URGENT: Key measurements of an antique rifle (Hawken)

[mahkagari]

Hi all,

I have an appointment next week to get a museum case opened to take measurements and pictures of an antique Hawken rifle that belonged to my 3x great grandfather.

I'm planning a project to build a replica. So, I'll be taking measurements of caliber, barrel length, etc. to get the right parts.

Can you help me with a list of measurements that I should keep in mind? Or any particular place I should look for maker's marks, etc.?

Here are a few, but let me know on details I'm overlooking.

Length of pull
sight distance
barrel across the top
barrel taper
ramrod length
caliber

[Dennis Glazener]

If you can take a straight on side view shot. You can use photo shop software to make an full size print of the rifle. You will need good measurements that you can use to blow the side view shot up to exact size. I normally use the LOP (from butt plate to front trigger)

You could do the same for butt profile (from rear). For this make an exact measurement of the height of the buttplate.
Dennis

[Mike_StL]

When you take the photos, always include an easy to read ruler so that when you enlarge the photo to full size, you have areference.


You need sides, top and bottom.   Close ups of the breech from the top.  The taper at the breech is one of the most difficult areas to replicare.  Typically, because of the large breech, the narrowing taper seems to go the wrong way.  The incorrect taler makes a Hawkes feel cumbersome.  The taper toward the button feels more natural and benefits the alignment of the hammer to the nipple.

Good luck with your project.

[Jerry V Lape]

You can not get too many dimensions.  Like height of wrist, width of wrist, length from tang to point of comb, width of the flat of the buttstock at a couple points.  Dimensions of the lock, width of the flat around the lock.  Photos with ruler in the photo is good advice.  Measurements to locate the cheekpiece. Tang dimensions; thickness of the forestock wood along the barrel sides.  Length of pipes. 

Suggest you get a plastic caliper to measure so you don't scratch the finish.  I also carry a roll of stiff paper and some blue tape to fasten it table, lay the rifle on the paper and trace around the whole thing.  Make yourself one of the wood/pencil tracing blocks discussed on here earlier.  Only takes a minute or two and you have a lot more information.

overall photos are good but you are going to wish you had every detail photographed too so be thorough on all sides of the rifle. 

[eddillon]

I had a similar opportunity many years ago.  I had a 12 inch steel rule in all photos.  Used 35mm film cartridges to raise the rule
to the centerline of the rifle on all side views.  That really helped in producing full size photos.