Advice on family heirloom

[u/Ok-Raise-5115]

I have an antique Gras infantry rifle that was converted to a 12 gauge shotgun sometime in the 1890s, it was my great grandfathers duck gun. 2 weeks ago my brother used it to kill himself. It’s currently in OPP custody. I’m torn between letting the cops keep/destroy a family heirloom versus keeping something that is a stark reminder of the worst day of my life, my father understandably never wants to see it again and my other brother wants to keep it and destroy it himself

[u/Iokua_CDN]

This is such a hard thing, and I want you to know, as a gun lover,  there is nothing wrong with destroying it.

Sure it makes me sad to see guns get destroyed,  but people, and family are more important. You don't have to feel any guilt about destroying it. Sure it's not the guns fault, it's an inanimate object, but that also means there is nothing wrong with destroying it.

To be honest, letting the cops keep/destroy it means never having to deal with it again, vs what, selling it or destroying it yourself? I'd probably take that path myself, and let myself focus on other matters.

I can understand your brother maybe feeling a sense of vengeance to be able to destroy the gun himself, but  I see nothing wrong with letting the police handle it. 

Sorry all this happened OP, hope you and your family  are able to hold on as you heal from this.  No judgment whatever you decide to do with it.

[u/Ok-Raise-5115 → u/[deleted]]

Thankfully they aren’t overreaching, they called and asked what we wanted done. Doesn’t really excuse the fact that the day it happened they were a massive pain in the ass and difficult to deal with