The Ardesa and Traditions rifles are generally the same model. The older Traditions Hawken had a slower 1 in 66" twist for shooting round balls and possibly the short Buffalo Ball-et & Hornady PA Conical.
This is opposed to the newer Hawken Woodsman made in the last 10 years or so that has the 1 in 48" twist.
I had one of these slower twist Traditions Hawken and it was a good rifle but maybe not quite as well made as the current production guns.
I thought that the drum had a slightly smaller flash channel and the bore wasn't quite as polished as it could have been. But there weren't any functional problems with it and the rifle was mechanically solid.
The value of an unfired rifle like this is entirely based on how badly each party wants to complete the deal. That's because the retail price of newer ones have escalated and it also depends on whether there are any flaws due to it being a wallhanger for so long.
I estimate the value range of this unfired rifle to be somewhere between $150 - $210 with a final price of $180 not being too unreasonable. But that's only if the condition of the bore, lock, fit and exterior finish are thoroughly checked out and found to be completely satisfactory.
Check the bore by running a tight patch with lube or solvent down it for any signs of roughness or oxidation. If there are any signs of rust make sure that it all swabs out and there's no pitting at all. The residue from the factory test firing could still be in the barrel after all of these years. Minor brown surface rust is usually nothing to be concerned about but one never knows what exposure to humidity can do over time. The bore should clean up and feel uniform without loose or rough spots, just nice and satiny smooth.
Shine a light in the bore to see how shiny it is.
Check out the trigger for creep and slack, including the set trigger. To do that you don't need to cock the hammer. Just pulling the rear set trigger resets the front target trigger. Then just gently pull the front trigger to see how smooth it releases.
Look over the fit of where all of the metal contacts wood like around the barrel channel. Are there noticiable gaps on either the side of the barrel or anywhere else that detract from proper fit or appearance?
Remove the wedge pin and lift off the barrel and peer into the opening behind the lock to see if the mainspring is still new and shiny, and that the barrel and hooked breech fits properly.
Examine the angle that the hammer strikes the nipple to see that it's hitting it squarely on the top.
