[good ole boy]

Their is a auction I am goin to tomorrow night. The ad said Hawken style .50 cal f/lock,new.I called the auctioneer and he said he thinks it may be built from a kit cause their is a K in the serial #.He said their is no box,and is also thinks it might have been fired a few times.Is it true that a kit model had K,s in their serial #? How much less,depending on the quality of the build,are kit guns worth than their factory produced models?

 

[PA-Joe]

You can get a good new in-line for under 300.00.

 

[brewyak]

I would think that a well put together TC kit gun would be worth as much if not maybe a little more than a shelf model. Maybe they finished the stock better than TC would or they could have done some work with the lock

 

[Retiredusne8]

Yes The K in the serial number is a kit barrel and if you pull the barrel of there should be a K in the barrel channel,that say the stock is too. just look at the front site and make sure it not all banged up from putting it in place,make sure the barrel lug is also tight.If you have a bore light it would be a good thing to take a look at the rifling.

 

[410-er]

"K" is for kit.Usually guys that put them together didn't take enough wood off.Often I see locks that look "deep" in the stock.VERY well put togethers will bring almost as much as factory at sales only because the guys bidding don't know they were kits.These can be refinished.
Early kits didn't have blued barrels.They had to either be blued or browned.
Run your fingers up and down the barrels checking each of the flats for any SLIGHT bumps.This indicates a "ringed barrel".Result from a short started ball or maxi that slid off charge,fired,and bulged the barrel.

 

[frontier gander]

i paid $125 for a kit hawken a couple years ago. Kit hawkens just dont have the value in them.

 

[good ole boy]

Thanks alot.I,ll let you all know if I get it tomorrow.

 

[eastcoasttraps]

Make sure you inspect the lock of the rifle before you bid..ask to take a screw driver to it to remove the lock..you might be suprized of what is there..rust..grime, etc..If you are the winning bidder of the auction, be prepared to send the lock back.,and tell tell them to replace the frizzen. Then be prepared to repeat the mailing of the lock or frizzen 3 months from now..just trying to help.

 

[good ole boy]

I passed.It went for $270,$275. I didn,t like the way the owner did the inleting and fitting of the rifle.The bore looked fine as good as I could see with my bore light.(Mine was not a drop in b/lite.) I couldn,t take it apart cause the auction was goin on and it was right in front beside the aucioneer and their were people all around.Prices were high and good money was also payed for the worn out junky guns that were also their.I didn,t miss out all nothin.I wouldn,t have bought it w/out takin the lock off cause the 2 set trigger just didn,t feel right.I would have gave maybe a little over a hundred.

 

[410-er]

Keep an eye on Gunbroker.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

a TC hawken broken down to it's parts would probably bring over $200 just the lock and barrel. Set triggers probably another $30. Unfortunately, the gun was probably worth that much for parts.

 

[Harrysigafoo]

Actually the T/C kit builder does little but finish the stock. So most are fine it they look OK.

But the T/c Warranty DOES cover kit flint locks.

A T/C kit 50 flint Hawkin is 100% better than any inline.LOL

 

[zimmerstutzen]

The variable with kit guns, is thhat the person may have done an excellent job, added a few custom features, etc. Or like many slapped it together and prayed it with varnish. Or even worse, attempted to use power tools to sand the stock and used his hatchet to finish inletting the lock, etc. I have seen kit guns put together that were worth more than the factory finished models and some that weren't worth the price of the kit.

At a gun auction in York Co a couple years ago, I saw a TC hawken that a guy built. It was beautiful, scrimshawed antler inlays, with hunting scenes, some brass ornamentation, even a silver inlay in the barrel. Heard it brought over $600.