Hawes "Western Marshall" .44 magnum

[Stan in SC]

I did some "hoss trading" with an old friend and wound up with a Hawes Firearms Western Marshall model in .44 magnum.The revolver is a single action western style with a 6" barrel
and is in extra good what I would class as 85% condition.It does not have a very pronounced turn line and does not appear to have been fired much.
I did a search on this site and found a previous post about these from two years ago and all comments were very favorable as to the overall durability and accuracy of this revolver.I wound up with about $300 in the piece so I feel I got a fairly good deal.
It will be a good companion piece to my model 94 Winchester.
If I had the know how I would post a picture but I can't do so.

Stan in SC

[Pisgah]

Stan, ya got a deal. I'd give 300 for a decent one in a skinny minute, and greatly regret the one I sold ten years ago (of course!).

Posting pictures take getting used to, but it's really not hard. Open a free Photobucket account; follow their simple instructions on how to upload your pictures. Once your picture is on there, just copy the image code and paste it in your message. Not the only way, but the way I do it.

[Pitchy]

Sounds like a dandy Stan, would love to see it.

[AkRay]

The one I used to own had about a 1 1/2 pound trigger pull. How's the pull on yours?

[Stan in SC]

AkRay,
The trigger pull is very light.I would estimate it to be about 1 to 2 pounds.I am looking forward to next Wednesday when I can go to the gun club and shoot it.

Stan in SC

[Ironwood]

This is my Western Marshall. I've had the revolver for around 40 years. I have no idea of how many rounds we have put though the gun. My wife usually had it on her hip when we were much younger.

[COSteve]

I had a 5.5" case hardened frame, brass strap, 357mag version about 35 years ago and liked it. The action was a bit stiff but back then I didn't know how to slick it up. Stupidly, I let it get away from me in a firearms sell-off I did when we were trying to collect enough money to buy a home. I know, dumb move. I thought it was a nice piece. Sounds like a nice deal too.

[Ji in Hawaii]

I believe the German made EAA Bounty Hunter is the most recent version of this gun. Paco Kelly thinks quite highly of these guns.
http://www.gunblast.com/Paco_WineRoses.htm

[Griff]

Stan, ya done good.

As for:
Posting Pics on this forum
http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... ?f=1&t=990
http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... =1&t=33635

[piller]

A friend of my older brother had one back in the 80s, and he loved it. If I remember right, he used it for quick draw shooting. I was a little too young and skinny to hang out with them much, so I only saw it a few times and never got to shoot it.

[Stan in SC]

Ironwood,THAT is EXACTLY the same as mine.
I'll never try quick draw with this one or any other.I learned my lesson in that respect when many years ago I shot my then pregnant (now Ex) wife in the leg but that's a story for another time and place.

Stan in SC

[Ironwood]

Stan, I'm sure you will enjoy the gun. Mine has some holster burn and dings in the grips but it's spent many a day at work in the woods.

[Nazgul]

Had one in the 70's. Sold it when I got a Superblackhawk. Should have kept it.

Don

[Stan in SC]

I went to the range today to shoot the .44 magnum.Let me qualify this by saying I have a Ruger .44 magnum Super Redhawk and I love shooting that revolver.I'm actually pretty accurate with it at 100 yards.Having said that my results today with the Hawes were just totally unsatisfactory but it was no fault of it.The problem was totally me.Last year I bought a new Model Super Blackhawk in .44 magnum from a buddy who knew I wanted one.A BEAUTIFUL piece in stainless with 4-5/8" barrel.I only shot it 12 rounds.Sold it at the next gun show.
My arthritis just will not let me shoot a western style single action revolver.It just flat HURTS and that takes all of the fun out of it.I do not have that problem with a double action like the Super Redhawk.It's just a different type of grip I guess.
I had reservations when I traded for this Hawes thinking that the longer barrel might be better than the 4-5/8" one.
I did shoot a dozen or so .44 special loads in the pistol and they were real pleasant and very accurate.I hit the bowling pin at 50 yards three consecutive times and broke two clay pigeons on the berm at 50 yards.
I'm going to give this some thought.The only way I could justify keeping this is to shoot only .44 specials in it and I just don't think I really want to do that.Heck I can do that with the Redhawk.
At any rate,it is a really nice accurate piece and I learned something about me today.

