Best Hawken trigger guard

[mountainman70]

Hi everyone, who has the best,smooth finished ,meaning NO casting parting lines to have to work off? Old Arthur j ritus is creeping in,and dressing up these guards really wears me out. I like to save my hands for the most of the job building,I am just trying to find ways to make it more enjoyable for as long as I can. Thanks a bunch. Dave

[rich pierce]

You just need an apprentice, Dave!  What style/period Hawken are you planning?

[mountainman70]

Hi Rich, generic late scroll guard. Ever try to find help? Good help impossible in many trades. I aint doing this full time,just like to build,sometimes sell.As you know,there is plenty of handwork to do,so with some careful planning and good parts,it is good. Of all the effort spent,the working of the guards of most guns is for me the most wearing. BTW,didja say howdie to them fellers I mentioned? Dave

[rich pierce]

I always say hi when I pass by the old shop. I actually don't have a Hawken rifle for myself.  That doesn't seem right for a St. Louis guy.  It's just that I like flintlocks the best, and, you know.....

I sometimes polish parts and locks for builders in exchange for stuff.  But that's when I'm not busy and right now I'm working on the tuition series of rifles.  Daughter going to grad school. 

Back to your question, I've seen a lot of variety in roughness/smoothness of brass castings but not iron/steel castings. 

[mountainman70]

Glad you pay your respects to em. No complaints about the iron castings for smoothness,guess I will have to get mechanized.I like them flinters,too,specially smr's.But I get a Hawken binge ever now and then. Have a wunnerful day. Dave

[Mike Brooks]

I can't work at all any more, but when I can again I'll just have to go slower. Natural part of life. (or so I'm told).

[Kingsburyarms]

PM Sent

[Bob Roller]

Hi everyone, who has the best,smooth finished ,meaning NO casting parting lines to have to work off? Old Arthur j ritus is creeping in,and dressing up these guards really wears me out. I like to save my hands for the most of the job building,I am just trying to find ways to make it more enjoyable for as long as I can. Thanks a bunch. Dave

I have never seen one for sale as a finished item unless it was part of an abandoned
project. I used my Rube Goldberg polishing/grinder set up to smooth one out a bit for
Ray Pennington's project.It was a hard casting and broke after he installed the whole
trigger unit with guard attached and a flat to the grip style common to J&S Hawken rifles.
Quality control is not part of the equation on a lot of these parts.

Bob Roller

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I have purchased quite a variety of Hawken guards over the years...all investment cast steel...and they all have parting lines and a blasted finish.  They all require filing, and polishing, and many need to be bent to be correct.  That's just the way of it.

[Scota4570]

I have bought three lately.  Two different sources.  They were all pretty bad.  IF the mold was properly filled out consider yourself lucky. 

[okieboy]

 If you are willing to invest, these tools are handy beyond belief. I have used and purchased lots of these (air driven) for an assembly shop. Dynafile/Dynabrade

http://www.lehighvalleyabrasives.com/tools-and-equipment-dynafile-ll-electric-abrasive-belt-tool-dynabrade-40610-dyn40610?gclid=Cj0KCQjw--DLBRCNARIsAFIwR273_g24kCWgKZMOo8qSNFXtBP7rg3ALXC72gMknoMOeiGqm6-4AYMIaAhmzEALw_wcB

[Joe S.]

I bought three,all needed to be filed and polished.I hear ya about the work required to make em look good.Three different guards from three different suppliers and all needed about the same amount of work.

[Bob Roller]

I have purchased quite a variety of Hawken guards over the years...all investment cast steel...and they all have parting lines and a blasted finish.  They all require filing, and polishing, and many need to be bent to be correct.  That's just the way of it.

Those two J&S guards I did for Ray Pennington were hard and I heated them
to a dull orange to bend them. No way to know where they came from.

Bob Roller