I've got a Cabelas/Investarms .50 cal percussion "Hawken" a few years ago from a Forum member, along with some quality accessories. It's by far the "prettiest" of all my half-stock rifles, and accurate beyond my expectations.
It doesn't get the shootin' as often as it deserves, since I shoot primarily .54 cal flinters.
I also got a "junk" .54 cal Hawken 'Sporter' in percussion from an old goober who fancied himself a black powder authority. He wanted $300 for it & I had seen it at several shows, always unloved & unsold. It has the checkered stock & rubber buttplate that may or may not be original. It has some pitting around the breech/snail drum & the too-short nipple was made for a revolver.
About 1 inch down from the muzzle is a big honking pit and the muzzle face is in the white - either from the barrel being cut off, or it may be a stainless barrel.
I told Mr. Expert that Cabelas sold these for around $200 brand new & that the pitting in barrel & breech indicate neglect or abuse, plus the barrel pit made it nearly worthless.
I told him I'd give him $100 cash, and plunked down 5 - $20's and told him that was generous, since the abused/worn wood will need lengthy stripping and refinishing (which I do a lot of). Otherwise, he could drag it back to his truck, then drag it out to a table at the next show for everyone to ignore. The handful of $20's disappeared into his pocked and he feigned insult over the price.
I considered coning the muzzle area to remove the pitted area, but took it out to shoot first. It's able to hit a grapefruit (small, home-grown) at 100 yards 100%, and that's good enough for me.
Steaming out some dents, and some 3M pad rubdown prepped it for a refinish with my BLO/Tung Oil mix & it looks better than new.