Stan in SC

[dogngun]

Sorry to hear about your arthritis... I have tendonitis in my hands that really bothers me, too...keeps me awake sometimes.

Anyway, some information on these revolvers...They were made in Germany by JP Sauer, a very old company that made very fine commercial hunting rifles as well as K98 Mausers and i guess other rifles for the German military for many decades. They merged with the Swiss company SIG to become Sig-Sauer. They are TOP quality revolvers, and usually around $300 or so depending on condition. There were several different sizes...the .44 magnums and maybe .44-40's and .45 Colts were made on a large frame, while the .357's that I have owned were made on a "normal" SAA sized frame, and I believe the .22's were also. They are pretty similar to the old SAA but have a frame mounted firing pin and alloy grip strap and trigger guard...some were made with both of those parts in brass, some silver plated. I have seen some in all blue, and some with a case hardened/colored frame. I have owned- and sold- maybe 5 or 6 of them over the years, a few .357's and 3 .44 magnums...I just bought another in .44 Magnum yesterday...I refuse to sell this one.

They are extremely rugged and most are very accurate, and I have heard of people putting 20,000 and more rounds through them with no problems at all. They are a real bargain, IMO, and I got mine for $250 and could not walk away at that price.

Numrich has a few parts left for various models and has a schematic illustrated on the site for them. FWIW, I have had one that I bought very very cheaply that had the extractor broken, and I fitted a Ruger Blackhawk extractor to it in just a few minutes with a file...worked just fine.

They were sold in the US under various names- the Hawes Western Marshal was the fixed sight version, and there was another with an adjustable rear wight and a ramp front sight..Also sold as Herters' and a few other names, but they will all say JP Sauer and Germany on the barrel. I think they originally sold for around $100.

IIRC, they were imported from the mid 1960's till maybe the early 1980's, so they have some mileage on them, but of all of them I have owned, I have never had one that was loose or was not accurate, or that needed repair other than that extractor.

I think they are a real bargain, and if you find one somewhere for sale, I'd give it some thought and attention...Most people seem to hang on to theirs for a few decades.

mark

added. Mine looks just like the one in Ironwood's photo, even to the grips and that exact dark blue...6 1/2" barrel.

[Mescalero]

Stan in SC,
you will have to tell that story.

[Stan in SC]

OK,Mescalero.Just for you.
Many years ago I was heavy into quick draw.Got pretty fair with it.My former wife was pregnant with our first child.We were out at a quarry shooting and afterwards while walking back thru the woods to the car I spied a stump off to the side about twenty yards or so.Thinking it would be a good quick target of opportunity I turned to the left,drew and either my hand slipped on the hammer or I fired a little too quick.The revolver was not up to a point but was pointed at the ground immediately behind my wife who was in front of me.The bullet ,a .22 thank goodness,hit the ground and splattered upward with several pieces lodging in her leg at the calf.I took her to the emergency room and of course they had to report a gun shot wound to the police.It's pretty embarrasing when you shoot your pregnant wife in the leg and have to file a police report.I was advised by the policeman to give up quick draw and dispose of the revolver both of which I did.

Stan in SC

[stepmac]

Those Hawes pistols were made in Germany and were very nicely made, they were prised during their day. Herter imported a similar, but not identical gun.

The Hawes pistol is the only .44 Mag I have ever fired. That was a long time ago. The pistol was new. They'll roll back in your hand, kick hard. I'd shoot it with .44 Specials, everyone else does too. Today I shoot a pretty hotly loaded Smith 25-3 and it doesn't bother me a bit, but that Hawes with heavy loads was punishing.

[Mescalero]

Would love to hear her tell the story