Mark is SO right.There were "experts" at Friendship that could not tell the difference
between these two guns.Bill Large made the barrel and I did the lock and triggers.
The lock was low quality and I remember griping about such a wretched lock on a
Hawken in church clothes. The triggers were a bit better and the front one pivoted on a finishing nail.
I had the old lock with me in my shop and copied it exactly as Tom requested.I have made two more
on this pattern and still have it in my collection of about 22 caplock profiles.
I think this was in 1968 when I made the one on this superb copy.I am glad it's still in the Dawson
family.Tom was years ahead of his contemporaries and this is one more example of his uncanny
attention to obscure details on a rifle.Thank you Mark for showing this and for reviving memories of a great
friend now gone since 1989.
Bob Roller
