The Hawken rifle is harder to make than people think.
Most are heavily used and rounded.
This is the "Bridger" rifle, a late S Hawken in the Museum in Helena.
Note the varnish wear at the edges of the lock panel.
Looking closely at the front of the lock panel shows indications that the rifle was carried in a "loop" on the saddle probably in a cover as was common in the west. There is more wear at the front of the panel than there is toward the rear. It is subtle but I am sure this it evident and unless one knows what to look for it may simply be considered as how it was made. Now I need another trip to the Museum in Cody
Did the owner, the rifle has had at least 2 "back in the day" it seems, rest a hand on the wrist while riding? How much dust had permeated the gun cover and how abrasive was it?
This trade gun seems to show a lot of wear at the front of the lock panel. Good chance its been carried in a loop horseback. Hanging muzzle down, probably also in a cover. These were both common into the cartridge era and LA Huffman pictures a Sharps slung in this manner in "Before Barbed Wire" circa 1880.
Most of the guns everyone sees with "saddle wear" are actually victims of being hauled about in wagons. Saddle wear is far less extreme and is more subtle. It can go unnoticed unless the method of carrying is considered and then the wear becomes more obvious.
So while I would hesitate to proclaim the Hawkens all had sharp edges I would not assume they all did not either. How was the wood prepared for final finish? Was the wood burnished? Did this blur some edges? Many questions, few real answers. Unfortunately when Sam was interviewed in his "golden years" (ha!) this was no one of the questions the newspaper asked.
This is Manton shotgun and it lacks razor sharp edges as well though its pretty good.
To return to the critique of the flint Hawken that started this thread.
Its a nice rifle (read this sentence twice) and what follows is *MY* opinion on how to make the next one better. Bear in mind I disassembled my first flint Hawken and used the stock for firewood when it was about 8 years old and I finally moved to a town with a ML gunsmith in residence who was pretty good. Building guns from pictures can be tough.
Again, its hard to make a Hawken and even harder by just buying parts and putting them in a stock. Most parts are a little "off" and the precarved stocks are too. Using brass is perfectly acceptable if that is what is wanted.
The primary problem with the lock panel area is the LOCK which is really beyond the average makers control. Stuck with what is available so this must be factored in. I have used one of these to make a rifle that was somewhat Hawken like. I used a J&S stock pattern then drifted to something more generic. The lock is WAY too big and the shape is really not right. As a result it makes the rifle too big in places.
Its too big and has too much bend for a good quality late English lock of 1800-1820.
The rifle here could have been improved somewhat by looking closer at J&S lock panels and THEN making the lock bolt side panel subtly DIFFERENT so it looks better. This is a way to cure the lock problem which is more apparent on the lockbolt side with all that flat wood surface. But it must be done carefully so its not obvious that is different. I was just discussing this with another maker yesterday.
Below are some photos. These are not 100% accurate Hawken copies. They are "impressions" I guess. But not too far off in most places and I pretty much know what places are off.
This is a Don King rifle has good lines and a better lock panel.
This rifle has 1" barrel.
Part of the reason that the lock panels look a little off on the rifle under discussion is that I think there is too much wood on the forend. A common error.
This is illustrates the height of the lock panel at the front on a Don King flint Hawken with a 1 1/8" barrel. There is a lot of stuff stamped and cut on the top flat but that's another story.
The panels are far "lower" at the wrist on these. But this may require some thinking when using percussion or store bought locks. Note that the DK lock is a flat plate in front of the tumbler hole and is beveled behind. This allows the lock panel the be tapered toward the wrist.
The large radius from the forend to the panel is stronger than a smaller radius when there is a lock inlet into the panel which weakens it.
The comb where it breaks to the wrist could be sharper too, not so rounded, i.e. more taper to from the buttplate to the nose of the comb.
This is a FS "Hawken" rifle I built about 20 years ago.
If you don't have John Baird's "Hawken Rifles..." and his "15 Years in the Hawken Lode" get them.
If you do look carefully at the second of the 2 FS rifles in the first book, it appears earlier in the book as well. Its an excellent basis for a Flint Hawken and I think its the rifle Don K had access too when he built his first flint Hawken.
I am going to be way behind schedule so better get to work or things will be difficult in the AM.
Dan
