AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Gun Building => Topic started by: ScottH on October 07, 2025, 07:21:50 PM
-
Kibler Plains / Hawken kit:
Looks like Jim and Company are taking orders now.
Who is ordering one?
I have a son that just returned from the Marines. He is considering putting in an order, but is doesn't know what he would like to order for stock wood.
What do any of you think about wood options for this kit? Also I think .54 caliber would do for about anything including elk. Or would the .58 be the ticket if we hunt elk every year here in WA?
Thanks
Scott
-
Here are some photos of the first production gun. I'll follow up with some more detailed photos later today. I'm also working on a fancier version that will include the patchbox and inlay options as well as some engraving. If you have any questions, just ask. Thanks!
(https://i.ibb.co/7Jr94fFP/SMALLHawken-Oct2025-Green.jpg) (https://ibb.co/rG5WsjJY)
(https://i.ibb.co/P8X6ttx/SMALLHawken-Oct2025-Green-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/CFCHWWB)
(https://i.ibb.co/qMVzJ8Jm/SMALLHawken-Oct2025-Green-3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/jvsdJYJ3)
(https://i.ibb.co/0pSDgwJ0/SMALLHawken-Oct2025-Green-4.jpg) (https://ibb.co/xK0Cp45n)
(https://i.ibb.co/jvq0T3tp/SMALLHawken-Oct2025-Green-5.jpg) (https://ibb.co/4ZCv74kQ)
(https://i.ibb.co/gbfSPnLq/SMALLHawken-Oct2025-Green-6.jpg) (https://ibb.co/spNK6Bdx)
(https://i.ibb.co/GfJM8t12/SMALLHawken-Oct2025-Green-7.jpg) (https://ibb.co/mrBy2XYq)
(https://i.ibb.co/PzrZhHJR/SMALLHawken-Oct2025-Green-8.jpg) (https://ibb.co/qFDMsQhz)
(https://i.ibb.co/gMkmGwsk/SMALLHawken-Oct2025-Green-9.jpg) (https://ibb.co/hR3LkHp3)
(https://i.ibb.co/vv3cw7Wy/SMALLHawken-Oct2025-Green-12.jpg) (https://ibb.co/rfxQ7Ch8)
(https://i.ibb.co/QF8nWTx5/SMALLHawken-Oct2025-Green-13.jpg) (https://ibb.co/99w2x1dM)
(https://i.ibb.co/RZV7Ncj/SMALLHawken-Oct2025-Green-14.jpg) (https://ibb.co/w3xY74c)
-
Beautiful. Very well executed. Your wood selection and color is fantastic. I hope you sell a gazillion of them.
R/David
-
Some more detailed shots...
(https://i.ibb.co/6kPrvnW/IMG-3280.jpg) (https://ibb.co/wfWBJ0z)
(https://i.ibb.co/zWGVrrQC/IMG-3306.jpg) (https://ibb.co/j9gkTTbq)
(https://i.ibb.co/84DgG14x/IMG-3312.jpg) (https://ibb.co/vvx4f0vd)
(https://i.ibb.co/tk5SV1C/IMG-3313.jpg) (https://ibb.co/SWp2FZv)
(https://i.ibb.co/Jwm1kRwp/IMG-3315.jpg) (https://ibb.co/dwjTK0wp)
(https://i.ibb.co/2Ypt3Xmc/IMG-3316.jpg) (https://ibb.co/PzVhGB31)
-
Magnificent! What is the weight, .58 cal?
-
Jim Kibler,
Thanks for those wonderful pictures.
What have you used for the percussion nipple on this rifle?
The lock looks splendid for this application.
Scott
-
Magnificent! What is the weight, .58 cal?
Thank you! The .58 should weigh about 7lb 12oz. This rifle is .54 and weighs just at 8lb.
-
Jim Kibler,
Thanks for those wonderful pictures.
What have you used for the percussion nipple on this rifle?
The lock looks splendid for this application.
Scott
This is a nipple I got from Track. I'll likely purchase them for the kits. They are made well and are available for a fair price. Track has been a good partner for us. Thanks.
-
Beautiful. Very well executed. Your wood selection and color is fantastic. I hope you sell a gazillion of them.
R/David
Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. Really appreciate it!
-
HOME RUN...........
-
J.K. HAWKEN. Now that’s cool!
-
I like it. Beautifully done.
-
I'll get one and probably an extra barrel, I put down the deposit. I encouraged a buddy to get one and he is already paid in full. I suspect this will be the most popular Kibler kit to date.
-
That's all kinds of gorgeous.
Is the under-rib soldered on or integral with the barrel?
-
Very well done, Jim. I expected no less form your "diggins". 8)
-
The lines flow really well on the standing breech and the barrel breech and snail interface.
Really nice lines on the rest of the rifle.
