What is the nicest gun you were ever given as a gift?

I know, right? Even though my dad was a shooter and a hunter, it never struck me as something that he lived for. And my dad raised me telling he didn't believe things had sentimental value. They were just things. He bought and sold guns like they were going out of style. He gave me many guns over the years. Some I kept, some I sold or traded. His reaction when I sold the Ithaca was "what'd you get?" I thought I believed his sentimental spiel until some years after I sold it and then I started kicking myself over it. He never showed any problem with it. But I suspect he probably did have a problem with it. I've still got some other guns he gave me. I've got my grandfathers guns, and a great grandfathers gun. I've learned my lesson. I chalk it up to youthful stupidity. The gun pictured above is in every way similar to the one I had. I've tried to convince myself that it's the same gun. I know its not, but it has helped me put it in the "I'll die with this one" category.
 
Glenn's rifle.jpeg
I gave my son a couple of 10-22s over the years and he doesn't shoot them so I hinted that I'd like one for Christmas. No luck.
My shooting partner gave me this 10-22 with a Clark barrel and Simmons 8 X 34 scope with a Hogue Over Molded Stock. He said I helped build it so it was mostly mine anyway. ( I don't remember helping the build but I did give him the stock.)

Definitely the best gun gift that's ever happened to me.
 
Quite recently, I received this as a completely unexpected gift from my friend and fellow member of the Historical Arms Society of Tucson (AZ), Roy Marcot. It was given to him by the builder, Jerry Swinney, and Roy just said that, of those he knows, I am the most likely to appreciate it. It was a very generous and much appreciated gift. It's a custom carbine on a CZ '98 Mauser, in .300 Savage, and the story of the rifle and its maker can be seen at Dutchman Woodworks' web page.

PRD1 - mhb - MIKe

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Micro said:
I know, right? Even though my dad was a shooter and a hunter, it never struck me as something that he lived for. And my dad raised me telling he didn't believe things had sentimental value. They were just things. He bought and sold guns like they were going out of style. He gave me many guns over the years. Some I kept, some I sold or traded. His reaction when I sold the Ithaca was "what'd you get?" I thought I believed his sentimental spiel until some years after I sold it and then I started kicking myself over it. He never showed any problem with it. But I suspect he probably did have a problem with it. I've still got some other guns he gave me. I've got my grandfathers guns, and a great grandfathers gun. I've learned my lesson. I chalk it up to youthful stupidity. The gun pictured above is in every way similar to the one I had. I've tried to convince myself that it's the same gun. I know its not, but it has helped me put it in the "I'll die with this one" category.
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Micro - My father was much the same - Army in the '50's, Natl. Guard after that. Not a hunter but did teach me to shoot his M1 when I was 7. WOOF !! I definitely learned about "recoil" that day !!
Only two guns have left my hands with only one by my choice. The first was a 7.5" Ruger .22 SA pistol I traded in the mid-70s to upgrade to a .380 and I've been kicking myself ever since.
The second was a Marlin Golden 39A .22LR lever-action that I lost because of a crooked cop. I was on private property and he told me to come out to his cruiser and to bring the rifle with me. Then he arrested me for carrying it on a "public street". The "female dog" I had for a lawyer failed to inform me about "exemptions" to what I was charged with that could have negated the case (the gun was non-functional at the time as I had removed the firing pin when the gun jammed) but it did cause me to read up on the exemptions and case law at the law library in the county courthouse. Doing so saved my bacon when 3-4 years later, another cop in this same department pulled a similar stunt. When I quoted him chapter and verse as to why his charge was false, he had the gall to say "I don't care about the law! I'm gonna book you anyhow!" :eek::fire:
I filed a complaint with the police captain the very next day and the charges were dropped 3 days later. :evil:
 
Micro said:
I know, right? Even though my dad was a shooter and a hunter, it never struck me as something that he lived for. And my dad raised me telling he didn't believe things had sentimental value. They were just things. He bought and sold guns like they were going out of style. He gave me many guns over the years. Some I kept, some I sold or traded. His reaction when I sold the Ithaca was "what'd you get?" I thought I believed his sentimental spiel until some years after I sold it and then I started kicking myself over it. He never showed any problem with it. But I suspect he probably did have a problem with it. I've still got some other guns he gave me. I've got my grandfathers guns, and a great grandfathers gun. I've learned my lesson. I chalk it up to youthful stupidity. The gun pictured above is in every way similar to the one I had. I've tried to convince myself that it's the same gun. I know its not, but it has helped me put it in the "I'll die with this one" category.
Click to expand...
It sounds as if you learned some lessons in that journey and that's all any of us can hope for. It can be challenging to divine what those close to us say and what they actually mean and we all misinterpret all of the time.
 
