.50 T/C Hawken Value these Days

[Dave Rosenthal]

Hi Gang!

I need to know what it's worth, with some scratches & small "chips" of finish worn away at the cheek piece area. It's not that beat-up, and the bore is pristine! I checked it with my Bore Light. From what I can figure, it looks to be between 10-20 years old, and it has the adjustable rear sight w/o the high vis feature. Guy says he bought it to shoot the club's BP League, and to take it hunting. Also said it has only 20 or so shots through it.

Here's how this all came about: I'm taking up a collection to gift a rifle to a fatherless boy who I've taken shooting several times. A friend of mine hands me the Hawken and says give me something "fair" for it. So what's fair? He knows it's going to the boy, and he will take less than it's actually worth. I don't hang-out on other sites, or buy/sell stuff on line, so I'm in the dark, so to speak.

Any help would be sincerely appreciated by yours truly. Thanks in advance!

Dave

 

[kelleyjk]

its worth exactly:











whatever some guy that wants it at any given point in time is willing to pay for it!

not tryin to be a smartass, I just see these things all over the spectrum some craigslist some bozos think they appreciate and want $800 for a rifle you can still buy for 7 :rotf:

 

[Vtsmoker]

Found 2 on this sites classifieds and went to gunbroker to look also. Average price for that gun appears to be about $300 for a used rifle in the condition you describe. Think you could get it for $200 since it's for a good cause? :wink: Just a thought. Hope that helps.
Mark

 

[tiger955]

Local gun shop has 2 in rather nice shape at $350+ each. I bought one in about the condition you describe last Spring for $250 ish. Have seen lots of used decent ones online for 300-350, seems to be about the going price. As mentioned before, some people think they are worth a lot more.
Is the kid the gun is for particularly interested in black powder? If so it would be a good choice for a beginner, if not, I would think a nice used 22 would be a better choice.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Thanks a lot for the info! :thumbsup: .

Just finished cleaning it--the hammer was slightly tarnished with BP residue & slightly rusted, but it cleaned-up nicely with a little elbow grease! The nipple was fine, and came out without any problems at all, and no rust anywhere around the nipple/breech area. Gave it a pumping in the deep sink, then dried & oiled it up with my usual Barricade treatment, and placed muzzle-down on a paper towel.

The guy who gave it to me to check-out also gave me every accessory that he had bought for the rifle: a pound of 2Fg Goex from 1989, a T/C original possibles bag, (2) deluxe heavy-duty T/C short-starters, a tin of #11 caps, 100 cleaning patches, a tube of bore butter, a bottle of Hoppe's #9 Plus patch lube & bore cleaner, a powder flask, a powder measure, capper, spare cleaning jag, and over (30) unlubed 370 grain T/C Maxi-Balls! And this "laundry list" is a throw-in for the boy, as the guy just wants compensated for the rifle itself!

I'm wondering when powder in NJ was only $9.95 a pound retail, over-the-counter? And what was the rifle selling for way back then, as he said he doesn't expect to receive what he's paid for it. But I don't want to insult him either :idunno: .

Dave

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Local gun shop has 2 in rather nice shape at $350+ each. I bought one in about the condition you describe last Spring for $250 ish. Have seen lots of used decent ones online for 300-350, seems to be about the going price. As mentioned before, some people think they are worth a lot more.
Is the kid the gun is for particularly interested in black powder? If so it would be a good choice for a beginner, if not, I would think a nice used 22 would be a better choice.

Yes, the boy is completely "bitten" by the BP Bug! He went so far as to inform his Mom that all he wants for Christmas is his own Muzzleloader Rifle! I've had him to the Range twice already using my Lyman Trade Rifle. He's to the point where I can just sit in a lawn chair and watch him load & fire my rifle--he's that good and that responsible!

Dave

 

[ebiggs1]

$300.00

 

[necchi]

Plenty of'm goin for $200 in this neck of the woods,
But if you only give this guy 200 for the gun and package your still going to owe him some favors.

