Martin G,researching these Hawkens can be baffling.I am in the process of finding a builder to do a 1830's Hawken.The Modena rifle shown has a trigger guard that most say was 1840 or later.So either those guards were made earlier or it was replaced with later type guard when the rifle was redone.I still don't know if will go with Perc. or flint LOL!For the money I am going to spend I want get it as close to the originals. as possible.
I would hesitate to try to date a Hawken based solely on the TG.
Yes its a variant. Its all silver mounted and dates to 1836 and has a TG mounted with pins.
Here are some more from probably late 1820s onward some are mountain rifles some not. One is the "Peterson" Hawken from Baird's book and several more appear there.
Most of the Mtn rifles, including one mounted entirely in brass, have the higher grip rail.
The Modena guard is much like a J&S FS rifle in Baird's book and I see no reason to date it earlier than the guard type on the Peterson rifle. But the FS rifle appears to be one of the earlier rifles in the book but this is ?
The only known original Flintlock Hawken "Mtn rifle" the late S Hawken in the Smithsonian has the high scroll TG and probably dates to the 1850s.
There is a very similar FS percussion S Hawken that has the guard like the Modena.
Its just not a dating feature that I can see.
The "high" scroll guard similar to that shown in the "fan" of rifles above dates to at least the 1780s in England. The Hawken is obviously an Americanized English sporting rifle of 1820 onwards. So the guard style is not something I would care to make a date on. The "flat to the wrist" vs the "high" scroll may have been customer preference for all we know.
Dan