My grandfather's Remington Model 10 pump shotgun. I was given other cooler, much more expensive firearms in my lifetime. My late grandfather's shotgun is the nicest because of all the people he could have willed it to, he willed it to me. I took possesion of it upon his death when I was 11 years old.
 
I've only ever been given 3 guns. The first one was a Remington Model 41 that had been in a fire. My grandpa gave it to me after we did some work to get it shooting. He welded the bolt back on, and fixed an old Winchester stock he had onto it so we could shoot it. I reblued it, and later made a stock from scratch for it.

Second gun I was given was a NIB 10/22 from the 1980's. A guy at work had it and wanted it out of his house. He said his boys didn't want it (what is wrong with them)?

Lastly, my uncle gave me what I would consider my most treasured hand me down. He gave me my grandfather's first gun. A Remington model 510 Targetmaster. My grandpa was a big part of why I love guns so much, and this is the one that started it all for him.

*My wife has gifted me a few guns over the years, but I don't know if that is what you meant by "given", so I left them out.
 
I've been given two firearms over my life. My first was a Ruger 10/22 which I still have, and a Glock .40. I took the Glock to the range with a Beretta, Colt, S&W and when I got home I gave it back to my friend and told him thanks but it wasn't my cup-o-tea.
 
Benelli super black eagle 3 from my dad a few years ago. The same man who bought me my first shotgun from JCPenney decades ago
 
Probably this one, sort of. Couple years ago my wife asked me what I wanted for our 10th anniversary and this was the answer.

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My answer is a little complicated so bear with me. My Dad maintained the "family" firearms even when my grandfather was alive and always referred to them as "ours" but that he would give me all the firearms upon his death. Well, that happened about 5 years ago now. I was gifted about 24 various types of guns. So for me, they are the best guns I have ever been gifted. If I had to pick one, I guess it would be my grandfather's LE service weapon - 1962 Colt 1911 Gold Cup National Match. My Pawpaw had it chromed and special artisan made sterling silver grips of Mexican-Aztec craftsmanship (he was a deputy sheriff in south Texas). My grandpa loved bling before it was a thing! Haha. I'll try to follow up with a pic.
 
Only one in my life that I got as a gift was my dad's old 16 ga. Iver Johnson Champion. A utility grade, break action single shot, one of many of that style from numerous makers that were popular from the early to mid 20th century. It was his pheasant gun from about 1939 to 1943 when he went into the Navy. After the war he didn't have time for hunting and eventually gifted it to one of my older cousins in the 1950's. When I wanted to take up hunting in 1967 my dad said he had a gift for me and gave it to me. I knew he hunted before he got married and had 4 kids but always thought his gun was long gone. My older cousin died in a car accident in 1962 and his dad had it leaning up in a closet. So my dad got it back so that I could have it. It's still here and in 1978 it got professionally re-blued, re-casehardened, and gone through by a master gunsmith. Rarely gets used but that's how it manages to stay nice looking. IMG_1819.JPG . IMG_1818.JPG ..
 
Nothing special in terms of monetary value; just sentimental value. I was given my first rifle by my Dad, a Glenfield model 30A. Last rifle I was “given” (inherited) was my Dad’s Remington 760 Gamemaster dating to around the mid 50’s.
 
My wife gave me a no lock Smith and Wesson 642 for my birthday once. My middle daughter got me a Henry Homesteader 9mm this past Christmas which I love.

Other than that, I inherited 4 Ruger Blackhawks, a JM marked 45/70 Marlin and a Stoeger side by side 12 Guage from my pop when he passed in 2014.
 
Never been gifted a gun. Guess it would help to have friends or family.

Confiscated a 10/22 as payment for rent when a college roommate sketched on payment 40 years ago. All others have receipt and most still have original box.
 
Great thread. For old and used my Grandfathers Winchester M94 30-30 and Model 12 16ga. Got my great uncles Model 12 12ga the following year when he passed. New would be a Browning Model 71 .348 from my wife as a wedding present back in "86". Another great uncle, my grandfathers brother, had a Winchester M71 that he always said it would be mine. Well he passed and I don't know what happened to it. But Browning brought them back out so my wife got me one. Shes a keeper.........My wife.
 
I’ve been really blessed. I have received a number of guns. But. Absolute top of the heap would be the engraved Walther PP my dad received as a gift from the Walther Factory when he (not alone) took it over at the end of WWII.

Then a great 629 engraved with my badge number and name from a great friend.

There’s actually several more. From my dad. From old friends that have passed. All terribly sentimental.

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