1970's TC Hawken stock just sold for $710

[Mulebrain]

That stock is a very nice looking piece of Walnut but IMO there is no way I would spend even half of what it sold for for it.

I realize that a lot of people wouldn't know where to start with a Pecatonica River TC Hawken stock but for $220 + postage a #5 grade Curly Maple stock can be procured.
Not only would the PR stock have incredible looks, it would also provide over 1 1/2 inches of increased "drop" making the gun fit many shooters better than the factory stock.

My thoughts exactly after seeing that price! Fools could have got an even better stock, and even had a pro finish it!

 

[Dave K]

Though you guys are correct that a restock would be cheaper. A real collector would only be a happy with a true T/C stock that matched the barrel. I can't remember if the stock is ser. numbered to the gun like my Lyman is, but if it is, the collector will know the correct stamps, markings, etc. and it would be very important to him.If the numbers did not match and were not of the correct font, size, etc. the value would have been severely adjusted.

 

[roundball]

I agree about the collector part...
And as far as TC goes, unless I've completely missed it all these years they don't S/N their stocks to match them to a barrel S/N.
Even on their special 5 runs of commerative Hawkens with presentation grade wood, there's no official marriage.
For example a 'Couger' stock has an emblem set into the right side of the butt stock and is sold with a barrel that has the word 'Cougar' stamped into it...but that's as close as they get...classic mass production approach with most everything being interchangeable.

 

[Stophel]

Are you serious? $710? Another example of people with a lot more money than sense. One wonders how wealthy people stay that way, when they blow this much money on something like this.

Man, I could buy a REALLY nice old S&W pistol for $710... or two tanks of gas....

 

[Walks Alone]

I agree...I'd use it at the range only and it would be the one that hung over the mantle of the fireplace :wink:

Lots of folks look at fancy wood on fireams that way, probably because of the cost of it (although in this case also due to the rarity IF a factory stock). I guess I can see that up to a point and probably would have been much the same 45 years ago if I would have came across fancy wood when I only had two pennies and a dime to rub together. But I have been just the opposite since I started buying firearms with better wood on them 30-35 years ago. Like most anyone, I really love fine wood and it adds a lot to the total experince and pride of owning and using the firearm for me. But IMO a firearm is a tool no matter how pretty the "package" it is in and meant to be used. While only one of my muzzleloaders has exceptional wood on it (not exhibition), I have quite a few modern firearms with full coverage exhibition grade wood, both custom made and 2 very rare factory finds I lucked into. Has taken half a lifetime to find and afford them, but they get used just like any other firearm and are not any worse for wear because of using them.

Would I have "gone after" that TC Hawken stock had I seen it up for auction? No, but because I am not a collector of TC muzzleloaders (only have 2 TC switch barrel/lock rifles left). To a serious collector of TC Hawken though the price this stock went for was probably pretty cheap if it is a factory stock and not a custom stock.

BTW, I live on the desert and don't have a fireplace to hang firearms over anyway. :wink:

 

[Stophel]

You mean there are really "collectors" of TC's?

 

[Fishhog]

LOL,hate to admit it but I was in that bidding when it still was around $200.00!!Was a nice piece of wood though was hoping I wouldn't get it but tried anyhow...Ray

 

[bucktales]

You mean there are really "collectors" of TC's?

They used to say that about Muscle Cars back in the day. :hmm:

 

[roundball]

"...or two tanks of gas..."

:grin:

 

[roundball]

There's nothing wrong with liking pretty wood...and every adult should know by now that there are different strokes for different folks...and a lot of those folks carry thousands of dollars "walking around money" in their wallet...$700 to them is pocket change to most of us...referring to the buyer as a fool might be a little over the top :wink:

 

[Dave K]

You are right about the money of some people, Roundball. Many of much deeper pockets then me. I for one, will chose a gun or walk away from a gun, because of it's wood. It is like the Cadilac commercial, except we are talking guns. When you chose the gun, does the gun turn you on?

 

[kevthebassman]

and a lot of those folks carry thousands of dollars "walking around money" in their wallet...$700 to them is pocket change to most of us...

I know a couple. Fella I know doesn't leave the house unless he's got about a dozen hundred dollar bills..... the crazy thing is that I've seen him dicker mercilessly over $50 on a gun.... the guy's a salesman and could talk an Amish farmer looking to buy a buggy wheel into a Cadillac.

 

[Mountainman56]

I agree with Roundball. That pretty piece of wood is worth whatever somebody is willing to pay for it. If they have the means to pay $700 for something they like I can't fault them for that. I like purdy wood myself.......just can't afford it. :shake:

I believe this is the second time in the last 6 months or so that I've seen that particular stock for sale.

 

[Stophel]

There's always someone with deep pockets that is willing to pay insane amounts of money for something. A dollar, a hundred, a thousand, makes no difference to them. There's nothing inherently that valuable about that stock...or most any stock. Certainly not any factory made, machine cut stock. It's not like it's a fine custom bolt action rifle stock (or a fine custom flintlock rifle stock! :grin: )

I'll stock you all the Thompson Center guns you want in super fine wood for $710! And do a FAR better job of it too! (well, no, actually I wouldn't. It would drive me nuts). If that's what they really went for, I could make a very comfortable living doing it! Then maybe I could spend 700 bucks on a factory machine made ordinary stock for a factory machine made ordinary gun that happens to be made of fairly curly wood! :grin:

 

[44-henry]

I have a 45 caliber TC with a serial number just over 3000, maybe I should put it up for sale on Ebay and retire.

 

[Walks Alone]

You mean there are really "collectors" of TC's?

Why not? People collect everything and anything whether it has real world value or not. Like the gal I once ran into in Japan who collected vials of water from every body of water she had visited in her lifetime. She said she had hundreds of them. Resaleable? I doubt it, but they do bring back memories of the paces she visited and so she enjoys it. Same with TC or any other kind of collector. It's their right whether you agree with it or not. We have a TC collector of sorts right here on the forum BTW.

...referring to the buyer as a fool might be a little over the top.

Couldn't agree more and thank you for saying so. It's no sweat off your nose, so why would you care what somebody paid for something they wanted bad enough to pay the toll on?

I'll stock you all the Thompson Center guns you want in super fine wood for $710!

Misses the point IMO. There are lots of places to get custom stocks made for any firearm you own. But to a collector, whether you agree with them or not, an unusal or rare "factory" stock is worth much more to them than a custom stock made by Tom, Dick or Harry. The rareity of it makes it collectable to that person.


I guess its just human nature to chide what you can't afford, or if it's something not important enough to you spend the money on like it is for a collector. But it certainly doesn't make you right and the collector wrong.