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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Rifles

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foxfire
.375 member

Reged: 25/11/04
Posts: 511
Loc: Long Island N.Y.,

Hand me down rifles or not
#21668 - 04/12/04 07:49 AM

My son just started hunting. I have given him (to keep) the gun he needed as the conditions arise. A 22 to target shoot, shotguns to small game and skeet shoot and then his first big game rifle.

He keeps expressing his desire to have his own gun. My son is a lefty like me. He can have use of and eventually own any and all of the rifles I couldn't afford for many years.
I own left handed Heyms, Mausers, Weatherby's, etc.

Is it really necessary to buy him his own entry level gun just to say it's his exclusively. Is it a right of passage and a manhood thing to buy him his own. Or just let him use my guns as the needs arise.

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No good deed goes unpunished

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4seventy
Sponsor

Reged: 07/05/03
Posts: 2210
Loc: Queensland Australia

Re: Hand me down rifles or not [Re: foxfire]
#21675 - 04/12/04 10:49 AM

In reply to:

Is it really necessary to buy him his own entry level gun just to say it's his exclusively. Is it a right of passage and a manhood thing to buy him his own. Or just let him use my guns as the needs arise

FF,
I think that if the lad shows he is responsible enough to have his own rifle then it is good for him to have one.
Also he will get a big kick from being able to occasionally shoot (borrow) some of dads rifles.

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ALAN_MCKENZIE
.400 member

Reged: 24/03/04
Posts: 1214
Loc: Western Australia

Re: Hand me down rifles or not [Re: foxfire]
#21679 - 04/12/04 02:07 PM

Both of my boys have hand me downs from me and also their grandfather.
They also own rifles and shotguns that they personally selected for one reason or another.
Their ages are 17 and 14.
I might also add that their mum,my wife owns a couple of shotguns,several rifles and 3 - 4 target pistols.
Pam is also a member of the Australian Pistol Shooting Team.

--------------------
"Dogs always bark at their master"
Sir Seretse Khama.25th June 1949

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EricD
.416 member

Reged: 27/02/04
Posts: 4636

Re: Hand me down rifles or not [Re: foxfire]
#21683 - 04/12/04 11:45 PM

In reply to:

I have given him (to keep)

FF,

So if I've understood correctly, you have given him several guns as presents. That you can't take back. They're his forever. If this is the case, I think you should tell him just how special it is to hand down a gun to the next generation as a heirloom, and that it will make you proud that he continues to use these guns. (I'm presuming that the guns aren't total crap, that barely function!

)Just as he will someday be proud to hand them down to his future child. The fact that these have been used by you, and proven, make them far more "worth" than a new gun. Then of course when he's old enough to get anything he wants, he can do just that if he so chooses. Or, hopefully, he'll continue to use and appreciate the "family heirlooms". IMO!

Erik

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foxfire
.375 member

Reged: 25/11/04
Posts: 511
Loc: Long Island N.Y.,

Re: Hand me down rifles or not [Re: EricD]
#21689 - 05/12/04 01:10 AM

All the guns I've given my son are his to keep. I don't want them back. They were a gift for us to hunt with together.

As to were they good or were they crap. His first gun was a Marlin SS 60 22 cal.almost new. Then a Savage 24 o/u 222 on top 20 gauge in the bottom. Then a Weatherby Athena 20 gauge I know he loves this one and his first big game rifle was a Marlin lever 336C. I had to keep in mind his short LOP. He shot a 6 point buck and a boar with one shot each from the Marlin and his first turkey with the Savage.

The guns I have given him fit and function well. When he gets a little bigger I'll give him my Mauser 3000L in 30-06 so he can get ready for our trip to Africa.

These were once mine and I hope hierlooms at that. But he still asks for his "Own" rifle.

--------------------
No good deed goes unpunished

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EricD
.416 member

Reged: 27/02/04
Posts: 4636

Re: Hand me down rifles or not [Re: foxfire]
#21693 - 05/12/04 01:52 AM

Sounds to me like they suit him fine since he's shot several animals with them already. He just needs a little push, to understand how certain things work!

(This advice is coming from a father with only a 4.5 month old daughter, so maybe my parenting ideas are just full of shit!

