I have an old photo I took of a Hawken in the JM Davis Museum in OK. I recall when taking the pic it appeared as if the nipple was perpendicular to the barrel. Close examination of the photo it appears as if the nipple does angle very slightly, maybe five degrees, or less. The nose of the hammer looks like it was filed at an angle to somewhat hit the nipple square. It is a pat. breech, not one where the drum rotated. My question; is this an anomaly. Or just not so common?
It is a fav pic because it shows much wear, almost thru to bare wood on the wrist and forearm where it rode on the saddle. It is a squirrel type, smaller cal. (40 I think).
I have seen the picture of that breech with the nearly vertical nipple and it
more or less proves the lack of uniformity in these guns. I know that when
it came to locks used ,about any lock that could be modified for use was as
the late Tom Dawson used to say,"grist for the mill". A common modification
was to replace or "stretch"the hammer. Stretching meant cutting the hammer in two
pieces and splicing in a section by welding so the hammer could reach the nipple
at all.
There is in Baird's book,the first one,a picture of the squirrel rifle you mention and
also a J&S full stock with a nearly vertical nipple on page 25.This rifle also has a
bolster breech with tang attached or as Bill Large called it,a solid patent breech.
Bob Roller
