Keep it or sell it?

[Jim Norman]

I have a few guns laying around, some I 've never shot. a couple I've shot a few times. A few I've worn out various parts in.

Guns that I WILL NOT SELL:

My Remington 513T, I got it for Christmas 42 years ago, I have shot it in Junior Rifle matches and as an adult, that rifle is accurate and it was truely my FIRST GUN.

I have a 1911 that my Father left me. Also from Dad, a Stevens .22 rilfe with a dollar value around $1 and a sentimental value of Priceless. There is the .Rugur BlackHawk .44 Mag he gave me and a Winchester in 30-30 he used to hunt with. They will stay.

There is my Para that I have shot for years. It stays.

I have a German Mauser training rifle in .22. I like it, don't shot it much, but I like it. I have given myself a few gifts over the years. A Browning Citori, a Sharps, A Ruger black powder revo. a S&W 625 JM and an STI Open gun. The 700 PSS stays too. Probably wouldn't seel my Bushmaster or my JP or my M1A. Come to think of it, there aren't very many I'd part with. Have to keep the 590 and the 1100 for matches. Of course there is a 1022 that gets used for side matches on occasion. and my little girl's first rifle, a Chipmunk. and her first pistol, a Berreta T-87.

Now, what would I sell?

I have several hunting rifles that will see no use, I have an extra Remington 1100, I have a few .22 cal target rifles and I have a few other things that are gathering dust, those I would sell.

But, my Tools and my Sentimentally attached guns, nope, they stay. Some stayed even when I had to store them when I lived on my boat for 12 years. If I kept them then, I can sure keep them now.

Jim

[Gameplayer]

Keep them. Most of the guns that I bought over the years I have given to my father (95% never been fired, still). He taught me how to shoot safely and responsibly, bought me my first rifle, shotgun, pistol and revolver at a early age. He paid for my first handgun class. I know I can never repay him but thought I at least owe him that.

[AikiDale]

Keep 'em! When the revolution comes you can arm your own squad.

[boz1911]

Most of mine are just tools, so If I want a new tool I often sell the old to help... if I had the money not to worry about it I doubt I'd ever sell any of them.

That's kind of how I look at it... Maybe because I haven't found the one that makes the earth stop turning for me..maybe, because, well, they're just tools... the memories have been made already and I own them forever.

I have enough where some are tools and can traded for other or new tools. However a select few I would never part with due to deep sentimental attachment. The sentimental value far outweighs the tool value in these few cases. Keep 'em!

[AustinMike]

Those both sound like keepers to me. I just started shooting a G24 recently and it's a great gun! I've sold a number of guns over the year and half the time I kick myself later. I could part with some of my guns if I had to because I REALLY needed the money. Keepers no matter what for me are my grandpa's M1 carbine and a Kimber 1911 my wife gave me.

[shred]

Until you look in the safe at a gun and your first thought is "that's $400 I could have now", keep it.

[j1b]

I'm 50/50 on this.

My current agreement with myself is that I'm not going to own something that I don't shoot or have plans to. I've decided that Limited and 3 gun are enough for USPSA games, so I sold my way out of two other divisions. That included parting ways with a 5" S&W 610. I was really proud to own one of those but because it became a safe queen, out it went.

Now, the other side of the coin are guns that were given to me. I have an 870 that I've had for nearly 20 years now (kee-ryest I'm getting old!) that my old man gave to me. I've shot a lot of pheasants, rabbits and even my first deer with that one. I've broken 1000's of clays at the 16 yard line with that one, too. I also have a Winchester 9422 given to me by the old man. I haven't shot that gun in probably 10 years, but it isn't going anywhere.

If I'm given a gun by a family member, it probably is staying with me. If I bought it, but am not using it - time to make room for something else.

Just think though, the guns you own today could be the guns you give to your younger generations in the years to come. And those guns will have that sentiment to them then.

This Christmas I gave a 10/22 to my nephew. I've had it for 14 years, or something like that. I won it at a match that we believe was the Alaska State match but I don't honestly remember. Anyhow, never shot the rifle - it's new in box. Gave it to my nephew for Christmas and my Dad tells him "there's a special story behind that gun. Jack won that rifle many years ago, and as soon as he got it he knew he was going to give it to you when you were old enough"

Now - that gun doesn't have any true sentiment to me. I've never used the dang thing. But my nephew is pretty pumped about owning a rifle that his uncle won in a pistol match.

Felt pretty good!

J

[Derek45]

I would give my left nut for the 10/22 my father got me for my 16th birthday, and my first Limited gun.

Damn I miss them both.

My mid 1990's Lim gun....

[DBeck77]

I'm in the "keep sentimental guns" sell the other ones camp. I have several guns that I'll never sell, one is my Dad's 1958 Remington 870 Wingmaster which is the smoothest and best shooting shotgun I have ever handled. It reminds me of all the times we were hunting together (or in the fields working) and this gun was there. I also have a 22 Remington 513 which belonged to my grandfather which I love. I have the first decent handgun I ever bought still (Ruger GP100, serial number 5xx, first year production).

