My dad was an avid hunter in his youth and later on, when he no longer hunted, he became friends with a guy who liked to shoot clay pigeons and paper targets, etc…His friend passed away and my dad hasn’t used his guns since. I am not a hunter but I did go shooting with them a couple times and it was fun. My dad is going to leave me his guns at some point. As I said, I don’t hunt but I really enjoyed shooting at targets and would like to do it again someday. I would be happy to have his guns when he gives them to me but I really don’t know what to do with them. He’s got a few shotguns, rifles and a couple hand guns with individual values anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand. I’m 34 years old with almost zero experience in handling guns and it makes me a bit nervous. I have a two year old daughter and a five year old son so I don’t want to put them in danger. What should I do with these? I would like to keep them in the family and maybe if one of my children get into hunting or shooting it would be nice to pass them on. More than likely they will be kept in storage for long periods of time without use. I want to keep them in good condition and out of dangerous situations. I would also like to learn how to use, store and care for them properly but I almost feel a little silly going to some sort of hunter safety type class at my age (or are there lots of people that do this?)
Also, what legal aspects are involved in the passing on of firearms? Is there going to be paperwork involved? If I have a handgun that’s not in my name and I want to go to the firing range is there anything I should know? Any suggestions, opinions or additional information would be greatly appreciated.
This will vary wildly depending on what state you’re in. Some states are pretty loose and allow family members to give guns to immediate family members with a minimum of fuss or paperwork, while other states require a licensed gun dealer to act as an intermediary to handle paperwork and transfer fees. Another variable is the type of gun - pistols vs rifles, for example.
Best I can offer is to suggest you google up your state’s name and “gun transfer” or find your state’s department or bureau of firearms and ask them.
If I were you I’d go to my local gun shop or gun range (we have several in the area) and say something like:
“I am not currently a gun owner but my father is thinking of leaving me his collection when he passes away - can you direct me to information about relevant laws, and also how to properly care for, store, and use these firearms?”
Around here, responsible gun owners very much want people such as yourself to educate themselves.
An alternative is the NRA, which devotes considerable effort to encouraging safety and training.
Of course you’re not too old to go to a gun safety course. Lots of people do it. Your local police department may have one.
Remember these gun safety rules. Recently I broke rule number three (in a photo I had posted) and boy did I hear it from the gun guys here. It won’t happen again. If you have kids, you should probably lock the guns up in a safe, I guess. I don’t have kids so someone who does will surely be along to give you better advice on how to ensure the safety of your kids.
If you decide that you don’t want them in the house or for some other reason they have to go, take the time to sell them as a private party transaction, facilitated by a dealer only with regard to the transfer paperwork.
If you take them to a dealer and say “How much will you give me for them?” you’ll be lucky to get 50 cents on the dollar. The dealer isn’t exactly cheating you, mind you, but he has to make money too, and the dealer always lowballs used guns. In that respect they’re much like used cars. You can always do better on your own.
Yup, Cooper’s four rules are absolutes. Memorize them, keep them. I pass them on to everyone I shoot with. When my sister recently bought a .22 pistol, I discussed them with her on our way to the range.
Good Advice all around. Like Broomstick said, go to your local gun store and ask about gun care. I’m sure they’ll be glad to sell you a kit or three. Don’t let them sell you more than you need.
Guns (or even ammunition) are among the most stable of all modern machinery. They don’t go bad or wear out just by sitting somewhere unless it is damp. If you want to keep them for sentimental reasons yet don’t want to endanger your kids, there is little risk in giving them a very, very light oil rub and bore cleaning and then putting them up for long-term storage in a pretty dry place like an attic. If someone finds them 50 years from now, they should still work just fine as long as they were not ever exposed to excess moisture. If you want to be very safe all around, you could just buy a plain gun safe and keep them there. If you don’t have any ammunition stored nearby, the risk is zero even though the risk would be incredibly low to begin with from my suggestions above.
Thanks all, great suggestions! If I keep them in my house is it worth getting some of those locking trigger guards that I’ve seen on the guns in the stores or is it not worth the hassle if I happen to lose the keys? I’ve been to quite a few houses with gun cabinets in them and I have to say the big glass plate in the doors seems pretty easy to get through if someone really wanted to. Perhaps I’m overly paranoid, but I do get a bit of traffic through the house occasionally and I’d rather not be under paranoid.
Yes, get trigger locks. No don’t put them in glass cases. Get either a gun safe (in which case you don’t need trigger locks) or hide them under the bed or somewhere. *Where *being someplace dry and without kids.
It would help if you posted your location. We don’t even know if you’re in the USA, but I’m guessing that you are.
