What to do with inherited guns you do not want

[HockeyMom]

This is an issue I have thought about as the wife of an elderly man with a lot of medical issues, and a gun collection. What if I survive him and automatically inherit his guns? I am very much anti-gun and he has known this for over 40 years. I told him to at least Will them to somebody who wants and can own them. No, he has not done this. He says that I can sell them and make money from them. Blood money no matter how much I could sell them for. No, I do not want to make money from guns. Give them to the local police who will only sell them too? Same thing. Our children and their spouses do not want them either.

I would like them taken out of circulation for nobody to own them. I have read of an organization that will melt them down and make jewelry from them. Good solution in my book.

All this gun violence in our society keeps bringing this home to me. If I can do my small part, minus Husband's Will, I will do it. The bought and paid for NRA Congress is going to do NOTHING about it.

[kimbutgar]

1. Have them melted down

[no_hypocrisy]

2. I'd say destroy them but I haven't the foggiest idea how to do that, especially

without injury in case there's still a bullet in a chamber.

[gejohnston]

18. first you make sure you there isn't one in the chamber

then you use an angle grinder to cut the frame or receiver in half.

[Eleanors38]

22. Whenever you deal with a gun for whatever reason, you check to see if

...it is unloaded. If you don't know how, don't touch the gun, and get help from a competent person. The vast majority of gun-owners practice this all the time, which probably explains the Plummeting death-by-gun accident rate for children 15 yrs. and younger, and the Plummeting hunter injury rate.

If you don't know how to get a bullet out of the chamber, don't touch the gun.

[Just reading posts]

3. It seems like a waste to destroy them, but when they become your property to do with as you wish....

[mwrguy]

4. call the police

they should be able to take them

[ileus]

5. Find them a loving safe home with trusted instate friends.

Believe it or not there are millions of firearms that aren't committing any violent acts out there.


I rehomed around 30 firearms last year after my father passed away, my brother rehomed the other half and his safe.

[appal_jack]

13. Plus, a lawful collector with 50 guns is no more dangerous than one with 5 guns.

The most guns that anyone can field at a time is one long arm (rifle or shotgun), with maybe 2 pistols as backup. So, beyond those numbers, is the OP really generating "blood money" from the guns? No. Selling to a peaceable collector will do nothing worse than clutter somebody's safe...

-app

[nykym]

6. Here's an idea for her

Turn guns into musical instruments.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/colombia-dispatch-7-turning-guns-into-guitars-88180366/?no-ist

[gejohnston]

12. cool, but how is she going to get them to Columbia

and I doubt a pistol would make a good guitar.

[sanatanadharma]

7. Why should guns not be destroyed, are they are sacred?

Religious attitudes toward guns are the reason that America has a gun problem.

When laws are passed to outlaw destroying guns from gun buyback programs, then clearly some people equate guns to fetuses and consider the gun to be sacred.

"Since 2009, at least 11 states have passed laws that either encourage or require police departments to sell seized or recovered guns -- with some banning police from destroying guns altogether..."

"North Carolina this week became the third state to forbid law enforcement from destroying unclaimed firearms and weapons collected in gun buybacks."

"Arizona law bans destroying guns purchased in buyback programs"

[ManiacJoe]

19. Not sacred, just expensive.

Why discard all that potential money?

[Eleanors38]

23. Strange, my guns don't have umbilical cords. My deer rifle has a sling. Does that count?

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

24. Agreed.......... mostly

The apparently faith based illogic clung to by many ban happy control folks is a lot of the reason America has some its problems with guns.

[gejohnston]

8. that organization only takes

the ones used in crimes that the cops don't need for evidence. You can always contact them, but unless this artist is a Florida resident, the artist will have to fax a copy of an FFL to the one you plan to send them from. The dealer might charge you for the work and paperwork. The artist will definitely pay up to forty bucks per gun.

Or you can always do what one of Katie Couric's staffers did and admit to violating the Gun Control Act on TV.

The easiest thing is to load them in the car and pitch them in the ocean.
BTW, do you know how to unload and clear them?

[Runningdawg]

9. Find a deep lake

and dump them. End of problem.

[Straw Man]

17. Not exactly environmentally conscious ...

Find a deep lake

and dump them. End of problem.

The metal parts will be coated with oil and residual solvents from cleaning. Also, they have to spend some time underwater before the will be rendered unsalvageable. If they are discovered before then, they could still be rehabbed and put to evil use. Furthermore, if there is any trace info, it will come back to her husband.

[jmg257]

10. Collecting for over 40, years he may have some stuff worth some pretty big bucks.

May be worth him selling them now and you guys enjoying the $$, doing something noble with it, or the kids inheriting the cash.

[Just reading posts]

15. Exactly. Depending on how many and collectable they are, selling then might pay for

the grandchildren's college education.

[FuzzyRabbit]

26. Historical value also

Some of the guns might have historical value and belong in a museum. Have a good appraiser look at them before you decide what to do with them.

[safeinOhio]

11. Take a welding class

And go full Martha Steward. Repurpose into works of art that express a message.

[gejohnston]

14. just a few more things

https://www.durysguns.com/news/gun-transfer-laws-buying-out-of-state

It kind of outlines the requirements under the GCA.
Oh, and don't ever use USPS for handguns, it has been illegal since 1927.

[DonP]

16. Have a local FFL sell them on consignment and donate the money ...

... to a charity of your choosing. That guarantees a background check and legal sale.

Otherwise, somewhere down the road, you might find out that a gun or two was really worth a few thousand $$$ and realize that money could have really helped a lot of people.

[S_B_Jackson]

20. Seriously, before committing yourself to just having them destroyed, consult a knowledgeable

auction house, for an appraisal of the value of your husband's collection. Depending upon what the collection contains, there may be some very valuable pieces.

Ultimately, the decision is still up to you...but at least you will be making an informed decision.

[virginia mountainman]

21. I wonder..

Since you use terms like "blood money" and "gun violence" when discussing his firearms...

I wonder just how much bloodshed and killing, his extensive collection has caused his family?

[Kang Colby]

25. You can donate them to my safe via an FFL.

I will see that they get a good home, a little CLP when needed, properly lubed actions, and TLC.

No, but in all seriousness he could have well over $100,000 in firearms. Don't do anything silly. Additionally, as others have stated if you don't understand gun safety, do not handle them yourself.

[Warpy]

27. Valuable collector's items are unlikely to be used

to knock over a corner liquor store or shoot up a school. He's right, get them appraised and sell them to other collectors who will keep them under lock and key in display cases. The ones that aren't valuable can be turned over to the cops or you can hire a steam roller for the day.

[gejohnston]

28. chances are the cops will just sell them to an FFL at the next police auction.

[Straw Man]

29. Right.

And they can keep the money to pay for some snazzy new armored vehicles.