Covid, life, gunpacolypse, firearms...

[ZigZagZeke]

The point you make about "gun trusts" is interesting... I have to do some research.

If a trust is the legal owner then the owner never dies.

Benefits of a Gun Trust

A gun trust can avoid some of the federal transfer requirements and accomplish other goals as well:

Allow more than one person to possess and use the weapons held in trust. If you name more than one person as trustee, each trustee will have the right to possess or use the trust firearms.

Keep the gun in the trust even after the current owner's death, avoiding the usual transfer requirements. If you create a trust and transfer firearms to it, you can arrange for the trust to stay in existence even after your death. The trustees and beneficiaries of the trust would have whatever rights you grant them in the terms of the trust. Because the firearm stays in the trust at your death, the transfer procedure is avoided. That means your inheritors don't have to pay $200 transfer tax, file an ATF transfer form, receive permission from the local chief law enforcement officer (CLEO), and get fingerprinted and photographed.

Help the executor. The executor of your estate—the person who is responsible for gathering your assets, paying your debts, and distributing what's left—may not be familiar with the rules about ownership and possession of NFA and other weapons. An executor could violate criminal laws by transferring a weapon without going through the proper procedure, taking or sending it to a state where it is prohibited, or giving it to a person who is legally prohibited from owning it. (The Gun Control Act makes it unlawful for certain persons to possess firearms. The law prohibits anyone who was ever convicted of a felony or of misdemeanor domestic violence, is prohibited by a restraining order from harassing an intimate partner, uses a controlled substance unlawfully, or is an illegal alien, to name just some of the restrictions.) When firearms are in a trust, the executor is not involved; the trustee is in charge. You can name a trustee who is well-versed in state and federal gun laws.

Avoid probate. Because the firearms are held by a trust, they do not need to go through probate at your death.

Avoid possible future restrictions on gun transfers. Although no such legislation has been proposed, some gun advocates fear that someday it will be illegal to leave certain firearms to inheritors or transfer them during life. They hope that holding the guns in trust will let them get around any limitations if they are enacted.

Using a Gun Trust to Pass on Firearms

Gun trusts are specifically designed to hold firearms. Find out what benefits gun trusts offer and how you can set one up.

www.nolo.com

 

[Rem700..300]

Best of luck with what ever endeavor you take. We did the big truck and camper and boat while the kids growing up. Expensive as all get out but memories and fun with the family will be with us forever. 1 Lake Shasta trip was $600 before we even got out of town and then 2 more 70 gallon gas fill ups while down there. I worked weekends and the wife stayed home so we could go anytime and never fight a crowd. Started working during the week and all of a sudden you had to plan 6 months or more ahead of time to get a camping spot. I dont even know what I am doing tomorrow half the time. Took all the fun out of it so we sold for that reason and a few others. Lately we have been sleeping under the canopy up in the woods and roughing it. The setup @Mikej showed is awesome and allows a lot of flexibility. That first step is a lulu on a roof top tent if you forget. Knowing you a little bit, you would enjoy overlanding back woods camping and you take some of your plinking guns with you because you camp on BLM and national forest most of the time. Best of both worlds. Most important, enjoy the family.
Craig

 

[Hellingbamster]

As to RV's, I've got to do a +1 with previous comments from Mikej.

I have a towable 32' second home., a 5th wheel trailer. Mostly parked in the yard this year. According to the RV industry news, community news and personal experience, the idea of getting an RV and fading into the wilderness has lately occurred to many thousands of new people. As with firearms, RV sales are higher than they have ever been. New unit deliveries are projected at being in excess of half a million units this year. Parks and campgrounds are now frequently booked solid a year in advance with market driven pricing. Just showing up and finding a spot is near a thing of the past. Many national parks are now requiring reservations. Price of fuel rapidly rising due to politics and the woke effect. Not many electric vehicles can tow something. According to consumer sources, caveat emptor is the word of the day as build quality of many new units is shoddy and sub par. Dealer inventories are way down and dealers are aggressively seeking used units with little success.

Get the picture? :'( On the plus side, if you get an RV, even if it's only parked in the driveway, you can still accessorize the hell out of it. It opens up a whole new world of things you will "need" and can spend money on.

