Am I seeing what I think I am seeing?

[mahd776]

I have been spending some time on some of the online guns & parts for sale web sites and think I am seeing something that disturbs me to no end. I have been seeing a lot of T C parts for sale for the Hawken & Renegade traditional rifles. Was wondering where all these parts were coming from and it looks like sellers are breaking these rifles down into the parts and selling them off. I have seen several places where one could purchase all the parts to build a rifle from one individual and all factory original parts. Is this something new or am I just noticing it? I realize that these folks have the right to do with there property as they see fit but this is wrong to me in to many ways! 

[Semisane]

Yes, you're seeing that.  It's been going on for years.  Pretty much TC Hawkens and Renegades only.

[bubba.50]

yes, that's what you're seeing. these people care nothing about the guns or the people who love them. it's all about the almighty dollar that they worship and if you'll notice the total of those parts will be considerably more than they can expect to get from the whole gun. kinda like what goes on with the handi's on this site. my opinion and you're welcome to it, bubba.

[Nobade]

It also has to do with Ebay's policies. You can't sell a whole rifle on there, but you can sell parts. So put the barrel up for auction on one listing, and everything else on the other. The person who wants the rifle wins both auctions. Then the seller can even combine shipping on the two auctions. Stupid regulations breed strange responses.

[Hopalong7]

It also has to do with Ebay's policies. You can't sell a whole rifle on there, but you can sell parts. So put the barrel up for auction on one listing, and everything else on the other. The person who wants the rifle wins both auctions. Then the seller can even combine shipping on the two auctions. Stupid regulations breed strange responses.

Yep....exactly...don't blame it on the seller.....Ebay's silly rules caused this situation.
Walt

[bubba.50]

gunbroker, gunsmerica, auctionarms, the classifieds here and other forums to name a few. evil-bay ain't the only option.

[necchi]

Another thing is they shoot'm and don't clean the barrel proper, or don't clean it at all and the barrel rusts to H-E double tooth picks,
They loose interest because it's not easy and part'm out.
All or many of the parts are interchangable, so I don't see a big deal with it,,be smart in what you pay for the individual items and you can put together a gun many times for alot less than a complete rifle anyways.
Complete rifles can be had for 200-300 or less depending on your region, so go from there.
It's hard to wreck a lock or trigger,,If a stock isn't cracked they're easy to re-finish,,
Finding a good barrel is the trick, try to find one that's "money back" if not satisfied, or at least one that has a good "bore" photo and detail. And stay shy of "as is" deals.

What drives me nut is when they pull the rail and thimbles from the barrel,,come on man,, it's part of the barrel.

I nearly got burned on an e-bay barrel for $75, the guy said the rifleing was good, "as is". When I got it it was rusted freeking BAD!! Used the Paypal arbitration thingy and ended up getting $55 back, which was OK with me, the sights where worth the $20. And I still have the breech plug and rail/thimbles.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I'm not sure I really see that much problem with it.  I guess I'm assuming that if someone is selling a T/C Hawken trigger guard, nose cap or whatever it is probably going get mounted on someone elses "favorite" T/C Hawken, and thus keep one more Hawken in operation.

[Ladobe]

A person owns a firearm and decides to part it out, for any of several reasons.   That's entirely their choice because they own it.    

Your choice is to buy or not buy, simple as that.    

Some buyer's commonly use the poor economy as an excuse to offer way less than fair prices now days, and many are downright rude about it.   That's being disrespectful.   So who's worshiping the almighty dollar more, the seller who is trying to recover an honest fair price for their investment, or the buyer who'd try to cheat the seller out of a fair price?   So you can give away a $200 firearm for $100 to those people or get more for it by parting it out.   Easy choice for a seller.

S&W likely will not continue the TC line of traditional muzzleloaders when they reopen TC at their facilities the end of this year.  They have priced their small remaining line of these rifles high enough that probably few are being sold anymore.   So parts and parts guns may well become a growing market for the existing rifles already out there... for repairs or upgrades, and for old time and new traditionalists to build entry level rifles from.   We've been there for years with the CVA sidelocks.

[ratdog]

i have built seven  of them now  i like to restore them and collect them and shoot them they are some of the best side locks out there i enjoy them building them is the only way to get them some time and they are not cheep.you can improve them by putting a green mountain barrel  on them thompson center put a lot of different  grades of stocks on them some are really nice walnut that a what i look for.i have sold several renegades i now just do hawkens. have a great week end.

[mcwoodduck]

yes, that's what you're seeing. these people care nothing about the guns or the people who love them. it's all about the almighty dollar that they worship and if you'll notice the total of those parts will be considerably more than they can expect to get from the whole gun. kinda like what goes on with the handi's on this site. my opinion and you're welcome to it, bubba.

Parts are always more than the whole thing.
If you buy a new truck it is 25K if you buy all the parts to build the truck it is 250K and no labor to put it together.
But if we did not have parts houses that offered parts for some of the guns that are no longer made, any that broke would never get fixed. 
And why is making a profit a bad thing?
when you worked didn't you get the most you could for the work you did?  Or as the boss offered you a raise or promotion you truned him down saying you were making what you needed.

[longcaribiner]

Yep, guns and everything else.  My SIL bought a 1966 Italian made motorcycle and sold the parts on fleabay.  Paid $350.  got over $1,900 for the individual parts.    Folks are even stripping down old farm tractors.  Particularly the old Farmall's A's, B's and C's.

[Swampman]

I disassemble muzzleloaders and sell them on eBay.  That's the most profitable way to sell them.