Sweet, ordered and paid for one in .54 myself, don't need it, I have a few nice heavy hawken clones, but, this one intrigues me.
-
Looks nice. The first thing I noticed was that there looks to be a little extra room in front of the front trigger which I like.
-
Sure looks like another winner to me.
Jeff
-
To the OP:
I ordered two. One for my son, and one for my son-in-law.
I went with .54, extra curly maple, no inlays, no patch box.
I have found from buying several of Jim's other kits that his extra curly maple wood is exceptional. Yes, it costs more, but the chatoyance is outstanding!
These kits are not cheap, but you can't beat the quality, and I believe you get your money's worth.
-
Kibler cost less not more. The Pedersoli Hawken now costs $2500. I would not pay $500 for one. Pedersoli should be embarrassed. They are asking $1000 more than Kibler for a sad excuse of a gun.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1022199477?pid=711455
-
Kibler cost less not more. The Pedersoli Hawken now costs $2500. I would not pay $500 for one. Pedersoli should be embarrassed. They are asking $1000 more than Kibler for a sad excuse of a gun.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1022199477?pid=711455
Wow! I had no idea about the cost of a Pedersoli Hawken. Thanks for the recalibration.
-
That's amazing. tks for the link SCOTA4570.
-
Kibler cost less not more. The Pedersoli Hawken now costs $2500. I would not pay $500 for one. Pedersoli should be embarrassed. They are asking $1000 more than Kibler for a sad excuse of a gun.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1022199477?pid=711455
Thanks for this information. I may have looked at Pedersoli’s pricing at one point, but had forgotten. I had been feeling bad for having to charge what we do, but am feeling a little better now!
One thing for sure, a Hawken styled rifle is more complicated and difficult to produce as compared to a typical Longrifle. It’s a struggle for us to keep these as affordable as possible while still making sure they are profitable for us. It seems expenses just keep rising. I was just recently comparing some of our costs to last year and was shocked.
Anyways, thanks guys! I’ll be looking forward to getting a fancier version together and showing it as well.
-
The base price on the Kibler Hawken Kit is $1505. If he would have been making his kit as it is today in 1970 when the TC Hawkens first came out,
The price would be $180.00. I don't think TC would have sold many. The cost of things hasn't gone up the value of the dollar has gone down.
-
Will be ordering one of Jim’s Hawken kits. I was shocked at the price increase on the Pedersoli version. I have the same model as the one in the link and paid approximately $950 for it new from Cabelas back in 2012.
Jay
-
I think it looks great. I signed up on the wait list the day it was announced, or a day later. Because I have confidence in Jim and what he does, I wanted to support him, and enjoy finishing another of his kits. Plus, living out West in elk country, and living in St Louis for a while as a boy, it just seems fitting for me to have one.
-
The base price on the Kibler Hawken Kit is $1505. If he would have been making his kit as it is today in 1970 when the TC Hawkens first came out,
The price would be $180.00. I don't think TC would have sold many. The cost of things hasn't gone up the value of the dollar has gone down.
Wonder what a TC sold for in 1970?
-
In catalog #1 a TC Hawken listed for $195 .
-
I just looked for an early Thompson Center ad, but can't find anything earlier than this one, 1979. The dollar was hit by then by inflation and the gas crisis. In 1970 $200 was equal to about $1600 today.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54840803576_1f11b2cc8a_o.jpg)
-
All I can say is nicely done Jim! It’s not a copy of any original Hawken, J&S or Sam, instead it is a JK Hawken and beautifully designed. I had a family member ask if I’d put one together for him because he wants a gun to pass down as an heirloom, so I got on the pre-order list the day it came out. As a dyed in the wool Hawken guy I can’t wait to put my hands on a JK Hawken.
-Steve
-
The base price on the Kibler Hawken Kit is $1505. If he would have been making his kit as it is today in 1970 when the TC Hawkens first came out,
The price would be $180.00. I don't think TC would have sold many. The cost of things hasn't gone up the value of the dollar has gone down.
Wonder what a TC sold for in 1970?
In 1975 while stationed in San Diego, I bought a Thompson Center Hawken kit from the Patch and Ball gun shop on El Cajon Blvd for $125.00. I don't know what a finished T/C Hawken sold for.
R/David
-
The base price on the Kibler Hawken Kit is $1505. If he would have been making his kit as it is today in 1970 when the TC Hawkens first came out,
The price would be $180.00. I don't think TC would have sold many. The cost of things hasn't gone up the value of the dollar has gone down.
Wonder what a TC sold for in 1970?
I got my t Hawken in 1974 at Target for $150 and that included a Lyman 490 mold with handles, a powder measure and a short starter.
-
Bought mine in '73. I don't remember the cost. Taylor had been shooting one, a flint model for a few years by then.
Maybe he remembers. Money, North and South was about on par then.
