Author Topic: Do Hawken Rifles ever surface?  (Read 7927 times)

HawkinHolmes

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Do Hawken Rifles ever surface?
« on: January 17, 2016, 11:18:12 PM »
Hello everyone,

I'm new to the forum and am happy I landed upon it.

I collect a few types of rifles/guns:

a). 1881 to 1900 Marlin Lever action rifles
b). Winchester Model 1866 (yellow boys)
c). Henry Rifles
d). Marlin shotguns (Model 1898 through Model 30)

and now my newest potential is true Hawken rifles

Question: Do real Hawken rifles surface very often and if so does anyone know what the range in pricing is?

Thank you.

Mark

Offline Don Stith

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Re: Do Hawken Rifles ever surface?
« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2016, 12:00:58 AM »
 There are a few that fall out of the woodwork every year. you might acquire a local gun or squirrel rifle for $10,000 or so. A full blown half stock plains rifle might fetch $40,000 and up.  One with known provenance and ties to a known mountain man might command $75,000. . My wife keeps pushing for me to get rid of mine, but I am not tired of enjoying them.
 Like any antique, the actual price is what a willing seller and a willing buyer agree too

Offline Molly

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Re: Do Hawken Rifles ever surface?
« Reply #2 on: January 18, 2016, 05:47:26 AM »
Let's see some pics, Don.

The Rambling Historian

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Re: Do Hawken Rifles ever surface?
« Reply #3 on: January 18, 2016, 05:29:59 PM »
http://jamesdjulia.com/item/lot-2402-percussion-plains-rifle-marked-s-hawken-st-louis-37381/

http://www.rockislandauction.com/viewitem/aid/66/lid/1135

These both went fairly inexpensive compared to the prices noted above and are signed "S. Hawken" (Samuel Hawken).

Offline louieparker

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Re: Do Hawken Rifles ever surface?
« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2016, 06:24:15 PM »
Sometimes there's a reason for a reasonable price. Do your research before buying.  Because something is marked Hawken don't make it so. There are as many fake Hawkens as there are Indian guns. Usually at the Tulsa gun show I am asked to check at least one and sometimes two would be Hawken rifles. Some don't even look like Hawken's work and some do. In that case you must know what true age and use look like.  No one can tell you how to do this. You have to have  looked at a lot of old guns. Even then you could be fooled. When in doubt don't buy. LP

Offline Sequatchie Rifle

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Re: Do Hawken Rifles ever surface?
« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2016, 07:02:23 PM »
You can expect interest and price to increase due to the recent movie, The Revenant. Your timing is a bit off.
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Offline JV Puleo

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Re: Do Hawken Rifles ever surface?
« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2016, 08:07:21 PM »
Notice that both rifles are described as "marked" and "stamped" with the Hawken name. In neither case is the auction company saying they were "made by..." You have to learn to read auction catalogs. The language is often very specific... and in this case the company is covering itself legally so that when and if the mark is proved spurious, they will not have to refund the money.


Offline rich pierce

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Re: Do Hawken Rifles ever surface?
« Reply #7 on: January 18, 2016, 09:01:01 PM »
The first one from Julia was a small game rifle for the local trade.  They go for less than plains rifles.  The second has some red flags.  Drum and nipple, big chunk of wood replaced at the breech.  Might be a restock of a Hawken barrel.
Andover, Vermont

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: Do Hawken Rifles ever surface?
« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2016, 11:23:15 PM »
Notice that both rifles are described as "marked" and "stamped" with the Hawken name. In neither case is the auction company saying they were "made by..." You have to learn to read auction catalogs. The language is often very specific... and in this case the company is covering itself legally so that when and if the mark is proved spurious, they will not have to refund the money.


Pretty typical for auction companies, you can't blame them.
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Offline JV Puleo

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Re: Do Hawken Rifles ever surface?
« Reply #9 on: January 19, 2016, 05:47:52 PM »
I don't blame them. If I were in the auction business I would do the same thing. No one can be an expert on everything and even experts can be wrong (its one reason I never use that term for myself). That said, it is pretty common for inexperienced buyers to read, and see, what they want to see. A friend of mine once described a famous dealer as "the master of the almost accurate  description."

tanglewood

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Re: Do Hawken Rifles ever surface?
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2016, 04:53:04 AM »
And as a friend of mine said about one expert, "Well, he's not always right, but he's always certain".
Don't rely on one opinion.

Offline Dphariss

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Re: Do Hawken Rifles ever surface?
« Reply #11 on: January 21, 2016, 10:04:38 AM »
The first one from Julia was a small game rifle for the local trade.  They go for less than plains rifles.  The second has some red flags.  Drum and nipple, big chunk of wood replaced at the breech.  Might be a restock of a Hawken barrel.

My thoughts as well.

Dan
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Offline louieparker

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Re: Do Hawken Rifles ever surface?
« Reply #12 on: January 21, 2016, 06:03:10 PM »
When you see a rough looking barrel mark with red rust in the bottom, its not a good indication  of authenticity.

hawknknife

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Re: Do Hawken Rifles ever surface?
« Reply #13 on: February 04, 2016, 05:07:00 AM »
Louie, What did the Folsom indian gun bring?...Carl