Indiana Estate Firearms Services
What Do I Do With My Husband's Guns?
You don't need to have all the answers. That's what we're here for.
"How can we help you. What do you need right now."
Start With One Conversation
You do not need to know what the collection is worth before you call. We will help you understand your options.
Request a Free Consultation View Our Licensed FFL Firearms ServicesNo pressure. No obligation.
How Can We Help You?
What Do You Need Right Now?
That's the first thing we ask every family that calls us. Not "how many guns do you have" or "what are they worth." Just: what do you need right now.
Most families who call us after losing a husband, father, or loved one aren't sure where to start. They don't know what the collection is worth. They don't know what's legal to sell and what isn't. They don't know if any of the guns are loaded. They just know there are firearms in the house and they'd feel better if someone they trusted came and helped them figure it out.
We've been doing this for nearly thirty years across Indiana. We've stood in a lot of gun rooms with a lot of families in exactly the situation you're in right now. And we can tell you this honestly: there is no question too basic, no collection too complicated, and no situation we haven't seen before.
You don't have to know what anything is worth before you call us. You don't have to have a plan. You just have to make one phone call. You can also start through our secure consultation form if that feels easier.
"How can we help you. What do you need right now."
Burgess Auctions helps families safely evaluate, secure, and transition firearms collections throughout Indiana.
The First Thing Most Families Want Is Peace of Mind
When someone passes away and leaves behind firearms, the instinct for most families isn't "how do I get the most money for these." It's something more immediate than that.
Are any of them loaded? Is it safe to move them? What if someone breaks in? Am I legally allowed to sell them? What if I do something wrong?
These are completely normal concerns. And they're exactly why families call us before they call anyone else. We're a federally licensed firearms dealer. We handle every firearm legally, safely, and in full compliance with Indiana and federal law. You don't have to touch anything you don't want to touch. You don't have to make any decisions on the first call.
Loaded Firearms
If you're not familiar with firearms, don't handle or unload them yourself. We assess and secure collections safely as one of our first steps.
Theft & Security
Firearms left in a vacant or lightly occupied home can create security concerns. We can arrange prompt collection so the estate is not exposed to unnecessary risk.
Legal Requirements
We explain the transfer and disposition process clearly and work alongside your attorney when legal guidance is needed.
Probate Documentation
As a certified personal property appraiser, we provide the formal documentation probate courts and attorneys require.
Strangers in the Home
We come with credentials, references, and the professionalism of a licensed auction company that Indiana families have trusted for thirty years.
Unknown Value
You don't need to know what anything is worth before calling us. We assess, explain, and give you options — before you decide anything.
A Sportsman's Estate Is Rarely Just Firearms
Most families are dealing with the entire collection — firearms, ammunition, gear, mounts, tools, vehicles, and sometimes land. Burgess handles the full estate so you make one call instead of five.
Firearms
Ammunition
Reloading Equipment
Knives & Edged Weapons
Optics & Scopes
Taxidermy & Mounts
Fishing Gear & Tackle
Duck Decoys & Game Calls
Gun Safes
ATVs, Boats & Trailers
Hunting Camps & Cabins
Military Collectibles
Hunting Farms & Land
Complete Estates
Camping & Outdoor Gear
Personal Property
If it was part of his life, it's part of what we can help with.
From a few firearms to a complete sporting estate, Burgess Auctions handles the full collection with care.
Three Ways We Can Help
Every family is in a different situation. We work all three ways — and we'll help you figure out which approach makes the most sense for yours.
We gently ask about the rest of the estate because we've seen too many families leave money on the table — or create extra work for themselves — by not knowing that one company can handle all of it.
Not Sure What It's Worth? We Can Tell You Before You Decide Anything.
One of the most common things families tell us is that they didn't realize how valuable the collection was — or they assumed it was worth more than it turned out to be. Either way, not knowing the value makes every decision harder.
Burgess Auctions is a certified personal property appraiser. That means we can produce a formal, documented appraisal — the kind of documentation that probate courts, insurance companies, and estate attorneys require.
The appraisal is separate from the auction. You're not committing to anything when you request one. You're just getting the information you need to make a good decision.
We Provide Certified Appraisals For:
- Probate and estate settlement
- Insurance documentation
- Donation and charitable contribution
- Dissolution of marriage
- Estate planning and trusts
- Fair market value determination
- Complete sporting collections
- Indiana Auctioneer License AU19600029
- Licensed Since February 1996
- CAI Designation — fewer than 1% of auctioneers
- AMM Certification
- Certified Personal Property Appraiser
- FFL Licensed Firearms Dealer
- Real Estate Auction Capability
- Second-Generation Family Business
A Family Business That Understands What You're Going Through
Burgess Auctions is a second-generation Indiana auction company. Zack Burgess has held his Indiana auctioneer license since 1996 and carries the CAI designation — held by fewer than 1% of auctioneers nationwide. He is a certified personal property appraiser and a federally licensed firearms dealer.
This is a family business built on a simple idea: treat every estate — and every family — with the same care and respect you'd want for your own. We grew up in Indiana. We know these communities. We've handled estates for Indiana families for decades, and the families we've served are still the ones who tell other families to call us.
"When Zack's own father passed away, his mother had one clear request: she wanted the firearms out of the house. Not appraised. Not auctioned. Just out — safely and responsibly. That experience is part of why Burgess handles every firearms call the way we do. We understand that for many families, the goal isn't maximum value. It's peace of mind."
Questions Families Ask Us Every Day
There is no question too basic. These are the ones we hear most often.
I don't know if any of the guns are loaded. Is that a problem?
Do I need to know what anything is worth before I call you?
Am I legally allowed to sell my husband's guns?
What if I just want them out of the house quickly?
What do I do with all the ammunition?
There's more than guns — deer mounts, fishing gear, a reloading setup, and an ATV. Can you handle all of that?
Do I need an attorney before I call you?
What does a certified appraisal involve and do I need one?
How long does the whole process take?
What does Burgess charge?
Tell Us What You Have
There is no question too basic and no collection too complicated. Use our secure information form and we will follow up directly.
Start With One Conversation
Use our secure consignment form and we will follow up with you directly.
Request a Free ConsultationNo pressure. No obligation. Just a conversation.