I have a lot of C&R military Mausers, Enfield, K31s, and such that I won't sell just because they are almost irreplaceable. I treat hunting rifles and normal handguns as tools, if I don't use them or if I buy one I don't like (Ruger 345) they end up being sold/traded on something else. I have some really nice sporting clays shotguns that I used in competitions for about 6 years that I will never sell even though I don't shoot sporting clays now. They remind me of the times I spent shooting with my brother before our relationship got hosed by his psycho wife.

David

[Zerwas]

I'm keeping the 2 pistols I won at matches. I may forget about the circumstances on how I won them as I get older, but I will always remember that I won them... I think if I sold 'em, all memories about winning anything could get lost sometime in the future.

I'd keep 'em.

[JFD]

Selling a sentimental gun seems to be a giant waste of time and money.

You'll end up buying another at additional cost later, but will have lost the sentimental value of the original.

My problem has been selling very useful guns, then having to replace them later. I'm on my 7th "car gun" now because I tended to trade them in when making a new gun purchase (thinking I rarely shoot them). My dad finally solved that problem by giving me a J frame from the 60's that has a long family connection.

[DEADEYE]

Almost every gun I have sold i kick myself later on saying why did you do that! that is my 2 cents

[shooting for M]

I voted for selling them. I do have some guns that I won't sell, not ever! But I just sold 3 guns to get into limited class, 2 of the three were pretty sentimental. One was the first handgun I ever bought, my 21st B-day present to myself, a Desert Eagle in .44, I know thier kinda goofy but hey I wanted one since I first saw Robocob when I was like 11 or something. A Winchester model 42 that has been passed down, that thing was worth some bucks, and I'd never shot it, probably never would shoot it, and you can get a better shooting .410 for half that if my son decides he wants one.

But like I said, I didn't just sell them to get something else I'm not going to shoot, I got something that if all goes well should be getting like 10K rounds through it a year, but we'll see.

Jason

[Turbo23]

I'm 50/50 on this.

My current agreement with myself is that I'm not going to own something that I don't shoot or have plans to. I've decided that Limited and 3 gun are enough for USPSA games, so I sold my way out of two other divisions. That included parting ways with a 5" S&W 610. I was really proud to own one of those but because it became a safe queen, out it went.

Now, the other side of the coin are guns that were given to me. I have an 870 that I've had for nearly 20 years now (kee-ryest I'm getting old!) that my old man gave to me. I've shot a lot of pheasants, rabbits and even my first deer with that one. I've broken 1000's of clays at the 16 yard line with that one, too. I also have a Winchester 9422 given to me by the old man. I haven't shot that gun in probably 10 years, but it isn't going anywhere.

If I'm given a gun by a family member, it probably is staying with me. If I bought it, but am not using it - time to make room for something else.

Just think though, the guns you own today could be the guns you give to your younger generations in the years to come. And those guns will have that sentiment to them then.

This Christmas I gave a 10/22 to my nephew. I've had it for 14 years, or something like that. I won it at a match that we believe was the Alaska State match but I don't honestly remember. Anyhow, never shot the rifle - it's new in box. Gave it to my nephew for Christmas and my Dad tells him "there's a special story behind that gun. Jack won that rifle many years ago, and as soon as he got it he knew he was going to give it to you when you were old enough"

Now - that gun doesn't have any true sentiment to me. I've never used the dang thing. But my nephew is pretty pumped about owning a rifle that his uncle won in a pistol match.

Felt pretty good!

J

I say keep them as well.

Along the same lines as J1b just said. I had a shotgun my grandfather gave me. One day I needed money or something and I sold it. I would give anything to have that Browning back!!

So if they mean something to you or some day they might mean something to a little one... I say keep them man.

You do not want to feel like I did after I grew up some more... and not only did not have it any more. But found out what it is worth today.....

Boy I must be getting older now......

Edited January 16, 2008 by Turbo23

[dajarrel]

......Keep your guns Carina.

I've never felt bad about keeping a gun, but I've sure had a lot of regrets over the ones that got away.

Tony

So very true

dj

[n2ipsc]

I don't know how many P9's ever made it into the US, but I'm given to understand that a P9 in .40 is a rare beast, and, in point of fact, yours is only the 2nd one I've ever seen (the 1st being my own, and, like yours - albeit not nearly as pretty - a "won" gun that I can't make myself get rid of).

In full admission that I don't know enough about the minutiae of P9's to assert with any authority that a .40 is indeed a true rarity...but assuming that is indeed the case, between its relative rarity, and it being a prize gun - IMHO, DON'T sell it - suspect you'll look back on it with regret at some point if you do..!

[Johann the Horrible]

The only gun I ever sold and not regret was a Llama .45. I spent big bucks on it to make it work but the dang thing just would not run. The new owner put in a new barrel link and used it to kick my butt in competitions. Obviously there is some regret there, just not for getting rid of the clunker. Guns are persons, complete with personalities. You would not sell your children now would you?

[ahtsay]

You're supposed to buy more guns, not sell them

You'll only feel regret after the guy drives away with your gun, so don't sell

[WDB]

Keep them! I have a couple Browning shotguns that my stepdad gave me that Trump himself couldn't afford. Not even an option!!