LEVER-ACTION RIFLES THAT HAVE BEEN IN FAMILIES FOR GENERATIONS

Above, yours truly with the Winchester 94. Photo by Larry Lucier.

A lot of families have handed down things to younger generations, this includes firearms.

My grandfather and father handed down to me rifles, shotguns and pistols. However, no lever-action rifles were included in the bunch. I bought my lever-action pre-64 (made in 1962) Winchester 94 seven years ago. I haven't decided on who will get my gun collection when I head to the great beyond. 

The Avid Outdoorsman posted an article on 20 lever-actions that have been in families for generations and are never going anywhere.

They begin it with:

Every family has that one rifle that never gets traded. It might have a thin spot in the blueing where a saddle scabbard rubbed it for 20 seasons. It might wear an old leather sling that smells like gun oil and wet wool. You can buy newer, lighter, more accurate rifles all day long, but these lever guns stick around because they work, they carry right, and they’re tied to memories you can’t replace. Firearms& Weapons

None of these are “perfect.” Some have quirky safeties, some kick harder than they should, and some aren’t getting cheaper. But if you’ve ever watched an uncle quietly slide one out of a soft case like it’s a family photo album, you already get it. Here are 20 lever-action rifles I keep seeing in racks, cabins, and pickup gun racks that aren’t going anywhere.

To read the full article, go here. 

15 Firearms That Families Quietly Fight Over Later

Above, yours truly with the Winchester Model 12 shotgun.

I have a friend who has a sizable gun collection. His first born was a son. Later, a daughter was born.

When the sister was born, the son said, "Good! I will inherit the guns!" or something similar. 

However, the daughter, after growing up, gained a big interest in firearms. Now who-gets-what is a bit up in the air. My friend is still alive and well. 

That is the crux of a slideshow article in MSN. It is on 15 firearms that "quietly" became the ones families fight over later. I have three on the list: Winchester 94, Winchester Model 12 and Ruger 10/22. Also listed is a Remington 870, but it is a Wingmaster and I have an Express. So I am not counting it.

The slideshow begins with: 

Some guns are obviously destined to become heirlooms. The engraved shotgun. The pre-war rifle. The fancy revolver with the presentation case. Everyone knows those pieces will matter, so people treat them carefully from the beginning.

But the guns families fight over later are not always the fancy ones. Sometimes they are the rifles and shotguns that got used the most. The .22 everyone learned on. The deer rifle with the scratched stock. The revolver that sat in the same nightstand for decades. Those guns become valuable because they carry the family’s stories. By the time everyone realizes it, the safe may already have several people emotionally attached to the same firearm.

To see the slideshow, go here. 

Mossberg 500E .410 Pump Shotgun

Above, the Mossberg 500E shotgun. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yesterday, while getting a gun case for one of my rifles to go to our shooting range, I found one with something inside.  

It was a Mossberg 500E pump .410 shotgun. I don't remember having it. It was one of my dad's. I did some checking and this one is a pre-1968 gun since it is without a serial number. It was first introduced in 1961. It is said to be a good varmint gun.

Friends are amazed that I manage to find guns in gun cases I inherited from my dad. 

Since I don't have any .410 gauge shotgun shells, I ordered a box so I can try out the gun.

What To Do With an Inherited Coin Collection

Above, Franklin and Kennedy silver half dollars I inherited from my father. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Many coin collectors/investors of the baby-boomer generation are now seniors. Some have heirs and some don't. In any case, the question arises by heirs, What to with an inherited coin collection?

Numismatic News has posted an article by Mike Thorne with some good suggestions.

They begin it with:

Let’s assume that you know little about U.S. coins other than that you can spend them for small purchases, and you inherit a relative’s coin collection. Congratulations! Now what?

Let’s further assume that you don’t want to become a coin collector, and you want to convert the collection to spendable money. How will you go about it?

I live in a small town and have often been asked to look at inherited collections. These collections have ranged from minuscule, with only a handful of coins, to quite large. Values have ranged from less than $100 to more than $2,000,000.

To read more, go here.