I had a father that wanted me to learn to be a good shot, so when I was 13 he bought me a single shot H&R 20 Gauge. I killed a many of rabbits, Quail & Deer with that one. I bought an 870 when I got older and started relying on the 2nd & 3rd shots. I guess Dad knows best.
I love all the family history ones here. That's so cool.
My daughter isn't into it, but maybe someday if I have grandkids, they will be.
Maybe they'll be telling their friends about the guns they got from me.
I like to have things that make me feel connected to my family and history. Knives, guns, plates, things like that I can hold and use and know people I care about cared about these and held them at one time. I keep a lot of things with that in mind for my children and now here they are in their mid 20's and they aren't even thinking about kids and don't particularly care to hunt or fish.
Then I see threads on here with guns for sale "My grandpa's muzzle loader $100" and the comments "grandpa left me a bunch of guns and I don't use it any way..." It just makes me think WTF. Grandpa should have just sold it on the corner and a night at the casino and a $50 hooker would have meant about as much. Just rambling like old people do.
My first shotgun was an old JC Higgens bolt action 12ga my grandfather gave me. Not quite sure offhand how long the barrel is but its long and has a full choke. My grandfather used to hunt rabbits with it, first rabbit I hit with it I turned into hamburger. I now have better shotguns for hunting and don't shoot the gun to much anymore, but I will never part with it and will someday pass it down to one of my sons. I agree with the idea that family history adds a value to something that never can be translated to dollars and cents. Ever now and then I break out that old shotgun and run a few rounds through it. Every time I do it reminds me of my grandfather and the day he gave me that gun.
After my first seaon tagging along rabbit hunting with my dad, at 9 years old he gave me my first shooting lesson with a Browning lever action .22. After only two lessons, he took me to a trap range, and let me try my hand with my granddad's old Remington model 10A pump. Grandad had the barrel chopped off many years before, for quail hunting. I had some early success hitting clays with that old gun probably due to the open choke. But I sure thought I was in tall cotton. Then dad decided I was ready for my own 12ga. Browning BPS with 26" barrel. I loved that gun then just as I do now. Even though I was young and short I was a stout kid and the only trouble I had with was reaching the forearm to cycle the pump. My brother was also blessed with dad getting him a 12ga. Browning A-5 at the same time.
Mossberg 185, bolt action 20gauge, 2 rnd detachable magazine, with polychoke. Given to me by my grandfather for my 5th birthday. Shot it when I was 7. Shot it again when I was 12. Still have it 30 yrs. later. Has had a truck load of shells through it.