I have all my basic firearms needs covered with very basic stuff, Glock, walther, BCM etc.

I want to scratch the itch to get a really nice firearm, pass down to my son type of thing. No specific $ limit but most are looking in 3-5k range. Obviously a lot of different ways to go these are the things that really catch my interest.

This is what I have been considering:
1) top of the line handgun. Most likely an EB Kobra Carry, Wilson Professional or Wilson EDC X9
2) Swiss sub gun perfection B&T APC9 with suppressor etc
3) 308 has gun: something like a Larue, Wilson or KAC with Suppresor and some glass something that can be used for the range or hunting.

Any thoughts on the 3 above or other suggestions?

Vintage Colt 1911

Yea I would go more vintage. Something with soul. A S&W registered magnum, a 1st or 2nd gen Colt SAA, a pre-war commercial Colt Government Model (maybe even a National Match), something made at a time when craftsmenship and attention to detail were the name of the game. Even though at the time they were just considered tools, they were built like they weren't.

quote:

Originally posted by ScreamingCockatoo:
Vintage Colt 1911

Or a really clean Imperial Luger (1908-1918). Erfurt arsenal would be nice. These are marked with the Kaiser's crown on the toggle. Germany still had a king.

Ther're "history writ in steel"1

My "family heirloom" is my first gun, a Stevens 52B single-shot bolt action .22 that my dad gave me when I turned nine. I think he told me he paid less than $30 for it brand new at the hardware store) this would have been in 1958).

My point is that it isn't money that makes something like this special, it is the memories. Give him something that he will shoot every day and pass along to his son.

quote:

Originally posted by pillboxesghost:
These are marked with the Kaiser's crown on the toggle. Germany still had a king.

Germany had an Emperor, technically.

The independent German states had historically been ruled separately by various Kings, Grand Dukes, Princes, etc., but they joined together as the German Empire under the Kaiser ("Caesar"/"Emperor") from 1871 through the end of WW1 in 1918.

Even after the unification of Germany, four internal kingdoms of Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, and Wurttemberg continued to retain their "Kings" through 1918. The Kaiser was also the King of Prussia (the largest German state) and the three Kings of Bavaria, Saxony, and Wurttemberg were vassals to the Kaiser.

I am building both of my son's a collection of high quality firearms with the goal of them leaving the nest well equiped to continue to enjoy what we do as a family together, hunt and shoot. I want them to be tools that they use but of the type that are high end enough to last a couple of generations and be a source of pride for them to pass along some day.

My 14 year old son's collection to date:

Browning A400 Xplor 12 gauge

Browning X-Bolt 7mm-08 with good Leupold glass

Daniel Defense DDM4 V5 5.56 AR

Pistol to come later but likely something along the lines of a 229 Legion in 9mm.

I'm a bit of a pragmatist.

Personally, I would probably go with a custom 1911, maybe a Colt 1911 tuned by Heirloom Precision (see what I did there? ). Or your first option, a higher-end semi-custom 1911 (I would lean towards Ed Brown, but that's just me).

Options 2 and 3 pose some potential practical problems. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but not every state allows suppressed firearms even though they are legal at the federal level. My thought is what happens if your son ends up having to relocate for work or family reasons, and that location happens to be somewhere suppressors are prohibited? Or even worse, a state that bans those guns? A 1911 would probably be easier to deal with in that situation.

I also like the idea of a vintage gun, especially if your reason for passing it on is its collector value. Plus, depending on the age of the gun, it might be able to qualify for antique/curio status, which I believe has some benefits (I'm not sure how that works, so I could be wrong). The only issue I have with vintage guns is, if I had a son, I would want to give him a gun that he could shoot without fear of value loss and/or damage (specifically wear-and-tear). I don't follow vintage guns so I don't know if that's a realistic concern or not, but it's something that crossed my mind.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

Hmmmm.... For me it would be:
1851 Colt Navy Model.
1870s vintage Colt SAA.
1876 Winchester lever gun.
Colt WWI Issue 1911
Any Artillery Luger.
And a budget buster:
M1921 Thompson (Colt) submachine gun with IRA Provenance.

Appreciate the feedback.

Couple more points of info:
1) while I can understand the appeal
Of the vintage firearm. I want it to be a reflection of my own personal interest as well. I am much more into modern weapons.
2) regarding suppressor none will be an SBR, either will have a Suppresor on a trust. The firearms will still be there even if the suppressor has to be left with a family
Member ....etc....let’s not worry about that for
Now.

I really like the idea of passing down some family history and hopefully something of value.

I'd say this falls into two categories that you need to choose from. Is it a collector piece that is to be valued and not used or used little? Then it's more of a historical item. If it's something that you'll want to use, then it is more utilitarian and opens more doors.

Remember that people change over time and that if the gun you end up with is one that you can both use it will have that 'shared' value. I'd lean toward getting something that you will enjoy the heck out of and with the hope he will see that and realize the true value.

As said above ya can't go wrong with a Smith registered

.

For me, an heirloom is tied to memories it's not about the price or quality of the gun. I will never give up my Dad's S&W Model 12-3 Revolver, too many memories tied to it.

While there is nothing wrong with going the route you're going (and I applaud you for having the desire to have a family heirloom) also spend time with him firing whatever you decide to buy because that is what will make this really special and an heirloom for him to pass down to his son.

Depending on his age and skills, consider taking a multi-day training course with Jerry Jones at OpSpec Training, maybe a Sig Armorer class together, build the memories that will make this weapon a heirloom.

.

Any interest in military history? The Artillery Luger with shoulder stock and drum magazine would be an incredible piece to start a collection that you can shoot. As a machinist this piece is a very impressive bit of work.

Another military piece would be a WW2 1903 Springfield Sniper with an 8 Power Unertl scope.

Simple beauty to own and shoot? SIG P210

Older yet? Civil war sniper rifle? Possible, but pretty rare.

If you don't own one already, you really owe it to yourself to pick up a M1 Garand from the CMP. It's a well-made, great-shooting, important piece of US history, and will be a nice rifle to hand down.

Plus, they're only $750.

If going Modern:

Knight SR-25 PR (20") Mlock

Link


Storied Company + M110 (family) pedigree + Rarity


IMHO, it's hard to do better in the AR world than Knights. Most are cheaper, many will also get the job done, but there is an "X" factor with their company.

Granted, the rifle alone will come in at the 5K mark.

Nice glass, mount, KAC bipod (thing of beauty), and a muffler on the front end... my wallet is weeping for yours already.

M1 Garand for sure . Just because ...

Vintage Colt or Winchester.

For a handgun, I'd get a Korth revolver. Although, my dad bought me a Beretta 92 right before the Clinton crime bill, when I was 12, it's "the" gun of my collection, even though it's nothing special otherwise.

Rifle: M-1 Garand, or a sweet British Enfield.

I had two special Ed Brown 1911s made some years ago almost identical but my son wanted a rail on his. The serial number on the guns is our initials and DOB respectively. In addition, I had Ed Brown install a very specific Heine sight that I use on my competition 1911s that also makes them unique.

Some others here mentioned a sentimental attachment to heirloom guns, and I agree. How about spending ~2k on a gun and using the remainder of the budget for travel to do something with it? Professional instruction, a memorable hunt; an event to tie meaning to a tool.