Tom Dawson Special

[A. Cooper]

I am in the process of a Hawken build using a Wm Large barrel I purchased in the 70's. Reviewing old correspondence from Mr. Large reveals my barrel is a Tom Dawson Special. I'm not sure what this means. There are two inclined planes on either side of the tang next to the foreward tang bolt. I've not seen these planes on Hawkens I've seen or in pictures. It looks like the planes are designed to be continued into the wood of the wrist. Do I have the right idea? Was this a feature of a particular generation of Hawken? Guidance is appreciated. Thanks

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

A photo would go a long way to bringing an intelligent reply.  Post a picture of the tang please.

[A. Cooper]

I can make digital photograph but have no idea how to get it on the site.

[Chuck Burrows]

Mr Cooper - if you know how to email a picture email it to me at chuck@wrtcleather.com and I will post it for you - just one of your friendly ALR mods on the job! 

[WB Selb]

I had Bill Large build me a barrel back in the 70's for a fullstock Hawken style gun; what I received was his "Tom Dawson Special". It had a fairly typical snail/hooked breech assembly. I think what made the barrel unique, hence the Tom Dawson Special designation was the rifling; mine was .54 cal. 1 turn in 56" and the rifling was .016+ deep, square cut, and quite accurate. I expect you will be pleased with your finished rifle.

WB Selb
www.Hawkenrifles.com 

[Chuck Burrows]

I got the image from Mr. Cooper. The flares on the end of the breech are there to mate up with flares on both sides of the tang - a style that appears to have been used mostly in the 1840's by J & S Hawken.
Mr Cooper's TK Dawsons Special

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

That speaks volumes.  It is my opinion that the filing of the tang has been taken to an extreme, perhaps even too far.  Those filed flats appear to me to be even steeper than the 45 degree angle flats of the barrel.  There will be no wood left to create panels around the lock.  The example that Chuck has provided:  a nice J & S Hawken rifle, is much more subtle.  This filing treatment is best done after the tang has been inlet into the wood, or at least that's how I'd do it.  But there's always more than one way...

[WB Selb]

My Wm. Large "Tom Dawson Special" definitely did not have the "ears" on the breech assembly; in appearance, it was much closer to a current R.E. Davis breech except it was machined and not cast. I am convinced the "Special" designation was in reference to the exceptionally deep rifling and twist rate.

WB Selb

[louieparker]

I have built one Hawken with a tang shaped like the one in Chucks photo and one more extreme. Almost a reflection of of the fence on the lock side..  Your breech is just not shaped right to get either one..   It looks completely wrong to me, even for a standard tang. May be the angle of the photo but   I don't see how you could inlet it into the wood ? I would give some though to a completely new breech. Might save a bunch of problems in the long run ,,,Louie

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Thanks for your reply Louis.  There is more wrong with the breech and its tang than the angled filing.  I agree that to make an authentic Hawken rifle, a new breech is in order.  Careful study ( and understanding) the pictures such as the one Chuck has supplied, and those from Jim Gordon's fabulous reference work, will help this poster to recognize the difference.

[IKE]

Tom Dawson in his day was the Hawken man.Bill Large made Bbls. For him. Tom left us way too soon!

[Pete G.]

Perhaps that is why it was for sale.
To my eye at least, someone has seriously hosed up that breech, past the point of recovery.

[Chuck Burrows]

Unless my eyes have gone totally wonky - I don't see the rest of the breech with tang. IMO - that is missing here is the standing breech and tang section - the barrel is incomplete without them which throws off the overall look of the breech