Hatfield Plains Rifle

[Rusty_Nail]

The drop and shape of the buttstock looks like a Hatfield. And Hatfields have inletted furniture, but its like two layers, one inletted, making the other layer look flush-mounted.

As for the lock, one thing peculiar is that all Hatfields I've seen have "Warranted" etched directly under "Hatfield", and the locks are color case hardened.

I tend to agree this was a put together from spares. The breach plug looks like it was replaced, and Hatfields typically had a universal patent hooked breach. It had a removeable drum, and slip in vent liner to make it a flinter. They had a "1 line" manufacturing process in St. Joe, and the capper or flinter stuff was added as options at the end of the line.

An assumption I would make is someone had a different capper breach, and no drum, so they did the next best thing, retapped for this breach plug with bolster.

Lastly, the Austin & Halleck Mt. Rifle was a 1 wedge design vs. the two on his shooter.

 

[Birdwatcher]

Thanks for the replies.

The puzzling thing is the first rifle pic I posted from another forum (found it googling for images of "Hatfield Plains Rifles") was described as having just the exact same two stamps on lock and barrel.

Browsing around you can find statements to this effect...

There are Hatfield rifles, and then there are Hatfield rifles. The early ones were made with Douglas premium barrels and real quality hardware. After financial setbacks and IIRC a change in ownership or two, the later ones were made with cheap imported barrels, worse hardware, and mediocre inletting quality. The early ones are well worth the inflated parts, while the later ones are on par with Traditions guns. And of course, if you ask the owner, every single rifle is an early one. Buyer beware and know what you are buying. There's a long stretch between the name on the barrel and the quality under it in many cases.

In its heyday (1980's?) you can find statements to the fact that even back then a Hatfield was a $1,200 gun. Based upon the fact that there appears to be at least two of these guns like mine (mine and the one in the pic) I'm wondering if this isn't a late-production Hatfield.

Bought it off a friend selling it on consignment for $375, seems like a fair price and as stated, it will likely shoot OK.

Birdwatcher

 

[Rusty_Nail]

Hey BW,

Have you pulled the barrel? On mine, there were proof and makers marks on the underbelly.

Rusty_Nail

 

[Birdwatcher]

Yep, pulled the barrel, nary a mark, unless they are hidden under the rib.

 

[kingsax26]

The inletting job looks exactly like my Pedersolli freontier rifle.....im figuring a way to fix the trigger guard and inlet the darn thing it looks awful the way it is....buy hey....im pretty sure you ahve a terrible rifle...I cant stand to see you suffer any longer, so as a good samaritan ...i would relieve you of your burden for say ...100 $....much less than the headaches that thing is gonna give you..... :rotf:

 

[Kentuckywindage]

siler lock

 

[whichfinger]

Being a greenhorn, the only thing I have to say is that wood is gorgeous.

 

[Birdwatcher]

siler lock

Thanks for the ID.

Do you figure old time Siler made by Siler hisself or the Jim Chamber's Siler?

Or is it possible to tell?

Might be pushing my luck here I know.

Birdwatcher

 

[Birdwatcher]

Being a greenhorn, the only thing I have to say is that wood is gorgeous.

Yep, she is a nice looking rifle and I'll fess up, it was her good looks and the "Hatfield" logo what got me into this deal (I distantly remember 'em from the 70's).

Now in the cold light of day it turns out she might not actually be all I thought she was when we first met.

Hmmm... seems like I might have encountered this situation before, somewhere else, in an entirely different context... :hmm:

Birdwatcher

 

[Birdwatcher]

Well, I found the breech plug...

It and the same exact tang are featured in the Track of the Wolf Catalog #17 I have. Part #Plug-GT-16 described as...

Unlike our slant faced plugs, this straight breech is an early style, with a more decorative, non-traditional bolster snail.

I'd bring up an image but this particular plug appears to be discontinued, it ain't on their current website.

While I'm on a roll, the front sight does look exactly like Tracks' silver blade sight....
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/874/1/FS-TC-HB-TH

Hmmm... might be American parts on this rifle after all. :hmm:

Does ToTW import their stuff?

Birdwatcher

 

[Birdwatcher]

More similarities....

Here's Tracks'replacement trigger group for TC Hawkens and Renegades...

...and here's the trigger group from my rifle...

...even has the little bend at the end of the set trigger...

Only difference being mine apparently is a single-lever set trigger (unset front trigger cannot fire the rifle) vs. the double lever set trigger (where it can) Track says there's is.

Seems a slam dunk same point of origin.

Birdwatcher

 

[Birdwatcher]

Now the barrel...

This is the best image I could find (off of their website) of the business end of a Green Mountain barrel...

This is the muzzle of my rifle...

Seems like the octagon rounded to a flat-faced cylindrical muzzle crown is common to both, I dunno how distinctive or unique to Green Mountain this feature is.

Birdwatcher