I’m thinking engraved Henry .22’s. I may do that for my granddaughter who is turning 7 soon and my grandson who is turning 1 a week earlier. My daughter and son-in-law are talking about having 2-3 more, so I wonder if I can get a bulk discount if I buy 5? LOL. I like Lord Vaalic’s idea of the family name on it, too.

Seriously though, I figure as they each turn the appropriate age (for each child, depending on their temperament and maturity) I could gift it to them and then use it to teach them to shoot with it to reinforce our bond and make some great memories.

There are a few that are already in the process of being passed down through the family. I'll be adding the P210-6.

I'm a strong 1911 fan and although I love them, I don't think it will be too hard to buy a new 1911 20 or 30 years from now. And quite honestly it will be about as loved as a 30 year old basic series 70 with no bells and whistles is today (tiny sights, etc.)

This is a SIG board, so I'd recommend a SIG 210.....SIG will probably stop production after a decade and they'll be worth good money many years from now and are unique accurate shooters. Another thought is a HK P7

Make it a theme. Buy one each of the US military sidearms from the 1911 until now. 1911, M9, M11, Mk25, M17, M18.

For young grand kids, buy them their FIRST gun -- they will never forget getting it (at an appropriate age). Make it a .22 so they can shoot a LOT. Even if they grow up to want AR's and/or hunting rifles and/or exotic firearms -- they will still never forget their first gun (and who they got it from). Forget "presentation" guns like a 1911 or Garand or the like -- they likely won't be able to shoot it a lot due to expense; it'll become a safe queen.

I recommend a .22 rifle -- easier to learn good shooting skills (and your not training the next John Wick). It doesn't have to be fancy, but it should be fun and not overly fussy -- think lever action, semiauto, even pump rather than bolt or single shot.

I suggest stainless steel for ease of maintenance in their early years (particularly since the probability of it being dropped or knocked over is reasonably high -- most scratches can be buffed out of stainless steel).

Reasonably fun, stainless steel candidate: Ruger 10/22 (with a fancy stock if you want a "bling" factor). If you want bluing, maybe a Henry lever action (or a Marlin lever action KNOWN to be good).

I just turned the ripe old age of 50. I had some money to blow. So I bought an H&K P7M8. I had one a quarter century ago. And I loved the dam gun. So. I will pass this and many others onto my son. And maybe he can pass those one to his children in the future.

this misnomer is the term "Grandkids" are they going to get the gun when they are kids or adults?

I was thinking adult and so my first thought was a P226 possibly legion or just a basic one... or really go cool and get a MK-25 in desert tan.... but that might be out of style in the future.

If you are going younger then I vote a 10-22.

If it were me, a nice .22 pistol would be my choice. You can pass on memories of teaching your offspring how to shoot & provide an introduction to firearm culture in general as precious, if not more so, that the firearm itself.

quote:

Originally posted by abnmacv:
Winchester Model 21 12 gauge. Of course don't own one as out of my price range.

Boy, did you hit a sore spot with me: I was supposed to get my grandfather's guns, including his Winchester Model 21 in 20 gauge. My aunt took them from the house for "safe-keeping" and I haven't seen them since.

Of all my guns, my boys are already drawing lots for the Browning High Power!

I'm thinking of buying a gun to gift my 3-month-old granddaughter, but figure I have time to decide.

Both my boys are getting a set of life tools.

-fighting handgun- 226ST

-fighting rifle- M4's we built together

-hunting rilfe- Win M70s, one is a 243, the other a 7-08

-22 rifle- CZ 455's

-shotgun- not sure yet, but probably a Benelli 20g


Not sure if either one will grow up to be hunters or shooters but with the above I beelive they will have the minimum that every man should own should own for self preservation.

Great suggestions, my kids are 10, and 13 so let’s hope grandchildren are a ways off, but my current circumstances makes me think about the future.

