The Kennett Hawken

[Longknife]

I just visited The Ralph Foster Museum at College of the Ozarks and took several (poor) pictures of the "Kennett" Hawken rifle on display there. Does any one have any specs on this rifle?  Barrel length, dia., caliber, weight? Better yet, does any one have some  GOOD pictures of it? It appears to be a lighter weight rifle, not the standard heavy, plains rifle that we normaly see. It also has some very interesting and unusual hardware that makes it very unique....Thanks, Ed  

[Chuck Burrows]

Howdy Ed -
The Museum of the Fur Trade Journal has a completeley documented and illustrated article on this gun by the former owner John Powell - it's in Volume 13 #4 - call them and they will sell a copy of that issue if still available or otherwise they will scan and sell a copy of just the article.
It was built in the 1850's by Sam Hawken for Colonel Ferdinand Kennett, St Louis business man who originally owned the St. Louis Shot Tower and passed away in 1860. I've talked with Don Stith about it a bit and IIRC he told me it has a swamped barrel with the swamp being in the middle of the barrel.
As to good photos - I haven't seen the MOFT article so can't say for sure if they have any good ones, but there are no real good ones that I know of elsewhere.
These are about the best I've got taken from the book "Firearms of the American West: 1803-1865" by Garavaglia & Worman:
http://www.wrtcleather.com/1-ckd/firearms-hawken/hawken-ozarks-1.jpg

http://www.wrtcleather.com/1-ckd/firearms-hawken/hawken-ozarks-2.jpg

[Swampwalker]

I am very interested in this rifle as well - I am in the process of making a full-stock late-style Hawken, but the example from the Cody museum that inspired me has the typical straight cheekpiece, and I really like the so-called beaver-tail cheek piece, as this rifle has.  Even somewhat poor photo's of this rifle would be appreciated to get a closer look at some of the detail. 
Regards
David Balsley

[Hawken2012]

I realize this post is a few years old.  This is the picture of the Kennett Hawken shown on the front page of the Ralph Foster Museum website.  This is a really neat looking fullstock Hawken rifle! 

Here's my question, what is that brass colored thing in the buttstock just to the upper right of the patchbox???  Is it an inlay, if so, it seems like a very random place for one?





Here is a link to another photo of this rifle in the museum. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dustinholmes/14369685236

[Don Stith]

It is definitely an inlay.  I don't remember it being brass though.  The other oddity is one of the "s" shaped key plates is upside down from the others.  I think it is the rear one on the cheekpiece side.

 Sorry about the uncertainty but it has been many years since I saw it and can't find the pictures I took of it

[moseswhite]

The piece on the stock is silver and If my memory serves me right it is on the surface of the stock and not inlayed into the wood. I only have average photos of the rifle and they would allow no measurements of this rifle . And I've inquired many times over the years . They have ruined the finish on the great rifle by letting students clean it with what appears to be a brillow pad or steel wool . What a shame !!