)

Erik

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DPhillips
.375 member

Reged: 09/10/03
Posts: 819
Loc: Alaska

Re: Hand me down rifles or not [Re: foxfire]
#21716 - 05/12/04 10:23 AM

foxfire,
You don't say how old your son is, but I'm assuming he's not of an age where he could buy his own without dad doing the paperwork. This might be a good time to teach him a couple of real world lessons, by letting him work for and purchase his own.

1) Tell him if he can save up the money (from chores, mowing lawns, cleaning out barns, hauling hay, shoveling snow, whatever he can do) for the full purchase price, you'll do the paper work for him and the gun will be his.

2) It sounds like you have some pretty nice firearms and I'm sure the guns you have given him are of good quality. If he is able to get the funds for a new gun, off the shelf, he will see that New does not always mean Better.

He gets lessons in economics, quality, value of well cared for items, plus, he gets the pride of ownership of something he purchased from money he earned by the sweat of his brow.

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foxfire
.375 member

Reged: 25/11/04
Posts: 511
Loc: Long Island N.Y.,

Re: Hand me down rifles or not [Re: DPhillips]
#21726 - 05/12/04 02:56 PM

Thanks for the input. Clearly it seems I'm in the minority and he should get his own rifle as long as he contributes.
I had that part down fine. I just hated to waste the money on a cheaper gun just to say "it's mine".

I guess in life we have to let our children make their own decisions, good, bad or indifferent.

--------------------
No good deed goes unpunished

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DPhillips
.375 member

Reged: 09/10/03
Posts: 819
Loc: Alaska

Re: Hand me down rifles or not [Re: foxfire]
#21737 - 05/12/04 06:01 PM

Sometimes we have to make mistakes to learn. The old saying "You don't know what you've got till it's gone" could be modified a bit to fit here. If someone only handles and uses the best of the best, they have no idea what quality really is. I know I really appreciate the old M70's and Mausers a whole lot more now than when it was all I had. After a couple of bum Remingtons and a bum new Winchester (many years ago), I really came to appreciate the design and workmanship of the older rifles. Before that they were just "old" rifles. After that, I knew they were "Classics".

It might seem a waste of money to you or someone more learned in firearms appreciation than your son, but I doubt he will really appreciate what he has now, or be satisfied, until he spends his hard earned money for something less worthy.

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foxfire
.375 member

Reged: 25/11/04
Posts: 511
Loc: Long Island N.Y.,

Re: Hand me down rifles or not [Re: DPhillips]
#21911 - 08/12/04 08:04 AM

What I still don't get is: If I want him to drive my previous car maybe a Mercedes. A real cream puff and he doesn't have any girls to impress with it. Why would he want a Chevy used or new not nearly as good or proven, just to say it's his.

I still don't get it. I guess I'm getting old.

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No good deed goes unpunished

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DPhillips
.375 member

Reged: 09/10/03
Posts: 819
Loc: Alaska

Re: Hand me down rifles or not [Re: foxfire]
#21930 - 08/12/04 10:34 AM

Well, there is something special about receiving an item from a family member out of love. However, there is also something to be said by earning your own money, and the pride of ownership of the item that money bought.

I would have been happy to hunt with a rifle my dad had given me. I would have still wanted to buy my own, though. Maybe he just wants to earn it himself? Pride, there's a strong motivator for you.

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mickey
.416 member

Reged: 05/01/03
Posts: 4647
Loc: Pend Oreille Valley, Idaho

Re: Hand me down rifles or not [Re: foxfire]
#21937 - 08/12/04 12:56 PM

Foxfire

It is one thing to get a hand me down from your Father or Grandfather. He will appreciate them more and more as time goes on. However, they are yours, not his. Every boy wants to have his own rifle. I suggest that you let him earn the money to buy what he wants.

It is a good lesson for everyone.

--------------------
Lovu Zdar
Mick

A Man of Pleasure, Enterprise, Wit and Spirit Rare Books, Big Game Hunting, English Rifles, Fishing, Explosives, Chauvinism, Insensitivity, Public Drunkenness and Sloth, Champion of Lost and Unpopular Causes.

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foxfire
.375 member

Reged: 25/11/04
Posts: 511
Loc: Long Island N.Y.,

Re: Hand me down rifles or not [Re: mickey]
#21967 - 09/12/04 12:03 AM

Ok now I'm convinced to let him buy his own new rifle. I hope he'll let me advise him and have a hand in what he does.
The question now is this? It would be his first own rifle. We hunt all over and live in NY. He is in love with the Marlin guide gun 45-70. Good choice for us here. We are planning Africa summer of 2006. Should I strongly suggest a faster flatter shooter or will that be the time he uses the guns I have for him?