So, for my $ .02. Before you get too far into the hankering for an RV, do a GREAT amount research, financial analysis, and soul seeking. Join some on-line groups and hang out for a while and digest the chatter. As with any endeavor, there is MUCH one should or needs to know, needs to learn, preferably not the hard way. LOTS of options, and considerations.

Now for the uncertain future part. The RV pundits, after bemoaning the current and near future state of affairs, predict that in a few short years, all the folks who have recently jumped on the band trailer will find out how crowded or impossible conditions are and how much money, complexity and effort is involved in "getting away" will get disgusted and put their RV's up for sale, so prices and crowding may swing back towards the good old days.

If *I* were to do it over again, and I could talk the wife into it, rather than getting a large trailer, I would go for a 4WD hard walled van conversion that can get to more out of the way places where all those trailer draggers can't get to. Places such as the landings on logging roads that provide beautiful views, good plinking or hunting options and don't cost anything to use. In many ways, smaller is better, more like camping than vacationing in a condo. My opinion of pop up tent trailers is that they make great bear feeding stations.

More to the general subject of this list, be aware that most standard firearm projectiles will or would penetrate multiple trailer sidewalls, and you may want to rethink what you keep on hand for warding of the unwanted and how to deploy same.

With motorcycling, it's about the journey, not so much the destination. With RV camping, it much more about the destination.

AR

 

[GWS]

I'm a gun guy, that hasn't changed. That being said, it feels like my freedoms to enjoy life are being ground on from a bunch of different directions. Why did we quit being happy and now are angry, surly and petty?

That's primarily because of the liberal's psychosis. They have some compulsion to be aggrieved about stuff. Instead of being thankful for their good in their lives, they have to find something to be angry about and if they can't find it, they make something up like resenting the color of their skin or the fact that we have poor people. But rather than donate their time or money to a charity that helps whoever they of feeling offended for, they want to force everyone else to be as angry as they are and to spend their money or sacrifice something to solve the injustice the liberal/progressive perceives. So, take guns They want them all banned because of the heinous actions of an extremely low percentage of gun owner. And yet, they'll get in their cars (which kill more people by accidents than those murdered or accidentally killed by firearms) to drive to some event to protest ownership of firearms. They call us gun owners terrible names and want to take away our guns for crimes we didn't commit. Now I for one, resent that, so now I'm pissed too.
I just want to be left alone in my pursuit of happiness and it would be a lot easier if these self-hating, self- righteous pricks on the left would STFU and let go about my business.

 

[LarryMo]

Anyone else getting tired of this crap and contemplating moving on to a completely different hobby?

Im 90% recreational when it comes to firearms. I carry more regularly lately, but that's about it. I don't LARP or attend training regularly like I once did ten to fifteen years ago. I compete less and less since Covid, and I shoot less and less. I have no more interest in run and gun competitions like 3 gun or USPSA. Speed steel is my jam, with that said I haven't attended as regularly as I once did.

My go to is 22lr. As you can imagine, that's become increasingly difficult to shoot as much as I once liked to. My absolute favorite thing is plinking. Hitting steel at random, or a bunch of clays spread out everywhere, that's the best!

While I don't think I'll completely leave the realm of firearms, I've definitely been giving thoughts to getting out of a lot of the extra parts of the hobby. Like reloading, and offloading a massive amount of stuff I've accumulated. I've definitely, over the years, downsized. Then again, downsized means completely different things to different gun owners, in other words, I still have plenty to downsize. Ironically, the ARs are first on the chopping block. I just don't shoot them as much.

Point of this thread, is to ask those here where are you at? How has this one affected your outlook on firearms as a hobby? Have you completely lost interest in the hobby due to the length of this gunpacolypse? Downsized? Sold off? Moved on?

I have been kind of losing it due to Covid restrictions and the lack of being able to do much. We as a family have really been thinking about buying our first trailer of some sort. Camping and the thoughts of camping bring me peace of mind more now than going to the range. In time, that may change, but the inability to acquire reasonable priced 22lr has really taken its toll this go around. This gunpacolypse may be the straw that breaks this camels back.

Anyways, thanks for reading through this crazy guys thread. If you feel the need to be negative in this thread, please look up to the left on your browser and immediately click the back button!

