Thread: Modern Heirloom rifles

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

Along the lines of your comments, I recently gifted a single shot Lithgow .22 to my grandsons. The rifle was my fathers when he was a boy and was the rifle my brothers and I first used. It is truly worthless as a rifle to anyone other than a descendant of my old man. My grandsons bring it out here with their dad and shoot it down on my range and I get a kick out of watching them and telling them about when I started learning and the times I had with it. That old average looking worthless rifle is a family heirloom to us and I reckon my young grandsons (7 & 5) have already developed enough of a connection with it that it will continue to be treasured by generations beyond them.

As almost everyone has said, it's not the $value but the owners perceived value (which can sometimes be linked). Most of my firearms are fairly common but the 2 I place the most value in are a unusable sporterised Martini Enfield that was given to me with $0 value and a Marlin 25N .22lr I paid $300 for brand new in 1990 that shoots better than I'll ever be able to.
The .22 would never be worthy of been called an heirloom unless someone I knew got into shooting and I was able to pass it on, so I'll prob sell the .22 once it's time to give up my FAL but I'd like to keep the Martini and put it inside an epoxy river table as a display/conversation piece. Perhaps I'll use the markings to try and trace the history and encase a record of it in the resin, Then maybe the table itself would become an heirloom of sorts.

Agree with all the previous comments.
Friends father died a few years ago some of you will know him Ned Kelly who had Kelly Motors intersection Benneydale/Mangakino Road for years.
He was involved with Mangakino Gun club when it was flourishing back in the 60s/70s
His daughter ended up with his guns and didn't have a license.
I looked after them for awhile and she got them "priced" should I say potentially fleeced by a well known gun shop.
When she said what they had offered her for a SKB trap gun he had I said I will give you a bit more than that.
Shot a few ducks with it but I basically didn't/hadn't used it.
A couple of years ago at a funeral I caught up his grandson.
It was neat to have this young fella telling me how he had just got his licence. mad keen on hunting.
Anyway it was an opportune moment to tell him I had his grandfathers gun and I would give it to him.
Proviso was don't sell it and produce your gun license.
Was pretty neat to be honest.
Looking back his grandad would have paid a reasonable amount of dollars for it and it was still immaculate when I gave it to him.
I expect it will stay in the family.

Originally Posted by erniec

Agree with all the previous comments.
Friends father died a few years ago some of you will know him Ned Kelly who had Kelly Motors intersection Benneydale/Mangakino Road for years.
He was involved with Mangakino Gun club when it was flourishing back in the 60s/70s
His daughter ended up with his guns and didn't have a license.
I looked after them for awhile and she got them "priced" should I say potentially fleeced by a well known gun shop.
When she said what they had offered her for a SKB trap gun he had I said I will give you a bit more than that.
Shot a few ducks with it but I basically didn't/hadn't used it.
A couple of years ago at a funeral I caught up his grandson.
It was neat to have this young fella telling me how he had just got his licence. mad keen on hunting.
Anyway it was an opportune moment to tell him I had his grandfathers gun and I would give it to him.
Proviso was don't sell it and produce your gun license.
Was pretty neat to be honest.
Looking back his grandad would have paid a reasonable amount of dollars for it and it was still immaculate when I gave it to him.
I expect it will stay in the family.

That’s awesome mate, knew of the family a little, I’m from tihoi. I would happily pass on rifles at no cost to someone who appreciated them, money really doesn’t come into it in the big picture. Awesome thing to do, will generate many more stories down the road.

I like Heym

I think they are quality right through without breaking the bank.

https://www.heym-manufaktur.de/sr-30...06-springfield

Originally Posted by norsk

I like Heym

I think they are quality right through without breaking the bank.

https://www.heym-manufaktur.de/sr-30...06-springfield

agree they really look the part I wonder if any make it to NZ certainly never seen one here

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

agree they really look the part I wonder if any make it to NZ certainly never seen one here

Not sure?

This was the one I was wanting to post.
https://www.heym-manufaktur.de/sr21-nordstern

They used to make this in brushed stainless, with a richly figured wood stock they looked gorgeous.

My Brno 2E will be handed onto my son. I got it on my 16th birthday and learned to hunt with it. . I hope he will be able to hand it on to one of his kids.

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

agree they really look the part I wonder if any make it to NZ certainly never seen one here

Yes I have a Heym SR30 sitting in my safe in NZ��. Still unfired. Beautifully engineered straight pull with some design significance. Heym even sent photos of several stocks and let me choose one.

'Heirloom' is a funny category, and I find the older you get, the more significance it has. I think it has something to do with an increasing awareness of how little time we really have left. Mortality in basic terms.

I wonder how many 'heirloom' items have been passed down with great pomp and ceremony to the younger generation that really don't care and they get dumped? Especially items that are not really good quality.

I tend to agree with Tentman's earlier post. In order to qualify, it needs to meet a quality threshold. Otherwise it's still really junk, albeit, junk that reminds you of better times.

My uncle owned an old (mint) Brno .22 Hornet. When he passed, my cousin gave it to a good friend's son who was getting into hunting, who promptly sold it.... My cousin wished he'd given it to me because I would have cherished it, and used it!

My Brno Model 1 was supposed to be a heirloom rifle for the chap I got it off , he was going to pass it to his Grandchildren, however his kids hated firearms so that never happened and I ended up with it .
I had a Heym , a SR20 from memory in 7 x 64 , yes they are very nicely built rifles , regret selling that one .

Great thread this and one that gets the mind and heart working. Proud kiwis post above makes some sense. True heirlooms remain significant and collectable regardless of the history the owner may have with it. Maybe even for generations.
A Lithgow 22 that’s one learnt on is significant to the person connected to it, but once that connection is broken it’s simply an old run of the mill .22.