-
I bought my TC Hawken (flint) kit in 1975 from Interarms in Alexandria VA for $130. That was a lot of lawn mowing.
-
A T/C Hawken kit the summer of 1977 was $140. Jim I like what you did with the buttplate and buttstock. With the wider plate the lines flow so much better than the pinched in originals.
-
I bought my TC Hawken (flint) kit in 1975 from Interarms in Alexandria VA for $130. That was a lot of lawn mowing.
That is what I paid in '75 for the same kit. I got mine from an agricultural supply company that also sold guns. The lock was a train wreck. I eventfully converted it to percussion.
-
I bought my TC Hawken (flint) kit in 1975 from Interarms in Alexandria VA for $130. That was a lot of lawn mowing.
The lock was a train wreck. I eventfully converted it to percussion.
Yes, that lock was defiantly a poor performer. My percussion Hawken buddies had a lot of fun at my expense!
-
To the OP. For Elk every year you can't beat the .58. With moderate charges it shoots fairly flat out to 100 yards, is easy on the shoulder, and is accurate.
It's a thumper! That gun, in a .58 will be a fantastic big game gun!
-
Back on topic
Any if you that have placed an order, care to share what wood and or grade of wood you asked for? :)
-
When I signed up I started with Walnut, because I know how to finish it. But changed my order to Fancy Maple, because I want to learn how to finish it. And more traditional on a Hawken.
-
I think some of the things that Mr. Kibler has done with this kit are interesting. I'm sure some have been done with production in mind. I like the rear sights he used which are reminiscent of the Mariano Modena's sights. The tapered barrels to keep the weight low. His treatment of the tang area will not need retooling for a flintlock breech, should someone want such a thing.
Keeping in mind that most folks nowadays are rather wimpish, the lighter weight rifles make a lot of sense.
Overall very similar to one I made in .54 with a 34-inch barrel tapered from 1" at the breech to 7/8th at the muzzle. That one weighed in at 8.5 lbs.
As far as what a traditional Hawken is, no two are exactly alike.
Hopefully he will sell more than TC ever did.
-
Jim I like what you did with the buttplate and buttstock. With the wider plate the lines flow so much better than the pinched in originals.
Not all of us feel that way. To me, that was a hallmark of a Hawken stock. But you could easily modify the kit to mimic that. If I bought one I surely would.
-
Jim, Many rifles with a deeply hooked butt plate are difficult to shoot from the shoulder like a regular rifle
or shotgun. Is this rifle intended to be fired from the shoulder ?
Second, how well does the rifle handle and align when sighting from the LEFT shoulder ?
Thanks for producing a Hawkin with a reasonable carry weight .
-
The buttplate has some curve. I made it have a touch less than most Hawken originals, but it still has a fair amount. Not as much as our SMR, but definitely more than our Woodsrunner. It shoulders well, but it needs to be in the right spot. That is, a touch further out than with an earlier style buttplate.
The stock is straight, so it could be shot left handed with no problem.
-
I just love ALL of Jims rifles - they are top quality all the way! Top shelf workmanship cost but for the price you get more quality than anything else. I will equate it to buying a Randall Made Knife to a Buck knife. Both will do the job BUT holding a Randall Made Knife is a work of art - same with a Kibler rifle!
-
Being everyone knows I'm frugal I'm holding out for the $125.00 sale..!
-
Back on topic
Any if you that have placed an order, care to share what wood and or grade of wood you asked for? :)
I ordered a cherry stock in .50 caliber with the silver inlay.
-
It's a beautiful work. No doubt. It appears that Jim has used his Bone Black in the finish process. I do love the look of that rifle.
Here in Pa. we are only permitted to used a flintlock rifle in the post Christmas "flintlock season". Now, a percussion can be used in "rifle season" or in the early "muzzle loader" season (and most simply use an in-line).
I've studied the photo's Jim has posted but I don't see a way to convert it to a flintlock. Jim has said he would not offer this in a flintlock as he has other models that are flints. I understand that, but for me to own a cap lock just doesn't make sense.
-
Back on topic
Any if you that have placed an order, care to share what wood and or grade of wood you asked for? :)
I ordered the walnut stock with the patchbox and silver inlays
-
Mine is medium fancy maple in .58 caliber.
-
A .54 cal will serve you well on elk & bison. I think that the performance improvement you might realize by going to .58 cal will be fairly small. Most original Hawkens that I have handled have been pretty plain mape or , fewer sill, plain walnut. If you're like me, though, you love beautiful wood so curly maple is the way to go.
Roger B.
-
I went with medium fancy maple just because I have mostly walnut guns and one plain maple. Went with .58 to fill a gap, since I have .36, .45, .50, 2 - .54, a .62 smooth bore and soon a .62 jaeger rifled. Plus I like big holes in the paper, which is the most of my shooting.