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slammer6delta
.224 member

Reged: 31/12/04
Posts: 47
Loc: KY

Re: Hand me down rifles or not [Re: foxfire]
#22941 - 31/12/04 10:28 AM

I would definately say if he can get the money I would let him by his own. My first 4 guns were hand me downs.
1. Rem 700 ADL 243 from my grandpa
2. Marlin lever action 22
3. Rem 870
4. Rem 1100
They were all I needed around here in Kentucky. I still have 3 of the 4. I sold the 1100 and would give anything to have it back. Even though I had those at the time I just had to buy my own gun. I bought a browning a-bolt 300 win mag. I loved it and at the time I really thought I was doing something. It mad a great hog gun.
As far a suggesting a caliber, suggesting is fine but if it is his hard earned money let him buy which one he wants because if you dont he is not going to be happy with it.. Just my opinion..

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510Wells
.275 member

Reged: 16/11/03
Posts: 62
Loc: Gold Bar, Wa.

Re: Hand me down rifles or not [Re: foxfire]
#22960 - 31/12/04 01:01 PM

> I guess in life we have to let our children make their own
> decisions, good, bad or indifferent.

Your learning! One of the most difficult things (for me) was to go "hands off" and let my son make his own decisions, and to KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT, when I knew he was screwing up.

He will learn from his mistakes far better (and sometimes painfully so) than he ever will by getting "advice". In time he will (probably) get around to asking your advice when he feels he needs it, not that he will always follow it :-(

Remember you ARE his Dad and he does listen to you, even if he doesn't appear to show it at times.

And yes, buying his own gun does make it "really" his in a way that hand me downs can't. I know as it was that way for me with my Dad, though it was fishing equipment and not guns.

Hope that helps.

--------------------
The only constant is change.

Member DRSS

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foxfire
.375 member

Reged: 25/11/04
Posts: 511
Loc: Long Island N.Y.,

Re: Hand me down rifles or not [Re: 510Wells]
#24387 - 18/01/05 12:50 AM

Here are the results of this thread. After long consideration my son studied all his options and decided he still wanted to buy his own rifle. He bought a Remington 700 BDL in 308 cal. It was a collaborative effort. His options were limited by being left handed and by his pocket book.
I believe he choose wisely. It's a really nice gun and his choice of caliber (while his choice) seemed reasonable after many discussions. He's very excited and can't wait to start shooting it.
He did however decide that he would use and possibly keep my Weatherby Athena in 20 gauge. I guess he likes the look of it.

--------------------
No good deed goes unpunished

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foxfire
.375 member

Reged: 25/11/04
Posts: 511
Loc: Long Island N.Y.,

Re: Hand me down rifles or not [Re: foxfire]
#26136 - 12/02/05 01:01 AM

Last night my son and I mounted a Pachmayer recoil pad and a Leupold Vari II 2-7 power scope on my sons new rifle. When we were done he said the gun looked really cool and he hoped we would be able to shoot it this weekend.

He was really excited. I'm glad I asked for opinions I know I wouldn't have gotten a response from him like this with him using one of my guns.

--------------------
No good deed goes unpunished

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510Wells
.275 member

Reged: 16/11/03
Posts: 62
Loc: Gold Bar, Wa.

Re: Hand me down rifles or not [Re: foxfire]
#26396 - 16/02/05 03:00 PM

Sounds to me like you did "the right thing" as far as your son is concerned ;-) So now your his Hero. Probably would also be a good idea to let him (with a little guidence?) zero the scope "on his own", after all how else will he learn how?

A big part of being a parent is also being a teacher. Which was (and still is) one of the more enjoyable parts, at least for me ;-)

Glad it worked out well!

--------------------
The only constant is change.

Member DRSS

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foxfire
.375 member

Reged: 25/11/04
Posts: 511
Loc: Long Island N.Y.,

Re: Hand me down rifles or not [Re: 510Wells]
#26745 - 24/02/05 11:17 AM

We went to the range today to sight in my sons new gun.
After zeroing in the gun on target at 100 yards he settled down to shoot. Two 3 shot groups key holing at 100 yards, man does that make a father proud. He was lit up also as it was his rifle and his choice.

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No good deed goes unpunished

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