Reno

Reno,

As a reader of this site, I would say the answer to your question is probably "no". However, as I get older and circumstances change over years, I have found myself in somewhat the same situation. I have a modest collection of guns, both long and hand type, and I carry daily but I haven't fired a round in a few years now since my last public range closed. If I get to an indoor range it's usually to keep my hand in for my EDC.

I enjoy all sports bearing on ballistics and find they are a pretty good substitute if I just wanted to change priorities on hobbies. For instance, I enjoy throwing darts in bars and have a pretty good set up kit. I used to do a lot of archery and have narrowed my interest down lately to horse bows using a thumb release. I've got a very good assortment of sling shots, some even set up for shooting arrows. I've definitely neglected my black powder shooters.

My main pastime lately involves air rifles. I've narrowed my interests there to my indoor fixed range of 15 yards, shooting off-hand with iron sights. This could be a very good hobby for you depending on your interests: small game hunting, target shooting or just plinking. I suggest you might check out the blog that Pyramyd Air sponsors by Tom Gaylord, aka The Godfather of Airguns. There are 15 years worth of posts there that cover all aspects of airgunning.

Anyway, keep up with your EDC, best wishes on your hobby search and Good Luck!

 

[ageingstudent]

I like my guns..and I like to shoot 'em.
While the amount of what I shoot , has gone down, due to cost or availability ...
I will not stop enjoying my firearms.

Speaking for myself...
My firearms are very much a part of my life...they are more than just something to shoot or collect.
What they are , what they represent , has value to me , what I have put into my firearms has value to me...
And I am not willingly going to give that up.
Andy

Well said. I embrace the responsibility as well as the history.

 

[Catfishmoon]

If a trust is the legal owner then the owner never dies.

Benefits of a Gun Trust

A gun trust can avoid some of the federal transfer requirements and accomplish other goals as well:

Allow more than one person to possess and use the weapons held in trust. If you name more than one person as trustee, each trustee will have the right to possess or use the trust firearms.

Keep the gun in the trust even after the current owner's death, avoiding the usual transfer requirements. If you create a trust and transfer firearms to it, you can arrange for the trust to stay in existence even after your death. The trustees and beneficiaries of the trust would have whatever rights you grant them in the terms of the trust. Because the firearm stays in the trust at your death, the transfer procedure is avoided. That means your inheritors don't have to pay $200 transfer tax, file an ATF transfer form, receive permission from the local chief law enforcement officer (CLEO), and get fingerprinted and photographed.

Help the executor. The executor of your estate—the person who is responsible for gathering your assets, paying your debts, and distributing what's left—may not be familiar with the rules about ownership and possession of NFA and other weapons. An executor could violate criminal laws by transferring a weapon without going through the proper procedure, taking or sending it to a state where it is prohibited, or giving it to a person who is legally prohibited from owning it. (The Gun Control Act makes it unlawful for certain persons to possess firearms. The law prohibits anyone who was ever convicted of a felony or of misdemeanor domestic violence, is prohibited by a restraining order from harassing an intimate partner, uses a controlled substance unlawfully, or is an illegal alien, to name just some of the restrictions.) When firearms are in a trust, the executor is not involved; the trustee is in charge. You can name a trustee who is well-versed in state and federal gun laws.

Avoid probate. Because the firearms are held by a trust, they do not need to go through probate at your death.

Avoid possible future restrictions on gun transfers. Although no such legislation has been proposed, some gun advocates fear that someday it will be illegal to leave certain firearms to inheritors or transfer them during life. They hope that holding the guns in trust will let them get around any limitations if they are enacted.

Using a Gun Trust to Pass on Firearms

Gun trusts are specifically designed to hold firearms. Find out what benefits gun trusts offer and how you can set one up.

www.nolo.com

Very informative, thanks for posting this information...

 

[titsonritz]

I do not consider firearms a "hobby".

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I collect books and love to play chess...those are hobbies to me.
My enjoyment of firearms goes beyond what I find in books and chess.

Owning a firearm is a mark of being a free man and a responsible citizen.
It also conveys a sense of trust and history.

Much of my life has involved firearms...they mean more to me , than their cost in dollars or the sum of their parts and materials.
What they represent is as important to me , as is what actually they are.
Andy

 

[Flopsweat]

Most of my guns are for hobby. A few are for self defense or hunting.

 

[Member 34319]

I appreciate the replies and fully understand firearm's mean different things to different people.

