United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- It is never easy to confront one’s own mortality, but Second Amendment supporters – including loyal Ammoland readers – have a big reason to think about what will take place after they’re gone via one simple question: What will happen to your guns?
Since, alas, we can’t take our firearms with us when we pass along, it behooves a gun owner to figure things out before they leave this mortal coil. Your firearms should be part of your estate planning. If you don’t decide what to do with your firearms, then either a court or the executor of your estate will be making those decisions – and they may not make the same decisions you would have made. So, part of the responsibility that comes with exercising your Second Amendment rights is making a plan for your firearms once you’re gone.
A look at The Blue Book of Gun Values can explain why: If you had a Mossberg 500 ATL Tactical ($540), a Rock River Arms LAR-15 CAR A2 ($875), an older Winchester Model 190 ($175), a Glock 17 Gen4 ($550), a Taurus PT-58 ($360), and a Smith and Wesson Model 19-3 ($725), you’re looking at over $3,000 in value for the guns alone – never mind the ammo, accessories, and the safe (or other security measures) that would presumably go along with the firearms. That’s a fair chunk of cash.
Ideally, you’ll be able to pass them down to your children to continue traditions of gun ownership and support for the Second Amendment. However, if you don’t have children, if the children you have are prohibited under federal or state law from possessing firearms, or if they lack interest in owning firearms, you’ll need to have some sort of backup plan.
One option could be to arrange for a consignment sale through your local FFL, with the money being split evenly among your heirs, or via an auction site, like GunAuction.com. You also could leave them to extended family members who would properly appreciate them. Gifting them to friends could also be an option.
Of course, it goes without saying that one would also want to find a way to continue defending the Second Amendment after one passes on. If you wish, you could auction off your guns for a posthumous donation to any number of pro-Second Amendment organizations. Another option is to plan to donate part of your estate to those same groups. Many of them will be able to help you make those plans for your estate.
Of course, to ensure there will still be firearms to pass down to future generations, Second Amendment supporters should join the NRA, and support the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action and Political Victory Fund to ensure that the current anti-Second Amendment regimes in the House, Senate, and White House and at the state level are defeated at the ballot box as soon as possible.
About Harold Hutchison
Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.
How much does the NRA pay you to plug them in every single article you author? The NRA isn’t even submitting a brief in the SUPREME COURT CASE. They have negotiated our rights away, used donations not to fight for our rights but buy Wayne suits. You are a disgrace to the gun community and ammoland.
Just speaking for myself, from the viewpoint of an Endowment Member from the 1970’s, I think I’ve given enough of my hard earned money to support Wayne’s suit collection, and his intern’s rent for that matter.
you are right, not another penny to them. am setting up a trust for children and grandchildren.
I believe many of the communist-run states are creating laws to make it much more difficult to transfer firearms upon death. Even to family members. Know your state laws. I believe Bloe Jiden is also attempting to create the same problem on a national level.
Without registration, how would they know firearms were transferred or even exist?
Yet another reason to oppose UBC or any other form of registration beyond manufacturer warranty. Better with companies warranty in perpetuity regardless of whether one is first owner – no registration at all!
I have been an NRA member for only 3 or 4 years. I will not be renewing this year. I would rather continue membership in FPC and CRPA, as it seems they’re leading the fight against the left here in my state and nationally. NRA doesn’t seem to be doing much for us.
They go into a trust to be transferred to anyone I have chosen…
Hmm, if you already have a will, this should not be an issue. Now what the beneficiaries decide to do with any or all of your possessions – not just your guns – could be an issue, especially if they happen to be anti-gun………………IIRC there was a case in kalypornia a few years back where a the heirs to a sizable gun collection simply turned them in to be destroyed.
Once you are dead – it won’t matter to YOU anymore.
no it won.’t. BUT those are a part of my legacy and I will want them to make apositive difference somehow. I’m not certain ALL those guns surrenderd by that Clifornia nitwit were destroyed. Best couch the langage in your will to allow a certain trusted individual to manage those items. It would be a tragedy if some legal types decided that since you are dead, YOU cannot “transfer” those items, to anyone ese because there is no”seller”. Appointing a trustee who is a man of integrity, and who understands guns, he’d know to simply show yoi after you’re gone,… Read more »
Gun Trust mentioned below. Trust doesn’t have to be a named specific gun trust. Don’t see the advantage, except for NFA specific item purposes. Make that trust specific to NFA issues. All non-NFA items in regular trust. Guns are assets just like investment accounts, vehicles, real property, personal property, etc. Establish a Revocable trust…(meaning you can revise while alive; becomes irrevocable upon grantor’s death)……..and fund….meaning put assets into the trust or it will be invalid. All trust assets may be distributed to named beneficiaries or held in the trust with access to assets per noted conditions. If one merely has… Read more »
Since my few relatives are well to the left of center, my guns go to the NRA for auction. Hopefully, it will be a few years into the future when that happens and Wayne and his acolytes have been removed from office. If not, I will amend my trust to favor GOA,. which seems to do a lot with far less money.
I would melt all my firearms down before NRA scum got close to them!
Love you Harold, but this article needed to explain gun trusts more to the laymen, as I understand this is the safest way to ensure proper transfer after our deaths.