Scaled down Hawken type rifles?

[JoeG]

Not that I know of

[BrownBear]

I'll be darned.  Not that common a name.  He worked on base in the 70's before retiring and starting his own heavy equipment contracting company.  One of my favorite characters, so that in itself is a recommendation!     Thanks for the comeback, and I'll say hi to Ron next time we're in the big city at the same time.

[Skychief]

I would love to see some more of these type rifles if possible.

I shot my 45 caliber, 7/8"x30" barreled "Hawken" today.   

I was able to group 5 shots into 1 1/4" at 60 yards kneeling  (that's as good as I can see nowadays).   The last shot of the afternoon was at a gong 110 yards distant and hit it.   I tell you all this not to brag, but, to share my  excitement and enthusiasm with this style of rifle.   I don't understand why Hawken "Squirrel" Rifles aren't more popular.

I still have a 13/16" 32 caliber Douglas barrel.   I wonder if it would look out of place on a scaled down Hawken.

If you all have anymore pics/opinions/information to share, please do.


Thanks, Skychief.

[caliber45]

Skychief -- One of the gents here sent me instructions a year or so back on how to work Photobucket, but I misplaced them, so I don't know how to post here. I have built "grandkids' carbines" for my 13 grandchildren (four don't yet have them in hand). All half-stock, most with very short barrels (21 inches -- half a 42-inch barrel!), but a couple with 26-28-inch barrels. No particular school, and certainly not historically correct. I just chose trigger guards I liked the looks of, and use mostly Siler small percussion locks. Plus a couple of flinters. Calibers range from .32, .36 and .40. Quality is not on a par with what the pros on this forum make, but they're presentable and shootable. If you'd like some images, I can email them to you. -- paulallen, tucson az

[Mtn Meek]

Sam built such a scaled down plains rifle in the day. 

R. W. Wilson's book, THE PEACEMAKERS, has a picture of an original S. Hawken 3/4 size rifle on page 51.  It's described as a "boys" rifle with a .41 caliber, 33-1/2" barrel.

I believe Art Ressel is holding this same or similar rifle as he describes the typical characteristics of a late Hawken rifle in the beginning of Hershel House's video on "Building A Hawken Rifle".

[SCLoyalist]

40 cal, 13/16" barrel, 32"  Bill Large barrel scribed "T. Nixon 78", Roller lock,  14" LOP, labelled as a Plains rifle, rather than a Hawken, by the seller.

[Skychief]

That is a fine rifle there SCLoyalist!

Can you tell any more about it....How does she shoot?

Skychief.

[SCLoyalist]

Skychief,  It shot well the last time I had her up to the range - but I really need to do some work off a rest with it.   My last outing was all offhand - gun kept shots in the black of a 6 bull target at 25 yds, and put 4 of 5 into black of a big bull at 100 yds.   The gun is very particular as to what patch and lube is necessary to give good results.  On that last outing,  using oiled linen for patching gave the results I just mentioned, but switching to pillowticking really messed things up.

After a couple of more shoots in the next couple of months, I need to lay my flint guns aside and work with this one.

SCL

[Skychief]

Too many rifles and too little time, huh?

[SCLoyalist]

Too many rifles and too little time, huh?

That's about the size of it.   It's kind of a nice problem to have, though.  Certainly better than too much time and too few rifles.

[Horserod]

  I have a "Plains" rifle that is very similar to the rifle "sniper68" displayed.  It has a 13/16 barrel and 28" long in .45 cal.  Mine is not as well built as sniper's as it was built for me back in '74 by a young apprentice.  I don't know who made the barrel or lock.  The stock is made of walnut (I believe) with brass works and a patch box.  I shot that rifle so much back in those days !!!  I took a nice Whitetail buck with it in '75 and hung it up till '91 when I let my 14 year old son use it to take a young doe.  It sat in the closet until last month when I cleaned it up (it was nasty!) and found it still drives tacks at 25 yds just like it used to.  Shoots a 1" group (5 shots) using a lite load of 40 grs of 3F with a .445 ball and .010 patch.  I'll try to get a couple of pics together.  The stock has cracked in two places and I just wrapped over the cracks with sinew like the old Indian remedy........Don't laugh,  It works real well and adds a little touch of class.   Horserod

[John Henry]

In THE SAGA OF ANDY BURNETT, a 1931 classic mountain man story, Andy starts out to the Rockies with an inherited early Pennsylvania longrifle and finds his way to California after years of adventures in the mountains.  There he marries a California rancher's daughter and when his son is very small orders a Hawken rifle in small caliber and boy's size from St. Louis.  Don't know if author Stewart Edward White ever saw a small Hawken, but I have long thought it likely that such a rifle would have been ordered by some caring father for his son. 

[Swampwalker]

Sounds like a good yarn, John.  I always loved S.E. White's 'Daniel Boone', especially his chapter on the longrifle.