Quote Originally Posted by ray1970 View Post
Fascinating the different view points so far.

Since a few inquiring minds want to know, the specific firearm I am alluding to belonged to my grandfather. It isn?t anything exotic or valuable. Its a Ruger and it?s either a speed 6 or a security 6. I can?t recall. I retrieved it from the police in 1994, cleaned it up, and put it away for probably fifteen or twenty years until my dad was finally ready to put it away in his safe. It sat there until my dad passed away in July.

I?ll eventually be selling it and just trying to get a feel about if I should disclose it?s history to potential buyers or not.
I wouldn't mention it.

As far as our family...my grandfather committed suicide with a WWII surplus military 1911. The family headed to Wyoming where he lived and towards the end of dealing with the funeral and splitting up his items and such I mentioned retrieving the firearm from the police. We had a card for the contact officer so with there being no objections from any of the family I called about it. The officers were kind and had not only the pistol but a suicide letter and a bit of other evidence we were allowed to retrieve. When we showed up they told us the armorer had professionally cleaned and oiled the pistol for us. We also found out that the officers had cleaned up the scene as they did not want the family to have to deal with it. I hear horror stories of families who have had to clean up things like that themselves.

We have that 1911 and keep it ready for home defense. None of my direct family are weirded out by it's history. Frankly...as it is WWII surplus it may have other deaths attributed to it. I saw on auction the other day a classic colt revolver with notches in the grip...most people wouldn't be too freaked out over owning such a gun. It is likely because of the time difference. I have never had anyone question if that Indian arrowhead that someone found had kills on it. Yet it very well could have.