Ok, so I have Ruger 10/22. In and of itself is not special. What is special is that it was modified (SS Bull barrel, trigger and a custom finished Fajin thumbhole stock) for my 13th birthday by my late Father. Anyways the thumbhole stock is just about too small for my meat hooks nowadays and I would not be able to use gloves with it currently at all. So, ammo is expensive nowadays and I had been considering a newer used .22 rifle or pistol. Previously I had put the 10/22 into a sort of sacrosanct "holding pattern" to, ya know, save for my own children. So here's my issue...should I keep the 10/22 saved for my future kids intact as it is and save up and search for a modern .22 pistol or maybe another 10/22 or perhaps remove the stock and put the stock into long term storage and install another stock on it and use it?
Since you asked for an opinion, I will offer mine: Pass it on your kids. 10/22s are not that expensive anyway, and if you started on one without a "history" you can do whatever you want to it (including adding the Archangel "tactical" furniture upgrade it). That's what I would do. Unfortunately, I never inherited a gun, and my very very first AR15 will eventually belong to one of my daughters.
pass it along, you can get another 10/22 for under $200 I've had 2 firearms gifted to me as heirlooms. 1) A volunter arms 12ga (vendor name Iver Johnson Champion) from my grandpa when he passed away. It was the gun that kept my dad and granparents fed through the tough times. 2) A Marlin model 99 M1 from my dad. Dad is still around (thank God), but he gave me his old squirrel gun. Neither of these have any monetary value, but they are priceless to me. I'll be passing them on to my kids along with my first duty pistol, and my PD's 100th Anniversary Glock 23.
I would have to agree, I would pass it on to your kids! I wish I had a weapon passed down to me as an heirloom! I think you're kids will some day treasure it very much!
+1. I plan on getting a 10/22 for my son and fixing it up nice. My Dad gave me his mossberg 500 which I changed to a HD weapon as he used it for duck hunting. Also he gave me his bolt action .22 which is still an awsome weapon even though he used it when he was 9yrs old. We actually took them out to shoot the other weekend and it was fun. Pass it on, it will be a treasure and memories of fun times.
When my Father passed I inherited a lifetime collection which is very important to me to preserve. What he had and what he made are important to me. Thanks for reinforcing the importance of history and the future.
I would have to ask what you think your father might have wanted. I have guns that my kids already know will be theirs one day. They also know that other than the M1 Carbine that is 100% stock from the Korean War, they can change anything they like to make it so they can use them. I would rather my kids modify a stock instead of leaving it sit unused. It, for me, would depend on what you think he would have wanted as you are doing this to honor him (which I think is seriously cool).
