How many generations do your guns go back?

[jschneider93]

Recently, my grandpa gave my dad his Lefever Arms 16 gauge double barrel, that I believe was made in 1913, and now it's been given to me. I already have a thing for the gun, as it was my grandpa's, plus, it's a pretty nice shotgun, to boot.

Even neater is that my grandpa was given the shotgun by his uncle. So recently, I realized that I'm the fourth generation in my family to own this gun, and that in my lifetime, I may see it passed down to a 5th, 6th, or even possibly a 7th generation owner in my family.

So I've been wondering how many generations THR members have had guns in their families. I guess someone on here could have guns that go back who knows? Maybe 8 or 9 generations or more from the revolutionary war, colonial times, or even from whatever country their ancestors came from, if that would have been possible.

So how long, generation wise, have guns been in your family? I'll post a poll along with the thread.

 

[natman]

I have several of my grandfather's guns. One day I'll pass them along to my grandchildren, so that will make 5 levels.

I do have one gun, a Golcher percussion muzzle loader, that predates my grandfather, although I don't know how far back.

 

[montanaoffroader]

There are a couple of firearms in our family that date back to the mid-late 1800's, ~ 5 generations. One is a double barreled percussion shotgun, another is an 1881 Marlin. There are a few others, but I don't recall exactly what they are. Next time I'm at my Dad's place I will take a look.

 

[ridgerunner1965]

i have one from my great grandfather and some from my grandfathers on both sides.all catridge guns as my ancestors did not arrive here till around 1900.

 

[bannockburn]

I have a single shot .22LR rifle that was my dads when he a kid back in the 1930's.

 

[leprechaun50]

The guns that we have now only go back one generation. My dad gave my wife his Winchester 74, and I got his S&W .32 Long.(Actually two generations as the .32 belonged to my great uncle when he was the county sheriff)
My great great grandfathers 10ga double went to my BIL.

 

[bannockburn]

I have a single shot .22LR rifle that my dad used back in the 1930's for target practice and small game hunting. I knew he dreamed of getting a really nice .22 target rifle because I later found a number of sales brochures from Remington and Winchester which showed their various models. But this was during the Depression with household finances being extremely tight, and this was all he had to use at the time.

 

[jschneider93]

Cool stuff, guys. It's neat to hear about where your firearms come from. I forgot to mention that along with the 16 gauge, my grandfather's uncle gave him two revolvers (probably 32S&W). Unfortunately, they were stolen from his house in the 80s. The robbers dumped out his sock drawer and heard the thunk. It's a shame, I'd love to have those now. My grandfather said the police found the guy, and one revolver, and that he knew who had it after that (one of the police, supposedly) but he never bothered trying to get it back, or anything.

There are a couple of firearms in our family that date back to the mid-late 1800's, ~ 5 generations. One is a double barreled percussion shotgun, another is an 1881 Marlin. There are a few others, but I don't recall exactly what they are. Next time I'm at my Dad's place I will take a look.

Neat. I'd be interested in hearing when you do.

I have several of my grandfather's guns. One day I'll pass them along to my grandchildren, so that will make 5 levels.

I do have one gun, a Golcher percussion muzzle loader, that predates my grandfather, although I don't know how far back.

Cool. I was curious, and looked up Golcher, and you might already know this, but Joseph Golcher only made the locks for guns, and sold them to gunmakers. Apparently the actual manufacturers of the guns usually put their names on the barrels, but a lot didn't.

 

[jmr40]

I have a couple that I own where I'm the 4th generation. My son and daughter will be the 5th.

 

[jschneider93]

It's surprising to me that the poll shows that 11 families so far have had firearms for 3 generations (grandparent to grandchild), and only 7 families so far have had guns for 2 generations (parent to child).

I would have thought these numbers would be closer to even. Maybe it would be if this were a national poll, and not a THR poll?

 

[osteodoc08]

Winchester 1886 in 45/90 made May 2, 1891 according to the letter I got from Winchester. If I include my oldest son, he will make the sixth generation. It has had a full restoration and we still shoot it quite a bit. Take it out on nice days and special occasions.

 

[KMcCoy]

I'm the first generation in my family. My father immigrated from urban Canada (Toronto), where gun ownership was rare but he supported my interest from an early age. He gave me an 870 Wingmaster when I graduated from the eighth grade and a Ruger Blackhawk 45 Colt when I graduated from High School.

 

[BemidjiDweller]

I have my Great-Grand-Daddy's LC Smith, and my father has what my Grandfather left behind. My father has never gotten into firearms. He is a steel guitar and wooden boat kind of guy. I don't even know how many of those boats he has, but I do know that we have plenty of really nice canoes and rowboats he restored, a few he did with my Grandfather.