I know there are some in this site that do not understand hobbyist.

As well as some here that don't understand the other aspects of ownershi

I'm one that tries to respect all creeds of gun ownership. Regardless of their reasoning to do so.

That's why this forum is my most enjoyed website and place to hang out.

 

[Member 52301]

Anyone else getting tired of this crap and contemplating moving on to a completely different hobby?

Im 90% recreational when it comes to firearms. I carry more regularly lately, but that's about it. I don't LARP or attend training regularly like I once did ten to fifteen years ago. I compete less and less since Covid, and I shoot less and less. I have no more interest in run and gun competitions like 3 gun or USPSA. Speed steel is my jam, with that said I haven't attended as regularly as I once did.

My go to is 22lr. As you can imagine, that's become increasingly difficult to shoot as much as I once liked to. My absolute favorite thing is plinking. Hitting steel at random, or a bunch of clays spread out everywhere, that's the best!

While I don't think I'll completely leave the realm of firearms, I've definitely been giving thoughts to getting out of a lot of the extra parts of the hobby. Like reloading, and offloading a massive amount of stuff I've accumulated. I've definitely, over the years, downsized. Then again, downsized means completely different things to different gun owners, in other words, I still have plenty to downsize. Ironically, the ARs are first on the chopping block. I just don't shoot them as much.

Point of this thread, is to ask those here where are you at? How has this one affected your outlook on firearms as a hobby? Have you completely lost interest in the hobby due to the length of this gunpacolypse? Downsized? Sold off? Moved on?

I have been kind of losing it due to Covid restrictions and the lack of being able to do much. We as a family have really been thinking about buying our first trailer of some sort. Camping and the thoughts of camping bring me peace of mind more now than going to the range. In time, that may change, but the inability to acquire reasonable priced 22lr has really taken its toll this go around. This gunpacolypse may be the straw that breaks this camels back.

Anyways, thanks for reading through this crazy guys thread. If you feel the need to be negative in this thread, please look up to the left on your browser and immediately click the back button!

Reno

Quote:

"Point of this thread, is to ask those here where are you at? How has this one affected your outlook on firearms as a hobby? Have you completely lost interest in the hobby due to the length of this gunpacolypse? Downsized? Sold off? Moved on?"

Hello,

The MASSIVE manipulation of the market and the fake/real 'shortages' have not changed my outlook on firearms ownership.

The SALAMI that we see going on does bother me somewhat but it has not changed my opinions when it comes to firearms.

The assault on LIBERTY, THE RKBA ISSUE, THE CONSTITUTION, ALL types of firearms and their parts, and on HONEST and sane gun people does BOTHER ME due to the negative press which is their INTENT from the gitgo. Their = BOTH parties and ANTI RKBA groups and their ILK.

My MAIN points of owning firearms differs from some people and that is OKAY with me. I respect them and, hopefully, they respect me but if they don't - OH WELL! Tough cookies! LOL

#1 The RKBA issue.

#2 The self defense issue.

I don't larp and I did have to LOOK that up. LOL I am not planning on WW3. I am not some LONG RANGE shooter or 'sniper' or some WANNABE tactical - tacticool whatever!

I never had a gun that I ran 'tons' of ammunition though like some people shoot with their high capacity firearms in one session. If someone chooses to do that - more power to them. Not my thing!

Although, I did shoot some guns MORE OFTEN than others in the past mainly in 22lr.

I was a high volume shooter meaning that I did shoot a LOT and OFTEN in a year's time - about 10,000 rounds in CF and in RF firearms. MORE in 22lr.

Later on, in 22lr the most and ONLY caliber. Rifle!

And after that in 22lr and in 22wmr rifles! I sold a 22wmr lever action rifle. I kept the 22lr rifle.

I got another 22wmr rifle - a second 22wmr rifle after a time frame.

I shoot and own a 22wmr rifle AND a 22lr rifle now.

ADDED MORE.

I never owned a shotgun. I have shot only a few shotguns in my life. I have considered buying a shotgun in the past - on and off. I have NO interest in buying one now.

I do not hunt. I like to fish. I like to SWIM more. I have nothing against hunting and my MT husband hunts.

Shooting and firearm ownership for the TOP TWO main reasons above is WHY I got into firearms - buying my own.

