I built this rifle in the early 70's for a friend with a passion for Hawken rifles...as you might remember, they were all the rage in those days. Currently, the owner is still alive but in his 90's, and he asked me a couple years ago to sell his rifles. IIt was a chore, because he is 6'9" tall and he had me make his rifles with a 16" lop. I tried to warn him that selling these monsters woould not be easy because of the extreme dimensions, ie: Toenjes.60 cal, 36" x 1 1/8" parallel barrels, lop at 16" and weight at around 12 pounds. He assured me they were just adult rifles.
As it turned out, one of my local friends fell in love with them, and eventually bought them both, but with the understanding that I would rebuild them with a 14" lop. I took on the work, one at a time, and bought new butt plates, and made new patchboxes for each of them. The subject rifle got a new brass patchbox and a new lock. I replaced the Siler lock I first installed with a Davis Twigg flintlock. That was a good choice it turns out, because the lock is 100 % reliable and gives extremely fast ignition. This lock has innards by Bob Roller, and a new frizzen by Larry Mrock at the Mold and Gun Shop. Bob's action is silky smooth with no stack as the cock comes to full bent. It also is very quick especially for such a big lock.
Apart from being a very handsome rifle, it is a shooter too! I had sighted the original rifle in and that was the last it was fired. So my buddy got a brand new rifle from the 1970's. We started shooting from a table at 25 yards, and we each put a ball through the golf ball sized bull with 85 gr. FFg GOEX, .595" ball at around 320 gr., .023" cotton denim patch and moose milk (water/Ballistol 10:1) From 25 yards, we moved the target out to 50 yards and again, with the same load, shot through the centre. So out to 100 yards, and my buddy put a ball 8" low at 6 o'clock. So I bumped up the load to 130 gr. and shot another ball through the golf ball...all from the table and an impromptu rest. Now I kind of wished I'd kept the rifle myself. But my old friend is paid off and is pleased that I could move the rifles along to someone who appreciates them.
So if someone is trying to back away from a heavy rifle, consider acquiring one for plank, cross-stick, or bench shooting, because they can really perform if fed properly. And thanks Hugh for such fantastic barrels and wood. BTW, Ken intends to shoot a moose and an elk this fall in Alberta, using cross sticks...film at 11!! Stay tuned.
