My dad asked me what his knight mk-85, 50 cal, was worth. I have no idea and need some help. It's blued with a laminate stock on it. It's in great shape but It has the small percussion cap system on it. Any idea if there is a market for these and if so what they are worth???

My guess is realistically somewhere in the $200 range. You may find someone to go higher, but the main thing dictating price is because its blued. That is assuming there is no scope on it.

They are excellent rifles, very accurate and super nice quality. Timney triggers, Green mountain barrels. Field and Stream put them in their top 50 of all time gun list. I've got a bunch of them, and that #11 ignition system is one of the best ever made. Never had a misfire ever in 20+yrs.

Pretty much what WV said. From a buyers perspective, one of the best bargains out there. They're great guns, but everyone's looking for the latest and greatest 209 burner, which reduces their value. I picked up a stainless/laminate one from my LGS last year, like new with box, paperwork & video tape for $165!

You got a deal there!
From what I've seen, good condition stainless bring in the $250 range with no scope. They are great guns, I have quite a few of them.

msuhunter, I would probably keep it and shoot it.

There's a market for the stock, if nothing else. Seems to be a number of folks looking for the older laminated Knights, at least when I'm bidding.

Pricing it at $200 would probably get it sold, it's another $80 to convert it a 209 for the East Coast crowd, the Northwest hunters could/would shoot it as is.

Like everything else, it's worth whatever somebody's willing to pay.

The big bugaboo could be the bore. Be prepared to prove to a buyer that the bore's not pitted and the breechplug's not frozen. In this area, stores commonly don't buy used MLs because so many have corrosion issues from poor maintenance.

If it were mine, I'd list it on Gunbroker, starting at or close to the lowest price I'd be willing to accept. That's to keep from giving it away. It's likely someone from one of the states with ignition restrictions will be interested. The expense of converting to a 209 system might keep those folks away.

Boyds sells stocks for the American Knight which will fit a MK also. Its my opinion this has driven down the resale value of MKs with laminates a tiny bit.

Right now i know where to buy a like new MK85 SS with a composite stock for $225 shipped. Its a 54cal so that hurts it a bit on resale.

Very early MKs with a Lothar, Numrich or Wiseman barrel barrel might fetch a little more than a GM barreled MK if you find the right buyer. A Lothar barrel 45cal MK85 being one of the hardest to find at a reasonable price.

One other thing that might effect value is barrel length. If i remember correctly most MK had a 24" or 26" barrel but there was also the Back Country Carbine or Light Knight with a 20" barrel.

Here is a good read on older MKs.
http://www.blackpowderjournal.com/archives/vol2no3/articles/BPJ23-2.htm

Were the .45 MK85s a fast twist (1:20") like the first DISC .45s? Make a heck of a boolit shooter, like the White .451s.

The MK85 in 45cal was a 1-24 Lothar Walther barrel. Im pretty sure it was a LW barrel since they are the only ones ive found that offered that twist in a 45cal. GM never offered a 1-24 45cal that i can find. Numrich MK barrels were slow twists and Wiseman info is a little hard to pin down.

Im aware of one person on the forums that owns one. He likes it just as much as his 1-20s.

1:20
1:48
1:66
........ sales keep dropping every year. Average Joe is still buying sabot guns 1:28/32.

Kinda' why White went OOB and the sidelock/flintlock models become fewer and fewer every year.

If Knight is planning a 1:18/20 revival new gun this year, sales won't be good. I'll bet they were bombarded by all the techies that post on ML messageboards.....ie.... DWBs, just to name one group.

Those are the ones that want a ML like that. Problem is the buyers/techies only represent 1% of the retail sales market and Knight will eventually find out that they were pressured by a very small group of ML users.

I just called Wiseman. The guy i talked to seems to remember making some 45cal barrels for Knight during that time period too. He said they do make a 45cal barrel in 1-24 but its a pressure test barrel.

White going under is FAR more complicated. For one they were sued by Knight and it cost them a ton in legal fees. White has gone through no less than 3 owners.

White only made 45cals in 1-20 and they were one of the best 45cal bar none. They never jumped on the MAGNUM 45 band wagon like all the rest did.

Pressured?...hardly...Knight won the NMLRA Manufacturers cup 6 years in a row with 45cals. Only the last one or two were with the fancy Target model. The others were mostly with the old 1-20 DISC rifles.

Since the new NMRLA inline match is gaining popularity again, they want to offer a competitive OEM rifle. That rifle is not even intended for hunting. Neither was the old 1-18, That why it was called the Target model in the 2006 catalog.

I agree. My White .45s are my favorites. Docs formula of moderate powder charges and long bullets do all you could ask for, except flat trajectories. For shots under 150 yards that's not a big issue but nowdays it seems everyone wants 3-500 yard capabilities.

45cal 400-500gr lead conicals at under 1400fps probably killed most of the really big game in the USA before the invention of high velocity smokeless.

They are still top competitors in many of the old style shooting matches including the last few inline matches at Friendship. These arent no whimpy target loads either.