I want something that will last the test of time, it’s hard to look at current products and guess which will last, what people will want or appreciate. I guess for now, something I will carry, something that gets used a lot. We live in a disposable society, there aren’t many things like firearms that last generations.

Sigs are great suggestions, .22 rifles as well, also 1911’s I mean everyone should have one right?

quote:

Originally posted by FHHM213:

quote:

Originally posted by gpbst3:
I dont think its possible to predict what a kid might like 20 years from now. I think it has more to do with the memories. Perhaps you and the grandchildren always go to a certain shooting spot and shot a certain gun. This is what builds the memories that are associated with a certain gun.

Buying a 50 cal. desert eagle the kids never shoot is not going to have any sentimental value. They will just think of it as pappy's old gun. Imagine giving your grandchildren your vinyl record collection. They could care less.

Amen. Of the relatively few guns of my dad, I’ve only insisted on keeping his Beretta A2 12ga, simply because of the memories of our skeet shooting in my junior high years. I had continuously pestered him for us to go hunting and he, as a busy suburban businessman without hunting land access, found a skeet range for us to try. Those brief years of skeet shooting are precious memories. Sentimental value aside, I actually prefer my old 1100 that he had helped me buy at that time. Thus, I cling to the Beretta simply for what it represents, not because of the brand, model or condition.

mhughes, I’m very sorry for your loss. I suspect that it is hard for you to know now what you will retain for the long term from your parents’ possessions. It is an emotional time that is perhaps further muddied by the practical frustrations of emptying a home, settling affairs, working with siblings, etc.

You are very insightful, I have been clearing out a house getting it ready to sell, coming across things and asking keep or sell, or trash. Difficult decisions and times, I appreciate your comments.

A stainless P226, quality 1911, Ruger revolver or Ruger Mk IV. All would last generations and be supported with parts.

I chose each one that i bought to leave my grandkids this way. I have carried a Sig P220 stainless for many years, my oldest son said he wanted that when i die so he shall have it. I bought a Sig P220 sao Legion for his son (my first grandchild) so he could have that conection with myself and his dad. My youngest son graduated from the University of Tampa, and its mascot is a Spartan, he always loved the sig Spartan so when I found out he was going to be a dad, I bought a sig Spartan carry and a custom leather holster with the spartan embossed on it.

Mhughes,

My wife and I have cleaned out the homes of her deceased grandmother, stepdad & mother, in that order. The effort for her mom involved the most emotion. The amount of stuff was overwhelming and we were prone to fill up my truck for repeated hauls to the dump or Goodwill. Yet, there were a number of items for which my wife & siblings were undecided and those were stored in our basement until she could make a rational decision.
I’m lucky to still have my mom & dad. But they relocated to a retirement center 5 years ago and it took us 4 years to sell their empty home. Over that period, we have slowly helped them move, dispose, etc. their items. I’ve lost count of the times in which I’ve frustrated my mom by not wanting one of her discards.
The issue is only worsened by the fact that we each increasingly gather too much stuff and our willingness to accept “hand-me-downs” differs at the age of 55 versus 25.
Long story short, both my wife and I have tended to cling to those items of our parents that symbolize precious memories with them. As with that Beretta, I’ve clung to the oldest & cheapest watch of my father. It was a watch that he acquired by buying the pawn ticket of an army buddy as that buddy was shipping out to Korea while my father remained at OCS. It’s a neat story but the watch is most special because it later was my Dad’s “yard” watch that he wore when he was teaching me to do yard work as a kid.
Focus on your time with them and the memories that will be created.

Hi Power

X5
German p210
American p210

I did 1911s and m1 garands. I also like c96 broomhandle Mausers and Luger's. Handfit guns are something that are hard to find now. In two generations it might be impossible to find.

Roger GP100 7 shot 357. I can shoot it until one of them is old enough to hand it down. It will still be in great shape.

A double barreled shotgun - it might still be legal to own that in the future.