1979 .50cal Hatfield questions.

[railshot]

Bidding has hit the limit I had set for myself, so I am out.

Thanks for all the input, and for those that may want to know, the bidding is up to $400.00 and climbing!
Probably worth it, but not to me at this point.

This auction is not your typical make a bid and get it online tonight,..... tomorrow they go to the live auction, and if someone there in person bids higher than the bidders tonight do, they get it.
Online bidding ends at 9pm my time.

When the live auction finishes tomorrow night at 9 pm. I will post what the final selling price was.
I do hope someone from here gets it!

 

[railshot]

Still no final sale price on this one as of midnight tonight, and I will check again tomorrow just so anyone that has one can get a feel for the value of theirs.
In my opinion, this is a real "collectable" depending on when it was produced.

I still would love to own one that had been built originally by Mr. Ted Hatfield himself based on his gg? grandfathers rifle, prior to jobbing them out.
I think that early 1980's was when that began from what I have found online.

 

[Scota4570]

I had a late one. The early ones were better.

The late ones had the markings indicating over seas manufacture scrubbed from the barrel. I had one of those. The breech plug is super long. The liner screws into the middle of the plug, like a CVA. The hole in the center of the plug required cleaning with a 22 caliber brush. IT was a fouling trap. IT made the rifle unreliable. I drilled it out to 5/16", that helped. The liner hole was way to small. I drilled it out to 1/16". The frizzen was soft so I case hardened it. IT works reliably now, for the new owner. Also the ramrod pipes are attached with screws, like a TC. The butplate is freakishly small. The forend is too chunkie. Other than those issues it is a fine rifle.

 

[Critter Getter]

I have two Hatfield .50 cal percussion “Squirrel Rigles”. I bought the first one new back in the early ‘80’s after drooling over it every time I went into the local bp shop. I bought the second one used and I think it has the higher grade wood on it. I believe it to be an early rifle as well and shoots just as excellent as the first. I remember being in St Joe, Mo for business around that time and stopping in to tour their facility. Ted Hatfield showed my wife and I around and was the highlight of my day to see the place. I remember him showing us the stock duplicator machine. If I remember correctly it was making around 6 stocks on it at that time........I love my Hatfield’s! Greg

 

[railshot]

My search for an early Hatfield is showing me that there are not a lot of them out there for sale.
That either means that owners really love them, as Critter Getter above says, or they think they are of little to no value as far as resale.

I have seen auction prices of anywhere from $400 (like the one I missed out on by $10 with a 1" repairable crack in the stock), up to a high of $1500 from a couple of years ago.

Most have been selling in the $500 to $700 range for very clean to unfired condition.
I will find one eventually.

 

[Scota4570]

$1500?? For that kind of money I'd get a Kibler kit, no question.

I sold my Hatfield for $300, with an RPL lock, and after reworking the stock.

We must be talking about different rifles?

 

[railshot]

$1500?? For that kind of money I'd get a Kibler kit, no question.

I sold my Hatfield for $300, with an RPL lock, and after reworking the stock.

We must be talking about different rifles?

Wish I would have been around looking when you sold it!

Totally agree with the $1500 price tag, and I was pretty shocked at the price that one sold for!
The only thing that one had going for it was a signed certificate of authenticity from Ted Hatfield.
LOL, I his brother Tim Hatfield was selling it after he had picked it up at an estate sale, and he sent it to Ted to authenticate.
Actually, a very wise move on his part to do that, and then place it in an online auction.

I am thinking between $400 and $550 should be a respectable price to pay for both the seller and buyer for an early Hatfield..... if I can find one.
Almost all of them have been selling, and sold, in that range over the past 3 to 4 years.

Still looking for an early Hatfield!