I'd make a side deal with the Mom,, if the boy loses interest, he passes the gun to another to start their interest too. Kind of a "Pay it Forward" thing
Could be he's hooked good, I mean you sound like you've done well with him, but boy's do become teenagers :idunno:

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Plenty of'm goin for $200 in this neck of the woods,
But if you only give this guy 200 for the gun and package your still going to owe him some favors.

I'd make a side deal with the Mom,, if the boy loses interest, he passes the gun to another to start their interest too. Kind of a "Pay it Forward" thing
Could be he's hooked good, I mean you sound like you've done well with him, but boy's do become teenagers :idunno:

First, Happy Birthday!

Second, Yeah, I know that I'll owe this guy a favor. A little background: The guy is our Club's VP, and has a side business as a FFL. He has a heart of gold and is very family oriented. I go and help set-up his World Class Steel Match even though I can't be there to shoot it myself. See web site: www.worldclasssteel.com to see what I'm talking about, as it's an involved set-up! I think that I'll tell the kid to write a letter of thanks and put it into a card and mail it to the VP. That will mean so much more to him!

Third, the Pay-It-Forward idea is a GREAT one! It would be nice to have them agree to do that, so another boy would get a chance at the hobby, instead of just letting the rifle sit in a closet somewhere!

It's ALL GOOD! Thanks for your suggestions and have a nice Birthday you OLD FA*T!

All the best!

Dave

 

[410-er]

Saw one in A-1 shape,possible unfired,at an auction last Sat. go for $200.

 

[Robert an saa fan]

Lots of good information posted.

Out West at last weekend's Big Reno Show I saw a nice early, factory finished, T/C Hawken .50 with T/C primitive rear sight and excellent bore go unsold with an asking price of $295. Gun had some minor use marks.

Really like the "Pay-It-Forward" idea. :thumbsup:

Thank you for helping that young man! :hatsoff:

 

[FPDoc]

I figure $200-$250 for the package would not be insulting since it is actually a gift from each of you for a new young shooter. I like the pay forward part, give it back to the club perhaps, to be given to another young shooter when this one buys his own "first ML" or moves on to other interests.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Tom, Bob and FPDoc: all excellent ideas & info! It's really appreciated!

Come next month, this kid is going to be very surprised :shocked2: :grin: .

Dave

 

[slumlord44]

In my neck of the woods $300 to $350 seems to be the going rate. $200 to $250 seems about right if everyone involved is doing the "pay it foreward" thing. Saw the great movie and try to do things like that that are in my budget limits from time to time.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Sounds about right :thumbsup: . Now I have to hit up my friends & members for the scratch......

Dave

 

[FPDoc]

If it's more than just you coming up with the funding I'd sure go to the higher end of the spectrum so the "donor" of that rifle doesn't feel like he's carrying the heavy end of the deal.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Yeah,

I know what you mean! I'll bump into the "donor" this Sunday at the Range. I'll give him the full report and he can pick his price. He already told me that he's not expecting what he paid for it between 10-15 years ago, "what ever that was". He just donated a $500.00 rifle to a Charity Match we had at the Club, so I know he'll be extremely fair!

Dave

 

[Dave K]

In my area of Ohio for a T/C Hawken, they will ask more, but they will sell in and around $150. This is at a public auction or at gun shows. Actually the gun shows are usually the place to buy them as at the auctions, it seems as buyers want to show the rest of the bidders that they know what they are doing and pay more. Everyone here is into the inline guns, so these side locks to them are just closet clutter.

 

[kelleyjk]

Cabelas Hawken new = under $400
T/C Hawken new = $700+

On the used market around here they both actually bring about the same price however.

The price somebody is asking does not really establish its value I could sell $300 guns all day for a hunerd bucks.

Our gunshows around here have become a joke. Many of these so called table top dealers asking way too much just hoping some rube with too much disposable cash comes along. Sunday afternoon late, theyre all haulin their used junk back home. I dont feel a bit sorry for them although some will negotiate on the prices, many think they have rare and collectable items or want you to think that :wink:

 

[hoochiepapa]

Smokin', you are a great human being.