Do you own a grand collection of firearms? If so, have you considered what is going to happen to your gun collection when you pass away? It’s a tricky question, and one that many people of course don’t like to think about. There’s a lot more to consider in your estate planning with who you are going to leave your gun collection to over something like valuable coins or art work that can go to just about anyone.
The bad news is that if you don’t have it laid out specifically in your final will and testament who will get your guns, it’s going to be left in the hands of the executor of your will or the court system. That’s a sad thought if you have carefully curated an extensive collection of valuable weaponry that is just going to get sold off at an auction to people you don’t even know.
Let’s look into a little bit about what you need to decide with estate planning and your firearm collection.
Who Should You Pass Your Guns To?
This is an easy question to answer if you have grown children or grandchildren that you want to inherit your guns. Just make sure that the family members you are considering actually want to own your collection. More than likely if you have raised them in a pro-Second Amendment household, they know the benefits and responsibilities that come with gun ownership. Maybe you took them hunting and to the shooting range growing up, and they are excited about one day owning your prized collection.
The other thing you have to consider is if those heirs are going to be able to legally own the weapons. They can’t be prohibited from owning those guns under state or federal laws because they would need to be able to pass a background check. Heirs with any criminal history won’t be able to inherit your guns. You’ll have to choose a suitable replacement. That could be other family members or even friends of yours who would appreciate owning such a fine collection.
If you don’t have anyone else in mind that would like to inherit your guns, you can choose to have them sold upon your passing. Then you can allocate that money to your heirs in the will. That’s a gift that no one would refuse.
Another Option for the Money
When having your guns sold, if you don’t have anyone specific in mind that you’d want to inherit those funds, you can gift them to a charity of your choosing. A great idea would be to donate the money to a pro-Second Amendment organization. A posthumous donation is always a lovely idea and one that organizations you have supported over the years would greatly appreciate.
