Author Topic: GRRW - Half Stock .54 Percussion (Read 29964 times)

fyrwokr · « **on:** January 22, 2015, 08:57:06 AM »

Recently acquired this fine rifle. Have been of looking for one for awhile now. Hard to come by these days. Haven't shot her yet, but soon. The previous owner knew no history - other than he has had it for about 15 years
Barrel is 36" Douglas , 1" across the flats, caliber is .54, barrel stamped "DM" , I believe that is for Don McKee. Ram rod is not correct - that's an easy fix though. Will hunt with her next season

uploadphotos

shifty · « **Reply #1 on:** January 22, 2015, 09:48:41 AM »

Looks like a great find there!

Mtn Meek · « **Reply #2 on:** January 27, 2015, 11:53:02 PM »

fyrwokr,

I've sent you a PM.

fyrwokr · « **Reply #3 on:** January 28, 2015, 04:38:15 AM »

Thanks for the follow up on my rifle Phil. Answered questions but led to a few others.

General · « **Reply #4 on:** March 25, 2016, 03:52:43 AM »

Great looking piece. I found one about a month ago. Bought it along with a 54 Sharon. Both shoot great at any distance. Mine is stamped 414, GP and Ken Pierce engraved professionally on the top of the barrel. Would be nice to know who Ken is as I know or have talked with several of the builders from GRRW. Went shooting with DOC last Saturday.
Anyone have any info about Ken?

nosrettap1958 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 28, 2016, 07:17:02 AM »

A Douglas barrel on a Green River, interesting.

General, have you looked at these posts?

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=32210.msg327943#msg327943

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=37390.msg359512#msg359512

Herb · « **Reply #6 on:** March 30, 2016, 07:10:57 PM »

Carl Walker, gun builder of the old GRRW has the shop records. Your rifle was built with a Douglas barrel, which GRRW used in the early days, with a Ron Long lock and premium wood. It was sold to a customer named Fite in June, 1977.

chuck p · « **Reply #7 on:** March 30, 2016, 10:24:04 PM »

since their seems to be some interest in GRRW hawkens,...i just happen to have one for sale,...its an early one in .54 caliber, has the serial number and .54 stamped on barrel flat.
interested parties can message me for more info and pictures
thanks
chuck

nosrettap1958 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 31, 2016, 05:44:16 AM »

I was interested in a GRRW Hawken rifle that is until I saw the Art Ressel and Don Stith Hawken rifles.

BigAl52 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 10, 2016, 06:51:07 AM »

Sent you a PM on the GRRW Chuck. Al

Mike Brooks · « **Reply #10 on:** April 10, 2016, 03:10:08 PM »

I remember back when I got started those guns were THE THING TO HAVE. There has to be a whole bunch of them leaning in dark closets somewhere. That's a nice green one....

Boompa · « **Reply #11 on:** April 10, 2016, 04:47:23 PM »

Maybe it's an early one? I thought GRRW made their own 7 groove barrels.

WadePatton · « **Reply #12 on:** April 10, 2016, 08:02:57 PM »

Quote from: Boompa on April 10, 2016, 04:47:23 PM

Maybe it's an early one? I thought GRRW made their own 7 groove barrels.

See Herb's post above.

JoeG · « **Reply #13 on:** April 10, 2016, 09:11:53 PM »

Herb, that date doesn't match the gun. I worked there in 1975-76 and at that time GRRW was making all their own barrels and had stopped using chromic acid to stain their guns because of the green color. Stocks were stained using AF with a coat of Potassium Permanganate. Also Don McKee had left GRRW before I started working there and was living in Alaska in 1977.

Herb · « **Reply #14 on:** April 11, 2016, 05:54:40 PM »

Hi, Joe. Haven't seen you at the shoots for some time. I think Jim Goodman has his Peep Shoot this Sunday, the 17th. Hope to see you there. I called Carl Walker again and he looked at his book, which says as I quoted above. No. 456 was built by Carl the week of 6/8/77, 457 by Don McKee on 6/14/77 and No. 458 by Gardell Powell on 6/14/77. The stain of that rifle is probably chromic acid, which I put on my Leman I built in Greg Robert' class in "Custom Antique Riflesmithing" at GRRW in November, 1978. That finish has a greenish cast to it. Carl would like you to phone him to talk about this.

Herb · « **Reply #15 on:** April 12, 2016, 12:20:14 AM »

Fyrwokr- what makes you call that barrel a Douglas?

nosrettap1958 · « **Reply #16 on:** April 12, 2016, 03:15:18 PM »

Quote from: Herb on April 12, 2016, 12:20:14 AM

Fyrwokr- what makes you call that barrel a Douglas?

That's what I always thought that GRRW used Bill Large barrels then started making their own barrels.

grabenkater · « **Reply #17 on:** April 12, 2016, 03:25:49 PM »

I have a Leman rifle in .58 made by Neil Fields that has that odd green cast to the wood. I'd love to change it but I think it might harm the value.

Bob Roller · « **Reply #18 on:** April 12, 2016, 04:16:46 PM »

Quote from: crawdad on April 12, 2016, 03:15:18 PM

Quote from: Herb on April 12, 2016, 12:20:14 AM
Fyrwokr- what makes you call that barrel a Douglas?

That's what I always thought that GRRW used Bill Large barrels then started making their own barrels.

As far as I know,Bill Large did supply barrels to GRRW and trained a man that worked for GRRW to make barrels and sold them machinery to make them with.

Bob Roller

stuart cee dub · « **Reply #19 on:** April 13, 2016, 01:22:08 AM »

'' Magic maple stain'' turned my first Hawken green.
It started off nice then got worse and worse .I refinished mine and swore off
anything other than analine dyes. Now it's an authenticator ?

Don Stith · « **Reply #20 on:** April 13, 2016, 03:28:44 AM »

Quote from: JoeG on April 10, 2016, 09:11:53 PM

Herb, that date doesn't match the gun. I worked there in 1975-76 and at that time GRRW was making all their own barrels and had stopped using chromic acid to stain their guns because of the green color. Stocks were stained using AF with a coat of Potassium Permanganate. Also Don McKee had left GRRW before I started working there and was living in Alaska in 1977.

Joe
Was Bill Estes there when you were? I don't remember what years he was there.

Martin S. · « **Reply #21 on:** April 14, 2016, 01:42:51 AM »

Quote from: stuart cee dub on April 13, 2016, 01:22:08 AM

'' Magic maple stain'' turned my first Hawken green.
It started off nice then got worse and worse .I refinished mine and swore off
anything other than analine dyes. Now it's an authenticator ?

How were you able to refinish it to get rid of the green tone?

I ask because I have a rifle that may eventually need this treatment.

I don't like the green tone.

Herb · « **Reply #22 on:** April 16, 2016, 09:32:52 PM »

Don Stith- Carney Pace worked at GRRW and I just asked him about Bill Estes. Carney knew him well and still corresponds with him. Carney said he worked there from about 1971 or 1972 until about 1975. He built mainly Lemans but some Hawkens. He moved to Sturgis, KY and now has a keen interest in Model A cars.

Don Stith · « **Reply #23 on:** April 16, 2016, 11:46:58 PM »

Herb
Thanks
I lost contact with him. Used to enjoy him and his wife at Friendship

Mike Brooks · « **Reply #24 on:** April 17, 2016, 01:31:52 PM »

Didn't they offer about 1/2 dozen different guns back in the day? I remember I sure wanted one bad.

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Author Topic: GRRW - Half Stock .54 Percussion (Read 29964 times)

fyrwokr

fyrwokr

nosrettap1958

nosrettap1958

Boompa

JoeG

nosrettap1958