it is now complete.

 

[Four22]

Horrible picture but....

8MM German Mauser sniper rifle complete with swastika stamping and original scope. My grandfather picked it up out of the rubble in Germany in the 1940's when he was in the service. It was still in the crate packed in kosmoline but had a busted stock. He shipped it home, had it "sporterized" and it is now in the hands of my father. We have a picture of him hunting with it in the mid to late 40's. Absolutely no idea how many deer it harvested but it has some serious miles on it. Hopefully someday I can pass it on to my children.

It saw its first western hunt this past year and was successful

 

[Ben Lamb]

Dad's first year production Browning BSS. He purchased it in 2007, shot it twice and then gave it to me since it fit him so poorly & the recoil was brutal for him. I refinished the stocks, shot it for a few years for trap & upland, then gifted it to my niece over Christmas since she's interested in bird hunting now and only had a 20 gauge NEF single shot. Keeping it in the family!

 

[BrentD]

Lucky niece.

It's funny how hard an ill fitting .20 gauge can hit you. I can shoot almost any 12 gauge, but there are a surprising number of 20s that beat me up bad.

 

[Don Fischer]

With my Fathers passing this February, I recently inherited this Browning "Twelvette" shotgun. This gun is loaded with great memories for both him and I. He bought it when he was in college and used it to hunt dove and pheasant on his family's farm. When I started hunting he let me use it for the same purpose until I could save enough money to buy my own shotgun. I will miss him and our times in the outdoors together, but every time I take this shotgun out this fall, I will be bringing a little bit of him with me. This thread is for all of you who have a firearm or other piece of outdoor equipment that has a special part in your family history. Let's hear your story.View attachment 59363View attachment 59364

Guess I haven't seen this. That looks like a Browning Double Auto! Only semi auto I'd ever own. Had one when I wasn't old enough t know better. Mine was a blued action and probably the finest shotgun I ever owned! That say's something I think, I have three AyA's right now!

 

[Sawtooth]

Guess I haven't seen this. That looks like a Browning Double Auto! Only semi auto I'd ever own. Had one when I wasn't old enough t know better. Mine was a blued action and probably the finest shotgun I ever owned! That say's something I think, I have three AyA's right now!

That is correct. The Twelvette was the aluminum action version of the Browning Double Auto and came in several different colors of action. The Double Auto also came in a standard steel action as well. It is a great gun and a pleasure to carry in the field.

 

[Potsie]

Oddly enough, I had to buy a second gun safe, just for all the heirloom guns... I'm the only grandson on my mom's side, and I'm the oldest son of the oldest son (and the only grandson out of 7 that hunts/shoots) on my dad's side... all rolls up to the hunting/fishing traditions of 2 families landing on me.

When my paternal grandfather got back to the states from the Pacific during WWII, the first thing he bought was a Winchester Model 94 in .30-30. He put a lot of meat on the table over the years for my dad and his 8 siblings with that rifle, and according to my uncles, they all fought over who got to use it once they started hunting. When I was 12 and wanted to start hunting (my dad had drifted away from the sport previously) Grandpa passed that rifle down to me. I was lucky enough to take my first deer and my first elk with it when I was in high school. Grandpa passed away in '99, but that rifle is a constant reminder of a great man. This year my wife decided she wanted to see what if felt like to take an active part in providing meat as well. She came out to the lease with me, and shot a whitetail doe with it. She get emotional from the realities of taking a life so that we could eat, I may or may not have gotten a little misty eyed with the emotions of being very very proud of my wife, and thinking about my grandpa.

Fast forward to this spring, and my wife tells me that after 3 years of trying, she's pregnant. God willing and the creek don't rise "The Player to be Named Later" should arrive right after hunting season... but I can't wait to teach that kid how to hunt, fish, shoot, respect and love the natural world, and pass that rifle down to them.

 

[Sawtooth]

Great story about a great rifle, Backofbeyond. And congratulations to you and your wife on your "Player to be named Later".

 

[Sawtooth]

This is an old thread I started a few years back. I thought I would bring it back up as it is a good thread for the late winter slow down and I would like to see others might have to add to the list.

 

[LousyResident]

This is an old thread I started a few years back. I thought I would bring it back up as it is a good thread for the late winter slow down and I would like to see others might have to add to the list.

Good idea, a few guys on here are getting mighty testy it seems . . . .