hawken ramrod pipe question

[dave gross]

I'm getting ready to round up the few parts I need to assemble a Hawken halfstock. The catalogs have cast steel ramrod pipes as well as some made of sheet steel.  Could anyone fortunate enough to have seen an original let me know if the pipes were cast or as I suppose, made of sheet material.  Thanks.

Dave Gross
Way Down East in Maine

[louieparker]

Made of sheet.You can center drill a piece of rod to your ramrod size for the rib pipes. the rear pipe form from sheet.

[Dphariss]

I'm getting ready to round up the few parts I need to assemble a Hawken halfstock. The catalogs have cast steel ramrod pipes as well as some made of sheet steel.  Could anyone fortunate enough to have seen an original let me know if the pipes were cast or as I suppose, made of sheet material.  Thanks.

Dave Gross
Way Down East in Maine

Baird's "Hawken Rifles" has a pic of an early J&S entry IIRC. Too lazy to look. Might have been in a 60s MB article by Baird?
They were formed from sheet.

Dan

[bigsky]

Were the thimbles and pipe always sheet?  Early Hawken buttplates were forged and brazed and nose caps were formed from sheet steel.  Later buttplates and nosecaps were cast.  Perhaps later thimbles and pipes were also cast?

[Dave B]

The late Hawken rifles had cast entry pipes and were held in place with a screw from inside the barrel channel. If I remember my conversation with Don Stith correctly.

[mr. no gold]

Hello Louie! Welcome to the Forum; it is a great pleasure to have you here. We will look forward to the upcoming things you have to share with the membership.
For the record, Louie is one of the finest restorer/builders working today and he has handled most of the great rifles we talk about here. His contemporary work is peerless, but for some reason, he seems to be stuck on Hawkens at the moment. Did you finish the one you were building, Louie?
Regards-Dick

[JTR]

Hey Louie, welcome to the forum, and great to see you here!
Thanks for the pics of your John Armstrong rifle, and what a gorgeous job you did on it!
There’s lots of good stuff on this forum, and no doubt lots of guys you already know, so don’t be shy.
Regards, John Robbins

[louieparker]

Dick.....Yes the hawken is finished. I copied the one in the Red Jackson collection. Its a J &S,  big  gun with a rectangular shaped buffalo box. The other one has the later style buffalo box ,and a spur trigger guard. Also a different style lock where the metal bar is mounted to the barrel and sets down on the lock.This gun  is a copy of a friends S hawken. Did you get the Armstrong photos?

[mr. no gold]

Louie, I did receive the Armstrong photos and it's just a shame that you are trying to take credit for what is obviously a fine, old, original gun! I plan to give you a call soon about it.
Fact is, you did a superlative job of putting it back right. I can't imagine why anyone would have restocked it in cherry wood way back then, but It looks 100% now!
All the best-Dick