Hatfield Kentucky Rifle

DaveJ

I just acquired a unfired Hatfield .50 cal Kentucky Rifle. It has been on a wall since the 70's. I would appreciate any input that can be offered about reliability etc. There's not a lot of info around for this rifle.

eastbank

they are a very good rifle,i had a hatfield squirrle rifle and as i remember it had a very tight bore,that required a special mold for a smaller ball,after that it was a lot easier to load and shot better than i did. they sure are good looking rifles. eastbank.

Spider7115

Here's a nice article on the Hatfield rifle from Muzzle Blasts magazine:

http://www.muzzleblasts.com/archives/vol3no1/articles/mbo31-2.shtml

DaveJ

Spider7115 and eastbank...thanks much for the input. The article at muzzleblasts was informative and it was nice to get a " I've used one myself " . I have no black powder experience and was pretty much in the dark on the Hatfield. It is a good looking rifle ........ all one city block long of it....[:D]

Spider7115

How about some pics of yours? This thread shows you how:

http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=259294

He Dog

I have read in some forums that they tended to be uneven in quality. Mostly I have read good things, but some folks say they had definate ups and downs in quality control. I had wanted to get a Hatfield squirrel rifle myself, but that got me looking at other options. They don't seem to come up for sale all that often, which would suggest that most folks are not dumping them.

templin9

They are amazing guns. I have one and I have been able to do 200 yard shots with mine. A buddy of mine, who can see better than I was able to hit a deer target in the vitals at 300. I would make sure you have the bore checked before shooting to make sure it is safe. Then I would restore her to firing condition. First, take the metal off and oil the bejezuz out of the stock with either tongue oil or boiled linseed oil. Don't let the oil get too think on it, it is flammable. Hand rub the oil in, you only need about the same amount as a quarter in the palm of your hand. You'll need to do at least 5 coats if she has hung over a fireplace. Let it dry for 24 hours between coats. Then take some Vasoline and put a good coat in the barrel channel before you replace the barrel into the channel. The Vasoline keeps the water or cleaner out of the stock when you need to clean the barrel after shooting. Once that is all done you should be good to go to shoot an absolutely great gun.

He Dog

I have been watching in some ernest since first posting on this thread. .36 calibers seem to be asking $1000-$1100, and .50 about $550-$600. In about 2000 they were going for about the same price. What changed?