When I did NOT own my own guns and could use my late husband's 'HOUSE GUN' as I called it - I still had those TWO TOP REASONS for having a firearm in the house to use.

So AFTER those 2 reasons, shooting did become sort of a hobby for me for LACK of a better word here. An interest! I wanted to become a proficient shooter! Learn a new SKILL. Etc.

It was like being around my sail and power boating close friends only with GUNS, ammunition, some competition, plinking, shooting with friends and that sort of thing. FUN times and enjoyment. Learning new things and enjoying the great outdoors, hot coffee, delicious meals, camping, etc. together!

But I ALWAYS had OTHER interests and things in my own life at the SAME TIME - those years, ALL ALONE, with my late husband, ALL ALONE AGAIN and with my MT husband too.

So SHOOTING and GUNS were NOT my ONLY interests in my life. Some people are MORE interested in one thing than in other things but they LOOK at their interests and hobbies for LACK of a better word in very specific ways. NO problem there. To each their own.

I enjoyed shooting a LOT and often when my arthritis was not super bad in my hands and when some specific old injuries did not bother me as much.

The pain does bother me now. Some days are okay and other days are a royal pain! I only take aspirin for pain medication and I suck it up - deal with the pain in my own way.

So my answer is YES - things have changed for me but NOT for lack of product or NEW prices especially since I and/or WE always planned ahead.

I shoot 22wmr and 22lr - 2 rifles. I have cut back in MY own ammunition stock too. ON purpose.

I am happy with my decision.

When I can NO longer shoot safely OR when I don't want to shoot any longer... I will give my 2 firearms to my MT husband. He can KEEP THEM, sell them or gift them to our Close Veteran - old friend of mine who is like a nephew to me. Back east and across the farm fields and woods from my former house that I built with my late husband.

I will KEEP all of my knives or most of them, my axes and 'hawks until I DIE.

I have already GIFTED many of MY knives that I did not use since I went to using ONLY fixed blade knives. Husband, some family, some friends and to Veteran groups - places, including some Churches, that feed and shelter people but mainly VETERANS!

My MT husband has already downsized firearms, knives, holsters, reloading stock, some factory ammo, gun parts, gun books, etc. and may do this some more.

Before, during and after his retirement. Sold and gifted.

Caliber consolidation, he still reloads, he still bought some factory ammo in 45acp and 30-30 Win, firearm downsizing, etc. That was nothing NEW for him and he did this BEFORE retirement, during and after retirement as I said.

He may stop reloading for one other firearm caliber. I am NOT sure there.

So he still has a variety in guns that he reloads for:

45acp

.223

30-30 Win

30-06

45-70

He has his stock in 22lr and 22wmr.

He no longer owns a shotgun.

THIS was not due to the recent SALAMI going on. It was his plan all along.

I already did that too. Especially when I got out of ALL of my handguns. Sold and gifted.

USE IT or LOSE IT is my motto. IT was my late husband's motto and is my MT husband's motto too.

Don't let your STUFF OWN YOU.

Enjoy what TIME that you have with your young family and your wife. You do not have to spend a LOT of money or money to ENJOY LIFE with your family.

READING!

Library time and some personal books! I say this as a FORMER owner of many, many and MANY books too. Personal donations given back on the East Coast, Great Lakes region - farm/lake country and out here. I did SELL one or two (? CRS now!) fancy dancy GUN books with BEAUTIFUL pictures in them.

Day trips.

Swimming.

Simple camping.

Fishing.

Hiking.

Museums.

Walking.

Dancing.

Enjoying music.

Bike riding.

Chess if you like to play the game.

Tennis or throwing a ball around.

Baseball.

TEACH your child about gun safety and how to shoot accurately.

TEACH your child the basics in life like how to change a tire, check their oil, fill a gas tank, balance a checkbook, make a budget, save their money, shop responsibly, use a hammer, use a screwdriver, cook, sew, clean a fish, clean the house, wash and wax a car, truck, boat, pop up camper, paint a wall, paint a barn, mow the lawn, sweep a sidewalk, rake some leaves, use a snow plow or shovel snow, etc.

Etc.! The LIST is endless! LOL Make learning a SKILL and becoming proficient in ANY skill and doing a JOB fun and something that he or she will LOVE to do and it will benefit them for the rest of their life!

Blessings to you and your family! Take care!

Old Lady Cate