Thread: Modern Heirloom rifles

Originally Posted by akaroa1

The answer to this question lies in the past.

I have a few Vintage Heirloom Rifles
Serious vintage rifle collectors value certain things very highly and these elevate merely old rifles to the heirloom class and therefore values.

Above all else it is Factory Special Order feature or known provenance to a famous or well known person.
The more I learn about vintage rifles the more I realise that you will never know it all.
There were so many variations and options available that there is always something new to see and find
Factory upgrades might be
Pistol grip stock
Finer checkering and walnut
Express sights
Engraving
Shotgun butt plates
Factory take down

Some original rifles have all of these features and therefore command a real premium in price now and are genuine heirloom.

Then there are calibers which in some cases elevate a fairly common model and grade of rifle to heirloom.
Collectors often double the value of a make and model of rifle that is in the rarest, most desirable or largest caliber available.
Or a caliber associated with a particular famous person even if it was not their rifle.

These are some clues based on the past, of what in a modern factory rifle might one day become an heirloom rifle

yeah I think many of us miss the point - an heirloom can have monetary value or not - just because it does not have monetary value does not mean to someone that they value it for what it is -Bumblefoots rammer great case in point to him really valuable in a personal sense and real history - Antique collectable special features give some rifles real monetary value such as anything owned by say Davy Crockett for example - but I suggest that heirloom to many means a real personal connection so a well used Sako or early BRNO to a third generation user it is an heirloom

I don’t think it really matters what the rifle is
As long as it’s special
To you
An old single shot lithgow is only worth 50-100 bucks but if it’s the one you’re granddad lernt to shoot with and taught your dad to shoot on an then you’re dad taught you then it’s pretty special to you

I don’t think an heirloom can be bought
It’s like respect
It’s earned not given

You can buy the nicest rifle known to man its still only a rifle until it earns the respect needed to become an heirloom

Greetings All,
I think that the question posed in the OP has two separate parts.
1. What would be special to us and
2. What would be special to our children.
Although we may rejoice in the fine workmanship and flawless operation of a really fine rifle, if has been purchased late in our life and spent decades in the safe it may not interest our children that much. To be special to them it would need a long association with both them and us especially when they were younger. There are several old rifles in my safe that are special to me due to association with friends, some of which are no longer with us. My children may never have met those friends and to them they are just an old rifle. The only rifle that passes the test is my old 10-22 Sporter purchased new in the 1960's. It was the first rifle my son fired (aged 4) and we shot rabbits, hares and at least one goat with it plus used it shooting running boar competition. It has moved between our safes a bit and my grandson has shot it as well. One day, perhaps soon I will send it round to him.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

Not a firearm; but a heirloom can certainly mean anything. I class my dad's old hand post rammer as a heirloom (to me). It would mean nothing to anyone else. Everytime I use the handmade rammer to ram the clay around a post it reminds me that it would have been used for every post on the farm :-) Most people (including family) would just regard it as a wonky bit of pipe and no heirloom. Yet I love the fact that every post on my small property (that was part of the folk's farm) has been put in using it.

Attachment 222034

I have a lot of my late fathers tools here including an old spade and fork that have been fitted with shovel handles as he could not bend over much. I use them much for the same reason.
GPM.

Originally Posted by rambo-6mmrem

I don’t think it really matters what the rifle is
As long as it’s special
To you
An old single shot lithgow is only worth 50-100 bucks but if it’s the one you’re granddad lernt to shoot with and taught your dad to shoot on an then you’re dad taught you then it’s pretty special to you

I don’t think an heirloom can be bought
It’s like respect
It’s earned not given

You can buy the nicest rifle known to man its still only a rifle until it earns the respect needed to become an heirloom

Agreed. I have one that is being cleaned and reassembled. It is a pre WW1 Stevens visible loader in .22Long. It was my Grandads first rifle and my father used to play with it as a kid prior to WW2. Him and his brother would run round dry firing it and the old side by side ...neither can be used safely now and part of the clean is to replace the firing pin with one that wont hit the primer if someone was to load it in the future....

As non working firearms the yare all but worthless, but as a connection to my grandad and my father, they are priceless...

No point having 'heirloom' firearms unless the recipient has a FAL and intends to keep that FAL, one slip up along the line and the rifle gets to be crushed....all firearms are based on 'resale value' so the 'heirloom' could be flogged off at any time....or sold just to keep the 'new pretty girl' in their life happy...I had thoughts of passing down a rifle I had custom made, at the time was probably only the third one in NZ, but as there was no commitment down the line I sold it as I intend to do with all my rifles.

My most heirloomy rifles are probably

A new Tikka M55
A Sako 22 with very nice wood
Chris Ziesler's old swiss K31
An old Russian TOZ17 (not really worth anything, but iv had it for about 20 years now and its worth much more to me than its monetary value.

I have a CZ527 Ebony which I consider a keeper and will be handed down, and my son shot his first deer just last week with my Howa Elude combo which means I can't ever sell that.

Oh and a Wingman Delisle would definitely fit the bill too knowing the level of workmanship and how few were made.

Firstly you need a son or daughter that is interested and will have a firearms licence , and then the make / model is insignificant it’s just the memories you had with it together or it’s a gun you owned for a very long time and was very special to you and they know it .
An investment style heirloom gun is a different kettle of fish , I’m not sure any gun in this country is a good investment anymore , if you want it and can afford it just get it and enjoy it .

Some good comments here. My two sons (now both in their 20's) have chosen a couple of rifles each that they advised I'm not to sell, as they consider them as heirloom. One will be third generation hand down, the others are just due to their love of that particular firearm for their own reasoning. To me, this answers the question of heirloom status.

I think, as far as firearms are concerned, that there is a component of quality and a component of sentimentality that makes an heirloom precious to the recipient. Quality basically means the firearm will last generations, and doesn't necessarily mean expensive. Anything with plastic likely to break down or embrittle will make a poor candidate. Same with crappy wood stocks.

Sorry disagree that it needs to be a son or daughter. It could well be a nephew, niece or someone that has looked up to you who you have helped along the way in their hunting and out door life. I’ve a mentor that has gifted me his shotgun and rifle. Have family with fal looking after them till when I get back.

If I don’t I’ve a few of the above that are keen to be passed onto.

Originally Posted by Sideshow

Sorry disagree that it needs to be a son or daughter. It could well be a nephew, niece or someone that has looked up to you who you have helped along the way in their hunting and out door life. I’ve a mentor that has gifted me his shotgun and rifle. Have family with fal looking after them till when I get back.

Totally agree
The best of the best in my collection was sold to me at a very reasonable price purely because the previous owner knew it would be well cared for and not sold on for quick cash
It is an honour to be worthy of even being considered
I similarly will need to find suitable future owners for my hoard.
And money will not be the primary objective
Legacy and technical competence will be top of the list

That these rifles have survived intact and original gives future owners a huge responsibility

I must start writing up what I know about them before I get older and stupider

Originally Posted by dannyb

In reality something that is special to you....could be anything.
I love the idea of handing my walnut Lupo down but hey there's no garuntee that my kids will stay interested in hunting either and if that happens well I guess they can sell it.

in order for that to be even possible you need to hold onto rifle for longer than 12mths LMFAO