Bittersweet

[STX_Shooter]

The moment finally has come, my dad gave me all his guns and ammo except a few handguns. I’m not even thrilled, knowing he’s getting old and will not be using them anymore makes it sad. It wasn’t a lot of guns and ammo but more than I though he had. I didn’t feel right taking them, he asked for me to give them to my kids when they get older which of course is the plan. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been in this position.

[eastover53]

Same here. My 82 year old dad drove ten hours to visit at Thanksgiving and brought everything but his .357. He said he is saving that one until he gets to the point where he can't wipe his own rear end. Then he's checking out.

[ultrastealth]

Recently inherited a bunch of my dad's guns, the bad way. I'm going to hang his old Browning A5 on the wall, so I can think of all of those times when I was a kid and he was nice enough to let me tag along with him. Can't tell you how good of a dad he was and how much I miss him.

[SaltwaterSlick]

Yep, been there, done that... still hurts! The thing I think I cherish most though is his pocket knife... He gave it to me not long after he gutted his last deer... Asked me to keep it with his dad's knife (my grandpa's) that he had given me when PawPaw passed... We both cried... He was 85 when he gave me that knife... We buried him Christmas Eve of that same year... 1999... I miss him every day. And the older I get, the smarter I realize he really was all those years...

[tbgascorer]

I know the feeling. My 79 year old dad gave me his Colt Python .357 safe queen for my birthday back in January. While I appreciate and cherish the gift, I hate the feeling it gives me.

[EarleyBird]

About 4-5 years before my dad died he made my brother and I each take turns picking which of his guns we wanted, one at a time, until there were none left. I remember thinking how morbid that was and not wanting to do it. When he died there was no question who got what, between my brother and me; no emotional indignation, just that we each knew which guns were ours.

[TexaRican]

Yep, got my Dad's last service revolver last year and now he's offloading tools on me every time I visit. Doesn't want them to end up in a garage sale but it sucks standing there watching him go through all this stuff he knows he'll never use again at 84.

[jerp]

When my father's dementia started getting bad and depression was setting in my mother was terrified that he would end it all right there in the house. I drove the 5 hours to their house when I knew he wouldn't be there, collected his guns and drove home. I shed a few tears on that drive. He asked about it once then eventually forgot he ever owned them. They have been sitting in my safe for a decade now.

[Killer]

Sad reading we have all been there or will at sometime or another.

[Charrison]

Mine is still alive but went a different route.
He's getting up there in age and asked a few years ago what I would want when he goes. I told him the only thing I really wanted was one of his rifles that meant something to me- a Rigby double that was his and my first PH's in Africa, who sold it to my dad when he retired after 60 years in Africa, and his hunting journals.
Saw him last year and the rifle was gone- apparently he got a sweet deal and sold it. Mentioned in passing he was sorry my inheritance was gone.
Thanks, dad.

[Drycreek3189]

I’m at the age where I’m on the other end of this deal. I’ve sold a lot of guns in the last few years so that my wife wouldn’t have to deal with them, then find myself buying others. It’s a dam addiction !

[Razorback01]

I'm not too far away from getting my dads collection, 3 Belgium Brownings and some misc. Sad to think it will happen to all of us one day.

[jds247]

I remember as a kid I couldn't wait to inherit my dad's guns. But when the time actually came all I wanted was more time with my dad.. I have several I'll pass down to my boys. Nothing expensive but all of them made great memories..

[TX CHICKEN]

My dads 76 and in pretty good shape but he just can’t handle shooting his 12 gauge so I got a beautiful Parker 12 ga last year. He also already had my brother and me pick the guns we wanted when that day comes. I hope that day is along ways away!

[Lee230]

I buried my dad ten days ago. At 87, I can't tell you the last time I saw a gun in his hands. Bittersweet for sure.