 

[m3mh0g]

I have an old hawken and a 5' S&W model 14 that are my Grandaddy's. My dad has a Smith and Wesson Hand Ejector .32-20 that we traced back to his grandmother in 1902. Just had the timing fixed on it and it shoots great, if you can find the ammo!

 

[CCP_Holder]

I'm the first in my family, too. My father was wounded in Korea, and after that never wanted to see a gun again. Hell, he found out I bought a BB gun as a kid, and that thing got busted over the railing on the back deck. Once I started buying guns when I got out of the Navy and moved out, I brought over an M-1 Carbine one day to show him (the rifle he carried in Korea), and it was like watching two old friends re-unite. He still didn't want any guns in his house, but after that he wasn't so blustery about my having them in MY home. But being the oldest of 6 in my family, I've set a good example. My brother's LEO, and I've got two sisters who also have permits (as well as both their husbands, and one's two sons).

 

[ICE1210]

I had a relative on my mothers side who rode with a SC Cavalry unit during the War of Northern Aggression. We have one of his pistols and a pocket Bible. So that's at least a 5 generation gun.

 

[TCB in TN]

Some 4 gens, some 3, some 2, and some I am the first owner. Most will go to my boys or daughter so eventually you will be able to add one to each of them.

 

[OldBrownDog]

Just three generations. I have a Savage 3A single shot .22 from the 1930's and a Savage Model 220 20 ga that were both my grandfather's. My uncle has a pistol that was my great-grandfather's - I've never actually seen it, but hopefully I will get it one day.

 

[rule303]

I have a smoothbore muzzle loader that was passed down to me from my grandfather, who got it from his great uncle, who supposedly used it in the revolution.

 

[Sergei Mosin]

I have my great-grandfather's deer rifle - a Winchester Model 94 saddle ring carbine in .32 Winchester Special, circa 1921.

Now how it came to me requires some explanation. My great-grandfather had only one child, a daughter, my paternal grandmother. She in turn had only one child, my father, but they didn't see eye to eye on much of anything and weren't on speaking terms, to the point that I didn't meet my grandmother until I was 29 (and I am still the only one of her three grandchildren who has ever met her.) However, my father was very close with her parents.

When my great-grandfather passed away, my grandmother intended to sell the entire estate. But my grandfather asked my father if there was anything he wanted to have so that it could be passed down to me. My father named that rifle, which he had used for deer hunting during the summers he spent with his grandparents growing up, and my grandfather spirited it out of the house. It was always my gun and even though I've never fired it, I take it out occasionally and think about life, and death, and family, and grudges. I don't have children of my own yet, but someday I will, and that rifle - and its story - will be passed on.

 

[Resto Guy]

I have a 1913 Stevens 12 gauge. It belonged to my great uncle, who passed away about 60 years ago.

 

[farmer pliers]

I said four on the survey as I have a late 1880s Ithica double barrel shotgun from my great grand-dad, than it dawned on me I have a J P Sauer single shot 360/57 From my great-great Grand-dad and the two 1873 springfields I have came from him via his brothers, so I should have checked five.

 

[peacemaker45]

I've got six that came from my grandpa, but all the older stuff, going back to my great great grandfather, still live in dad's safe.

The one with the coolest story of the lot is an American Gun Company 16 gauge double, which my great great grandfather used when he rode as shotgun guard on the payroll for the coal mine he worked.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

 

[montanaoffroader]

I was digging through the dusty corners of my mind, and recalled a story told to me by my grandfather some time ago:

In the early 1900's, my great grandfather decided to move his family to Washington state. He was a bit of a mover, having already lived in Minnesota, Texas, and South Dakota. When he decided it was time to move he would pack as much as he could into a wagon, hitch up some oxen, and head out.

On this particular trip, one of the oxen gave him a great deal of trouble. Somewhere near Miles City, MT he became sick and tired of dealing with the animal, and being somewhat short of food decided to turn the ox into stew.

The weapon he was carrying on this trip was a single barrel 12 guage shotgun, just a generic model, nothing expensive or fancy. He took apart one of his shotshells, removing the shot and fashioned a lead slug which he placed into the shell. He then tied the ox to one of the wagon wheels, took aim, and shot the ox between the eyes.

Apparently, either the lead was quite soft or my great grandfather was a poor shot, as he failed to kill the ox. The slug flattened out on top of the animal's skull, and with a loud bellow, the ox tore the wheel off of the wagon and went running off across the praire with it.

According to my grandfather, his dad didn't say a word, just stuck a couple of extra shells in his pocket and started out after the ox.

It took him 3 days to hunt down the ox, retrieve the wheel, and repair the wagon.

That shotgun is hanging on the wall in my Dad's den. It is nothing special, kind of beat up and it has no real value, but the story behind it is priceless.

 

[BigBore44]

Colt 3rd Model Dragoon from The Civil War. Believe it was my 3rd great grandfather's.
Still in original working condition.