Several folks mentions gun safes. There are “gun safes” that are protection against most thieves as well as protection against fire for up to two hours. A reasonably sized one of these will go for 2 to 4 thousand dollars. On the other hand there are “gun safes” that are nothing more than sturdy locking cabinets. These can be obtained at Lowes and Wal Mart at prices starting in the middle hundreds. Depending on the value of the firearms one may be more suitable than the other.
At still lower cost, free in some areas, are cable type locks. They pass through the action or barrel thereby preventing operation.Some area police departments give them away to any who ask. They won’t prevent theft, but will keep anyone from loading and firing the guns without a lot of work.
Trigger guards might be good if they’re going to be stored near the ammunition. Note that I don’t say “if they’re stored where people can find them”, because if you have kids, there is no place in the house that cannot be found by inquisitive or just plain playful kids. But then again, as someone else said, I would recommend that you store the ammunition away from the guns if you have kids. (And even that isn’t child-proof, as little Billy will know where you have the stuff.)
I’d recommend that you get a small gun safe or locking steel cabinet and put it in the back of your store room in the basement. You can get a decent, heavy one for about $5-600 at Menards, Lowes, Walmart, etc; many of which can even be bolted to the floor for additional security.
If you’re in the TC area and want to go shooting sometime to get a little experience handling firearms, PM me. There are several ranges in the cities and it would be a good idea for you to get out at least once.
If you can become familiar with the particular guns and how they are disassembled/reassembled you could take them apart and store crucial parts such as slides, bolts, etc seperately. That’s what I do, takes up less space than a gun safe.
Caveat: the quality and bredth of knowledge about firearm laws, and indeed often the value and technical aspects of firearms by gun store clerks is highly variable. Don’t take anything you are told without a few grains of salt. Check the is Minnesota statutes (Chapter 624) pertaining to firearms and explosives, and NRA-ILA provides a reasonable comprehensive summary of state and federal firearms statutes with regard to ownership, transfer, and transportation.
I completely agree with Argent Towers that if you have not had a gun safety course and were not otherwise instructed in safe firearm handling while growing up you would be well advised to take such a course, and furthermore enroll your children (and other adult household members if they’ll permit) in the same when they are of appropriate age. Even if you intend to keep firearms secured in a safe (highly recommended) it is still advisable that children understand appropriate and safe handling of firearms in any incidence where they encounter them, either at home or otherwise. The first rule with children and guns, of course, is that they should not handle them without adult supervision, and should go inform an adult if they find an unsecured firearm. The NRA used to have a very good child safety program (including videos and coloring books) that are inexpensive and appropriate for small children; I assume they still offer this, though it’s been a long time since I’ve been involved in firearm instruction. (And Argent Towers, you can officially stop beating yourself up about the previous incident now.)
Beyond this, you should consider a marksmanship or hunter safety course to learn more about operation, maintenance, and field handling of firearms, if this is in your interest. If you want to sell firearms I would consult a competent gunsmith or knowledgeable gun enthusiast to get an honest apprasial of condition and value before going to a gun seller. Airman Doors is correct that most sellers will not give you full value on them versaus a private sale, so bear that in consideration.
I agree that you should not store them in display cases unless the cases themselves are secure and not visible to the general public; however, I wouldn’t store them “under the bed” where they’ll attract dust and provide nesting for spiders. A good safe (as described by GaryM) is the best option, but may not be practical for you; a locking metal cabinet is adequate for a house with smaller children and responsible teenagers but won’t keep out a determined effort. Trigger locks and cables are really only adequate for transportation in my opinion, as they can be defeated really easily. The wafer tumbler key locks on cheap cabinets and trigger locks can be easily bypassed by a locksmith or experienced amateur lock hacker, so loosing the keys isn’t really a concern. Modern combination lock safes, on the other hand, pretty much need to be drilled out if you lose the combo, so bear that in mind. If you aren’t going to store them in a safe at least store them in gun cases to prevent accrual of dust and incidental moisture.
For long term storage, the metal parts of the gun should be lightly oiled with a non-petrol lubricant (no WD-40, in which the volitiles will evaporate leaving a hygroscopic residue; use some kind of spray Teflon lubricant) and the wooden stocks should be rubbed with linseed oil or some other wood preservative annually to prevent drying and cracking. Firearms should always be field-stripped and thoroughly cleaned after use, especially if they’re going to be stored thereafter.
Yes, that’s why I said that’s what I would do - there are a couple of very good gun shops in my area (and some crappy ones). That is also why I recommended the NRA. Ideally, anyone getting into firearms should not rely just one source of information.