Hawes 44 mag

[planetmobius]

A friend wants me to buy his Hawes 44 mag Marshall revolver. I don't have any experience with a Hawes. Although, my first instinct is that it is a pretty well built revolver. Who has experience with this one and how do you like it?

 

[RugerMcMarlin]

They are just fine. Mine was with a 7 1/2 " barrel. I sold it at a profit, but I wish I would have kept it. Carry it 5 beans in the wheel.
worth about $250-275.

I think they were built at about the same time JPSauer was making Colts hunting rifles. So quality is there. Most have a really nice blue.

 

[goon]

My dad has one in .357. Overall a pretty solid gun. I agree that you shouldn't pay more than $250 or so for one in VG condition.

 

[Ron James]

Hawes single action were imported in the 1960's early 1970s from Germany. Made by Sauer and Son, not Sig-Sauer which is not the same. Decent guns for the money, at the time they were able to under cut the Ruger/Colt market because of the under valuation of the German Mark. Not so today. There are still some parts available however the supply is running dry. They are copies of the Colt but not clones so very few parts will interchange ( if Any ). The Hawes came in a number different finishes and they are listed in value, starting at around 200 in excellent. Hope that helps

 

[RugerMcMarlin]

But it is the Sauer & Son. that built the really nice Colt bolt action hunting rifles, right?

 

[Red Cent]

J.P. Sauer & Sohn. Yep.

 

[Red Cent]

And the Colt-Sauer is a "have to be seen" firearm. You can swim in the bluing.

 

[Chindo18Z]

Hawes SAs were well regarded back in the day.

At the time they were produced, Germans had made a fetish out of the American West and were in love with all things Cowboy and Indian. American westerns were extremely popular in theaters and on television. Of course, German appreciation for American western lore predated WWII by decades, but the plethora of 50's & 60's Western films (along with a magnanimous US occupational presence), drew loads of German fans looking to "cowboy up" on the weekends.

At that time, many Deutschers willingly spent their paychecks on period clothing and weapons, even taking their annual vacations at Western Re-enactment Camps. It was like Cowboy Action Shooting meets Western Theme Park for some devotees. Really a huge cultural buy-in for a mythical "Wild West".

There was a demand for affordable Single Action Army's (back at a time when the $ - DM exchange rate was around 4 to 1). Colts weren't that available in Europe and were pricey when found.

Enter market brands like Hawes (Sauer & Sohn). Although the Italian gun makers eventually came to dominate the market, for a time, some of the better quality West German cowboy guns were popular on both sides of the pond.

Image of Hawes Western Marshall from www.gunblast.com:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Shatterhand