GRRW Flintlock Hawken Rifles (Where Are They?)

[Daniel Coats]

There used to be two 62 caliber flintlock  Green River Rifle Works full stock Hawken rifles at the factory. They had been to Alaska on a moose hunt prior to 1976 and we're hanging on the wall. Carney remembers them also.

Any idea what happened to them?

[Daniel Coats]

Okay let me open it up a bit. Does anyone know where any Green River Rifle Works flint Hawken rifles are?

[Carney Pace]

S.N 1 went to Steamboat Springs, Colo., then traveled to Alaska for several years and now is back in Steamboat Springs.

Leman short trade rifle full-stock flint went  also to Steamboat and the last I heard had moved to SW Colorado, also  S.N 1.

Have no idea where any others are.

Carney

[Mtn Meek]

I own a GRRW Flintlock Hawken rifle.  It was made by Gardell Powell in 1978.  It's a .58 caliber.



I know of another five in various collections around the country.  At least one of them is a .62 caliber.

How confident are you about the 1976 date, Dan?  As you can see in this notice about guns that were stolen in May 1976, they had made less than 10 at that time.  According to the information that was given to me by the GRRW smiths making these rifles, none of the first 9 full stock Hawken rifles were .62 caliber.  The notice says the two that were stolen were .58 caliber and according to the records the rest were .54 caliber.

If you are correct on the date, could your recollection of the calibers be off, and the rifles you saw hanging on the wall be the two that were stolen?

[Mtn Meek]

By the way, none of the guns stolen from GRRW were ever recovered.  A person was caught, charged, and convicted for the theft, but the guns may have been dumped or destroyed before they caught up with him.

[Daniel Coats]

I talked about the trip to SLC for a rock concert with my brother a couple weeks ago. He remembers stopping by GRRW and seeing the two flint Hawken rifles on the wall. My impression at the time was they were owned privately and I remember being told they were 62 caliber and just got back from an Alaskan moose hunt. I know they were not for sale because I asked.

I can't believe I still have the ticket stub for the concert but it documents the day I was at the factory and saw the rifles.

[Daniel Coats]

Either way on the caliber question I'm confident the mystery of what happened to the two flint Hawken rifles is solved.

[Daniel Coats]

Many thanks to Carney and Phil for replying to my post. I'll see you both at the Collectors show later this year.

[Mtn Meek]

Cool that you still had that ticket stub.  Must have been a memorable concert.  Growing up listening to country music, I had never heard of that band.  Had to look them up on Wikipedia.  Seems they're still performing.

We both may have learned some from this exchange.

Ed Trump has shared the information from his personal record for the time he spent a GRRW.  He made the prototype full stock Hawken for GRRW and production FS Hawkens number 1 through 7 and number 9.  All but one were flintlock.  Trump's notes indicate that two of the flintlocks were Allen locks and the rest were Siler locks.  Number 8 was made by another smith, maybe Ron Paull, but I'm not sure.

FS Hawken #9 was finished on 5/5/75.  Plenty of time for it to have made the trip to Alaska and back in time for your concert.

But it always made me wonder why #'s 8 and 9 were still in the shop a year after they were finished and part of the theft?  Trump made those eight FS Hawken rifles almost one after another over less than a five month period.  I had assumed most were built on spec, and #'s 8 and 9 just hadn't sold.

Your remembrances provide another explanation in that they were privately owned and just kept in the shop for display purposes.

[AZ Muzzleloaders]

Full stock flintlock Hawken by Ed Trump.  Top flat stamped "6".

[Daniel Coats]

What caliber is this one?

[AZ Muzzleloaders]

54

[flinter49]

Did GRRW produce a lot of rifles?

[Karl Kunkel]

Forgot all about Uriah Heep.  During the custom van craze, there was a conversion van around that tried to recreate the Demons & Wizards album cover.

[Daniel Coats]

Forgot all about Uriah Heep.  During the custom van craze, there was a conversion van around that tried to recreate the Demons & Wizards album cover.

Yep had it loved it and burned a phonograph needle through it! Nice  someone else remembers! 

[BigSkyRambler]

Also have UH ticket stub from 75. No recollection of being there. Wish I could have afforded a GRRW rifle in those days, but I guess I spent all my money going to concerts I don't remember.  LOL!

[Bob Roller]

Bill Large trained a man from GRRW in barrel making and sold a rifling machine? They did not want my Ketland lock which was a fine performer and looked good on that style of rifle.I sent most of those locks to Germany and Switzerland and no squabbling about price.
Bob Roller

[Carney Pace]

Tanyu Howard went back to Bill Large's shop and was taught how to use the rifling machine and drill.
Right after the machines were set up, I was hired to do the barrels.

Tanyu and Les Holt were killed in the GRRW powder plant explosion.
Les ran the stock duplicator in he  GRRW shop.

Carney

[TN Longhunter]

Forgot all about Uriah Heep.  During the custom van craze, there was a conversion van around that tried to recreate the Demons & Wizards album cover.

Yep had it loved it and burned a phonograph needle through it! Nice  someone else remembers! 



Remember and still listen when in a rock mood. Rainbow Demon, one of the best on the album.